Finding trotting difficult..

[Dressage Queen]

Geez, I'm a new rider and I am finding rising trot really difficult and the positing so hard.
I would like some advice from you lovely horsey members. Any advice or does practise make perfect? I do not have regular lesson, do you think this will help, or a onetoone instructor...?

 

[kiwigirl]

Practise, Practise, Practise! There is no way I would be where I am now without my regular weekly lesson. How often do you get to ride? The biggest thing I have found that has helped my trotting is to firstly relax and really feel the movement of the horse. The posting seemed to come easily enough at the start now I am perfecting it with the correct diagonal and keeping my leg in the right place!
Again for me being relaxed and feeling that I was control of my horse have been the two biggest things that have allowed me to get a nice rhythmic trot. Good luck! You will get it . I did

 

[Bay Mare]

Definitely time in the saddle I'm afraid (though that's a good thing ).

Try not to think about 'rising' and sitting down again because the rising trot isn't really a 'rise' at all. It's more of a swing of your hips through an arc. You should also try and FEEL when the horse is pushing you up into the rise rather than pushing yourself up from your stirrups. It's almost as if the horse pushes you up and then you gently come back down again. You shouldn't see your head bobbing up and down when you're doing rising trot correctly

I've posted these articles on an other thread but they're quite a good way of describing what you should and shouldn't be doing:

http://www.enlightenedequitation.com/public/library_absorbmovement1.html

http://www.enlightenedequitation.com/public/library_absorbmovement2.html

http://www.newrider.com/Kinder_Way/The_Paces/movement.html

http://www.newrider.com/Kinder_Way/The_Paces/rising_trot.html

http://www.newrider.com/Kinder_Way/The_Paces/sitting_trot.html


Which RS do you go to in Herts? I used to go to Contessa in Ware

 

[cinammontoast]

Loads of proper lessons-got any horsey mates? It does get easier, esp when you can feel that you're on the wrong diagonal. Stick your weight down in your heels and keep them down with your toes slightly up and you may find it easier. It's a question of practise and 'feel'. I still get it wrong after months of practise and have real issues 'nudging the horse along' to keep her going but think about how great you'll look when you're doing it properly!