The Sitting Trot
How can you learn to sit the trot nicely?
What can you do to make it more comfortable?
Add your opinions below!
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the key to the sitting trot is RELAXATION! but once you've established some deal of relaxtion (which one instructor effectively forced me to achieve once by posting until my legs were to tired to post anymore), a good starter is to learn to recognise the side to side motion in the trot...this is easier if you are familiar with you diagonals, and you can use the horse's movement to your advantage by "separating the two sides of your butt" and letting them move with each side of the horse....these are by no mean professional opinions, just what i've learned in my years of riding and teaching, but i'm always looking for a new way to enlighten my students, so please, anyone w/ ideas or some (constructive) criticism, i'd love to hear it!
Posted By: dparson1@maine.rr.com
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I have always had a hard time with this. I see other people and they look so relaxes, but I find myself squeezing my leggs so tight that my knees hurt and it doesn't stop the bouncing at all, therefore, other parts of my body hurt as well!! By relaxing, do you mean by not using your legs as much? Then I fall off!!
Posted By: T.
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To sit the trot comfortably and securely, you'll need to relax. When I say relax, it doesn't mean to not use your legs. What it means is to allow the muscles in your body to release and lose tension. When you are tense, it will only cause you to bounce more, since there will be less shock absorbtion throughout your body. So, squeezing with your knees will definitely not help your sitting trot. When you do relax, if you feel insecure and feel like you'll fall off, you'll need to find a horse who has a slow trot to practice on. Have someone lunge you without stirrups, and possibly even bareback so you can learn to balance with your entire body instead of holding on with your legs. Hanging on with your legs only creates more tension in you and the horse. With lots of practice without stirrups and/or bareback riding, you'll learn to sit the trot like a pro!
Posted By: jodi
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what i have found helps a lot when learning to sit the trot and to sit deep in the saddle is to get one of those "mounting straps" and attach it to the dee rings of your saddle. Have someone lunge you on a lunge line while you trot around holding the mounting strap with both hands. Using the mounting strap, you can pull the center of your body down into the saddle while you sit up straight. This helps you to feel what it is like to sit deep in the saddle and have a no-bounce sitting trot. It will teach you to keep your butt in the saddle, i'll tell you!
Posted By: anonymous
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I slouch at the very beginning. I curve my buttocks inward. Also, you should sit the trot unless your horse has a slow even trot. No matter what, if it is to fast, physics will make your body bounce. I don't have a problem with balance, I guess I could do it with my legs out of the stirrup, sticking out, away from the horse. Hey! How 'bout praticing that!
Posted By: donna
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I sit the trot by sitting deep on my pockets and sort of half relaxing. Grip with your knees if you have no stirrups and put all your weight in your heels if you do have them. Also, try to balance yourself out in the saddle. Keep your shoulders back (I do this by trying to open my chest)and your head up. Practice by starting on a lunge line and putting your arms in various positions. And one more little lecture note- dont squeeze too hard with your calves unless you have a firm grip on the reins. Your horse will fly! Im only 12, but this really really works. Believe me, I just sold (after 2 1/2 years of ownership boo-hoo ={ ) the toughest eq. horse in the country!
Posted By: Claire
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Something that I found works to help people get started is to tell them to sit on their back pockets, this helps to tuck the tail bone under. Another description that helps, it's a little funny and in visualizing it most riders relax some, is to tell a rider to pretnd they are a dog with it's tail tucked between his legs.
Posted By: Brenda
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I have had promblems in the past but all u need to do is work on it even if it just for 1 minute because trust me u will improve
Posted By: Kara
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I have had promblems in the past but all u need to do is work on it even if it just for 1 minute because trust me u will improve
Posted By: Kara
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I try to always look ahead, not down! - this helps center your body and put your balance low. Be careful hanging on to straps, mane, etc., because this will pull your center of gravity up toward your shoulders! Think about right under your naval, keep your shoulders back and your chin up. I don't grip with my legs at all, but try to lengthen my leg and put weight in my heels.
Posted By: CJ
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My horse Sonny hates people messing with his mouth. So when I try to collect him during our sitting trot, he tences every mucsel in his body and trots all choppy. Then I can't help but bounce. Any real suggestions????
Posted By: Sonny's girl
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To Sonny's girl: This is not a problem with your sitting trot, it is a problem with the horse not understanding your cues. If he tenses up and trots choppy when you try to collect him, you need to go back to basics with him and teach him to give to the bit properly. When a horse is properly giving to the bit, he is also giving in his poll, neck and shoulders. I think I saw some articles on giving to the bit in the training q&a page on this site about giving to the bit. Your trot will for sure be much more comfortable when you teach your horse to give to the bit and be collected without tensing up.
Posted By: katie
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ride without stirrups in the beginning of the lesson. adjust stirrups as necessary. do all kinds of strectching exercises. try 'melting' into the saddle. when you start to really 'bounce' walk. Stretch. try again/
Posted By: robin
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to sonnys girl- I agree with katie- you should start over with your cues. also to help, when you start over, take a firm grip on the reins and try to squeeze the horse out from underneath of you. now you have a firm grip with you legs and if you seesaw with your reins he should put his head down. If you read this i hope it works! :)
Posted By: anonymous
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I have to tell everyone this, and it isn't the nicest way to put it, but, and remember, this is to help yourself "hump the saddle" Yes folks, I typed what you read, and I do mean it. You should COMPLETELY relax your hips, and just lean back just a bit, and your sitting trot will be amazing. Just collapse your hips, but make sure you have a good center of balance.
Posted By: Kristen
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Thank's for the help!! I'll try your suggestions.
Posted By: Sonny's girl
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Ride bareback that will help you learn to relax your muscles and learn to balance better at the trot
Posted By: anonymous
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I totally agree with Kristen! That is the best way to learn to ride in a trot. When I 1st learned to ride I was showed how to ride in a trot by "posting" and OH MAN was I in pain afterwrds! OUCH!! My legs were in alot of un-needed and unwanted pain! lol I have been taking lesson to learn to train horses and while in these training sessions I have had to be RE-trained to ride. I have to say that "re" learning to ride is harder than learning the 1st time and I am now being taught to ride in a trot like the way Kristen has discribed. IT WORKS!! I am a much happier rider now and my legs are so much happier too! lol Riding a trot is ALL in the hips! Let your hips do the work and as you get used to riding that way you can set up normal in your saddle and your hips will continue to ride like you were as you were leaned back.
Posted By: Shelley
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I had spent years trying to find the key to a beautiful sitting trot, and of course I ended up looking like a sack of jello up on my horse. With a careful study of what talented rider's actually do, I was finally able to put all the pieces together and make a stable, elegant, and effective sitting trot. So what had to change? Before, I was rather rounded in my back, I had a tendency to sit on the back of my butt and lean back as my horse sped up, and I was always looking down. I knew that there was supposed to be a side to side movement in my seatbones, but that was only one piece of the puzzle, and with all of the other elements missing, my sitting trot only became more and more frustrating. Just as a note, I would highly recommend any of Mary Wanless' books or videos, as these hvae really helped me to establish firm basic riding techniques. The things I have learned from Mary go far beyond anything I have ever learned from any other source. Anyway, the huge piece of the puzzle that I was missing was this: Even though my seat stayed in the saddle, my stomach and lower back still had a lot of movement in them, and the thing I discovered was what is known as the "neutral spine". This is the natural positioning of the spine, and it gives a rider increadible stability! Basically, there should be threee curves in your back, one in the lower back, one in the ribcage area, and one on the back of the neck. I found that I had to actually place my ribcage forward and down slightly in order to achieve the alignment. When things are going right, my whole body feels like one piece, I feel the shock of the movement up through my entire body, my head starts bobbing slightly, and my spine feels like an iron rod. This is a very distinct feeling, so it is easy to tell when I have got it right. This along with a correct shoulder/hip/heel alignment, proper following with the seatbones, and sufficient muscle tone will make your sitting trot feel solid! I cannot even describe how elated I was to finally be able to sit like a good rider! I also, again, highly recommend MAry Wanless' books and videos, in particular the book "Ride With Your Mind Masterclass" and all of her videos. Good luck!
Posted By: Melyssa
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To ride bareback will help with balance, seat, and general "feel" for the horse. That, of course, includes getting the feel for sitting trott. Try it, it really works.
Posted By: Nyhast
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if you watch an expert sit the trot, it seems as if the middle of their hip manuevers in a circle. To make it more comfortable think of hollowing your back.I hope this helps.
Posted By: a fellow horse rider
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My first teacher made us drop our stirrups and trot slowly (like a jog trot). Working w/o stirrups really helps balance and feel. I was also taught to grab the pommel and keep myself in the saddle, this helps too. My problem is my hands, when sitting the working trot, they bounce. Normally I have soft, steady, hands -posting, 2 point, canter, no problem. It only occurs when sitting the trot, I have worked on this on a loose rein so I don't bother his mouth. Is this something that will improve with time and practice or is there a technique to it???? Help?!?!?
Posted By: Tasha
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Posted By: tetyud
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