Sitting Trot Sore!

[Moonlightrider]

When you start riding, you're sore after every lesson (usually), right? But it goes away. And then whenever you do something really different, you get a little sore.

I thought I was in pretty good shape for sitting trots - after all, I ride bareback about half the time.

Well, I'm not. I took a 2 hour dressage lesson (Grand Prix level ~jumping, not dressage, but still!~ trainer - I'm not anywhere near good enough for him to teach but he's my dad's bridge partner so he gave me a dressage lesson for my birthday...).

1 1/2 of that time was at a trot (about 20 minutes, not including warm-up laps and cool-off, was at a walk. About 10 minutes at a canter). With and without stirrups. Sitting and posting. With and without reins or eyes. But mostly sitting trot with stirrups.

I am SO SORE! And it was on Monday (today's Wednesday).

[Wally]

A two hour lesson is anything is too long! Unless you are mega fit and used to doing it every day! No wonder you are sore!

Do lots of good quality short stuff, once your muscles get tired you cannot control them properly, you loose poise and balance and it all starts to go wrong!

[belle]

A long bath in lots of bubbles after demanding riding does wonders!!!!

[floppy]

was your saddle comfy?i do alot of riding without stirrups and at first it use to hurt all those muscles that were needed vbut now my muscles have developed i dont get sore..but mind you after 2 hrs i think anyone would be sore.

[Moonlightrider]

It was supposed to be an hour and a half - I usually ride about this much, so that seemed okay - but his watch stopped... it took half an hour before he realized it wasn't moving.

The saddle was comfy, but it was too big for me. There aren't any kids who ride at his barn (he doesn't really give lessons, just to people who board) so it took a while to get used to it. It was also not supposed to be mostly at a sitting trot, but he decided it needed work...

Auctually, we quit as soon as I started getting tired. But my leg muscles were so sore from using only leg - no hands - to keep the horse on the rail that I nearly fell over when I got off.

I was sore for two days, when I woke up Thursday I felt wonderful. I don't feel so great today, mind you (after my next lesson, back with my regualer instructor) - but that has nothing to do with riding. That's becasue I ran into a pole yesterday. :) I think I'm blind... except that I have 20x20 vision.

[floppy]

oh dear..that wasnt very smart was it!running into a pole i mean!:D

[hilite]

ooh, two hours doing sitting trot does sound pretty painful. *shudders* lol, clever instructor with that watch of his. :p