Horse going better in sitting trot.

[TrasaM]

I'd noticedcaclittke while back that the horse I was having a lesson on immediately softened and sent better when I sat to the trot. I didn't think too much about it but then this week I got the same response from a different horse. I'd decided to ride without stirrups part way throughbthevlesson and was just messing about in trot and walk when I realised that he'd dropped his head and was going really nicely. My RI says that sitting I'm better at influencing how the horse goes with my seat.
I mentioned this to a trainer yesterday and she said that I'd probably had a naturally soft seat. Much as I'd like to believe this I'm more inclined to think that it's more what's wrong with my rising trot that causes this. My hands feel less steady in sitting trot and I try to be really soft when I sit in rising trot. I'm not using my hands to balance as I've tested this out by dropping the reins in trot and I was ok.
Has anyone else found this. From now on I will be more aware of what I'm doing in rising trot.

 

[Skipadeedooda]

Hi, I am the same and my horse has suffered pulled muscles in his back due to bone spavin flare ups etc but he's generally very sensitive and tense through back anyway. My instructor also mentioned it to me as we tend to warm him up with me off his back. Sometimes when working through choice I go sitting trot as he softens and works much better (we feel more together). Instructor was quite surprised that he seems to prefer it. I can't figure it out, I wondered if my contact was more consistent but hands are relatively stable in rising trot too. He is responsive to the leg although needs a fair amount so I wondered if in sitting trot, everything drops down, leg is more secure on his side pushing him forward from behind.

I think I might get someone to video us so I can see if I can pin point anything specific. I think it could be my leg though.

 

[JFTDWS]

One of mine goes best in sitting trot. Never had such an obvious difference on my others / anything else I've ridden, so I'm pretty sure it's him. Which suits me fine as I much prefer sitting and only rise or stand when I feel like he needs the extra space.

 

[TrasaM]

Apologies for the spelling/ autocorrect errors in the post. I had a phone call and didn't check.

Skipadeedoda. It was suggested to me yesterday that, as you've said, the horse preferred a consistent seat and the constant up/down was making him tense up despite me trying very hard to sit gently. My RI was surprised too as we'd spent ages trying to get him to relax his neck before this. I found some article earlier when I was puzzling over this that suggested that it made no difference to the horse whether we sat or posted which tends to fly in the face of perceived wisdom.