trot (bounce ...bounce.. bounce...)

[rabbit]

I had a ride on my horse for the first time in the last 3 months, as she had been turned out to grow up (a youngster).

Anyway, I was on the lunge trying to get the hang of her trot. It is bouncy because she has a lot of hock movement. I can rise/sit to trot on every other horse I've ridden, except my own.

I have my stirrups shorter than normal, as my instructor says it will stop me losing my stirrups and allow me to control my body movement better. If I have them longer, I tend to lose stirrups :(

I get pushed out of the saddle, quite high, by the horse. My instructor says to resist being pushed so high, and use my body to hold back. I seem to be great at sticking my bum out :( but just can't get the feel for it.

When rising, are you supposed to keep the body still from the knee down and the middle of the torso, and only move the hips/lower stomach forwards and back?

I think I'm getting thrown up by the horses, instead of being able to move my hips forwards.

Are you meant to stand/rely heavily on stirrups?

When I have done rising trot without stirrups previously, its simply a small rolling forward of the hips, so theoretically I shouldn't need to be standing in them?

Do I need to move slightly ahead of the horse's movement, hold the hips forward position a little longer than normal, then gently sit ?

I feel so insecure at trot, and cannot get a good canter transition for this reason (faster trot for canter = bouncier trot).


I'm guessing that there is something wrong with my technique, although to date it has not been a problem on the horses I have previously ridden.

Help !!

[ajhainey]

*wow* lots of questions!

So..taking the ones I have even a clue on to bump this back up the new posts list...

My advice would be to work on only rising trot with stirrups (i.e no sitting trot or no stirrups work) until both you and she are a bit more balanced. Bouncing around does neither of you any good and rising trot is usually the easiest one to get back! My suspicion is that as the horse is a baby she isn't very balanced and thats making it all very 'bouncy' - I remember riding a friends VERY bouncy young big moving warmblood so I sympathise - I don't think I would ever have managed sitting trot on her!

Perhaps if you worry less about weight through the stirrups it will help? You will have a fair bit of weight going through the stirrups - regardless of what may be said, if you think about it - you need some weight there to hold the stirrup steady if nothing else! And if you are struggling one of the points of the stirrup is to give you a steady platform to help - better to put weight through the stirrups than bang down on the horses back/fall off :-)

To 'resist' the movement you just want to try and absorb a little of the 'bounce' as you are thrown up (like you were going to go sitting?) and use your thigh to help you control the sit to make it slower. However it is something at which I am useless! If I'm riding a big mover I just concentrate on 'landing' softly which seems to automatically make me absorb some of the bounce in my knee/ankle I think?

Personally though I don't worry about what I am 'supposed' to be doing and just experiment till i find something comfy - I often find as soon as I find the 'magic spot' my instructor yells 'yep yep like that!' even if I think I'm not doing half the things I'm supposed to :-)

Hope that is some help (even if only to put you back in new posts where someone who actually knows what they are talking about can answer it!)

Good luck! aj xx

[CMR]

Just reading your post, I can 'see' your problem right away. You're trying too hard. Don't resist moving. You're sitting on an animal that is moving, and if you try to stay still it will just make you bounce even more. Just try to go with the flow. I don't know your level of riding, but if possible, drop your stirrups. If you have your stirrups too short it can cause your position to mess up. I has always been easier for me to sit with longer stirrups, and even easier with no stirrups. Sort of go side to side with the movement, kind of like bouncing back and forth from each butt cheek :D (sorry, didn't know a more 'proper' way to say it :p ). Make sure you're not leaning too far forward, you should be able to reach around with your hand and touch your horses rump at all times. It's really hard for me to explain, without being able to actually talk someone through it while they're on the horse.

[rabbit]

thanks for the replies ..

I'll try dropping my stirrups a hole and see how I go with not trying to resist.

I'll be riding on tuesday and will take a video next weekend.....

Its driving me crazy as I can't progress until I get this sorted out!!

[rabbit]

Ok, I think I'm kinda getting somewhere.....

I tried the suggestion of sitting down really carefully, and it seems to have helped the bounce.

Now I'm ending up with my feet jammed right into the stirrups when we have a trot that tracks up. ie. before and after canter.

When I first rode my horse, I was told that it was bouncy because it was a youngster and had no balance or muscle. Had I known that it wouldn't improve, I don't think I would have bought her :(

[marchhare2006]

I can sympathise! Last night I rode a horse that was lovely in every way, but his trot was soooo bouncy! My riding instructor warned me that he was bouncy, but she's said that before and the trot has never been anything like this! I felt like a complete beginner again, bouncing all over the place, even in sitting trot WITH strirrups! My legs were flapping so much with the movement in sitting trot that I kept losing my stirrups.

Funnily enough though, whilst I was dreading cantering him because I thought his canter would be bouncy too, it wasn't! In fact it was as smooth as butter and his trot/canter transition was excellent.

I loved riding him but would appreciate some tips to learn to sit to him because I know I was annoying him bouncing all over the place. My one consolation was, that when I was putting him away, one of the stable hands said to me that she didn't like riding him because he was too bouncy. At least it's not just me!!!!

[MissFliss]

Don't panic, Rabbit! Your girly is still very, very young (3 yrs, yes?). I also have a Clydie X who is 8, but unfit and undermuscled. My daughter has been riding him and I've noticed that she tends to do sitting trot rather than rising trot. I don't have a problem, but probably because I ride in a stock saddle.

Stick with it, the Clydie canter is awesome!!

Missfliss

[Whatanejit]

Cooper is exactly the same and I was told the same about him being young, unmuscled and lacking coordination and balance.

There is an ex eventer thoroughbred at my riding school who has straight hocks and hence v. bouncy but with a fab canter.

I too feel like a beginner when trotting Cooper in the school as you just get into the flow of the rise and you have to turn the corner, use leg etc and I become unbalanced and/or so does he. It is v. frustrating. Once again I too have no probs in rising trot on other horses.
:o

Having talked it through with others they suggested that firstly, it should improve as he gets older and with schooling. Secondly, to go out on a hack and get a good long trot going in a straight line where you can keep practicing with different rising heights, keep legs still and begin to enjoy it without negotiating the corners of the school.

In addition to unsteadiness I am paranoid that my hands are too bouncy and that I am jiggling the bit in his mouth. Pippa Funnel CD - riding your new horse - suggests that you use a v. long neck strap with your reins to make sure your hands stay still and it will help to balance you while you get used to the trot and your rise.

Only probs with that is that you reach forward a little too much which I am trying not to do.

Not sure there is any advice here but there is a lot of sympathy / empathy :)

Keep us updated.

xx

[rabbit]

Thanks for the posts everyone - I really appreciate it.

Yes, the clydie x canter is so smooth - I've never ridden a more comfortable canter.


I'll see if I can ride her out in a paddock (not her own) and do some straight lines.


I am seriously thinking about selling her to a better rider. It will break my heart though as I really love her :(

Ive watched 6 other people ride my horse at various times - no problems for them, although they do comment that she is bouncy.

[Spritzy]

In addition to unsteadiness I am paranoid that my hands are too bouncy and that I am jiggling the bit in his mouth. Pippa Funnel CD - riding your new horse - suggests that you use a v. long neck strap with your reins to make sure your hands stay still and it will help to balance you while you get used to the trot and your rise.

Only probs with that is that you reach forward a little too much which I am trying not to do.

Another idea is to have a flash strap through the d rings on the front of your saddle. It does the same as the neck strap but doesn't allow you to push your hands too far forward.

[fatflamingo]

try counting as you go along it will take your mind of the bouncing and so you dont miss a step!! i hope it helps!

XfattyfX:p