19/05/2024
How NOT to do sitting trot
When you watch an experienced dressage rider sit to their horse's trot, it looks as though are not moving; as if their bum has been glued to the saddle. However, contrary to popular belief, they are not "sitting still." Instead, they are moving WITH their horse, which gives the illusion of immobility.
This illusion leads many riders to believe that, to sit the trot, they must keep their hips and bottom as still as possible. So, they clench their buttock muscles, squeeze their core, and grip with their knees in an effort to stop their movement while their horse trots underneath them.
If you do this, you will bounce against your horse's back, which will cause your horse to hollow his back away from the discomfort you are causing him. This will then cause you to bounce even more, and a vicious cycle will start.
Also, as you start bouncing in the saddle, you may inadvertently slow your horse's trot down in an effort to make it easier to sit to. Until, eventually, you would have killed all the necessary impulsion, resulting in your horse doing a slow hollow jog as opposed to a forward and swinging trot.
To sit to the trot correctly (and painlessly), you need to remember that you are on the back of a moving animal. Your horse is moving upwards and forward with each trot step. Therefore, you must follow his movement and allow your hips to swing upwards and forward with each trot step.
IMAGE: Stock Photo from Shutterstock