The Trot

The trot is a two-time pace in which the legs move in diagonally opposite pairs. The sequence is right front and left rear followed by left front and right rear.

The trot can be ridden sitting or rising.

Trot

Diagonals

As shown the horse in trot moves his legs in pairs. The right front and left rear are called the right diagonal; the left front and right rear are called the left diagonal.

Diagonals

When in rising trot your bottom should return to the saddle on the right diagonal for a left circle and the left diagonal for a right circle. This helps to distribute your weight more comfortably for the horse. Your bottom will be in the saddle when the inside hind leg is on the ground and out of the saddle, and so freeing the inside shoulder, when the inside foreleg is on the ground.

To check you're on the correct diagonal glance down to the outside shoulder and you'll see it move back towards you as you sit in the saddle.

To change from one diagonal to another, which you will need to do after a change of rein, sit for an extra beat (bump) in the saddle and then resume rising again.

When out hacking, you should also be aware of and change diagonals on a regular basis. Often a horse will have a preferred side, and will 'throw' his rider onto this diagonal more often than not. If the rider allows this to continue, the horse will develop unevenly, with stronger muscles on one side than on the other. This will eventually result in a stiff horse who is less able to bend in one direction, and will therefore be less capable of more advanced work. Ensuring both diagonals are equally used during recreational riding will help to avoid this.

Next - the canter.

Comments

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Helen 10th Sep 01

This was really helpful. I'd been having problems remebering when I was supposed to rise and sit, and I think this has made me remember.

Charlene 6th Jan 02

Hi,
I have just recently started taking riding lessons and im sruggling with trotting. I can't seem to understand how to keep sqeezing the horse with my legs while posting. Therefore i can only manage to keep my horse trotting for 4-5 paces. Do you have any tips to help?
I have learned so much from your site it has been excellent help, keep up the good work!
thanks
Charlene

Kathy 7th Jan 02

Charlene,
If you want to keep a horse trotting, try squeezing when you come down from the post. It is much easier that way then squeezing when you post up. Just repeat to yourself: "down,squeeze,up,down,squeeze,up,down,squeeze,up..." I hope this helps! :)

Michelle 19th Jan 02

Am still confused about the correct diagonal. Is it that you should be sitting when the outside shoulder is towards you and rising when it moves away???????

Jordan 26th Jan 02

I am really having time keeping my legs still and my toes pointed forwards when posting and sitting trot. Can you help?

Cait 15th Mar 02

Hi,
Something that I've found to help me get my rythmn for posting is to close your eyes while you are lunging during lessons. It only takes a second or two to get the beat. Cait

charlotte 16th Mar 02

Hi,
like lots of people I'm having trouble with rising and sitting trot, i find it hard to remeber to keep my toes pointed up,keep my head up and to stop my legs from going away from the horse.Can any of you lot help????????

sarah 31st Mar 02

When you are going left round a circle, you sit
as the right front leg lifts and forward.

Try trotting normally and then changing the diagonal by sitting two beats before rising again.
You will notice that being on one diagonal feels smoother than being on the other diagonal. The smoother one is the right one.

Lauren 3rd Jun 02

I always used to have trouble trotting, but if you keep your weight in your heels and watch the horses shoulders then you'll get it eventually. Try just sitting the trot for the first few paces (without squeezing too much, because then your horse will think you want to canter) and you'll feel the horse almost pushing you into the post.

Clara 19th Oct 02

My instructor always tells me to "prepare for trot" before actually trotting. What exactly does she mean?

hc 1st Dec 02

Clara,
when your instructor asks you to prepare for trot, she means shorten the reigns slightly (because the horses head raises during the trot), and to make the walk more active (faster) so that the horse is more prepared for it, which makes the transition easier.
Hope this helps.

Eric 28th Dec 02

How do you train, or how do you get a horse to lead off with the left front, or the right front , and what are the advantages, or is it solely confined to the direction your going.

Kelsey 29th Dec 02

I use to ride western at this one stable that didn't really teach me anything, so I decieded to try English. When I was riding western, I got into this habit of always sticking my toes out because they never told my it was wrong. Now when I ride English, I can't seem to keep my toes up and in and heels down. Does anyone have any suggestions of how I could fix this habit?

Robyn 13th Feb 03

Kelsey I had the same problem but my coach told me to when im walking up the stairs put just half of the ball of ur foot on the next stair and push down keeping ur heels as low as u can and then walk up the stairs like that until u get it it worked for me

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