rising trot tips for novice

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bluelady66

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i bought my daughter a horse last year but she has got fed up whilst ive totally fallen in love with him so I need to learn how to ride him properly - I am now having having weekly riding lessons on him myself.
Its not easy lol
He has put her off a bit i think - hes a bolshy, headshaking cob who gets very bored in the school and can be very spooky and stubborn - suddenly shooting off, refusing to move etc.
I have my lessons with an excellent instructor but find i am concentrating so much on getting and keeping him going, dealing with his spooks that my actual riding style is not always concentrated on.
We are dealing with this - the spooking, me gettign him to go forward etc - but i know when i do rising trot i am rising far too high, using far too much energy and am actually shattered after 2 rounds of the school !!!!!!
Do you have any tips for me on how do rising trot correctly and comfortably ??????
 
Tbh, if riding the horse is not knocking your confidence while he is spooking, bolting etc, you will kind of automatically become a better rider as you know exactly how more difficult horses work, and you'll find riding things like schoolmasters easy.

With sitting trot, it is hard to get to begin with, but its likes riding a bike, practise and you will never forget how to do it.
Im 15 and have been riding 7 years.
I know every horse works differently, but when i started to do trot i found it easier to hold the saddle to begin with and be led whilst trotting round, just to get the feel of the trot without having to worry about steering, this will come in time.
Dont be embaressed about having to be led to begin with, everyone has to start somewhere and the quicker you start and the quicker you gain confidence the quicker you'll progress. Like, if you're led (pr you could even try a lunging lesson) and get idea of rising trot and feel confident then you can progress and feel like you can go for it on your own, whereas if you throw yourself in at the deep end and just go straight into trot and lose all control, it will worry you AND your spooky horse. so take it one step at a time

sorry for essay and sorry if ive been no help :P

thanks
 
The best advice I ever got for rising trot is to push your pelvis forward instead of using your legs to rise. It works really well, and I can give you a more perverted explanation if needed... :)
 
thank you both - raachel next week i have asked for a split lesson anyway becaus ei need ot learn how to lunge him correctly - im having one hour lesson so i will suggest i lunge for firsat part then she can keep him on lunge while i work on my rising trot - brilliant!!!! thank you xxxx
jordhorse fan - im am very open minded and really dotn mind how perverse any suggestions are if they can help me lol - thank you xxxx
 
and rachel im not naturally confident but like i said - he is a beautiful loving horse who i love very very much so i am forcing myself to deal with and counteract his spooks etc - its really not coming naturally lol - i hate it!!!!
But week by week im finding it easier - i have sat all his silliness out, havent fallen off or been killed lol so yes, my confidence is growing - thank yu for your kind replies - i was sort of expecting somoene to tell me to stop being silly and sell - i couldnt - on the ground he is so lovign and i really do totally adore him xxx
 
Hi, glad you're persevering with him, he sounds a bit of a monkey! You'll get there in the end and it'll all be worth it!

re the rising trot... don't think about going "up" think about moving your pelvis forwards... there's a good video on horsehero with Mary Wanless who talks about how to rise to a trot.
 
'Rise and fall with the leg on the wall'

What I was always told and stuck with me :) So basically, whichever leg is by the outer wall of the school, go up and down with that to get the right diagonal each time.
 
jenhunt ty - i will persevere because he is a handful but a very georgeous one - he doesnt mean ot be mean - i jus tneed ot leaqrn quickly so we can move on quick and alleviate his obvious boredom!
binky thats a fabulous little ditty - i do remember little dittys like that more than actual instructions if you know what i mean - brill - ty too xxxxxx
 
binky im sorry - but should you be risen or down when the leg is by the wall????? oh im so sorry i feel really stupid but its all very confusing to me. Im taking it you mean the horses front leg?
ive said that wrong - when my horses front leg is near the wall should i be up or down?????
 
Rise and fall with the front leg nearest the outer wall. So when it goes forward, you go up...when the shoulder comes back, you sit back down :) Just have a little glance down and check to see if you're correct :)
 
This is a bit evil, BUT: if you're rising too high, you're probably pushing out of your stirrups.... so take them away. Just cross them over in front of you. If you find yourself wobbling off, go back to sitting trot and think about making your legs really long by shoving your heels down (you can also hang on to the front of the saddle). When you've regained your balance you can go back to rising.

My riding teacher used to make me do this for most of every lesson until i could feel which muscles i was meant to be using.

In fact, as i've been away from riding for quite some time and will soon be getting back to it, i plan to do 10 - 15 mins of riding without stirrups when i school, to make sure i build the right muscles back up. It's going to KILL!
 
Well done for taking on your daughters horse. When I was a little girl my Dad paid for the ponies. He decided he wanted to learn to ride in his mid 40's because he wanted his own horse. He was not the most stylish rider, but he loved his horse and they had many happy years out hacking. He actually fell off quite a lot in the early days, but he didn't give up.
 
Firstly well done for taking on the horse and learning to ride!!

Secondly. The main thing i think of , as other have said is not standing up and and down but kneeling up and down so its pelvis moving forward and back rather than your whole body rising and falling to make the rising trot.

I dont know if i have explaned that very well but here the link to the video with mary wanless (which someone else mentioned) who is excellent and really does explain it well

http://www.horsehero.com/5201/32366/34481
 
You don't really need to concentrate on actually rising, start off with sitting trot or no stirrups, and after a time it should come naturally, as the trot will bounce you into the air with each stride :) Maybe try a lunge lesson, or a lesson on a less spooky horse? Good luck with the ponio :D
 
thank you all for your help and support - tomorrow im going to take him in teh school and try without stirrups - funny thing is i find sitting trot really easy - i just know im putting far too much effort into the rising trot - i will let yu all know how we get on x
 
1. Don't grip with your knees and don't lean forward.
2. Get someone to video you as what you think is probably rising upright is leaning forward (instinctive protection reflex).
3. RELAX!!!!!!
 
fjordhorsefan said:
The best advice I ever got for rising trot is to push your pelvis forward instead of using your legs to rise. It works really well, and I can give you a more perverted explanation if needed... :)
Click to expand...

I read this over my OH shoulder when you first posted this...i read between the lines and just trotted comfortably for the first time today, so thank you very much, i'm a happy m00 now :)
 
Leed with your belly button, this way you will push your pelvis forward as you rise and are less likely to tip forward. Also helps you start to work those core muscles that you need to use to improve your balance. Chin of your chest and look where you are going.
 
thanks oscar - thats a very good tipxxx and yes i do lean forward - but my instructor is very very aware of this lol and i am tryign very very hard not to do it - hey, whoever said riding is easy !!!!! xxx
 
you have a great attitude so I am sure your hard work will soon pay off.

If you want to help develop your muscles used in rising trot so it is easier when you ride I can suggest using a gym ball (the large inflatable ones). Sit on one and practice rising as the others have described - leading from your pelvis and not by putting all your weight in your legs.

This really does help and sititng on a gym ball helps to tone up your core muscles (back and stomach ) which we all use for riding.
 
thank you so much suze - it really means a lot to hear that and that sounds like a really good idea - i do need to build my fitness up and i will for this horse - its amazing, we have really really bonded x
 
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