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How to Trot Your Horse

By eHow Pets Editor

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Trotting or jogging your horse is a faster pace than walking and will allow you to cover a lot more ground. In the trot the horse will pick up and land one front foot and the diagonal hind foot at the same time.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Step1

Tack up your horse using English or Western tack.

Step2

Mount your horse.

Step3

Hold reins firmly yet allow enough slack that the horse can move its head.

Step4

Sit upright with your shoulders back, head up and eyes looking ahead.

Step5

Keep 60 percent of your weight in your stirrups and 40 percent in your seat.

Step6

Begin by having your horse standing still or walking.

Step7

Squeeze both of your legs to get your horse to move forward.

Step8

Cluck or kiss to your horse at the same time. These are both noises you make with your mouth to get your horse to move.

Step9

Release the pressure from your legs once the horse is trotting.

Step10

Bounce along with each upward movement of the horse or raise yourself slightly out of the saddle each time the horse's outside front leg swings forward (posting the trot.)

Step11

Get into the rhythm of the horse's movements and relax.

Step12

Remember to breathe. Holding your breath creates tension in your body that your horse will pick up on.

Tips & Warnings

Trotting is the English name and jogging is the Western name of this gait.
Squeeze the horse with your leg from the thigh down.
Use only slight leg pressure to get the horse to move. If the horse is lazy, dead-sided (doesn't respond to light touch) or stubborn, you may need to bump the horse lightly with your feet. Never kick the horse.
When you ride, look where you're going, not at the horse's head.
Wear a helmet for protection.

Comments

stayinthesaddle said

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on 1/30/2007 You do not post to a western trot. Instead, you learn to move with the horse's natural movement by keeping a good posture (no sitting on your back pockets!) and settling deep into the saddle with a relaxed seat. I encourage students not to rely so much on the stirrups, so I strongly disagree with putting 60% of your weight in the stirrups (this is different for English, obviously). And, do not use your hands/arms/reins for balance. Teach your body to relax and move with the horse, communicating properly with him - therefore, kicking will not be necessary.

Anonymous said

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on 8/8/2006 When posting to a trot, you should make it feel as if you are swinging your hips forward. This way when you rise up, you go straight up and aren't leaning forward. If your horse is hard to keep going, give it a squeeze with your legs on each down beat of your posting. I find it hard to squeeze and rise at the same time. You can still cluck your tongue at the rise.

Anonymous said

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on 1/2/2006 When you trot, make sure you squeeze with both of you legs and do the right movements. If you are posting, then you have to ride with the beats or strides. To point you have to make sure you have all of your weight in your stirrups and you are up, but not too far up. If you are too far up and your horse decides to stop suddenly, then you will go flying forward to the ground. If you are doing the sit trot, then make sure you are keeping the right amount of weight in the right spot. Have fun!

Anonymous said

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on 11/22/2005 When you trot, always make sure you are squeezing with both your legs. Your horse will think it's time to stop if you don't.

Anonymous said

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on 11/22/2005 If you can't get the motion of the horse have give other person the reins. Then have that person jog/run with the rein. The horse will follow but more importantly you can now work on balance. Start by putting one arm straight out from your body, then when your comfortable put both arms out (like an airplane). Then will give the motion of the horse and you will start to go forward and back with the horse.

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