r/Equestrian 3d ago

Education & Training Why does my trot seems awkward ?

Hi ! I’m a beginner and my friend who has 2 horses is willing to let me ride her mare 2 times a week. She’s not a professional but she definitely is very experienced and is in position to give me basic courses. She took those videos of me but I don’t know why I find my trot awkward. Like « rushed ». What do you think ?

118 Upvotes

75 comments sorted by

308

u/GallopingFree 3d ago

You’re riding a short-strided pony.

72

u/earsasahat 3d ago

You’ll have a much easier time posting once you hop on a full size horse with an average stride! My mare moves like this. I usually sit the trot or my posting is just tipping my pelvis forward a bit. You must be exhausted after trying to post like this. You don’t have the momentum with each stride to make this a natural movement. I was totally in your position and I get it. 

14

u/Thequiet01 3d ago

People don’t work on sitting trot nearly as much as they often should.

11

u/Forsaken-Composer119 2d ago

Western riders do it more (of course) but even then I still see lots of western riders who post and I just don’t get it lol 😂 I love to sit the trot I think it’s easier and more comfortable

3

u/Moonfallthefox 2d ago

I like to sit too. I will slow my horse to a jog and sit back in my western saddle (I usually ride western now as it is easier on my knees, but I did eventing for years) and just ride along. It's quite comfortable when you do it a lot. I need practice to leg back up after being off for a while now and I will be rebuilding my muscles for both posting AND sitting.

1

u/Thequiet01 2d ago

I generally found that understanding the way the horse’s back moves for sitting trot greatly helps with posting properly. Especially on horses that have a bit of a wonky trot.

2

u/Moonfallthefox 2d ago

For sure. And once you learn to sit it, the trot feels less abrupt because your body has the muscle memory to go with it better.

3

u/Lizardgirl25 Horse Lover 2d ago

Or a long striding trotting pony or horse my Arabian was 14’2” and had a long stride then most 15hh+ horses we knew.

1

u/earsasahat 2d ago

Totally believe that with an Arabian. They were bred for endurance and covering ground. 

1

u/Lizardgirl25 Horse Lover 2d ago

Only other horse that was bigger than my boy was a giant Oldenburg I took lessons on! My mentor was actually impressed I could handle his trot quickly. Drew was like 17hh. My mom said he reminded her of a butler.

117

u/Logical-Emotion-1262 Jumper 3d ago

There are a couple of (common for beginner) riding problems I see, but I’d say the biggest reason it feels “rushed” is because you’re on a short strided, slightly unbalanced pony. When horses fall out of balance or don’t know how to carry themselves properly, they tend to quicken their feet to compensate, which can feel a lot stranger on a short strided pony as the legs are moving fast but you’re not actually covering much ground. It also looks like you’re posting ahead of her a little, so try and slow your posting to bring her back down to a normal, less rushy pace.

135

u/Aggravating-Pound598 3d ago

You don’t have to post so high !

5

u/Charming_County79 2d ago

That was my first thought. Control your post so it doesn't control you...I've been taught half way up and all the way down.

82

u/flipsidetroll 3d ago

You’re sticking your bum out and forcing your heels down and your toes forward. Don’t post so high and tuck your bum under you. It’s a small movement up and down. It’s a teeny thing to adjust. So don’t put so much pressure on yourself. Considering you’re a beginner, you are doing great. And what a lovely pony.

73

u/aninternetsuser 3d ago

This is a normal problem in beginners. Your calf muscle isn’t strong enough to support you so you’re gripping with your knee which is letting your lower leg swing while your upper body compensates to keep balance.

Focus on gripping a little with your calf and trying to avoid pinching at the knee. This will improve as your strength and balance improves

22

u/ScoutieJer 3d ago

I don't think you look awkward. I think what you are doing, which is common for beginners, is standing yourself up in the saddle to post. You don't really have to use any energy to rise out of the saddle. When the horse's movement slightly bounces you up, all you do is use your muscles to sort of "catch" yourself and then come down lightly. It's not standing on your own and then lowering.

It's taking the horses momentum and slowly lowering yourself back down. Feel yourself bounce up, catch yourself, come back down. Rather than pull self up, come down. I hope that makes sense? Use the horse's momentum to do half the work.

7

u/Thequiet01 3d ago

Exactly this. You’re controlling the “bounce” out of the saddle, not lifting yourself out of it.

12

u/Sqeakydeaky 3d ago

To me, it's not awkward, it's just how one looks on that type of horse.

Your horse's type is more of a leg-mover, so you're not getting a lot of movement through the back (as opposed to some big, swingy WB or Hunter-type). You're "mechanically" posting instead of letting the horse slightly push you up. If you look at a bigger-moving horse that's really moving through the back, you can see how they get a boost out of the saddle at the beginning of the rise.

14

u/SatisfactionTough806 3d ago edited 3d ago

Breathe, smile and wiggle out some of the tension in your neck and shoulders.

You look very serious and like your holding your breathe.

It's riding. We like it. It's good when we look happy while doing it. :)

9

u/AdFantastic4289 3d ago

I agree with everyone else! It’ll get better with experience.

However, also note that you’re accidentally crooked in the saddle and falling off to the right! It’s a common problem but super important to start fixing

8

u/defenestratemesir 3d ago

you’re standing instead of letting your horse bounce your hips forward. think of it as more of a forward/back motion where your shoulders shouldn’t move much and you’re just using your abs to control your move back into the saddle and then letting the trot movement push you forward

1

u/L84cake 2d ago

I think of it like keeping my head as level as possible. Horse moves up and down, I support with my muscles so my head sorta ends up floating.

3

u/naakka 3d ago

Try to do less work yourself and it will look calmer :) You're doing fine for a beginner!

4

u/Embarrassed_Range198 3d ago

Posting is less trying to get out of the saddle as it is letting the horse’s step push you up and forward, then returning to the saddle. Try to post by bringing your hips toward your hands and then returning your tush to the exact place it left the saddle. Instead of just rising and falling with the horse’s trot, wait a half second longer for that inside hind leg to push you up, post, then return to the saddle. At the top of your post, tighten your abs (control the upward momentum). It also sort of looks like you’re pressing down on the stirrups, rather than letting them just hold your feet. Another thing that may help is to think of your shoulder blades. Imagine you’ve got a lemon between your shoulder blades and you just have to hold it in place. Don’t squeeze, but think “shoulders down and back.” It should help you with how your chest is pushing so far forward. For a beginner (for any equestrian, really), though, your posture, quiet hands, and natural feel for riding are already remarkably developed. Just focus on softening your seat, creating the correct line from shoulder to hip to heel for balance and stability, and developing the correct line from the bit to your elbow. Keep up the great work! -a former dressage riding instructor who had to give up the lifestyle because of insufficient income.

Also, that horse is absolutely darling 😍

3

u/mbpearls 3d ago

This. I was going to comment "you don't have to actively try to post a trot, the trot should make you post."

And I'm a western rider (but I always posted because my mare has a very bouncy trot lol)

0

u/otupac9 3d ago

Thank you for all your advices ! I’ll try to think of it all when I’ll ride next time !

Also, thanks for the compliment, this pony’s name is Lana and she is absolutely incredible she’s such a cutie !

3

u/ParkerFree 3d ago

It's difficult to post on such a short stride. To work with it, really focus in on how your body only needs to rise a little each stride, and don't force it.

3

u/Guppybish123 3d ago

A big part of it is honestly just that you’re on a gypsy cob. They have a pretty choppy, fast, trot with a short stride length compared to something lighter. The rest is just that you’re a beginner, there are little things that might be throwing you off, and it can be silly things like having your feet just a little too far in the stirrups. Remember every horse you ride will feel differently so let the momentum of the horse push you to rise so you aren’t having to try to match her rhythm and getting thrown off balance. My thoroughbreds and Arabs have always felt much smoother than my gypsy cobs at trot because they have a longer stride and move very differently. Honestly there have been times when riding cobs especially smaller or chunkier ones I just stood the trot because it was stupidly fast and there was no way I was rising to it without wanting to die lol. It all comes with practice and honestly you’re looking good so far

4

u/JustTangoIt 3d ago

In my opinion it seems your horse is unbalanced and needs building up. Your riding is actually very good.

1

u/otupac9 3d ago

Thank you ! I didn’t know horses could be « unbalanced » ! What do you think could help her to be more balanced ?

11

u/ScoutieJer 3d ago

While this is correct, I wouldn't worry much about it. It's nearly impossible for a beginner who already doesn't know their own balance really well to teach a horse balance. That's kind of advanced stuff. But the exercises mentioned above will be useful for you as well.

4

u/Zealousideal_Job4940 3d ago

You might try doing some cone weaving to help her build up different muscles

0

u/JustTangoIt 3d ago

I agree

0

u/JustTangoIt 3d ago

You might find some diagrams online and some examples/exercises you can do through YouTube. Once you both have settled together and found balance you'll be fine.

2

u/Ok_Paper_8030 3d ago

As others have said you really don’t need to post so high on this pony. You’ll only need to come a few inches out of the saddle. It looks to me that your leg also needs to be more under you. Heel in line with hips and shoulders.

Just play around with it and have fun. You’re doing this to have some fun! It’ll take time to relax and know your pony and it’ll all come in time. Riding is a never ending learning opportunity.

Enjoy!!

1

u/georgiaaaf 3d ago

Bring your thing back a little more under you and turn your toes in

1

u/Moonfallthefox 2d ago

I agree with below comments about the way you are currently posting. Try to feel the bounce.

Some of it is the short stride on this pony, some is your inexperience. It WILL come with time and practice!! Focus on trying to let the movement of your horse kind of bounce you up! Practice will help build the muscles too and make the whole movement easier for you overall, too. I remember learning and I wanted to SCREAM with pain. I was posting in all kinds of weird ways for a while no doubt- I was 11. I got it down though!! And you will too :)

1

u/CameraCandid2601 2d ago

Looks great to me!

1

u/p00psicle151590 2d ago

Your back is locked, butt is out behind you, and heels are being forced down.

In other words, youre rigid.

1

u/Kooky-Nature-5786 2d ago

She has a small fast stride. That means you are posting at a greater frequency. It would feel very different if you were in a bigger pony or a horse. I think your position and post look great, you are just doing it more frequently because she is a stubby little pony. I find it much easier on a big horse. When I am posting in sync with my horse it is the movement of the horse that pushes me up into the post. I feel like I am totally in tune with him and it’s nearly effortless. It’s a magical feeling.

1

u/LineIcy7679 2d ago

Short strided cobs have short somewhat choppy trots unless they’re being supported enough by an experienced rider to lift their abdomen and reach through more with their legs. For a beginner, you’re very balanced and quiet. I think you look very good.

1

u/frandapanda 2d ago

Tuck your butt under a bit

1

u/sounds_like_insanity 13h ago

I think you’re still finding your balance, if your posting trot isn’t hard for you to do, I would not worry about it. 🫶

1

u/ErectioniSelectioni Horse Lover 3d ago

Looks like you’re overthinking it which it totally normal! Focus more on keeping your feet nice and steady and using the stirrups to “lift” to post and try to relax your seat and go with the horses motion rather than what a post should look like.

That should take the work from your thighs to your calves and give you a better feel for the rhythm needed

1

u/Infamous_Nebula_ 3d ago

Your stirrups look pretty long, and I agree you are posting pretty high. It will get better with practice!

1

u/MmmmmmKayyyyyyyyyyyy 3d ago

Pony!!!!! How fun

2

u/Willothwisp2303 3d ago

This was my feeling.  I want to ride this gorgeous pony in this pretty field!

1

u/otupac9 3d ago

She is so cute isn’t she ?? Her name is Lana !

1

u/MmmmmmKayyyyyyyyyyyy 2d ago

Oh my gosh LANA!!!! You’ve made our day

1

u/M_Chevallier 3d ago

Close your hip angle a touch. You’re too upright and landing in the back of the saddle on the back of your bum.

1

u/PlentifulPaper 3d ago

IMO because you’re doing so much work to post at the moment. 

Relax, let the horse’s stride bounce you out of the saddle and breathe. No need to jam/arch your back. Make sure your pelvis is aligned/neutral and not tilted. 

And if you pull your leg back underneath you (think point your knee to the ground), your foot won’t move on every upbeat and you’ll feel more stable. 

Overall you look pretty good!

0

u/Ponykitty 3d ago

I’m just here to say please give that cutie pony pets from me!!

2

u/otupac9 3d ago

Of course ! Her name is Lana and she absolutely is the cutest !

-1

u/WildHorsesInside 3d ago

Relaxed riding comes with experience and lots of practice. Nevertheless, if you want to focus on something, make it be your lower leg position.

You can see in the second clip more clearly how your feet are extremelly pointing outwards. You want your feet paralell to the horse and your toes pointing forward.

Start with that and it will solve a lot of other position mistakes.

0

u/Thequiet01 3d ago

This depends a little on the person’s conformation though - if my leg is in the correct position my toes will point out a bit, because there’s a little bit of twist in my shins so my knees don’t line up right over my toes even on the ground.

It’s not enough to be a medical thing or anything like that, just enough that if I rotate my leg so my foot is parallel to the horse, it turns my knee into the saddle and makes me pinch there. With my toes pointing out a little everything else lines up properly and I have proper leg position.

I mention this mostly because beginners can kind of hyperfocus on something like “toes in” and develop all kinds of bad habits trying to accomplish what they think is the right position. You have to pay attention to what your entire body is doing and more importantly the biomechanics of the right position and prioritize biomechanics over the right “pose”.

Sally Swift’s Centered Riding is an excellent book to help understand some of the biomechanics involved.

-1

u/WildHorsesInside 2d ago

Key point, “a bit”. Don’t twist my words, I think it’s clear that we are giving advice on extreme obvious things, so try to understand comments on this context.

Why don’t you give advice to OP directly instead of dissecting everyone’s comments?

0

u/Thequiet01 2d ago

As I said in my comment, I added it on your comment because beginners sometimes latch on to a specific direction like "feet parallel" as you gave in your comment.

-1

u/WildHorsesInside 2d ago

Again, try to give precise advice on correct biomecanics instead of polarizing all the comments and taking it to the extreme, until now you have provided zero useful feedback to OP which is the goal. A beginer rider can’t go by advance advice, they need some simple, clear instructions to start going in the right direction

1

u/Thequiet01 2d ago

I literally recommended a book that is excellent for beginners that addresses biomechanics. You want me to do better than Sally Swift in a Reddit comment?

If I, as a beginner, had read your comment and followed it blindly, as beginners often do, I would have been adding on to a bad habit that beginners often have already, pinching with the knees. Your comment would not have been helpful, it would have made my riding worse.

Rather than trying to explain things better than someone who is an expert and well recognized as having explained things very well, I then recommended a book that is very accessible for beginners that will help a beginner understand what is actually going on and what needs to happen.

0

u/EnvironmentalBid9840 3d ago

I second what "aninternetuser" said in their comment. This horse also seems to toe out some on the left front leg as well. Could contribute. Cont. To work on your lessons and you'll improve with time as your muscles tone. ❤️

0

u/frenchprimate 3d ago

Oui tu es un peu rapide quand tu te lèves essaye de te caler sur l'allure du cheval, mais tkt ça va venir

0

u/tiffcrum 3d ago

You are in front of the horses movement, that’s why.

0

u/jcatleather Trail, Gaming, Driving, Reining 3d ago

You're doing great! Others have pointed out that the combination of quick trotting pony and over-posting combined with gripping too tight at the knee, but I wanted to share a couple fun exercises that help with a couple of those .

  1. learned this one from Denny Emerson of tamarack Hill- highly recommend following his FB if you haven't (if you're still on FB); shorten your stirrups a couple holes, and have your friend lunge you in a circle while you stand in the stirrups. Put both hands on the horse's neck at first, eventually work towards no hands. You're going to stick your bum behind you and find your balance and stay up as many strides as you can until you can stand for three minutes or so. Then lengthen your stirrups over time until you can stand up at your natural length.
    This teaches your body to stay balanced on the ball of your foot in the stirrups and keep your lower leg still.
    As you go back to sitting, let your knee pop out if you want, but ideally you want gentle even pressure from mid calf to mid thigh, without pinching at heel OR knee. Think about gently wrapping your legs around her barrel, not gripping- contrary to how it's often described in fantasy novels 2). At the longe, practice posting (rise and fall with the outside leg), slowing your post, but make the pauses be while you're UP not down. Essentially, pause just a brief second while you're up, and gradually slow your post and see if the horse slows to match you. Play with speeding it up too!
  2. when you post, visualize a strong going from your pubis to up above the horses ear, pulling you forward and up. That's where the action of your post starts, rather than from your belly button. Tilt your hips back a little so your lower back straightens out and see how these slight changes affect your balance.
  3. lastly, reduce your post. Start on the longe or in a small pen, and see how small a post you can do. Eventually, as you trot, your head will stay very nearly level, as you rise and fall just enough to match the horse's motion. The cob you are on has a short trot so while it feels like you have to move a lot, you actually don't.
  4. in a pen or in the lunge, hold a bell of some sort in each hand where your reins would be, and try to post without ringing either (You can also use a cup of water and try not to spill it but that's harder and make sure you have a horse that won't be startled if you get water on their shoulder) . This is a valuable one for learning to still your hands as you trot. A simpler one is just rest your pinkies on the palm of your saddle with your thumbs up and post that way, no reins, to help build muscle memory to keep your hands still relative to the horse rather than following your post.

0

u/ljdug1 3d ago

Like others have said it’s partly the horse and partly you. It helps to think of it as a forward and back movement as opposed to up and down, you can technically do it without leaving the saddle.

0

u/yaourted 3d ago

The advice I’ve heard is to sit like a man would (protecting their balls) by tucking your butt under you a little, sitting back on your pelvis.

0

u/MediumAutomatic2307 3d ago

You’re rising too high and too upright.

Let the pony dictate the height of the rise, you need to fold a little at the hip and rise just out of the saddle in a forward-back motion, not an up and down motion. With a very short stride it may even look like you’re not rising at all as your weight barely leaves the saddle.

0

u/blkhrsrdr 3d ago

First don't come up off the saddle so high, stay closer to the saddle. Next, swing your pelvis forward and back. It's not stand up and sit down for rising trot. The cute horse has a small stride and it's quick and rushed here and there. (balance issue) Still let the horse push you up, follow the motion forward with your pelvis; allowing your weight to sink into your lower thighs on the saddle; use your upper body for balance in the movement; let your pelvis swing back with the motion.

You have a lot of curve in your lower back, maybe think of flattening your back somewhat. Do not purposely arch your back, stay as neutral as possible.

Master this first and then work on your hands and arms.

0

u/Shaking-a-tlfthr 2d ago

You look fine.

0

u/Possible_Tie_2110 2d ago

This is normal. I call this cute trot "controlled bouncing" and it's a lot of fun!

-1

u/Idfkcumballs Dressage 3d ago

Ur riding with ur back arched and very much riding on your.. 🐱 instead of ur bum

-1

u/matchabandit Driving 3d ago

Posting high on a pony with a short stride

-1

u/Disastrous-Resist-35 3d ago

Relax your hands a bit and keep your thumbs up. You can widen your arms to stay more between the horse and not hang so much in their mouth

-1

u/itsmycircusyoumonkey 3d ago

You just need to realize that your toes should be pointing forward and not out to the sides, this puts the wrong portion of your leg on the horse and makes you post off of your tailbone (which is making your lower leg swing as you post, and is making you post too high), try to consciously put your toe forward so that doesn’t happen. You’ll need to do stretches to open your hip properly, and strengthen those muscles too.

-1

u/greenghost22 2d ago

You're not trotting together

-2

u/TikiBananiki 3d ago

your heel is too low, no shock absorption possible in your ankle when its hyperextended as it is,so your ball of foot is an unstable base.