Sitting / Rising Trot

[Rarah]

Thinking about getting back into dressage - not dusted down my jacket for almost a year. Can someone please remind me - at prelim - or more likely for our first one a walk/trot test can you do sitting trot or do you have to do rising?

I seem to be much more in control with sitting trot these days.

[whatever]

You can do sitting trot at all levels of test. It becomes compulsory from medium and above. You can also mix and match aswell doing certain movements sitting and other bits rising.

[andreaB]

yes you can do sitting , however alot of judges don't like to see it at prelim as the horses are unlikely to be truely developed enough to carry the rider well in sitting trot for long periods

[Jane.A]

Sitting is allowed but from a judging perspective I don't usually like to see it in prelim tests etc. Most riders at that level have not got their horses working correctly over their backs to be able to carry the rider and still step under correctly and swing thru to the contact, and most riders at that level wouldn't be able to corectly sit the power of the trot generated if they achieved it. They tend to let the horse dribble along in a 'comfy' trot rather than have the horse move energetically forward and swing thu to an elastic rein. It is more important that your horse moves actively forward in a regular consistant rhythm, and is supple to the bends and turns, and obedient thru transitions. Concentrate on having a good forward rhythm in your trot work and use the rise to assist you to achieve and maintain the tempo rather than sitting and blocking him thru his back if you can.