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    Home » Tips For Riders

    5 Tips For A Better Sitting Trot

    Modified: Jun 23, 2020 by ihearthorses · This post may contain affiliate links · 2 Comments

    Are you struggling to master the sitting trot? If you find yourself bouncing around uncomfortably, then try putting these five tips for a better sitting trot to use.

    sitting trot Woman horseback riding in forest

    Lengthen Your Stirrups

    You may be struggling because your stirrups are actually too short. Try lengthening your stirrups by a hole so that you can allow your leg to drop down and around your horse. If you’re pinching with your knee, you’re making it almost impossible to sit with the horse’s motion. Instead, focus on having a long leg and dropping your weight all the way down through your leg.

    Horseback rider, woman riding a horse

    Find Your Ideal Position

    Part of mastering the sitting trot depends on finding your ideal riding position. Many riders tend to hunch forward when sitting, which actually makes riding more difficult. Instead, focus on sitting up straight and bringing your legs beneath yourself. Ideally, your position should be one so that if you did not have a horse beneath you, you would land on your feet and be able to hold yourself upright. Properly aligning your body can lead to an easier and better sitting trot.

    Photo from back of woman doing horseback riding in manege

    Collect the Trot

    Sitting the trot is made easier if your horse is collected and engaged. Rather than the jarring, extended trot that your horse may perform, teaching your horse to collect up a bit and engage his hind end can result in a much more fluid, softer trot. Spend some time working on collecting the trot and then see if you can sit it more successfully.

    Woman in leather jacket with protective helmet riding a horse on the green meadow

    Move Side to Side

    Rather than trying to glue your seat to the saddle as the horse moves up and down, focus on the fact that your horse also moves side to side. Let your hips move side to side with the horse’s movement, and let your lower back relax with the sway.

    Woman riding horse in the sand beach

    Relax

    Relaxing may be the most difficult part of improving the sitting trot. The more tense that you are, the more your body will work against the horse’s motion. Instead, try to relax your body so that it moves and flows with the horse’s movement. Take deep breaths and focus on relaxing all of your muscles, one by one. The lower back, thighs, and neck often get tight at the sitting trot, so pay particular attention to these areas. And remember, as you become more skilled at the sitting trot, relaxing will become easier.

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    Did we miss any sitting trot tips? Let us know in the comments below! 

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    Comments

    1. Dave

      April 17, 2020 at 4:41 pm

      Agree with most of what’s said. Just a note of caution on the “move side to side” as this is often misinterpreted - this must be very subtle and mirror the horses movement ie. not forced, but fluid. Also, while relaxation is key, it is also important to engage the core to ensure a stable body position is maintained. This will also help with hip movement ‘side to side’.

      Reply
    2. Richard Hardin

      April 17, 2020 at 6:05 pm

      Yes, arch your lower back, and let your pelvis move with your horse. And keep your ùpper back straight for balance.

      Reply

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