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Re: I curse thee, sitting trot

My Gracie — Mon, 04 May 2009 18:39:41 GMT

Yes, I can vouch for the Thinline pads! They do make a world of difference if you're feeling any discomfort.

Re: I curse thee, sitting trot

IrishRider — Mon, 04 May 2009 17:22:20 GMT

Thanks everyone. It's amazing how much you don't relax when keep screaming at yourself to relax. Haha. I worked on it this weekend, doing it little by little. When I felt it get out of control, I went back to posting for a while and then attempted it again. It's getting there, little by little.

Re: I curse thee, sitting trot

percheronrider — Sun, 03 May 2009 08:37:54 GMT

I leaned how to sit trots in a hunt seat class when my instructor decided to introduce me to Western riding. That's how I learned. This was in 1981. Since then, I have lost the ability to post a trot. Now as an older rider, I can only do limited trotting, and I can't sustain a trot. It was better for me, since I do tend to brace sometimes to have the horse do a surprise trot (one I didn't ask for). One of the Percheron sport horses I used to ride threw in a surprise trot a few time. I think he wanted to show me that I could sit his bouncy trots in relative safety.

Now with the Appy I ride, I have had him trot a few times. I sit them just fine. I believe that the problem is the anticipation aspect which breeds bracing. It is really hard to force yourself to relax. I had to come up with a gimick. For me this was a thing called the Other Seat. I used to use a neoprene thing on the saddle a few years ago. The "saddle sticky thing" has given me permission to relax. Who know why I was prone to bracing when I anticipated trotting. I don't know, (maybe the accident I had at 19??) but I found a way to cope with the anticipation part.

Re: I curse thee, sitting trot

Frizzle — Sat, 02 May 2009 19:08:08 GMT

I have found one thing that really helps is focusing on "turning on your core." Kinda like the previous poster said about using your abs (although, personally, I think that doing ab exercises the night before to the point of soreness would make it more diffiuclt for me...but, to each his own). Anyways, really think about bearing down with your abs - almost like the feeling you get when you sneeze. If you really focus on using your core, it should help you soften and balance. Also, try to keep your horse at a steady gait, not too quick, in order to reduce the bounce.

Oh, and one more thing - I can't atest to it myself, but I have heard that Thinline saddle pads can make it easier for the rider to sit the trot. Obviously, it's more important to work on your own position, but this might give you some extra help.

Re: I curse thee, sitting trot

thepeacha — Sat, 02 May 2009 17:57:17 GMT

I have an OTTB who has a massive trot. I've found that if I warm up WTC (rising trot in warmup), his trot after a canter is better in so many ways. His back loosens, I am loosened, and we feel good. That's a good time to address the sitting trot; never on a cold- backed horse! And the hips/ seat advice is worth its weight in gold. Dread not the sitting trot- once you master it you will grin, I promise. Best of luck.

Re: I curse thee, sitting trot

showjumpergirl — Sat, 02 May 2009 01:12:38 GMT

Finding the right way to sit the trot takes a while. For a long time I always bounced. Then I decided to take the "looking good" out of it and just be comfortable. I sit way down on my tail bone and almost slide my feet in front of the girth and I ride around like this until I feel good. Then worry about how it looks. But I think the key to the sitting trot is to sit on your tail bone not your crotch. Good luck with your next Eq. class

Re: I curse thee, sitting trot

IrishRider — Fri, 01 May 2009 20:17:59 GMT

Thank you. I have a bad habit of pointing me feet out which I have been working on as well. I have to say that it is coming along much nice than my sitting trot.

Re: I curse thee, sitting trot

729909 — Fri, 01 May 2009 20:05:45 GMT

Try this - legs long thinks toes in (but have them forward NOT pointing out) and think of wrapping your legs around the horses barrel and lifting the barrel gently without clamping on the horses side and getting the horse to speed up. That should help lift the horses back which will allow you to sit the trot (it's more upper level dressage stuff).

Re: I curse thee, sitting trot

TX Horsbakrydr — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 16:00:15 GMT

I actually will drop my stirrups to find my rythm, then pick them back up. I also think to relax my butt and 'give' with my abs and lower back...hard to explain how exactly. But once I find it, it's smooth riding...

Re: I curse thee, sitting trot

IrishRider — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 15:05:29 GMT

Well I tried some of your suggestions this weekend and I felt a little better at the sitting trot. I'm just going to have to keep plugging away at it but hopefully it will improve before the show. Thanks guys.

Re: I curse thee, sitting trot

flakemusic — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 22:15:03 GMT

It's definitely harder going from posting to sitting. When I make that transition, I half halt and then think about sitting deep and driving the horse forward. Sometimes I think half halts balance me as much as the horse. :/

I think what it comes down to is practice, practice, practice and a set of helpful eyes.

Re: I curse thee, sitting trot

IrishRider — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 21:52:54 GMT

One more thing guys...I seem to have an easier time sitting the trot (although it's still not fun or pretty) when I come to the trot from a walk, because I can start her out slower. However, when I try to come down to the sitting trot from a nice working posting trot, it goes horribly wrong and I end up trying to slow her so much that she comes down to a walk instead of a slower, but still working trot for me to sit.

At the shows, at least at this last one, they had us do sitting trot from a walk and they also had us do it from a posting trot. So any suggestions on this issue would be appreciated as well.

Re: I curse thee, sitting trot

IrishRider — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 21:48:21 GMT

Thanks remmer. As I was reading thisI was sitting at my desk trying to slouch with my lower back only and I see what you mean. I just hope I can replicate it on my horse. I like your idea of only going for a few strides. I do this with the trot/canter without stirrups because it is such torture. I've worked my way up to going around the arena completely once both ways, at both gaits. So I'll start small with this task too.

I have a lot to work on this weekend.

Re: I curse thee, sitting trot

remmer — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 20:56:30 GMT

It does take a bit of effort to sit a nice, forward, working trot. You'll need to "free up" your lower back and hips to follow the motion. You can't be stiff and sit the trot well!

I think it's more difficult in huntseat, since you're sitting with more of a forward tilt to your pelvis and a somewhat hollowed lower back. In order to follow the motion, you need to tilt and relax your pelvis back and get on your seat bones. I don't mean lean back - I mean change the tilt of your hips. This will also take out the hollow of your lower back, which will also help you. With these changes, your body should be more able to move with the motion. You can't just sit - you have to concentrate on swinging with the motion of the trot by using your abs to lift your pelvis forward and up to stay with the "up" motion.

Your tendancy to turn your shoulders in and roach your back is an effort to stay with the motion by relaxing something, just not the right body parts. Try not to lose your upper body position - stay upright and tall, but relax your lower back. I think about "slouching", but only in my lower back.

When you start working the sitting trot, just go for a few strides, then go back to posting, or your two point. This way, you maintain the tempo and rhythm you want and don't slow the horse too much in order to sit. Don't sacrifice the gait in order to sit. Work up to longer and longer stretches of sitting trot. If you're doing it correctly, you'll get (or you should!) tired quickly.

As for the stirrup problem, it seem to be universal. Try to think about just resting your feet in the stirrups, don't "use" them. You can have the leathers a little longer, since you are flatting, but you still need them short enough to get in your two point.

Good luck and we want to hear stories about how sore your abs get!

Re: I curse thee, sitting trot

IrishRider — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 17:10:35 GMT

I do that too and only at the sitting trot. I tense and tend to turn my shoulders in and roach my back, which is obviously not pretty because then the rest of my position goes to hell too.