Equestrian Rider – How to Sit The Trot
Equestrian Rider – How To Sit The Trot… Explained
Jul 19, 2010
Equestrian riders often have a hard time learning how to sit the trot. Of all the gaits that we experience as riders, the walk, the trot, canter, hand gallop, pace, rack and a few more, it is the trot that gives riders the toughest time!
The trot creates more a jarring sensation for riders than the other gaits. Of course, this can vary from one horse to another. I am speaking very generally here.
When horses trot, they engage diagonal legs together. The left rear leg strikes the ground at the precise time that the right front leg strikes the ground. And, the right rear leg hits simultaneously with the left front. It is a two beat gait.
[phpbay]dressage saddle, 9,,,,,250,,,,,,1,,3,[/phpbay]
How Many Gaits?
To briefly summarize the other gaits, the walk is slow and even, being a four beat gait and easy to sit. The canter creates a comfortable rolling action with its three beats. The pace is also a two beat gait, but it incorporates the use of the lateral legs together. And, the rack is also a lateral gait but has four beats.
The two-beat gait of the trot can be uncomfortable if you have not been told how to post or how to sit the trot. Posting is a good solution to avoid the jarring of the trot. It is a gentle rising out of the saddle in unison with the diagonal legs. That will be discussed in another article.
Regardless of that, however, you should learn how to sit the trot because it will make you a better rider in general. You will come to feel the motion of the horse’s legs and body and further hone your skills as a sensitive, understanding rider.
I am constantly amazed at some of the bad advice riders get about learning how to sit the trot. I often hear instructors tell riders to grip more with their knees when sitting the trot. I personally could not disagree more.
[phpbay]western saddle, 9,,,,,250,,,,,,1,,3,[/phpbay]
It’s All About The Feel of Your Horse… Not Your Strength!
In order to move fluidly and in unison with your horse, you must be relaxed and flexible. Strength is not the key to sitting the trot. You cannot hold yourself in the saddle by sheer muscle. You must gain the feel of your horse underneath you and learn to move with him.
Flexing your muscles and gripping with your knees will create the opposite result that you want. It will stiffen you leg and your seat which is counter productive to what we want.
Instead, try to relax your seat and legs, using your pelvis as a shock absorber. The easiest and fastest way to get the feel, is to drop your stirrups. Let your legs dangle gently next to the horse’s sides. (Of course, if your horse is young, excitable and unpredictable, you may not want to try this. It is not worth getting hurt over!)
Assuming it is safe, drop your toes from the stirrups. Start a slow trot and feel the one-two, one-two rhythm through the saddle. There is one important maneuver to learn that will make you sit the trot with no problem.
[phpbay]horse bridle, 9,,,,,25,,,,,,1,,3,[/phpbay]
Here’s the secret:
As an Equestrian Rider Amazon.com’;return true;” onmouseout=”self.status=””>equestrian rider, I am sure you are athletic by nature. Not only that, you have probably been in a gym and worked out in aerobic classes. Think back about how the instructor told you how to do crunches properly.
If you recall, you lie on your back, with your fingers helping to support your head. You lift you chin and your pelvis toward the ceiling. Remember? This automatically made you use your abdominal muscles to hold that position. Believe it or not, riding is just like this!
When you are riding the trot, lift your pelvis in the same manner, toward the sky, each time the horse takes a trotting stride. In this way, your pelvis is your shock absorber. The only way you can do this is if your lower back is completely relaxed. So, when learning this technique, just become jello! Keep your shoulders square and proud, but let the horse’s back move your seat where you should go.
If you are doing this properly, you may begin to feel like your seat is pushing your horse forward. Good! This is the feeling you want to have!
Once you begin to get the feeling while jogging, you can increase your speed up into a trot. Your rhythm will increase as the horse’s speed increases. Your seat should remain snug in the saddle. You should be able to place a dollar bill in the middle of the saddle and keep it in place while sitting the trot.
“Next Steps”
Now, the next step is picking up your stirrups and doing the same thing! It’s tough! We tend to put too much weight in our stirrups. When you do that, you reduce your ability to absorb the shock. It stiffens our legs and prevents the fluid motion we want.
So, when you pick up your irons, keep the weight in your heel, not your toe. Now your heel can aid as a shock absorber too.
Don’t be disappointed if your lower leg wobbles at first. You’ll quickly learn to control your lower leg. Just focus on sitting the trot first.
You’ll see that after sitting the trot, you have muscles in places you did not know muscles existed!!! Take it slow. Only practice a few minutes each day or you’ll really pay the price with sore muscles!
Good luck!
Lisa Blackstone
American Horse Association
www.AmericanHorseAssociation.com
www.HorseandRiderClub.com
Lisa@AHAHelpDesk.com
If you want to know more about equestrian saddles or horses lessons in general visit www.RidingSaddlesGuide.com, www.HorseandRiderClub.com, www.HorseRidingSaddlesGuide.com or www.AmericanHorseAssociation.com
