How To Sit Trot In a good Horse Riding Posture
The most difficult pace to master as a rider. The beat is a two beat pace so the movement is very difficult to stay with, without bouncing out of rhythm with your horse. This pace requires very strong core stability. It also requires the lower back and pelvis to have flexibility. If riders don’t train out of the saddle then this pace I believe will never be achieved with skill. It is so difficult to “appear” still but in fact be quite mobile. I am not a fan of learning the sit trot on the lunge. The lunge movement gives the rider a centrifugal force causing a rider to lean. This does not promote asymmetrical core straining. There is a saying “practice makes perfect” but what if your practice is the wrong movement pattern???
The Stable Sit Trot Posture
To achieve a stable sit trot Horse riding posture takes quite a bit of both mind as well as body training. The movement pattern required for the sit trot can be trained in the mind by understanding the mechanism of the sit trot. By practicing this on the big physio gym ball a horses rider can train the movement pattern before practicing in the saddle. Once the movement pattern has been achieved on the ball a Horse Rider can then apply this in the saddle.
How to Achieve The Stable Sit Trot Posture.
I teach horse rider to move their pelvis both in a forward/ backward tilt movement as well as a rolling rotation. This is the movemnt required to stay in rythm with the two beat trot. The impact of the footfall is controlled through the breathing. This will stop a rider bouncing. The lower leg holds both in an inward action against the horse and the heel stretches down but the knee remains slightly more bent. This keeps the butt in the saddle.
The sit trot can be learned if taught properly and understood by the rider. For more detailed information on the Pilates for Horse Riders program go to the Applied Posture Riding program site.
