If your instructor doesn't object, take a narrow strap with you to your lessons, a short belt will do. Pass it through the two 'D's that you will find on the front of the saddle, just under the small flaps called the 'skirts', and fasten it so that the strap is doubled, and just the right length that you can hook your fingers through when holding the reins. This is much better than a strap round the horse's neck, as it keeps your hands in place, and aids your balance far better. You will find that you do not need to pull against it. Just holding it will stabilise your balance, in any of the paces.
Rising Trot
Rising trot, when performed correctly makes it very easy for the horse to carry us, and is also little effort for the rider to trot long distances without tiring, but when ridden badly, it is another story altogether.
We looked at saddle design on one of the other pages, and here it needs another mention. When the stirrup bars are too far forward on the saddle, it pushes your seat onto the back (cantle) of the saddle. When trying to rise to the trot, you will already be in the wrong position to allow the horse's movement to move you, rather than you having to pull yourself up and down against the movement. This is the prime cause of lazy horses. When the rider is, to use the horsey term - 'behind the movement', that is out of sync, it slows the horse down considerably. The rider then kicks and thumps him in the ribs to get him to go faster, when all he is saying is 'I can't, you are stopping me'.
What happens is that the rider is not able to maintain a position of the lower leg, whereby the toe is directly under the knee, not in front of it or behind it. When the toe is in front of the knee, the rider is in the 'chair' seat as it is called, with the feet stuck forward and backside pushed to the back of the cantle. The rider then has to lever himself up and down out of the saddle in order to try to rise to the trot.
Chair seat - note the bent line between heel/hip/shoulder/ear
Instructors are also much to blame, by insisting that the rider brings the upper body perpendicular throughout the rise and sit phases of the trot. This is stupid, because it makes it so much more difficult! Instructors saying 'up down, up down' do nothing to help, as this also makes you rise too upright, locking the knee and standing up on your stirrups, landing with a heavy (poor horse) double bounce back in the saddle.
The most important thing to remember, is to keep that toe under your knee. Holding onto the strap on the front of the saddle, if you have one, bring your upper body slightly forward from your hips (not your waist which would make you collapse your lower back and sit like a sack of potatoes), and as you rise, let your hips swing slightly forward towards the pommel (the front arch of the saddle), then return as lightly to the saddle as possible, keeping your hipbones slightly forward as you land in the saddle, so that you are ready to receive the forward and upward thrust from the horse's back.
Don't land with your pelvis upright, as it will again, make you come behind the movement, and land much more heavily in the saddle. Think of allowing your pelvis to swing forward and back, as if making an arc shape, never up and down. In this way, the horse's movement will take you, instead of you having to make an effort to heave yourself up out of the saddle, against the horse's movement, making it so much more effort for you both.
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Comments
If you have a specific tip, experience or comment relevant to this article please post a comment below. We are unable to answer individual questions through the comments system. The New Rider Message Board is a better place to post specific questions.
Lois19th Apr 01
It is very hard when riding to know your position so I would suggest having someone take a few pictures so you will clearly see what position you are in.
Elinda22nd May 01
It's very helpful for a begineer rider to practise the
swinging motion of your hips on a chair or stool before they
try it on a horse. It makes it a lot easier and more comfortable for the horse your riding.
Casey31st Aug 01
It also is extremely helpful to first practice rising to an extremely slow trot or a running walk, it will be easier to establish good posting when you are not bouncing around wildly.
Lisa12th Oct 01
Hello
I have been trying to find out what companies I would be able to contact to obtain finance in order to purchase my own horse & kit.
Does anyone have an idea who or where I would find some???
I would be very grateful.
Many thanks
Charlie-Anne8th Dec 01
Help!
I've been riding for a few weeks now, and I seem to have the sitting and rising trot under control, except for one thing. Whenever I do the rising trot, my instructor tells me to bend my knees more, and move my legs back abit (apparently my legs are always in front of the girth and not behind it, where they should be). Whenever I move my legs back to behind the girth (ie: directly below my knees) my feet slip through the stirrups so the stirrups aren't under my toes anymore. Then I get in trouble for not having my toes on the stirrups. I don't know how to fix this. Please help!
Thanks heaps!
Happy riding everyone!
Joe19th Dec 01
This is very interesting, I have been riding for around
13 years and I have never feldt comfortable doing the rising
trot,I always seem to be working really hard all of the time
and cant do it for very long because it is so tiring,
more so when schooling but I do get tired out hacking
, although I find it more comfortable rising when
going up hill and I feel really light and free at one
with my horse when going up hill, is this because
I am in a correct position when riding uphill because
I bend forward, but I would be worried about bending
forward to much while rising on the flat and looking
hunched ? Any comments and advice is greatly apprechiated
Many thanks. Joe
Kathy Vespaziani11th Jan 02
This is for Joe especially:
I'm an adult beginner and had the same problem. Riding up hills, I felt really "with" the horse and there was little effort on my part to rise to the trot. On the flat ground, I was struggling. I came to realize that I was attempting to push myself up from the stirrup in an effort to sort of "lever" myself off the horses back. What helped me get the image and the feel of the right way to rise to the trot, I watched people who knew how to trot correctly, and then, on my week between lessons, I'd do the following:
Kneel on the floor, then sit down on the backs of your legs (your seat will be touching your heels). From this position, I could sort of mimic the forward/up motion by using my thigh muscles without applying any flex of my ankle or use of my calf muscles. You have to be careful, however, not to take this exercise too literally and grip with your knees once you apply what you've learned on the actual horse!
This is just one method, and it probably won't work for everyone. Just an idea if you're "stuck" when it comes to posting the trot.
Kathy Vespaziani11th Jan 02
Charlie-Anne,
It sounds as if your stirrups might not be the correct length, and/or you're gripping up, which could cause your heel to come up and your foot to slide forward.
I know that in my case, my lower legs just happen to be stronger than my inner thighs/quads, so I have a habit of using my leg from my knee down when I give leg aids, which causes my legs to come up and my heel as well. I try to think of my legs as ending above my knee, so that my lower legs just sort of hang there, but with contact. Hope some of this helps!
Andrea17th May 02
Charlie-Anne,try what I call the end of trail exercise(along with the earlier comment about your stirrup length): Stand in your stirrups and sit on the pommel(lightly) letting your legs naturally slide back.*The key word here is naturally, don't overdo it* Also remember that this is not same same thing as the jumping position, keep your back straight as if you were still sitting in the saddle. Then sit lightly in the saddle , keeping your legs in place. I hope this helps. Bye=)
Mary-Lynne3rd Jun 02
Hi
My question is to do with the position of the legs & feet. I have a habit of (unconsciously) moving my feet/legs around a bit in a trot and my instructor is trying to keep my legs/feet stable. She says I need to keep my feet close to my horses body and do my squeezing with my calves. How close do his body do my feet need to be? On the horse I'm riding I have to keep my feet reasonably stable as he really doesn't like it if I put it back (even as much as 2-3 inches)(he throws a leg up or bucks). Is there some magical technique for keep my feet stable (my instructor does often tie the stirrups to his girth so I can't move too much).
Thanks a lot!
J Faulkner11th Jun 02
Hi,
Been riding for about a year now and rising trot is really easy now but it took a while. I ended up riding on a racewood simulator for a few months to concentrate on my position. It really helps so if you are having difficulty with the rising trot then use a simulator if possible Thanks Joe,
