trotting still ain't got it

[dcp]

Grrr I still can't ride :( Here is a few of my problems

I rise to high (tried putting stirrups down a hole and hated it I was reaching for my stirrups the hole time. Someone also said I was still rising too high)

my feet slip through the stirrups (My stirrups are (I think) a good fit. Can you recommend any fancy stirrips? I have also been blaming this on my old boots having no grip left)

I find it hard to keep my legs still (don't know why)

My horse is a big mover and a fast trotter sometimes I'm missing a beat when rising. Sitting trot err no way CANNOT do it. Also when out hacking how do I know if I'm on the right diagnal. My poor horse must be having a crap time with me attempting to ride him!!

Any tips?

[holiday]

Have you tried trotting on a different horse to see if he is throwing you too high? Let him push you out of the saddle rather than you putting loads of effort into it!! If you have it right with him it should be really easy and not a big effort. You need to sit up and allow your weight down your back and into your leg and that should keep the stirrups in place rather than tipping forward and gripping with knees although we dont have pic so would only assume that is what is happening!!

[dcp]

Your right that is what happening. I'm not a terribly unfit person but I do get a stitch after trotting because I am putting so much effort into it. Unfortunately I don't have another horse to practise on. I do think I'm gettign thrown out the saddle. I'm so useless at it

[Trewsers]

You shouldn't be getting stitch - but I used to when I was struggling at the beginning!!! Don't worry about the fast trot - when I first got Storm my teacher said don't worry about rising - cos I was panicking saying I couldn't rise and be on the correct diaganol - she said, don't worry, just think slower and steady and Storm's trot slowed down (it needed to;) ) eventually it all came together, when I stopped worrying about how fast it felt!!! Don't fret about sitting trot either - practice makes perfect - its the only way!! I didn't used to like it at all - but doing small amounts of it gradually helped make it easier. I find the key is to do the harder things every time, but in short doses, don't overdo it - or you and your horse might get fed up!!! Do you have regular lessons? Anyway, your horse won't be getting fed up with you - they're incredibly forgiving :p :D Storm has put up with an awful lot from me over the last 10 months, I'm only just getting into my cantering - prior to that I was banging about on her back - bet she couldn't wait for me to get off...!:D

[cvb]

I rise to high (tried putting stirrups down a hole and hated it I was reaching for my stirrups the hole time. Someone also said I was still rising too high)

You're putting too much effort into it ;) Think of the rise as a "controlled bounce"... the horse should be providing the momentum and you are just controlling it. See how little effort you can put into it..

my feet slip through the stirrups (My stirrups are (I think) a good fit. Can you recommend any fancy stirrips? I have also been blaming this on my old boots having no grip left)

I find it hard to keep my legs still (don't know why)

could recommend stirrups - not gonna ! Don't think they would solve the problem ! I think you may be gripping with your knee (I mentioned this on another thread somewhere...). This could come from you doing too much - in order to create the rise (which is too high ;) ) you are gripping and pivoting off the knee - creating an unstable lower leg which moves and floats out of the stirrup. Do less, try and be soft through the leg and let the weight sink into the stirrup...

My horse is a big mover and a fast trotter sometimes I'm missing a beat when rising. Sitting trot err no way CANNOT do it.

Start with something yo CAN do - slow the trot right down - slow the tempo rather than stifling the stride. Now rmember that rising and sitting doesn't have to be all one or the other. Try playing around with it a bit and do things like sit 2, rise 2 - I don't mean "stay in the air for 2" but go rising for 2. Then just play with this, sitting for x strides rise for y.

Also when out hacking how do I know if I'm on the right diagnal. My poor horse must be having a crap time with me attempting to ride him!!

Define "right diagonal" for a hack ;) When out on a hack, riding straight, there is no such thing :D What you want to make sure you do is change the diagonal every so often so you are not always riding on the same one :p

[cvb]

p.s. getting a stitch. This is most likely because you are holding your breath. DON'T !!!

Holding your breath means you have tension in your body AND means your muscles are not getting the oxygen they need to work properly. It can help to actually count how many trot strides you inhale over, and how many you exhale over..

[dcp]

Thanks you've hit the nail on the head really. When you say right diagnol should I be sitting when the right shoulder moves ......................

[cvb]

oh - I was taking "right" to mean "correct" ! I always think of the correct diagonal for each rein not whether it is left or right...

you should be sitting when the inside hind (and outside fore) are on the ground. Hence the saying "rise and fall with the leg on the wall" ;)

[Rob26]

Hi Lauren,

I'm really lucky cos I love sitting trot, I find it really is... one thing i've picked up on pretty quickly is that the key seems to be 'relaxing'! when i'm tense things get messy, when I relax the change is dramatic.

I got sitting trot by doing away with the stirrups and going on the lunge for a couple of lessons and on the recommendation of CVB i'm gonna do the same for my rising trot. i'm sure i'll ache like mad but if it does the trick and improved my rising trot which I suspect it will then it's fine by me!

:)