A Good Rising Trot

[Courbette]

Send me your examples please! I'm trying to give my riding an overhaul as I feel like I have got untidy and into bad habits. I recently bought a DVD of a rider I really admire to try and get a clear picture in my head of what I want to achive to find that she does sitting trot all the way through. I feel like I perch forward (and my legs grip up sigh) but I was always taught to go slightly forawrd with my rise. Any help appreciated!

 

[Lady Jane]

Watch video of Charlotte Dujardin riding her young horses

 

[Pearlsasinger]

I am not sure that watching videos will help half so much as riding without stirrups to stop you perching and gripping up, which is where i would start. Are you sure that your saddle puts you in the best position?

 

[milliepops]

i think this video highlights a few common problems.

if you then watch a video of charlotte as suggested you can see some of it put into practice.

As PAS your saddle (particularly the positioning of the stirrup bars ) can really hinder a rider so worth checking that out.

 

[SEL]

Can you get someone to video you? I'd started to hollow my back (also poor saddle fit) & it was very obvious on video

 

[LittleBlackMule]

Have a google for Heather Moffett’s videos in the subject, it’s her specialty and she explains it very well.

 

[Berpisc]

Another "do some work without stirrups" to help your general position, also do some rising trot without stirrups to help you rise with core (middle/waist area) rather that leading with your shoulders. No stirrups helps you not unconsciously push from your stirrups. Hope that helps a bit.

 

[Courbette]

Have a google for Heather Moffett’s videos in the subject, it’s her specialty and she explains it very well.

Ironically I think this might be how I started to go wrong, I used to have a lot of lunge lessons when younger and my riding instructor was excellent at making sure my legs were in the correct place, I then started riding a horse with a Heather Moffatt saddle. As the bars are further forward it should of helped my position but I still took my legs back like I had been taught in a saddle with the bars set back which lead to me tipping forward.

I have done a fair bit of work without stirrups over the last 12 months but have just changed horses and my new share horse is quite spooky so I’m being quite cautious about removing my stirrups. I will give it a go tho and I agree about trying riding trot without stirrups.

I’ll see if I can get some video. I notice CJD seems to be very upright in her upper body when Heather Moffatt seems to advocate coming forwards slightly which was how I was originally taught. I’ve had so many instructors over the years (not by choice) that I think I have lost the mental picture of what I want to achieve.

I’m in a GP saddle, I don’t think it will help my leg position but I’ve got into a bad habit of drawing my leg up slightly. I’m meeting a new instructor this week so hopefully she can also help.

 

[milliepops]

i think what the charlotte clip shows well is that rising trot is more than just the up-downs but it's more like an arc that your pelvis has to follow, up and forward, down and back, and it's more the forward than the up that helps the rider to stay with the horse I think. Charlotte undoubtedly has a super strong core so I think that's how she can stay very upright without thumping down on the horse's back.

bit confused by what you've put above re the stirrup bars, in the past I'm sure I had read that HM designed her saddles to have the stirrup bars further back than many brands to put the stirrup where it needed to be.

 

[Courbette]

i think what the charlotte clip shows well is that rising trot is more than just the up-downs but it's more like an arc that your pelvis has to follow, up and forward, down and back, and it's more the forward than the up that helps the rider to stay with the horse I think. Charlotte undoubtedly has a super strong core so I think that's how she can stay very upright without thumping down on the horse's back.

bit confused by what you've put above re the stirrup bars, in the past I'm sure I had read that HM designed her saddles to have the stirrup bars further back than many brands to put the stirrup where it needed to be.

That makes more sense I think it was a wintec dressage saddle I learned to ride in and my instructor spent a lot of time helping me get my leg back and then a few years later I loaned a horse who had a HM Phoenix and I was still taking my legs back but because the stirrups were further back I didn’t need to do this but I did which tipped my forward. It wasn’t the fault of the saddle but I rode like that for a while and I put the fact that I felt insecure down to the fact it was treeless.

 

[milliepops]

ah yeah that makes more sense. i find wintecs quite unhelpful in terms of rider position so if you'd been used to fighting that then you could well end up perched on your fork or tipping forward if the saddle was made differently.

 

[PapaverFollis]

The HM saddle have set back stirrup bars. They can take some getting used to if you are used to a saddle with more forward stirrup bars.

 

[Keith_Beef]

I’ll see if I can get some video. I notice CJD seems to be very upright in her upper body when Heather Moffatt seems to advocate coming forwards slightly which was how I was originally taught. I’ve had so many instructors over the years (not by choice) that I think I have lost the mental picture of what I want to achieve.

I'm following this with interest... rising trot was the first part of the lesson yesterday, before doing poles while standing in the stirrups, and the instructor was talking about keeping heels down, keeping a line between ankle and hip, and having the body slightly forward, and moving up and forward then down and back, and not trying to keep the upper body dead vertical.

 

[Courbette]

I think Anja Beran's position is beautiful and I would LOVE to sit like her in all gaits

 

[Muddywellies]

It's also worth noting that for your own riding trot to be goid, the horse needs to be in front of the leg and responsive, with a nice active trot. It's nigh on impossible to have a nice rising trot if you're also trying to keep the horse in trot.

 

[Wheels]

I think Anja Beran's position is beautiful and I would LOVE to sit like her in all gaits

Me too! Inspirational lady!

 

[Tarragon]

It's also worth noting that for your own riding trot to be good, the horse needs to be in front of the leg and responsive, with a nice active trot. It's nigh on impossible to have a nice rising trot if you're also trying to keep the horse in trot.

Ah yes - this is so true! Trying to ride well and also generate energy on a lazy horse is almost impossible, in my opinion anyway

Plus the fit of giggles I had when I rode a friends' large stepping WB in her best BIG trot after riding my 13hh ponies for so long. I couldn't believe the amount of time I spent up in the air. Plenty of time to get my position right

 

[thefarsideofthefield]

Lead with your hips ! Ie . when you rise think of your hips bones swinging forward towards your hands , rather than your shoulders going toward your horses ears , or your head going up towards the sky .
An excellent rising trot exercise for your leg position/core/balance is to sit for one beat and rise for two ( so you stay in the air for two beats ie down up up , down up up - rather than down , up , down ,up , down ). If you have a tendency to tip forward or grip up you will find that the only way to stay in balance in this exercise is to become more upright and to keep you leg underneath you with your weight in your feet . Use a neck strap to start with so that you don't land heavily in the saddle if you lose your balance and tip backwards .

 

[Roxylola]

Think of them as down ups instead of up downs, so you arent rising out of the saddle, you are settling back to it then getting out of it again. Weight on your feet, let the rest act as hinges, remember your horse is travelling as you are moving so stay with your horse, and control your sit, the two up two down works, as does a not quite sit - you just brush the saddle

 

[cobgoblin]

I'd go further and say that you don't rise at all, the horse pushes you up and forwards, you control the downwards part.

 

[Courbette]

Lead with your hips ! Ie . when you rise think of your hips bones swinging forward towards your hands , rather than your shoulders going toward your horses ears , or your head going up towards the sky .
An excellent rising trot exercise for your leg position/core/balance is to sit for one beat and rise for two ( so you stay in the air for two beats ie down up up , down up up - rather than down , up , down ,up , down ). If you have a tendency to tip forward or grip up you will find that the only way to stay in balance in this exercise is to become more upright and to keep you leg underneath you with your weight in your feet . Use a neck strap to start with so that you don't land heavily in the saddle if you lose your balance and tip backwards .

I’m going to try this tomorrow. I have tried a variation on this before and it was brilliant so I’m really excited to give this a go ?

 

[scats]

I’ve always found it helpful when teaching to tell people to think of it as a forward and back motion of the hips, not an up down motion.

 

[tristar]

It's also worth noting that for your own riding trot to be goid, the horse needs to be in front of the leg and responsive, with a nice active trot. It's nigh on impossible to have a nice rising trot if you're also trying to keep the horse in trot.

this is what i go for, i need a nice forward relaxed rhythm, you can try all you iike to rise well, but get the horse going nicely, then it all falls into place

 

[Courbette]

this is what i go for, i need a nice forward relaxed rhythm, you can try all you iike to rise well, but get the horse going nicely, then it all falls into place

I rode another liveries horse last night. Much more forward horse, narrower and had a dressage saddle. The difference was amazing. Then I had to give him back grrr!

 

[Courbette]

Quick update. I had a lesson on Thursday night. My first for 12 months and a new instructor and first on this pony and WOW! Turns out I was hollowing my back so by taking my shoulders slightly forward I could soften my landing (I was also landing to far back) and felt like I had much more control over my body. I’ve never felt such a marked difference in a pony’s way of going. The change was immediate and he became much more forward and worked in a better shape. My canter transitions had also needed a bit of work as it took several strides of trot for him to go into canter and the first few strides were unbalanced. Because the quality of the trot had improved so much when I tried canter I got an instant strike off and a beautiful balanced transition. I’m made up ?