Sitting trot tips

[charlie55]

I cant remember what tip someone gave on here before about sitting trot, it was something about putting weight in one stirrup then the other?? Can someone help me out? Or any other tips, except taking your stirrups away, far too dangerous on my silly spooky boy!!

 

[Kokopelli]

First of all I would say have a lunge lesson! Then you don't have to worry about stearing etc you can just focus on you. Then whoever is lunging you can see what your doing wrong and then you can do exercises without reins/ stirrups to improve your position which will improve your sitting trot.

I got taught to do sitting trot by pretending I had a yellow pages infront of me and I had to push them off the horse by pushing them with my stomach. This helped me move with the horse, another thing is to pretend your hula hooping, best of luck, once you've mastered it you'll wonder why you found it difficult.

 

[kerilli]

well, i've discovered I can't do it until the horse's back is soft enough to let me, so I tend to do just a few beats of it here and there until I'm sure the horse is through. Also, varying sitting and rising is good for balance and for keeping rider relaxed, sort of up down down down up down up down down down down down up etc etc, varying the amount of sitting, rising again as soon as it feels difficult. staying relaxed is 99% of it imho, if you try hard you tend to tense up and that makes it far more difficult.

 

[Kenzo]

Keep the trot slow until you can learn to sit to it correctly without hindering the horse, too may people don't think about slowing down to do a sitting trot to learn the feel of it, but make sure your horse is working correctly and going forward actively first, transitions, so you can slow a good rhythm down without killing it.

Make sure you are positioned correctly in your saddle, the deepest part of the seat with you heals down put taking a little through the feet so it cushions the bounce but only just, also when stood still, lift both your legs directly out away from the saddle as much as you can (you may need to bob your hands on the pommel to steady you, then gently put them back where they would naturally hang, then try your sitting trot, you should feel a difference in your legs and seat.

Breathing (of course your breathing) but while you sit for say 3 -4 beats, using this time to breath out, this way you'll automatically relax and sit deep when with the rhythm of the horse (but only do this as an experiment so you get the feel for it).

keep your head up level and looking forwards, a slight tip of the head will alter your upper body then effect your seat, also do some shoulder/arm and neck exercises to loosen you up, this really helps too.

 

[maletto]

It's important the horse is strong enough in his back to be able to take you sitting as well, when my boy had a few months box rest, I just couldn't get the sitting trot - it would make him hollow and rushed. It was probably a combination of both of us being out of practice!!

I think it's a good idea to start off by using a hand to hold yourself down for a couple of strides, just to get you to sit really deep and be relaxed. Don't put too much pressure on yourself to do it straight away!! If you hold the pommel initially, this will prevent you tensing and gripping with your knees.