How to sit trot

J

Jester87

New Member
Jul 6, 2006
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Adelaide, South Australia
Hey all, im just weanting to know how to position my self for a sit trot. i used to be able to do it..(prob when i was like 15) but i cant get it right anymore. i think it has to do a lot with my balance- which again used to be a lot better when i was younger..well im only 19, but i used to be about to around canter bareback on a horse a used to ride, just using his halter (no helmet..naughty me)- it was just when i was getting him out of his paddock. once i kicked him when i jumped on and he took off when i was only half on, but because i had good balance i could easily straighten up and position myself. pfft i cant se me doing that now!
Anyhoo, any suggestions? sorry about rambling on..:eek:
 
I described the feeling to my husband as being like one of those sand filled door stops that looks like a crab....have you seen those? They are heavy but mould eaasily around anyshape, and would have no bounce on a saddle because of their softness and ability to mould, so if you stay relaxed in your muscles you get a feeling of moulding to the saddle. That bit understood you need to be similarly relaxed in the lower half of your bag, so that your hips and lover spine can absorb the movement by gently flexing, and finally, when I am tence I used to think of sitting back on the bump......

sorry my descriptions are all "feeling based" but thats how I think of it while riding.....it did make sense to my husband...
 
I just figured this out about 2 weeks ago, when my RI had me in a western saddle for a private to work on sitting trot and canter.

You really have to feel like you're sitting on the horse's back legs, almost leaning back, but not actually leaning back, if that makes sense.

Then you have to feel the horse's gait and go with it, giving him the strides just like you would in canter but it is 1 2 1 2 rather than 123 123.

Eventually you'll just hit it and go "oh, ok!"
 
One of the main reasons that riders have trouble sitting the trot is that there is too much tension in the joints and lower back, which is where the ability to flex absorbs the motion of the horse as it trots. another mental image (I liked the idea of the sand-filled draft-stopper or door-stop) is to imagine that your legs are wet (like in watter-logged) towels that 'drape' around the side of the horse...think about that weight pulling you from the hips down towards the ground, and while you maintain balance, there is no tension in your lower back, just the feeling of weight, and your legs wrap around the barrel of the horse, clinging to the horse, rather than the feeling of pushing upwards in the stirrups.

Hope this helps.

Rick in VA
 
Because you rode before when you were young and are now trying so hard to ride well, you may be doing to much.
As I am always saying, my teacher teaches everything in walk.
Do what piftisha says, but in walk. Sit upright and soft on the horse and feel your seat bones. Feel the way one dips and then the other. Breathe long slow breathes and count out the one two three four rhythm of walk.

When your seat nbone dips, that is the hind leg of the horse coming off teh ground and moving forwards under its body ready to take the next step. Just as the corner of a table might drop if you took away the leg that was supporting it.

Sitting trot is very similar. Except it is quicker and in two time. You should still feel each seat bone sink in turn. You can go on breathing and counting the steps, (one two one two) but let each seat bones drop and rise with the movement of the horse.

To some people it feels as if there are large wheels circling backwards under their seat.
 
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