How would you?

[cazza]

Describe to someone how to do sitting trot? I know someone on here will be PTSL as I went through it with them at the weekend. I find it really gives me a brain workout when I have to think of different ways of describing the feel and the motion to different people so they understand what I am getting at.

So how would the rest of you describe the position in which you should sit and how to hold yourself?

 

[Brontie]

Sitting trot for me is gernerally bouncing up and down on the saddle, with the horse, Rising trot is whee you stand up, sit down etc.

 

[Blizzard]

Sitting trot is absorbing the movement of the horse through your seat and body and rising trot is allowing the movement of the horse to help you rise out of the saddle.

 

[isabella]

in sitting trot i tell people to completely relax and keep breathing try to absorb the horses movement in the small of you back.

 

[cazza]

You're understanding where I am coming from, it's all well and good saying it but actually trying to describe it and then in turn trying to get them to do it is a different matter. Also doesn't help that one of the horses is one of the worlds most bounciest creatures. (oops)

 

[happyhack]

Force your weight into your heels and imagine something grabbing you from your hips and pulling you into the saddle

thats always how I have been taught it

 

[kerilli]

relax as much as possible while trying to make yourself tall in a soft, flexible way, and letting your weight flow down towards your feet like water through a couple of hoses.
i wouldn't advise trying to teach it on a bouncy horse, though... poor pupil!
i was very lucky that i was taught sitting trot first (was only a little dot though, and not given reins), so that rising was quite difficult when i was taught it later, but i always had sitting to go back to.
if the people are already good at sitting trot, try getting them to sit an extra few beats, rise sit sit sit rise sit sit rise sit rise sit sit sit sit rise etc so that they get the feel without the tension of trying to stay sitting. i find that very useful.

 

[Janah]

I think a good way is to get a good relaxed walk, going with the movement. Ask the horse to do a very slow jog, getting the rider not to "think" trot but walk. Gradually increase pace. If the rider can do rising trot allow a few rises if it all gets a bit stiff and off balance. I teach sitting in canter using the same method. Always "think" walk, helps to stay relaxed in mind and body. Hope that makes sense.

 

[catembi]

Sometimes it helps to pull up on the pommel with the outside hand to get the 'feel' of what it's s'posed to feel like without all the bouncing?

 

[Moggy in Manolos]

yeah i would also describe as sitting and absorbing the movement and keeping relaxed through your back, and well all of your body really

 

[Shilasdair]

It can help to stand them off the horse and show them the hip movement required (or tell them to s**g the saddle!) then put them on the lunge on a horse with a soft trot, get them to hold the saddle with outside hand. Once they are relaxed in walk, get the horse to do a few strides of soft trot...and so on.
Works well and seems to avoid the tension thing...
S

 

[cazza]

Cool, thanks guys. Shilasdair yes done that one ;-) I am lucky as they can both do rising trot, I'm just trying to instill a smoother transition from the trot to the canter and the action of the seat during that transaction. I know it all has to do with the angle of the hips and the movement, so I have been trying to get them stable in sitting trot to strengthen their seats, which is coming, although just keep running out of words to use to describe the feeling.