Article From SubmitYOURArticle.com: Mastering the Sitting Trot

Sitting at the trot is perhaps the exercise most
novice riders struggle with. Building core
strength and abdominal muscles can greatly help
you achieve the sitting trot and there are some
exercises you can do on your horse as well. You
should aim at strengthening your back and
abdominal muscles through exercise to achieve
great posture and balance in the sitting trot.

The best time to start your training on the
sitting trot is after you've mastered the
classical seat. Due to the fact that the
classical seat permits you to sit securely and
deeply you should try to master this seat before
trying the sitting trot.

Here are a few exercises that will help you
master the sitting trot:

1. Cross the stirrups over the horse's withers
and ask a friend to lunge the horse. By doing
this you can focus on your posture and balance
and not have to concentrate on steering your
horse. Tie the reins in a knot over the horse's
withers so they are neither too tight nor too
slack. Now think about your seat, focus on
achieving a classical seat but don't worry too
much about dropping your heels. Concentrate on
sitting deeply and keeping your legs far apart.
Hold the pommel lightly and rest the inside hand
on your leg. Ask the person lunging the horse to
get the horse started on a slow trot and
concentrate on maintaining the classical seat as
much as possible but do not allow yourself to
tense up. Do not grip the saddle too tightly with
your hand as this will cause you to become rigid.
Focus on the horse's forward rhythm while
maintaining regular breathing. Try to relax as
much as possible.

2. Once you begin feeling more confident about
sitting to the trot you should start holding your
hands as if they were holding the reins. Keep
your upper arms to your side and your forearms
should feel like the natural extension to the
reins (even though you are not actually holding
the reins). If you begin to tense up concentrate
on relaxing. Breath, enjoy the ride, focus on how
good the sun feels on your face and enjoy the
scenery! Remain relaxed at all times while
maintaining proper body position.

3. Once of the best exercises to perfect the
sitting trot is to ride bareback. The classical
seat will still apply but relax your heels and
don't try too hard to keep them down. Use a
neckstrap to help maintain balance if you feel
insecure. Instruct the person lunging your horse
to cue the horse to gently trot for 4-5 strides
then to walk a little, then to trot for 5-6
strides and return to the walk. Alternating
walking and trotting helps your body relax if
you've tensed up during the trot.

Practice frequently and you should be able to
master the sitting trot in no time. Learning how
to sit to the trot will dramatically improve your
balance and riding skills as you will learn to
balance and easily control your horse at the trot.

----------------------------------------------------
Stal Amani is a top equestrian centre based in
Belgium within 2 hours drive of most of the top
jumping and dressage competitions in Europe. We
regularly host national and international
competitions. For more information please visit
http://www.stalamani.com

EasyPublish this article: http://submityourarticle.com/articles/easypublish.php?art_id=125076

>