Getting left behind after asking for trot

Peace

Peace

pAin't Nobody's Bidness
Nov 12, 1999
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South Carolina, US
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My pony has a much speedier transition into trot than did my lesson horse. It feels as though he turns on the power thrusters and we jump into warp speed.:eek: I get left behind and, worst of all, have caught Quanah in the mouth a couple of times.:eek: Which of course he does not appreciate.

How's the best way not to get left behind and have the pony shoot forward without me?:)
 
lean forward a tad, and get a balance strap (a strap through the D-rings if you ride in an english saddle, i dont know cos your in the USA).
pulls you into the saddle and means you dont catch his mouth :)
 
Have some lunge lessons to work on maintaining your balance. :)

I too have been struggling with staying upright on transitions. Leaning forward is what I've gotten into the habit of doing but it just unbalances you more and makes you more likely to lean on the horses mouth. You need to be pushing your hands forward, looking ahead (I always look down :rolleyes: ) and holding your balance with your core.
 
If you want, you can do the walk-trot transition in two-point and then post the trot. That will keep you from hitting his mouth. I generally just let the horse move me forward with the first stride and I don't try to sit back too much.
 
Lauren - I don't think my RI would go for the balance strap.:eek: She means for me to do as Laura83 suggests - strong core and all that. Pilates every morning since December and I still don't have one. *sigh* Maybe one day. But yes, I ride hunt seat in an english saddle. I can't lift one of those big old western things up on a horse!:D Not even my little 14.0 hh fellow.

I'll try throwing my hands forward, thanks.:) Quanah doesn't lunge - he has a tricky knee and can't do small circles.

And two-point is a good suggestion as well - although this RI has never suggested I two-point. Dunno why - my last one had me two-point the up transition. I'd forgotten until you mentioned that, StartingAgain.:)
 
Well if she's a hunt seat instructor, she's got to be familiar with two-point. Both of mine have us do a lot in two-point even if we can sit. I was skeptical at first but I must admit my overall balance got better and I got stronger. I still prefer to sit the transitions and I sneak a sitting trot when they're not looking but two-point has its uses. :)

By the way, you're in my home state of South Carolina. I haven't lived there in ages. I first learned to ride in Columbia ages ago, moved away, took a long time off and just got back into it again. There weren't too many lesson barns when I was down there except for Aiken and Camden but I've heard its changed.
 
StartingAgain said:
By the way, you're in my home state of South Carolina. I haven't lived there in ages. I first learned to ride in Columbia ages ago, moved away, took a long time off and just got back into it again. There weren't too many lesson barns when I was down there except for Aiken and Camden but I've heard its changed.
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:) Well, it has changed and it hasn't. There are lesson barns pretty much everywhere now but good ones are still a trick to find. Mine is in Tabor City, NC and is pretty new - RI/BO grew up in Connecticut, where she hunted and competed in the big rated shows. Lessons at her place are a world apart from what I'm used to - but that's a good thing.:)
 
How do you ask for trot? I am guessing legs on (squeeze/ kick) and pony goes?

Try pushing from your seat. Ride the seat movements in walk and speed up into trot, with minimal leg movements, with 2-3 steps proper sitting trot (absorbing movement through stomach muscles, not just bouncing) before rising. It sounds like you are pushing forwards in the leg and probably rising immediately, in which case no amount of core strength will help, as those core muscles are not in contact with the saddle.
 
Peace said:
:) Well, it has changed and it hasn't. There are lesson barns pretty much everywhere now but good ones are still a trick to find. Mine is in Tabor City, NC and is pretty new - RI/BO grew up in Connecticut, where she hunted and competed in the big rated shows. Lessons at her place are a world apart from what I'm used to - but that's a good thing.:)
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Ah, then she must have ridden at some barns whose shows my barn goes to. We're in New York but the show team goes to a lot of shows in Connecticut.

Yeah, the lessons up here are a lot better than I was used to.
 
Spiggly said:
It sounds like you are pushing forwards in the leg and probably rising immediately, in which case no amount of core strength will help, as those core muscles are not in contact with the saddle.
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That's a really good point I hadn't considered.
 
Eureka!

Much better this morning.:) I decided to imagine I was wearing a lap belt, low across my hips, as one would in a car. And I decided I'd just accept however fast Quanah wanted to go at the transition and worry about slowing down later. Because if I were wearing a seat belt, I could just stay with him until he slowed to the proper gait, right?

The first time I asked for trot, I got the opportunity to ride a few strides of canter:D (which I'm not supposed to do yet - RI's rule is one must master sitting trot w/o stirrups before cantering) but I kept my hands low and quiet and just accepted what he offered. And then asked for the nice slow trot that I wanted.

And I got it.:cool: As it turned out, the little bit of canter was a good thing - RI decided that since I could manage a few strides of an unplanned gait that we could work outside today. So not only did we master the transition, we got liberated from the indoor.:cool:

Thanks so much everybody for all your support and encouragement. NR is the best.:)

ETA: Oh, yes, I am asking with my legs. And Quanah is very responsive, so when I ask a little more forcefully than I mean to, I get more of a response than I expect.:) Maybe my lap-belt image helped me to use my core more today - RI said it looked very controlled once we got going (as opposed to last week, when I looked a bit like a goose tied to the saddle.:D).
 
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Great for you! Your RI must be pretty tough to want you to do sitting trot without stirrups before you canter.

And I decided I'd just accept however fast Quanah wanted to go at the transition and worry about slowing down later.
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That's how I like to do it - just let the horse move you first and then figure out what you want to do. It looks like you had a great lesson!
 
StartingAgain said:
Great for you! Your RI must be pretty tough to want you to do sitting trot without stirrups before you canter.
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She runs a pretty tight ship, all right.:D You could eat off the floor in the barn aisle, and the horses and tack are always *sparkling* - every student is taught to catch, turn out, groom, pick feet, break down and clean tack, as well as to ride to pretty exacting standards. RI's fairly new to the area, but her students are coming home in the big ribbons consistently at local shows.:)

But for all that, her biggest rule is that one must have fun while riding, so that makes it all right. Seriously. We spent one entire lesson learning to play on horseback.:cool:

She's all about centered riding and balance - which is why I knew she'd never go for a Jesus strap;) - so I think that's the reason for the sitting-trot-w/o-stirrups-before-canter rule. Keeps one from tensing up at canter, losing a stirrup, panicking and going ker-plop. I see that happen often to students at other barns - I reckon those barns are worried about losing students if they're not allowed to canter/jump/whatever right away. My RI, though, will turn away students and horses who aren't willing to "get with the program" - a brave business move in this economy. I sure hope it works out for her.

Can you tell I think we're very lucky to have her?:)
 
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