Trotting Poles

[NoviceNic]

Captain and I have been doing trotting poles to help us with our jumping. I do really struggle with when to apply legs as I feel it throw me out of balance. Does anybody know if you put your legs on when you rise or fall??

[oliver twist]

hehe, the horse i ride is named Captain as well! :) i'm pretty sure you apply your leg aids when you sit back down or fall in the trot. over poles is probably harder because the rise and fall is more exagerated. maybe try them in two-point as this helps a lot with balance and leg position, in my experience anyways.

[Tangle]

In an ideal world I think you're meant to use leg aids in trot as the inside hind is leaving the ground, as that's the time you can most influence it's use. So if you're on the right diagonal that would be as you're rising (assuming I've got my diagonals right :o).

However, I've always been taught to apply them as I sit, which most people (me included ;)) seem to find easier to co-ordinate and stay in balance with.

So I guess you can do either, as long as you're happy :).

[danielle:>]

I've always been taught to put on the leg aid when your siting , no matter what diagonal your on . But I don't think it makes to much difference . I think either way works , and sittind down as you leg on is only for neatness . May be wrong though . just do whatevers more comfortable . :)

[NoviceNic]

Funny enough I find it easier to leg on as I rise. I find that if I leg on when I fall it squeezes me out of saddle/position. :(

[kedwards]

Ideally, you apply leg at the point of the stride during which the horse is beginning to lift the hind leg that you want to affect.

This is easiest to imagine in the case of leg-yield. If you are leg yielding left toward the wall (on the right rein), you're asking him to bring his right hind under his body. If you ask while that leg is solidly on the ground, there is nothing he can do to respond at the moment. However, if you ask as it is rising, he can immediately move it over from your aid. When on the right rein, the right hind comes forward while you are rising, so this is the time to ask. This is also generally the time to ask for a horse to step forward a little more when you are riding around the track or in figures, since it is the inside hind that you want to encourage to come more forward on the bend. In contrast, if you were leg-yielding toward the right and away from the rail on the right rein, then you want to ask him to step under with the left leg as it rises, so you would give the aid as you begin to sit.

But this is all assuming that the horse is either riding a figure where he is expected to be bent or is being asked to move laterally. In the case of going straight over trotting poles, do whatever helps you stay balanced while keeping him straight. You can even get up into "jumping position" over the poles, if you find it easier to stay balanced that way.

[RachelBraz]

I've always thought it was meant to be leg on when you rise, as the point of rising on a correct diagonal is to allow the inside hip to come up freely when the inside leg moves forward. As others have said, this is the time when you can influence said leg and ask for more engagement of the inside leg.
However, I can't for the life of me co-ordinate my unbalanced self if I try to put my leg on when I rise, so I do the opposite! In practice, I find this better as I either become unbalanced and prevent the leg on having an effect, or I'm balanced and have less effect than is possible.
But beware of squeezing upwards and drawing your heels up when you put your leg on while in the sitting phase of the trot.
Rachel

[NoviceNic]

Thanks everyone. I am going to put it into practise and see how we get on.

Kedwards - Funny you say that about doing trotting poles in the jump position. My instructor had me going this in full circles. In trot and Canter. I cannot express the amount of pain I was in with the backs of my calves. :eek: When I had to stop with cramp (old age) he shouted at me and I said " hang on it hurts". To which he replied "I know it does". :rolleyes:

[Miriam]

Strange thinking about it I use them as I sit. As for totting poles I always remain straight if they are on the ground but try to get into the jump position for raised poles. Even if they are only raised enough for trotting over. Think its habit from my school days.

[SarahC]

My instructor also has me going over poles in jump position....I know what you mean about the pain nic!! :D :eek:

S

[NoviceNic]

My instructor also has me going over poles in jump position....I know what you mean about the pain nic!! :D :eek:

S

Shear agony SarahC. At this rate I will have calves the size of tree trunks. :rolleyes:

[laura jeanne]

I was sent cantering around and around the arena in jumping position last night. It's to make me learn to keep my calves on the horse!!

[kedwards]

I did so much of that sort of thing (2-point around the ring, 2-point over a course, 2-point without stirrups) during drills in my first couple of years at a hunter/jumper barn, that my calves were like rocks.

I thought I was doing great, then I started taking some dressage lessons and realized that I had no idea how to actually sit in the saddle!

[laura jeanne]

Kedwards, that's how I feel too! We are not doing any of the things that I would like to do. Nothing about learning to feel what the horse is doing or anything even vaguely refined. Just go around and around and around.