How to Trot

Rather than looking like a large horseback bobble-head, follow these instructions for a smooth ride through the countryside.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Horses
• Horse Reins
• Riding Boots
• Riding Helmets
• Saddle Pads
• Saddles

1. Shorten your reins; take up the slack, but don't hold too tight.

2. Squeeze your calves against the horse's sides and/or tap lightly with your heels.

3. Simultaneously push your hips forward.

4. Keep your hands steady and bring them back to their normal position after the horse begins trotting.

5. Sit tall and relaxed, and follow the motion of the horse with your hips.

6. Glance down at the outside shoulder of the horse to post. As it moves forward, rise out of the saddle.

7. Simultaneously tighten your knees and put more weight in your stirrups, down toward your heels, as you rise.

8. Sit gently back down as the horse's shoulder moves back, rolling back on your thighs. The rhythm should be 1, 2, 1, 2 (1 up, 2 down, 1 up, 2 down).

Tips & Warnings

• Posting allows you to trot on a horse comfortably - no bouncing about.
• Keep your arms and hands still, and your elbows and knees in.
• Keep your legs under your body for balance.
• Keep your back straight and your shoulders back.
• Your feet are what lift you out of the saddle, not your shoulders.
• Avoid returning to the saddle too soon after posting, or thumping down hard.
• Try making a clucking noise as you signal the horse to trot.
• To learn how to ride properly and safely, take lessons from a qualified instructor.
• Don't ride alone; you should have your instructor or an experienced rider nearby.
• Always wear a hard hat and proper riding boots when you ride.

[ambertea123]

on 4/16/2009 how do i slow my pony down and get more controle?

[stayinthesaddle]

on 10/10/2006 Balance is so important, in all riding styles. In Western riding, you do not post to the trot but rather sit down into it. Engaging your abs, hips and thighs - you think "down and back", not "down and rigid. You stay in constant contact with the saddle and therefore with the horse. You are able to move with the horse (at his tempo) and as you learn, you can start to control his speed and tempo through your seat. Its quite a joy to learn to trot and be comfortable and in complete control of both your body and the horse's.

on 8/8/2006 My trainer told me when I'm trotting to say in my head Ele-(then stand up slightly) phant. Then sit back down. I also found out by myself that if you raise up when the horse's front right leg goes forward you'll get into the rhythm quicker.

on 8/8/2006 when posting to the trot you want to make the horse adjust the speed to the beat. also when you want the horse to slow down you can post slower. to speed up you post faster. make the horse go at the correct pace for the post so the horses weight is what pushes you up so you don't have to work so hard to post, which looks bad. when doing a sitting tror ask the horse to slow down but keep trotting. this makes it much easier to sit to and less bumpy. you can slow the trot by taking deep breaths and relaxing yourself. they can tell it when you relax.

on 8/8/2006 I had a serious problem with sit down trot, as I had no balance and kept falling off! My riding teacher told me to keep my legs under me and push all my weight into the saddle. But I still kept falling off! Then I realized I was looking down and had my arms straight. If you look where you want to go on horseback you will end up there. So don't look down!