# Sitting trot



## GypsyNymph (Feb 23, 2008)

I'm starting to take Dressage lessons and I know you do a sitting trot. When I do a sitting trot I tend to bounce a lot. Is there a way to sit so you don't bounce as much?


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## Spyder (Jul 27, 2008)

GypsyNymph said:


> I'm starting to take Dressage lessons and I know you do a sitting trot. When I do a sitting trot I tend to bounce a lot. Is there a way to sit so you don't bounce as much?


Take a look at this article.

Sitting The Trot


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## GypsyNymph (Feb 23, 2008)

Alright, thank you.


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## my2geldings (Feb 18, 2008)

There are 2 ways I know of. The first one is to have your trainer put you on the lunge line. Remove your stirrups and tie your reins in a knot. Sit on the trot and focus on your seat. Hold yourself down to allow yourself to really feel the movement. Feel your pelvis and back rock with the horse you are riding. It takes practice. You will get a different feel as to how you need to sit in order to become one and not bounce.

Option 2: If you are able to ride freely outside of lessons, riding without stirrup is the perfect excercise for that purpose. Will help you develop a better seat. This excercise is essentially the same as working on the lunge except not quite as effective sometimes because you are focusing on a few things at once.


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## Eolith (Sep 30, 2007)

The best thing is to stay relaxxxed. No stiff shoulders, backs, or anything else. It is also extra important to keep your elbows at your side. You know all about changing diagonal, correct? (Sitting for two "bumps" before resuming posting.) Well, think of sitting the trot as being the same thing, only longer. I'd suggest changing diagonal several times, doing it normally and naturally as you would any other time... then just add "bumps" on gradually. From two to four, from four to six... so on. If you ever feel like you're getting haywire and out of control, start posting again. Your horse isn't likely to appreciate it very much if you're pinging off his back, and it isn't doing yourself any favors either. ^_^


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## equestrian_rider465 (Aug 30, 2008)

I had the same problem. My trainer told me that just pretend that a string is tied to your belly button and someone is holding you up. (In a summary she said "Lift your crotch off the saddle.") Just make sure you don't lean back too much.  Hope this helps!


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## makin tracks (Jan 25, 2009)

You use heaps of abdominal muscle. You have to relax your lower body so it can rock with the horse and really ride the stride. 
It is quite physical and you'll be puffing before too long!


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## MIEventer (Feb 15, 2009)

You are just starting out, I wouldn't worry about the sitting trot right now - being that it is a movement for more advanced riders/horses. You wont be required to do a sitting trot until Level 2. 

Done incorrectly, you are hurting your horses back.


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## CJ82Sky (Dec 19, 2008)

Sitting trot can be a nightmare and so hard to learn. I agree with what was said above, and just wanted to add, that as long as you are riding by holding on with your muscles, then there's no way to ride truly relaxed and moving with your horse. That can take a very long time to learn - as it is VERY counter intuitive. In nearly any other sport, you use your muscles actively to accomplish your goal. In riding we need to passively use our muscles for balance so that we can actively use them to give aids to our horse to ask them what we want them to do. Riding with muscles that are both used to hold on as well as ask the horse what to do can send mixed signals. While learning, the posting trot is MUCH better.

I've had people say lots of no stirrup work will help - but imo and training experience all that does is cause you to work your muslces more, bounce more, and make you and your horse VERY sore.....

Post for now - and learn to ride with independent aids and go from there


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## ShowJumpLife (Jan 17, 2009)

make sure you relax your knees, when ever I start to bounce at sitting trot i roll my ankles at the trot which instantly softens my knees and I stop bouncing agian.


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## horsegirl123 (Jan 7, 2009)

A good way to cure this problem is to keep both reins in one hand, and to hold on to the pommel with the other hand. Then, you can pull yourself towards the saddle so that you can feel the motion of the horse. After a few strides, or however long it takes for you to feel this motion, you can get your other rein back, and keep in motion with your horse.


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## Gengsty (Feb 27, 2009)

I learned not to bounce without stirrups  I practised a lot without them, and it was said to me to relax and "work from my stomach"  And it worked  I'm not bouncing any more


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## EquitationStar (Mar 3, 2009)

I had this same problem and as I really loved showing the the equitation divisions I had to learn my sitting trot well. I could always hold it for awhile but then I would lose it and I didn't know what to do. My mom bought me this book for Christmas "Geoff Teall on Riding Hunters, Jumpers and Equitation" and he has an amazing section on 'Building a solid Foundation' on pages 110-119 that helped me out A LOT! I read it a few times and really practiced the exercises he talks about and my sitting trot is soooo much better now. Here's a link to the book: 

http://www.exclusivelyequine.com/Vi...egoryName=Books_Training_And_Horsemanship(BHP)


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## veganchick (Mar 4, 2009)

lean back, and stay calm and steady! Start at a slow trot, to learn, and then progress to faster trotting when you get the hang of it!


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## my2geldings (Feb 18, 2008)

Lots of non-stirrup work


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## xxBarry Godden (Jul 17, 2009)

Sitting Trot
First find a steady, quiet , reliable horse. 
Second find nice knowledgeable friend to lunge and control pace of horse from centre of arena.
Adjust stirrups carefully so that you are able to support foot in stirrup at slight angle with toes pointing upwards
Mount up, relax but maintain an upright posture.
All you have to do now is to sense the rythm of the horse.

Hold reins loose - no jabbing the mouth of horse just because you lose your balance. 

The shock of the horse's up and down movement will be partially suppressed by the joints in the toes, the ankles , the knees and the under thigh muscles. 
Sit wide with legs off from the flanks of horse. The disaster is to grip with the knees. 

Whilst much of your body weight will rest on the bones of your bottom, the upward jolt from the horse will be suppressed eventually by the muscles of the under thighs as and when they have developed. 

Imagine that you are crouching on the floor when the floor is moving up and down. The upward forces will be absorbed largely by the bend of the knees together with the other joints in the ankle,the foot. The hips will also take up part of the thrust. The aim of the sitting trot is to keep the posterior flat on the seat of the saddle, regardless of the upward thrusts.
If the horse speeds up then the exercise becomes much more difficult. 
The sitting trot is best practised on a horse that will jog - ie slow trot and not all horses will adopt this pace willingly.

Do practice but only on a fit well muscled horse and for short distances only, your sitting trot whilst going uphill on a gentle slope preferably on a tarmacced surface.

Alternatively practice on a friend's Western saddle with a sprung seat.

Those spectacular, long legged, well schooled German horses are bred carefully, partly to do this movement with style - it takes years of practice to achieve this movement with panache.

Barry Godden


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## 1dog3cats17rodents (Dec 7, 2007)

It sounds weird, but are you sure you look bad, or just feel uncomfortable? I always feel like a sack of potatos sitting the trot on my new horse, but everyone says I look great. My other horse is really smooth, so I guess I'm just spoiled by that, lol


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