Comments on: How to Trot Your Horse

on 7/2/2007 No riders should not use the stirrups as a crutch. Balance and thigh contact are important. Heels down at all times. Posting is the horse's motion throwing you up into the air, and the rider controls the descent. Posting 'softly' is good, not alot of air between you and the horse. Sit tall and let your hands be quiet and independent of your body; they should not go up and down when you post. Also, a jog-trot is slower than a trot, but is the same movement in the horse -diagonal pairs. Try riding on the lunge line to practice posting so you can concentrate on the up/down of the horse. This could also be used for western sit/trot. An exercise to increase lower body strength for posting is to sit on the edge of a chair in the correct body position, and post up and down about 15 times. To increase intensity, hold a medium size ball between knees, will also increase thigh grip.

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.

on 1/7/2007 If you can not get the rhythm of your horse stand him/her still, and stand up sit down and keep doing that until you are ready to trot again. Also if you ask someone to lead you around and stand and try to find your point where you can balance.

on 9/13/2006 Post by standing up in the saddle and and sitting down with the horse's trot. Make sure you keep your heels down and point your toes up. Every horse has a different trot beat. Don't kick your horse like crazy to make it trot, either squeeze the horse or kick horse not to much. If kick doesn't work, have a crop with you and hit the horse with the crop about 5-7 inches behind saddle pad on the side.

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.

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!

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.

on 11/29/2005 Using your heels and kicking is very lazy and inappropriate if you are using that to ask your horse to trot. Use your inner calf muscle to apply a firm even pressure on both sides, make sure that you don't have a death-grip on them. When your horse trots of then ease up(don't ever completely take your legs of your horse)with the pressure as a reward. If your horse doesn't trot off then use spurs(not to be over-used or used unless the rider has complete control over his/her leg)as a quick, tiny reminder-it's quite effective and looks a whole lot neater than kicking or digging your heels into their sides. If your horse if absolutely lazy then be persisten with your leg pressure, keep it firm and don't loosen up, use your crop at the same time, and when your horse trots off then ease up.

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.

on 11/22/2005 If your horse doesn't respond to kicking, give it a smack with a schooling whip or use spurs.

on 11/22/2005 Don't use the kissing or clicking noises, it doesn't work and isn't riding properly. Kicking the horse is a much more affective way to trot. If that doesn't work, whip the horse sharply behind the leg with the crop and say "Trot on" in a confident and bossy voice.

on 11/22/2005 If your horse starts to feel nervous, frightened, or scared, dismount and relax it.