| If you have trouble sitting the trot you | | | | dropped. If for some reason you can't do |
| aren't alone. Many riders who are | | | | this, you may have weak muscles in that |
| learning the sitting trot have trouble | | | | area, or your hips and back might be |
| getting an independent seat, and some | | | | tight. Strengthening, stretching, and |
| riders find that their seat bones aren't | | | | yoga or pilates will all do wonders to |
| anywhere near the saddle when they | | | | making this area stronger and more |
| should be! Well, with a few simple | | | | supple. |
| tricks you'll be able to sit the trot in | | | | Once you've mastered the chair, time to |
| no time. | | | | move on to your horse! Sit up nice and |
| First of all, because the sitting trot | | | | straight so that your back is directly |
| uses the word "sit," many riders make | | | | over your hips and seat, and alternate |
| the mistake of thinking that the action | | | | one sit bone at a time, following your |
| is passive. Hardly! You don't just sit | | | | horse's movement. Don't round your back, |
| there during the sitting trot. If you | | | | and be sure to keep your hips flexible |
| think of the sitting trot as an active | | | | and soft so that you can follow the |
| process, you'll be well on your way to | | | | movement of the horse. If your body is |
| improving it! | | | | in correct alignment, your legs will be |
| A bad sitting trot is something that | | | | relaxed and your knees will be down and |
| builds on itself and gets progressively | | | | back. Your spine will absorb the bounce. |
| worse. In most cases, it starts during | | | | Okay, so let's say you've mastered the |
| the down motion. As the saddle drops | | | | sitting trot but for some reason, it |
| down, the rider doesn't move with it. | | | | still isn't working. And let's say |
| Instead, the rider drops down just as | | | | you've determined that the reason is |
| the saddle is beginning to move back up. | | | | that your horse is still dropping his |
| The result? The rider's seat slaps the | | | | back and stiffening up. If your horse |
| horse's back. A horse who is having his | | | | isn't ready-if he isn't relaxed and |
| back slapped will stiffen up and drop | | | | engaged, with his back lifted and |
| his back, and once he does this, the | | | | swinging-don't sit the trot. It could be |
| trot is just about impossible to sit. | | | | that his back isn't strong enough yet. |
| In order to correctly sit the trot, you | | | | You can help him develop the right |
| must be able to follow the saddle as it | | | | muscles for the sitting trot by |
| moves down. And to make this even more | | | | alternating sitting and posting. Sit |
| challenging, you need to do it quietly | | | | until you feel him drop his back, and |
| one seat bone at a time. | | | | then post until he is relaxed and ready |
| The good news is, you don't need to make | | | | again. Pay attention, and be sure to |
| your horse suffer while you master the | | | | post when your horse shows signs of |
| sitting trot. You can make a hard wooden | | | | discomfort. This is a good way to build |
| chair suffer instead. Straddle the chair | | | | his strength without souring him on the |
| with the back in front of you, making | | | | sitting trot. |
| sure that both of your seat bones are in | | | | For more great horse training tips, just |
| contact with the chair. Tighten and | | | | click one of our links in the resource |
| relax each seat bone, one at a time. | | | | box below . We hope you will stop on by |
| Keep alternating sides so that when one | | | | and say hello. |
| seat bone is lifted, the other is | | | | |