riding really big elevated trots

rubysmum

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i am not totally incompetent - honest :)
but am currently trialling a very pleasant ISH - however 4 days into our month trial - his huge trot is flumoxing me - i am totally unused to this & ride him like a bobbly loony [ especialy as the action makes me laugh in a mild hysteria sort of way:D]
so, hints & tips please
the long suffering PS will be along to pick up the pieces on a weekly basis - so i do have an instrctor in place
in fairness to this poor horse - he is putting up with it all very generously
 
I rode a horse with a huuuuge trot a few months ago and it's harder than it looks!! I'm so used to Ned's little choppy trot!
No advise I'm afraid, but good luck!
 
No advice, I'm afraid, but I'll be watching this thread for tips. I have recently started sharing an 18.2 Belgian Warmblood, who has the biggest, most elevated trot I have ever ridden!

I have been considering pilates, so interesting to see that suggested here.
 
It's just a matter of practise and getting used to the trot. When I moved from my Fjord to a huge moving Warmblood, it took me atleast a week to find my balance.

Maybe trotting without stirrups will help your balance?
 
I walked and cantered for six months ;) practice, practice, practice. As hard as it sounds the more you relax your hips and go with the movement the easier it gets!
 
I know what you mean. I have a cob and just recently had a few lessons on a dressage horse with a really really big elevated trot, wow, its different!

The instructor said that she sometimes used this horse to teach people that they really had to use their core (stomach) muscles to ride the trot effectively.

So I think as a previous poster said, its Pilates and balancing exercises!!!
 
Riding without stirrups is, unfortunately, one of the best things you can do. Also, consider how balanced and round the horse is in his work, if he is a bit unbalanced/hollow it will make your life a lot easier, as he becomes more balanced and working through his back the trot will become easier to sit to.
 
It's almost like there is an extra half beat at the top of the rise and the sit I found saying one and two and one and two with a flick of the hips or sitting deeper on the (ands) whilst keeping my balance helps hope that makes sense =)
 
Relax, but hold your core at the same time! :D You have to let our ody learn that it's no longer 'straight up and down', there's more of an ebb and flow to it :D

Equipilates is grand for getting the core muscles sorted and working properly.

Have fun!

:D
 
Spend longer in walk and do lots of lateral work - loosens both of you up, his trot will be slightly softer and your hips etc will be more open. Worked for me with my boy when even the first rising trot of each session was previously a challenge....
 
I found I no longer needed to use any effort at all to rise to the trot and simply relaxed to let my big WBs action carry me along. Completely agree with the 'engage your core' comments though, get that bit sorted and a couple of weeks of practice and you'll be away.
I still prefer walk-canter transitions though and don't tend to trot much if I can avoid it out hacking (but who does!?)
 
I find it useful if the horse and I aren't completely "together", and when I had my first really big mover, to do a "sitting" trot where I am actually verrrrry slightly standing in the stirrups and pushing my heels down. If you did it wearing a show jacket you would not see that it was not a sitting trot. Gradually, as you feel the movement better, you can sit yourself right down.

I don't know if I have explained that properly or if you can envisage it, but the horse I learnt to do it on also makes people who have never ridden a trot like it before burst into giggles or outright laughter :D
 
I felt like this when I got my big moving TB. I was used to TB's but hadn't had one like this before. I felt such an incompetent but I just got used to it. I can't remember doing anything in particular, just my regular lessons. It's 'normal' to me now and when I get on something short striding, I end up in a fit of giggles because I get jiggled about so much!
 
Creature has a huge trot and he threw me forward to start with until I did as said above, let his movement take you, stop trying to rise as though you were on Lily. And pictures, Madame!
 
thanks for all yr responses folks - will def focus on core strength then & maybe less maniac laughter:D
no pics as am committing to nothing til we have had had the full trial:)
 
Hee hee!! This made me snigger!!

PS has told me all about him - he sounds lovely :)

Just a case of getting used to it I'm afraid. He needs to find his balance, and so do you! Sorry, it's all about practice!!

Fig has by no means a 'big' trot (he is after all, not a WB.....) but it did take me a few weeks to get comfy, being used to Bruces slinky shuffly trot :o
 
Just takes getting used to! Took me a good month or 2 to get used to Miro's big WB trot. I was able to sit to it eventually. I'm now having the opposite problem of getting used to Freddy's choppy little TB trot! You'll get there - just takes time to adjust!
 
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