sitting v rising trot in PN test.

kerilli

kerilli

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the comments on worMy's stressage post made me think. advice please.
Katy's only evasion is rushing, and when she rushes in trot, she speeds up my rising and it gets worse and worse until she wants to hooley round and objects to my requests to slow down. i KNOW i should be able to slow her with my rising but it doesn't really work.
BUT if i go to a light sitting seat, i can feel the rhythm immediately and control it with my seat. she doesn't hollow against me, i am soft through my arms and hands in sitting trot, and i don't brace against her or drive with my seat.
BUT i'll get marked down big-time for doing sitting trot in a PN test, won't I?
I can do half rising, half sitting, rise when i have her calm and rhythmical, go to sitting if i feel her start losing it.
my instinct to keep her slow and rhythmical, and relaxed into the contact, and then allow more energy through when she's relaxed, and this feels like the best way to do it...
first event this saturday, she's tricky on the flat so i'll be really happy with 60% tbh for first outing when she'll probably be going "PAR-TAAAAY!!!"
any advice much appreciated. thankyou!
 
You shouldnt get slated?! They will only tell you off if they think its detrimental
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I do half and half on the SGO occasonally as I can "engage" him better in sitting, and have never got marked down....
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Pfff, I'm starting to think it *is* a complete myth, the thing about being marked down for riding sitting trot. I think it's mainly a problem when people can't ride sitting trot properly, and end up blocking their horse.

I've ridden mostly sitting trot for the past 2 seasons and not noticed any negative effect on the scores. One horse I used to ride half sitting and half riding, depending on how the horse felt throughout the test and got a positive comment about my riding, so the judge must have 'got' what I was doing. I'd go for it.

(edited because I'm at work, rushing to type and so can't spell)
 
I have known judges to comment on doing sitting trot even if the rider is sitting beautifully, i think some just have a little bit of a bee in their bonnet about riders doing sitting on a young or inexperienced horse. I think it sometimes depends on the horse as well, some horses look tight in the back when the rider is sitting, even if they're not. It is also easier to disguise a tight back by doing rising!!
 
I agree with milliepops, you'll only get marked down if your sitting appears to cramp your horse's style! fwiw I did my Marty's first test in rising - he was tight when I went in to start the test and I'd planned to do sitting - but my Shelford test in sitting - he was much softer and it lets me ride him more uphill, he tends to pull me out of the saddle in the up of my rising otherwise.

If you want to ride a tactical test I'd start in rising to show the judge what she's normally like in her movement and softness, then go sitting when it's obvious that rising isn't working
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therefore sitting was the better option. That way the judge can't slate you for your sitting making her whizzy or tight and may well give you the sympathy vote.
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Result: you've explained to the judge what you're doing and why in a non-verbal way.

I know Katy and kerilli btw, before anyone shouts at me for being sarky or harsh in my reply.
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Do what you feel will suit Katy best, remember that rider at Badders who (I think) did his medium trot rising in order to get his horse to power on more (I think all 3 commentators picked up on it but can't remember who it was)

You know me I advocate counting counting and more COUNTING to maintain the rhythm, I found that really helped with Soap who would want to slow down on corners and speed up on diagonals

Good luck I bet you can't wait to get out to your first event this season
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If you want to ride a tactical test I'd start in rising to show the judge what she's normally like in her movement and softness, then go sitting when it's obvious that rising isn't working
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therefore sitting was the better option.

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That's what I was trying to get at - you've explained it much better! Can't remember the comment I had last time I did that, but it was positive
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Hmmm, I seem to remember reading somewhere that below Novice level, even though it says you can rise or sit on the test sheet, judges do tend to prefer you rising and I think you get marked down for sitting. However, if you think that Katy will be happier with you sitting, surely you will make up marks for a happier consistent test than if you were rising and she was inconsistent?
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You shouldn't get marked down just for sitting - unless you're doing it badly
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If I got marked down/comments about it (not that I could sit to my TB's pogostick trot
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), I'd go to the TA and ask why......
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I find this interesting as I was a bit surprised when I started doing a bit of competing in Germany that except for the very very basic tests (ie easier than prelim) you MUST do sitting trot... and you definately get marked down if you don't do sitting.. the only allowance is in the lower level tests when you show some lengthening, but in the novice level tests you need to be sitting... I find it a bit detrimental on young horses to be honest... but maybe that is a reflection on my riding :-)
 
Ah, that's interesting GermanyJo, thanks.
i prefer sitting, it's easier on her, i think i'll try to do rising to begin with and then resort to sitting to keep it to impulse speed, avoiding warp speed... i'm pretty sure we've managed "fastest test of the day" award before, i can do without it again!
thanks, all.
 
Just re read my post and it came out a bit wrong I think .. :-) ... I don't necessarily think it is detrimental for young horses to do sitting trot ... just is nice to have the option to do both (esp in a competition enviroment) as for example mine is a tight nervous ratbag sometimes and sitting trot often makes him tighter and more giraffelike :-)
 
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crikey Baydale, that's genius, why don't i ever think of anything like that?!
more tips please, can we have a "DRESSAGE DIVA of the DAY tip" from now on.
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And tomorrow's will be the mis-use, under-use and over-use of the half halt, although I'm not sure you can do the latter, particularly with Katy-type horses.
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I never had a comment so far about me being in sitting trot, Saf is big I am small and it worked best for me to get her together, I echo what someone else said I think they comment if not done well?
Try it and see
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i always sit (novice/elementary level - never evented so can't comment), i ride much more effectively sitting and just prefer to sit, never had any negative comments and normally get 8 for riding
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on younger horses i don't sit, or in prelims.
 
In some tests it does say rising only - in those you would be marked down for sitting - technically it would be a course error!

Try really hard to learn to slow your rising as it works amazingly well to reduce the speed of a forward moving horse, it also means you can get your legs on them at the same time.

I'm afraid I am one of those people that really disapprove of sitting trot until the horse is well muscled up - so many people wreck their performance by sitting - it blocks the horse so much.
 
Jo, I think it's a bit different in Germany because the standards of riding are higher. I think it's unlikey someone would be competing who couldn't even do sitting trot (they'd probably still be on the lunge!) - do you agree?
 
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