Giving up rising trot

[No_Angel]

I am thinking of giving up rising trot all together.

Because of my dodgy leg I am finding it more and more difficult to feel right when doing rising trot, apparently I look ok, but I feel awful and I do not want to inflict that on Shay.
I am alright when doing slower trot,can rise to that fine, but big trot and I am all over the place.

Rode bareback last week and it was fabulous (I often ride bareback, but don't usually do as much) trotting up the road, perfect balance in slower trot and quicker trot, no crappy swinging leg, even managed to sit a half hearted bronk attempt (silly boy that he is,lol, just gets a bit over excited).

Has anyone else given up rising trot, and how have you managed to fight the urge to rise? I always end up dropping back into it
Especially anyone who hacks a lot of does distance/endurance riding.

 

[Kis Vihar]

Hi!

I've got dodgy hips and would rather not do rising trot! Like you I find bareback MUCH better - mainly walk and canter.

There's no reason why you can't quit rising trot! As long as you and your horse are comfy and you enjoy yourselves - that's important!

Remove your stirrups from your saddle, it takes away the 'urge' to rise....and you get used to it very quickly! Improves your seat no end! (IMHO!)

 

[No_Angel]

I ride without stirrups a lot when I am out and about (dodgy ankle on the other side) but fortunately, or unfortunately, I can still rise quite well without stirrups, and find myself getting back into rising if I am trotting for a distance.
Its much easier to sit when we are doing fast funny gait, but it's that in-between trot that gets me.
I know that if I ride with my legs pushed forwards I can't rise as I just wouldn't be able to do it,but I don't really want to ride with my legs shoved towards his nose.

 

[twigs]

can you tell me if theres any truth in this statement please

on the 2nd week of me returning to riding (and having seriously sore legs) my RI told us to cross our stirrups, I asked could I just do the sitting trot instead as I was so sore, she said
'you cant sit all the time, try rising half way around the school and sitting the other half, sitting when you still have your stirrups is bad for the horses backs'?
I dont understand whats so different from sitting and riding without stirrups
Can anyone enlighten me??

 

[keds mum]

Well it may be because novice riders are 'heavier' riders and sitting with stirrups means you will be bouncing hard on the horses back, which will make the horse tense. Short periods are ok and without stirrups you will be sitting much more into the horse and not bouncing and hopefully sitting on your seatbones.

If you don't have an established seat there is the risk of 'holding' yourself via the horses mouth, i.e. hanging on to the reins and stopping the forward soft movement.

By rising and getting off the horses back it enable the horse to soften and arch his back, by bumping down hard onto his back it will have the opposite effect.

Hope that helps explain (but your instructor is quite right)

 

[twigs]

thank you
I bump about without stirrups though, more so than doing sitting trot..I have a long wayyyy to go

 

[Joyscarer]

Funilly enough I have discovered that Joy is actually happier, more balanced and more relaxed when I do sitting trot - if I can! Getting better at absorbing her bouncy trot now.

I wonder if it has something to do with me rising and then sitting too far back on the saddle as I have a far bum and could do with a 25" saddle to fit it