# Posting in a western saddle?



## Blondehorselover (Oct 20, 2011)

I have to post on my horse because he has a very big trot. We ride western but....I think I forgot how to post!!! And there are so many different ways people say to do it. Are you suppose to be gripping with your thighs, your calves, your knees??? Is your whole leg suppose to be touching? Yeah...I need help:/


----------



## boots (Jan 16, 2012)

Regardless of what type of saddle I'm riding, when I post it seems my knees have the most contact, followed by my calves. When riding my forward seat in two point or an exercise saddle, my thighs have little contact with the saddle. 

I ranch in addition to other things, and every single rancher/cowboy I know posts at times. If you are trotting a few miles, you want a good ground covering, working trot. Posting, done well, gives your horse a change. Sure, we sit the trot at times, too. As far as I'm concerned you never had to explain yourself for posting in a western saddle.

BTW, a horse with a "big trot" is valued out here.


----------



## bsms (Dec 31, 2010)

I played with it this afternoon. I usually use an Aussie-style saddle, but I used a western one today. It is a Circle Y Mojave (?) and I'm a guy - don't know if that makes any difference. However, the way I sit in it, I couldn't grip with my knees on a bet. The shape of the saddle and my body means my knees don't touch anything.

For posting and for cantering, I found almost all of my weight was in my thighs. That is true with my Aussie saddle as well, but less so...it is easier for me to wrap my legs a bit more around the horse with the DownUnder saddle instead of having them pried outwards or shoved forward by the saddle tree.

Again, just one data point - one saddle with one rider on an Arabian mare (15.2 & 900 lbs).


----------



## littrella (Aug 28, 2010)

I'm just learing to post & I ride western. Most of my contact was with my calves


----------



## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

Since when I ride western, my stirrups are pretty long, I tend to post mostly off my thigh. And, my foot. I stay really soft in my ankle and sometimes the posting movement is not "up" very much at all, but almost like standing in my stirrups and just letting the horse move under me. But, I do go forward and back a tiny bit, and it's more or less off my lower thigh/knee, with weight down into my heel, too.

It's a very easy movement and I try to put the minimum amount of energy into it.


----------



## boots (Jan 16, 2012)

Based on the above sample... we either have no body awareness or there are different ways to achieve the posting trot and you are free to find what works best for you!


----------



## BlooBabe (Jul 7, 2012)

My boy had the worst trot I've ever dealt with and no matter how much I try I can't make it more comfortable for me to sit. I mainly post off my knees and thighs, I hold with my knees and use my thighs and upper body to lift up. I've got short legs and the fender usually gets in the way of a short enough stirrup so I ride without them and use my upper leg to hold on and my lower for steering aids


----------



## DoubleS (Jun 11, 2012)

I post the same in my English saddle as I do my western. It's just less noticable western because my stirrups are a lot longer. :lol:
...I just rise and fall with my horse's trot. It's so easy it's hard, I like to say! Except learning diagonals... that's harder than it looks... :?


----------



## wild old thing (Jun 15, 2012)

Blondehorselover said:


> I have to post on my horse because he has a very big trot. We ride western but....I think I forgot how to post!!! And there are so many different ways people say to do it. Are you suppose to be gripping with your thighs, your calves, your knees??? Is your whole leg suppose to be touching? Yeah...I need help:/


It'll come back. Posting is very natural, particularly if you like to soften the bouncybang of the trot. I try to let the horse's movements propel me into a post..so rather than bounce, I use my thighs and knees to soften the bounce and viola! I'm posting.


----------



## Tennessee (Dec 7, 2008)

My guy has a super bouncy, big trot, so I have to post on him. I seem to have most contact around my knees.


----------

