The way that helped me was to imagine myself jogging along with the horse. By allowing my body to move as if it were MY feet on the ground, I was able to go with the motion and not bounce.
that was THE most beautiful training video ever. You're so natural... and Molly with a winter coat and that gorgeous, snowy backdrop. It was not only informative but incredible to watch. Thanks.
Kim Koyle check out cryslink311 I think she is the best at the sitting trot!, and she suffers from hernias. I love her so much. Sorry I had to throw that out there 😉
I've watched this video a ton of times, usually right before my lesson, and today it started to come together. I notice different things that you say, Callie, every time I watch it. When I'm ready to hear something, only then do I notice it. Today was the first time I wasn't bouncing. Of course my seat, my half-halts and my hands are all working better now too. It's your super-basic videos I re-watch the most. Thank you for your contribution towards making the internet a more informative place.
For the past month, Ive been trying to work on my sitting trot, and my dressage intructor complimented me on it today! A tip I have is to watch your hips in the walk, and then move your hips like that but in a trot.
ty for good lesson, im from israel my daughter ride every day in english style, i bought her horse and she train 3 days aweek with pro trainer and the rest of week by her self, this is verry good sport and i Excite to watch her training
I am getting back into riding after more than 15 years off. I was very good at sitting the trot years ago but now at my age and poor riding shape it has been hard work. And my legs and hands are not good when I am concentrating on sitting the trot so I post a lot. I thought about this video last night while I was riding and tried to change how I was moving in the saddle at the trot. I started out posting and gradually decreased my rise out of the saddle until I was sitting but keeping the same motion with my horse. An amazing thing happened. I was able to relax my legs and my hands and I felt balanced. Even better, Bandit dropped his head and relaxed too! I also was not working as hard to stay in the saddle because I was moving with his motion, not just absorbing it like I had learned years ago. I am looking forward to working more on this. Thank you Callie
I like to think about it as a side to side movement because of the bio-mechanics of the horse. The longissimus dorsi on either of the spine alternate in flexing and relaxing. So if you allow your hips and lower back to swing side to side with the movement you stay with the horses motion and your actually moving with the horse back as well. Its not a back and forth movement when you look at it bio-mechanically. If you have a stiff lower back it won't work.
Omg! I’ve never thought of that. It sounds weird, but i was laying on my bed when I read your comment and I moved my hips from side to side and it feels exactly like the sitting trot! Mind blown 😂
Yes, my trainer taught me to sit by allowing my body to completely flop around. You feel like you're flopping around much more than you actually are. Then once you learn the rhythm and how to move your hips along, you flop much less. Stiff lower back is a total block... nobody in this picture likes it! so right. Oh but my trainer taught me to flop forward and back rather than side to side. I wouldn't know which method is better. probably a little of both. :)
An instructor used to tell me to "get your shoulders out of your ears. Relaxing my shoulders helped immensely. I really appreciate you videos. They're very well done.
My initials are LLL. and I am from any town USA. The horse in your video looks exactly like my beautiful rescue horse M. that God and a lot of prayers and just old fashioned fantasy and life dream made come true when I adopted this beautiful gelded 7 year old blessing from a rescue program in the USA. I have had other training on de-sensentization of a beautiful starving horse through wonderful people on my 60th birthday. I have many issues with Reynauds and chronic and severe osteoarthritis with severe pain issues with nerve damage and all my upper and lower extremities due to non-healing foot surgeries, etc. That is beside the whole point and after twelve weeks of just ground training with my own method and watching some pro's on some shows liked Heartland, this video, and reading many other Charles C. Anderson novels and always pretending I was and feeling like a horse so to speak, I have met my best friend, learned how to gentle my own horse even more combining my hands on massage therapy and learning, he has become my most stubborn, and lovable companion that loves me and I him with all my heart. I can no longer jump up and down, have to wear soft flat shoes and I have had frost bite exposure in the very cold winters in any town USA and this gentle giant can dance with me in a circle on the ground and he will stand patiently while I gently talk to him and sometimes cry when the pain from this and fibromyalgia is so severe. Yesterday after climbing up on a padded folded chair and because I have worked him so well that he does not bolt when I throw a folded chair down on the ground or startle at all, I was able to painfully get up on him sit in the middle of a circular training corral and sing on top seated on this gentle horse, a solo on- key star spangled banner with him at attention like a proud military draft horse. He has given me unconditional hugs, self-determination, and the courage not to give up so many times that he is worth more than a million dollars to me in my life, my periods of self-doubt and humbleness and lack of true grit at times, that I owe my whole being to his fantastic horse. I want to thank Cherie, Julie, Diane, David, and you, today, for this video, and I will get that aerobic exercise ball and learn to sit my trot while I am sharing moments with this wonderful and beautiful horse I cherish. There were fireworks bursting in the background like wonderful bursts of majestic rainbow colors and this was the best 4th of July solo and unattended day I have ever spent in my life. I have no shock absorption left in my back after two cervical fusions and two dimensional scoliosis due to previous falls with concussions, that I hope more people realize that littering this country, being rude to people all the time, not having a strong work ethic, and leaving glass bottles, and old cathode ray tube abandoned television sets along a country rode, being rude to our country itself, and all citizens, is not what good people are about. I am no hero but I have never littered since I watched Smokey the Bear cartoons and being glued to an I-pad 24 -7 or your cell phone with a " me-first and I am better than any one else anywhere attitude" is so childish and rude. Be a good listener to your inner self , rebuild your own positive self esteem and please disengage from always having to be the first person in line 12 inches away from the check-out lane counter. You can disengage from all negative aspects in your life, stop using" no" or "not" in all your communication, keep your own ego at the horizon line with is the equal zone to me, with all the possible opportunities in your life and the obstacles that may challenge you in life. My thanks to Marty, and especially all hard working farmers and good people like my Uncle Chuck you told me a long time ago to say away from that copper colored Stud stallion appropriately named "Copper." Wear your full helmets, knee pads, etc., etc., and be brain injury free and wear long sleeved cotton shirts with layers of clothing and thank all the people in this failing world who are just southern style good old-fashioned people no matter, what their age may be, that keep our country proud and living free with the nuclear blasts ready to fly in all directions. Make ever day count for you and only you and never take yourself, others, and especially the old fashioned quiet and smart unknown people in this country that are truly the humble and respectful old fashioned type of American citizen. I am humble and proud of our country but rudeness and down right apathy and laziness will not sustain our country another day longer. Think about all this, you all with a southern twist of hospitality and only controlled use of any form of pleasure under the self direction and self-accountable "adult." Think before you strike out and let your words and action rip. Don't need a gun unless you know how to use a safety and no what the hell you are shooting at!!! IN REALITY LIFE IS VERY VOLATILE AND DANGEROUS IF YOUR MOUTH AND RUDENESS ARE SELF-ENGAGED AND PRE-LOADED. LEARN TO BE QUIET AND JUST QUIETLY WALK AWAY ALWAYS STAYING CALM AND IN A BRIGHT LIGHT.
This is a fantastic video. I'm an RDA rider in Australia. I'm a paraplegic, and the ONE thing i've ALWAYS had difficulty with has been trotting holding my reins or trotting independently. I BOUNCE EVERYWHERE. I ride on a bareback pad without stirrups. I have done so my entire life as it's the safest and easiest way for me to ride. The only saddle I can successfully trot in (and hold my reins) is the western saddle. I feel it keeps me up properly in the trot lol. I really love that you demonstrated the trot with your feet out of your stirrups, and how you explained to not trot with your hips, but your body relaxed. When I finally get to ride again (hopefully soon)... I will try your suggestion and see how I go. I tend to naturally tense up to make sure my back is as straight as possible so I don't "lose my balance" haha.
Thank you for your video and tips! After being away from riding for 15 years, I'm re-learning the sitting trot. I, too practice for just short periods-I alternate posting and sitting. I start by posting until I get a nice springy trot, then sit for a bit, then go back to posting.
Me too but older and more health problems... Nothing impossible to face but create uncomfortable sit for canter and trot too. One of my knees is not in good health and other things. This is a challenge for me but I love horses, horse riding... I found a good horse school too. The other one was ready to let beginners jump the soon as possible. Loving big horses was a kind of sin too. I left the last one and feel much better in the other one. Callie too tried to help me. As my last expérience was bad, not the fall , that was nothing serious, but the instructor managed to make me lose my poor self confidence. That 's where Callie was great, written an e-mail to her, she answered nicely but knew what to say to help me. So thankful to her here ! 😇😁 Boucing on the trot... Yes of course.😅 With a better sit, all is better ! You must go on, try and try again. It' ll work with her good advices. 😁👌🏻
Thank you for all of your helpful info!!! I'm on my 3rd set of horseback riding lessons,and am just learning how to do a little trotting ,and I am seeing where I've been making my mistakes. The more I trot,the better,I will become.
I have so much trouble with the sitting trot. I was trained by old timers that had me absorbing, and because I'm heavy chested, it seems like the only way I can keep from beating myself to death! Take away the stirrups, and I do fine, as I initially learned to ride bareback. Will have to give your method a shot, and see how it works. Practice, practice, practice! Thank you!
Thanks for the video. I really get what you mean about holding your self up through your back and such. When I get it right it feels that way. What helps me also is to think of picking up the horse through my body and putting him down as gently as I can.
I've only ridden a horse a few times n could not coordinate with the horse when it came to anything more than a walk. It frustrated me n probably irritated the horse. I don't have a good sense of balance, so this is probably the cause. This video was very in formative. Thank you.
Thank you so very much. Often times I lose focus and start bouncing which really irritates my horse. I think sometimes I lean forward too much also. Again, thank you very much for the tips.
I could Balanced myself and do alot of stuff while trotting or just riding in general just after three lessons and the guides were really impressed and I'm super proud of it
Total relaxation is the key. One of the best team penning runs I ever did early in my riding came when I was unexpectedly recruited while half in the bag from downing a six pack of Bud.
Great video! Clearly explained the sitting trot, with common trouble spots and how to address them, as well as new ways to think about our bodies and responding to the movement of the horse. I liked the idea of using the yoga ball to practice and "reteach" our bodies about responding to bouncing movement. Molly (the horse) was great, too!
Loved Molly who is such a beautiful horse, and thank you for your video, you're a natural educator. I was finding sitting trot after canter tricky yesterday, I got it once then not again which was so strange, this was a great help . . .thank you
OMGOSH... showing the transitions exercise is a brilliantly executed training! For years I was told ‘you’ve got a bad horse’ HA... not so! Now that I am relaxed and comfortable in the trot so is my big beautiful boy #sitthetrot!
This certainly makes sense. I kinda see it like, you keep your shoulders, or upper body in line so that they are not dragging and trying to catch up with the motion of the hips and the trot. With the shoulder and upper body in line, the "S curve" that is the shape of the spine can compress and expand with the motion without throwing you off balance. I hope I got that right :) Thanks for another lovely video!
Wonderful video! It helped me tremendously. I was never able to sit the trot, except on very smooth horses. This also helps me in downward transitions and with the halt. I describe the movement to my friends a little differently, though. I tell them: sit on a chair, brace your shoulders against it, and bounce your seat up and down. That gives you the same movement than when you're "bouncing with the horse". Very catchy and helpful phrase, by the way. Again, thank you, thank you!
I just moved stables, and my new lesson horse has a really prancy gait, so I was looking for tons of information to help me brace my legs, core and upper body, as I am doing hunter and show jumping now. I've been using the yoga ball since I watched this, and I just wanted to say this was really helpful, and I'm hoping my next lesson it will be better. I can tell the movement is different already. Thanks so much!!
A tip with sitting trot. Don't tense up! You'll end up being thrown everywhere, and may result you damaging the horses back! A horse with a damaged back can be very dangerous, because of stress and pain. If you do bounce around a lot try holding the gullet, or buy some sisse straps.CAITLIN JONES
Zolittles I know the horribleness of riding a horse with a sore back. He's a wonderful horse, often stubborn and lazy, but we didn't know he was sore as he can be a pain a lot. He was so patient riding despite it but once he was done it was rodeo central. Bucks, jumps, bolts the lot. After I fell for the first time I got the vet because I knew something was up and was honestly so disappointed in myself for not getting the vet sooner. I was so proud as well because he was so patient and loving despite it. Well, until he decided he was finished with riding 😂 he's been good now for a few weeks but god I'm glad that's over!
This video really helps when I was younger I had a horse run off with me and my sister n law.and we were hurt pretty bad and it was an unruly who orders and less it was with my brother. But I still have love for horses.they are my favorite animal and I work with the ones we have almost every day.but they are kind of green in they like to do what they want to do because there is only one of me and three of them and they don't get Road as much as they should I just started working with themand am also trying to take that lead role in their mind and I've almost got there.I feel safe as long as I ride the horse bareback if he takes off fast.that anything more then Alope with a saddle on I start to get fearful and I think these exercises will help me a lot especially the one where you don't use your stirrups.thankyou
Loved this tip!! I was thinking it must be something like this in sitting trot but couldnt put my finger on it before!!! Thank you so much for sharing!!
thank you.... you are a natural trainer... I wish I could take lessons from you... I didn't feel intimidated. I really learned something.. I don't own a horse but ride with my friend and want to ride with her without feeling like a newby. I do pretty well and this will a lot ;-))
Thank you SO MUCH for this video! I've had horses throughout my life but I'm no equestrian that posts around the pasture... I'm content to just hop on bareback and enjoy the view from the back of a horse and the companionship. The only horses I've ever been comfortable doing a "sitting trot" on have been Quarter horses at a "jog".... my Standardbred, however, would shake the fillings right out of my teeth! I loved the idea of the yoga ball! I can DO that!!!! What a great way to practice between rides! Also... I have always tried to grip with my knees before and was very glad to hear you say not to... This was a very nicely executed video, well-thought out in advance and everything was very clearly stated. Thanks, again!
My instructor told me to pretend I was on a bouncy ball and to just start bouncing the ball. That was brilliant. You lift up with your chest and get tall as you start to bounce and you just keep bouncing the ball. It also takes lots of practice on a big moving horse. Molly didn’t look like she had a lot of movement in her back but maybe that’s just because she was ridden so well?
I have just got a new horse and her stride is so different types what I'm used and I was finding sitting trotting really hard. great video, it helped a lot!
thank you for this very helpful video. you call this a 'small tip' ;-) but it makes a big difference. not only for the rider but for the horse as well.
Molly is a gorgeous horse and I recognized right away that I do two of your 3 mistakes - bracing in stirrups and leaning forward. Hard to stop though ....
i love all the videos you post you have a very professional attitude and a calm and pleasant voice! even though I'm a little past the basics, it's always good to revisit things learned in the past that i now do on auto-pilot! keep up the good work!
Having a horse riding lesson today, I hope to actually sit in trot this time xD My riding instructor saids I have a good back, just the legs and rhyme, thank you :d hopefully I can do it
this is very helpful :) I always get in my own way mentally when riding and I have always thought of it as a shock absorption too and she's right it makes it very hard for a big trot. I can't wait to try this once I have my babies and am allowed to ride again!
I really like your different look at how to think of the movement. I too was always told to focus on my hips and keep them moving, which didn't seem to help much as it too my focus away from the movement itself. I will try your suggestions and hope I can it better. Thank you very much for this video!
This was actually extremely helpful! I’ve been riding for actually quite a while now and I’ve never really known why I couldn’t fully stop that bouncing, I’ll try this out when I go riding tomorrow :)
Thank you for the tip! I tend to lean a bit back, and that is really very tension full for my back, as well as the horse's I am sure. Molly looks gorgeous with the snow!
Tips: First go so slow that you are moving like a walk, but the horse's gait feels like a trot. After you feel comfortable, start only clucking until you get to a comfortable speed. When you feel comfy at that speed, keep increasing your speed until you have a good sitting trot and you are satisfied. (these tip are mostly for a jog, but I do saddleseat. I still like to do this as a way to warm up after a long interval of no riding)
but what about if you are on a school pony cause my comfortable speed is a slow trot which i can sit in much better and deeper but since you have people behind you i am slowing everybody down so what do i do now?
After training in Germany for many years, a sitting trot is absorbed through the hips not the back. This is the true dressage form, through the hips and not the back.
I have issues with keeping my seat in sitting trot, I'll certainly be trying this later today in my lesson. really want to get the balance mastered. thanks for the tips!
I would subscribe a million times if I could. I'm getting riding lessons next month, so I've been researching. Your channel is very helpful, and you are very descriptive. :)
Thank you - this is such a complex movement to teach and it helps every time someone explains it well :) I like that you also mentioned the three things people often do that make it harder to sit the trot. But this is by far one of the hardest things I found to teach people because so much of it is based on finding that right "feel" of relaxing with the horse. Also - I was terribly distracted by just how beautiful the scenery is in this video! I wish it snowed more where I am!
The Yoga ball is a fantastic off-horse training tool! They come in different sizes so just get one that represents your horse's girth or a school horse that you ride =) also helps with balance. If you can't afford a £50,000 horse simulator it's the next best thing lol
This is definitely a good video...love the beautiful snow:) The comment someone had about taking away their stirrups and falling off....I thought that might happen as alot of people's horse's aren't this calm and smooth:/ The sitting trot is the most misunderstood movement on a horse I think...
Thank you for this VERY helpful lesson on riding the sitting trot. Last week I started riding again after 30yrs. When my trainer started me with a posting trot on the lunge line I felt ok. We would walk and post, walk and post. It was very strange after so many years. She asked me to stop the horse and I had to sit the trot for a few steps. I had such a hard time!! I started to lean forward and dropped my eyes. She told me to sit down in the saddle, which I couldn't seem to do. I kept bouncing. At this point I know I was scared because I started to lose my balance. I did sit...eventually without falling. This video was very helpful! I also have a Pilates ball and will try to gain the feeling of the motion up through my back. I have a lesson on Thursday again. Do you have anymore helpful tips?
Congratulations after 30 years away! You are already doing an amazing job. I found that when thinking about stopping, take a deep breath from your stomach, and slowly blow it out of your mouth. It will stop your body from moving, which travels down into your rear end, and your horse will feel it and slow to a stop. Think stop. I ride dressage, so I don't use voice, but you can also calmly and slowly say "whoaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa,"" as you are breathing out. You and the horse will be in sync in no time. You've got this. Every lesson is a bonus. Every step forward. Please don't forget to congratulate yourself.
Callie, how is that when you transition back and forth from gates, it's as if you don't say a word, utter a request or even change your leg movements or positions, whether it be with a squeeze or a kick? It's like you and Molly are communicating through ESP. Is it my imagination, or are your moves so subtle and precise that they're not even noticed? Thank you and amazed!
I imagine she has very subtle movements that are hard to see on camera, most likely squeezing with her legs, or I've even found moving my hips in a certain motion can prompt a horse to pick up the trot if it's a particularly intuitive horse
Its just correct dressage/riding aids. Angle of your hip and relaxation or squeezing with your glutes. I got what I called my "dressage booty" when I began correcting my dressage equitation and aids with a classical trainer, all the squeezing for aids, impulsion, and lengthening tightened my glutes like nobodies business :D
Jacki Piper Also she may have taught this horse to rate her seat. Sitting deep in the saddle is how I teach my horse to slow down, whether I ask them to slow their gate or slow to a different gate entirely. But I also taught them if I hold it after they slow, that means stop. I also taught my horses to stop just off saying whoa-- no using my reins or neck rope or anything. Just saying whoa.
Thanks for sharing the video. It's very well explained about how to engage core by tense the lower back. The movement on the yoga ball definitely helped. Looking forward to more videos
This was a great video. I am learning to ride Western vs English and the sitting trot has been difficult for me to transition to from the posting trot. Thanks for the tips.
The way that helped me was to imagine myself jogging along with the horse. By allowing my body to move as if it were MY feet on the ground, I was able to go with the motion and not bounce.
WOW! That mental image really, really helps me! Thank you for that!!!!!
im going to try this next lesson, ive been looking for a good visual aid and this sounds great. thank you for sharing!
Im going to try this, thx, i really try to move with my horses back but i cant😅
i’ll try this on my next lesson! thank you!
Your video was really helpful! Thanks for sharing!🥰👌🤠
that was THE most beautiful training video ever. You're so natural... and Molly with a winter coat and that gorgeous, snowy backdrop. It was not only informative but incredible to watch. Thanks.
Kim Koyle Yes it is
Kim Koyle Arabian horses
That is not an Arabian horse, could be a Quarter Horse.
Kim Koyle check out cryslink311 I think she is the best at the sitting trot!, and she suffers from hernias. I love her so much. Sorry I had to throw that out there 😉
Boooo not true!
I like your Molly. She seems alert, curious, affectionate, cooperative and calm.
Yh
love his comment, so perfectly put :)
I like Molly too... I think every person needs a Molly in their life XD
I've watched this video a ton of times, usually right before my lesson, and today it started to come together. I notice different things that you say, Callie, every time I watch it. When I'm ready to hear something, only then do I notice it. Today was the first time I wasn't bouncing. Of course my seat, my half-halts and my hands are all working better now too. It's your super-basic videos I re-watch the most. Thank you for your contribution towards making the internet a more informative place.
Molly was like:"What are you doing on that bloody ball?"
Glenn van Nijevelt very perceptive horse
What the chicken hell, bloody ball?
For the past month, Ive been trying to work on my sitting trot, and my dressage intructor complimented me on it today! A tip I have is to watch your hips in the walk, and then move your hips like that but in a trot.
ty for good lesson, im from israel my daughter ride every day in english style, i bought her horse and she train 3 days aweek with pro trainer and the rest of week by her self, this is verry good sport and i Excite to watch her training
I am getting back into riding after more than 15 years off. I was very good at sitting the trot years ago but now at my age and poor riding shape it has been hard work. And my legs and hands are not good when I am concentrating on sitting the trot so I post a lot. I thought about this video last night while I was riding and tried to change how I was moving in the saddle at the trot. I started out posting and gradually decreased my rise out of the saddle until I was sitting but keeping the same motion with my horse. An amazing thing happened. I was able to relax my legs and my hands and I felt balanced. Even better, Bandit dropped his head and relaxed too! I also was not working as hard to stay in the saddle because I was moving with his motion, not just absorbing it like I had learned years ago. I am looking forward to working more on this. Thank you Callie
Molly's so fuzzy!!! She's putting a stupid grin on my face. I love their adorable winter coats
I like to think about it as a side to side movement because of the bio-mechanics of the horse. The longissimus dorsi on either of the spine alternate in flexing and relaxing. So if you allow your hips and lower back to swing side to side with the movement you stay with the horses motion and your actually moving with the horse back as well. Its not a back and forth movement when you look at it bio-mechanically. If you have a stiff lower back it won't work.
Leslie Bardales - thank u that actually sounds like it will work I'll try it out
Leslie Bardales I am a beginner to horse riding I was wondering if you had any helpful tips for me ? Sorry to ask
Omg! I’ve never thought of that. It sounds weird, but i was laying on my bed when I read your comment and I moved my hips from side to side and it feels exactly like the sitting trot! Mind blown 😂
Yes, my trainer taught me to sit by allowing my body to completely flop around. You feel like you're flopping around much more than you actually are. Then once you learn the rhythm and how to move your hips along, you flop much less. Stiff lower back is a total block... nobody in this picture likes it! so right. Oh but my trainer taught me to flop forward and back rather than side to side. I wouldn't know which method is better. probably a little of both. :)
@@tamarabamara1 how do you un-stiff your back 😭😭
That is such a pretty horse! And thanks for the tips and stuff!
An instructor used to tell me to "get your shoulders out of your ears. Relaxing my shoulders helped immensely. I really appreciate you videos. They're very well done.
Brilliantly explained! Thank you so so much🎉 I just tried the advice today in a riding lesson - my sitting trot impoved right away. I am so happy! 😊
My initials are LLL. and I am from any town USA. The horse in your video looks exactly like my beautiful rescue horse M. that God and a lot of prayers and just old fashioned fantasy and life dream made come true when I adopted this beautiful gelded 7 year old blessing from a rescue program in the USA. I have had other training on de-sensentization of a beautiful starving horse through wonderful people on my 60th birthday. I have many issues with Reynauds and chronic and severe osteoarthritis with severe pain issues with nerve damage and all my upper and lower extremities due to non-healing foot surgeries, etc. That is beside the whole point and after twelve weeks of just ground training with my own method and watching some pro's on some shows liked Heartland, this video, and reading many other Charles C. Anderson novels and always pretending I was and feeling like a horse so to speak, I have met my best friend, learned how to gentle my own horse even more combining my hands on massage therapy and learning, he has become my most stubborn, and lovable companion that loves me and I him with all my heart. I can no longer jump up and down, have to wear soft flat shoes and I have had frost bite exposure in the very cold winters in any town USA and this gentle giant can dance with me in a circle on the ground and he will stand patiently while I gently talk to him and sometimes cry when the pain from this and fibromyalgia is so severe. Yesterday after climbing up on a padded folded chair and because I have worked him so well that he does not bolt when I throw a folded chair down on the ground or startle at all, I was able to painfully get up on him sit in the middle of a circular training corral and sing on top seated on this gentle horse, a solo on- key star spangled banner with him at attention like a proud military draft horse. He has given me unconditional hugs, self-determination, and the courage not to give up so many times that he is worth more than a million dollars to me in my life, my periods of self-doubt and humbleness and lack of true grit at times, that I owe my whole being to his fantastic horse. I want to thank Cherie, Julie, Diane, David, and you, today, for this video, and I will get that aerobic exercise ball and learn to sit my trot while I am sharing moments with this wonderful and beautiful horse I cherish. There were fireworks bursting in the background like wonderful bursts of majestic rainbow colors and this was the best 4th of July solo and unattended day I have ever spent in my life. I have no shock absorption left in my back after two cervical fusions and two dimensional scoliosis due to previous falls with concussions, that I hope more people realize that littering this country, being rude to people all the time, not having a strong work ethic, and leaving glass bottles, and old cathode ray tube abandoned television sets along a country rode, being rude to our country itself, and all citizens, is not what good people are about. I am no hero but I have never littered since I watched Smokey the Bear cartoons and being glued to an I-pad 24 -7 or your cell phone with a " me-first and I am better than any one else anywhere attitude" is so childish and rude. Be a good listener to your inner self , rebuild your own positive self esteem and please disengage from always having to be the first person in line 12 inches away from the check-out lane counter. You can disengage from all negative aspects in your life, stop using" no" or "not" in all your communication, keep your own ego at the horizon line with is the equal zone to me, with all the possible opportunities in your life and the obstacles that may challenge you in life. My thanks to Marty, and especially all hard working farmers and good people like my Uncle Chuck you told me a long time ago to say away from that copper colored Stud stallion appropriately named "Copper." Wear your full helmets, knee pads, etc., etc., and be brain injury free and wear long sleeved cotton shirts with layers of clothing and thank all the people in this failing world who are just southern style good old-fashioned people no matter, what their age may be, that keep our country proud and living free with the nuclear blasts ready to fly in all directions. Make ever day count for you and only you and never take yourself, others, and especially the old fashioned quiet and smart unknown people in this country that are truly the humble and respectful old fashioned type of American citizen. I am humble and proud of our country but rudeness and down right apathy and laziness will not sustain our country another day longer. Think about all this, you all with a southern twist of hospitality and only controlled use of any form of pleasure under the self direction and self-accountable "adult." Think before you strike out and let your words and action rip. Don't need a gun unless you know how to use a safety and no what the hell you are shooting at!!! IN REALITY LIFE IS VERY VOLATILE AND DANGEROUS IF YOUR MOUTH AND RUDENESS ARE SELF-ENGAGED AND PRE-LOADED. LEARN TO BE QUIET AND JUST QUIETLY WALK AWAY ALWAYS STAYING CALM AND IN A BRIGHT LIGHT.
Gosh I feel like I know you. 🙋 Beautifully written. Thank you so much for your sharing! Hope someday to meet you !!
✌ 💘 🎶
This is a fantastic video. I'm an RDA rider in Australia. I'm a paraplegic, and the ONE thing i've ALWAYS had difficulty with has been trotting holding my reins or trotting independently. I BOUNCE EVERYWHERE. I ride on a bareback pad without stirrups. I have done so my entire life as it's the safest and easiest way for me to ride. The only saddle I can successfully trot in (and hold my reins) is the western saddle. I feel it keeps me up properly in the trot lol. I really love that you demonstrated the trot with your feet out of your stirrups, and how you explained to not trot with your hips, but your body relaxed. When I finally get to ride again (hopefully soon)... I will try your suggestion and see how I go. I tend to naturally tense up to make sure my back is as straight as possible so I don't "lose my balance" haha.
Thank you for your video and tips! After being away from riding for 15 years, I'm re-learning the sitting trot. I, too practice for just short periods-I alternate posting and sitting. I start by posting until I get a nice springy trot, then sit for a bit, then go back to posting.
Thank you so much for this detailed AND easy to understand training video! I'm a 53yr old re-rider trying to get back into the swing of things..." )
Good for you !!
Lol...I'm 64 this Dec.!!
Me too but older and more health problems...
Nothing impossible to face but create uncomfortable sit for canter and trot too. One of my knees is not in good health and other things.
This is a challenge for me but I love horses, horse riding...
I found a good horse school too. The other one was ready to let beginners jump the soon as possible.
Loving big horses was a kind of sin too. I left the last one and feel much better in the other one.
Callie too tried to help me. As my last expérience was bad, not the fall , that was nothing serious, but the instructor managed to make me lose my poor self confidence.
That 's where Callie was great, written an e-mail to her, she answered nicely but knew what to say to help me. So thankful to her here ! 😇😁
Boucing on the trot... Yes of course.😅
With a better sit, all is better ! You must go on, try and try again. It' ll work with her good advices. 😁👌🏻
I find it helpful to move hips subtly side to side to absorb bounce and move more naturally with the horse.
Thank you for all of your helpful info!!! I'm on my 3rd set of horseback riding lessons,and am just learning how to do a little trotting ,and I am seeing where I've been making my mistakes. The more I trot,the better,I will become.
Love Molly.... love her disposition! She and you look like a winter greeting card ;-))
I have so much trouble with the sitting trot. I was trained by old timers that had me absorbing, and because I'm heavy chested, it seems like the only way I can keep from beating myself to death! Take away the stirrups, and I do fine, as I initially learned to ride bareback. Will have to give your method a shot, and see how it works. Practice, practice, practice! Thank you!
Awesome advice, very easy to listen to and understand. This young lady's voice is gentle and friendly.
Thanks for the video. I really get what you mean about holding your self up through your back and such. When I get it right it feels that way.
What helps me also is to think of picking up the horse through my body and putting him down as gently as I can.
That's a gorgeous horse! And very calm and relaxed too. Its apparent that she is very well taken care of by her trainer.
I've only ridden a horse a few times n could not coordinate with the horse when it came to anything more than a walk. It frustrated me n probably irritated the horse. I don't have a good sense of balance, so this is probably the cause. This video was very in formative. Thank you.
Molly is so happy. Your horses like you and that says a lot. Thanks for the video.
Thank you! That was very helpful, especially the part where you demonstrated sitting the trot without stirrups!
Very helpful. My instructor focuses on proper leg position and straight back so good to see this demo.
Thank you so very much. Often times I lose focus and start bouncing which really irritates my horse. I think sometimes I lean forward too much also. Again, thank you very much for the tips.
Just want to take a min. to thank you for taking the time to share your knowledge. Hats off to your well behaved horses also.
I could Balanced myself and do alot of stuff while trotting or just riding in general just after three lessons and the guides were really impressed and I'm super proud of it
I really appreciate your showing the action without stirrups. I am working on riding bareback and this helps so much.
beautiful horse..
Total relaxation is the key. One of the best team penning runs I ever did early in my riding came when I was unexpectedly recruited while half in the bag from downing a six pack of Bud.
that is greatly helpful! and clarifying for balance and harmony.. I am a beginner.. Thanks a lot from Istanbul, Turkey
Great video! Clearly explained the sitting trot, with common trouble spots and how to address them, as well as new ways to think about our bodies and responding to the movement of the horse. I liked the idea of using the yoga ball to practice and "reteach" our bodies about responding to bouncing movement. Molly (the horse) was great, too!
Loved Molly who is such a beautiful horse, and thank you for your video, you're a natural educator. I was finding sitting trot after canter tricky yesterday, I got it once then not again which was so strange, this was a great help . . .thank you
OMGOSH... showing the transitions exercise is a brilliantly executed training! For years I was told ‘you’ve got a bad horse’ HA... not so! Now that I am relaxed and comfortable in the trot so is my big beautiful boy
#sitthetrot!
This certainly makes sense. I kinda see it like, you keep your shoulders, or upper body in line so that they are not dragging and trying to catch up with the motion of the hips and the trot. With the shoulder and upper body in line, the "S curve" that is the shape of the spine can compress and expand with the motion without throwing you off balance. I hope I got that right :) Thanks for another lovely video!
Wonderful video! It helped me tremendously. I was never able to sit the trot, except on very smooth horses. This also helps me in downward transitions and with the halt. I describe the movement to my friends a little differently, though. I tell them: sit on a chair, brace your shoulders against it, and bounce your seat up and down. That gives you the same movement than when you're "bouncing with the horse". Very catchy and helpful phrase, by the way. Again, thank you, thank you!
This video makes so much sense, it's just going back to the arena and practice.
Thank you
I just moved stables, and my new lesson horse has a really prancy gait, so I was looking for tons of information to help me brace my legs, core and upper body, as I am doing hunter and show jumping now. I've been using the yoga ball since I watched this, and I just wanted to say this was really helpful, and I'm hoping my next lesson it will be better. I can tell the movement is different already.
Thanks so much!!
A tip with sitting trot. Don't tense up! You'll end up being thrown everywhere, and may result you damaging the horses back! A horse with a damaged back can be very dangerous, because of stress and pain. If you do bounce around a lot try holding the gullet, or buy some sisse straps.CAITLIN JONES
Zolittles I know the horribleness of riding a horse with a sore back. He's a wonderful horse, often stubborn and lazy, but we didn't know he was sore as he can be a pain a lot. He was so patient riding despite it but once he was done it was rodeo central. Bucks, jumps, bolts the lot. After I fell for the first time I got the vet because I knew something was up and was honestly so disappointed in myself for not getting the vet sooner. I was so proud as well because he was so patient and loving despite it. Well, until he decided he was finished with riding 😂 he's been good now for a few weeks but god I'm glad that's over!
I love horses in full winter coat, they look so fuzzy and adorable!! 😻😻😻
This video really helps when I was younger I had a horse run off with me and my sister n law.and we were hurt pretty bad and it was an unruly who orders and less it was with my brother. But I still have love for horses.they are my favorite animal and I work with the ones we have almost every day.but they are kind of green in they like to do what they want to do because there is only one of me and three of them and they don't get Road as much as they should I just started working with themand am also trying to take that lead role in their mind and I've almost got there.I feel safe as long as I ride the horse bareback if he takes off fast.that anything more then Alope with a saddle on I start to get fearful and I think these exercises will help me a lot especially the one where you don't use your stirrups.thankyou
Molly’s winter coat is absolutely stunning. what a gorgeous horse you have :) x
Loved this tip!! I was thinking it must be something like this in sitting trot but couldnt put my finger on it before!!! Thank you so much for sharing!!
thank you.... you are a natural trainer... I wish I could take lessons from you... I didn't feel intimidated. I really learned something.. I don't own a horse but ride with my friend and want to ride with her without feeling like a newby. I do pretty well and this will a lot ;-))
Thank you SO MUCH for this video! I've had horses throughout my life but I'm no equestrian that posts around the pasture... I'm content to just hop on bareback and enjoy the view from the back of a horse and the companionship. The only horses I've ever been comfortable doing a "sitting trot" on have been Quarter horses at a "jog".... my Standardbred, however, would shake the fillings right out of my teeth! I loved the idea of the yoga ball! I can DO that!!!! What a great way to practice between rides! Also... I have always tried to grip with my knees before and was very glad to hear you say not to... This was a very nicely executed video, well-thought out in advance and everything was very clearly stated. Thanks, again!
My instructor told me to pretend I was on a bouncy ball and to just start bouncing the ball. That was brilliant. You lift up with your chest and get tall as you start to bounce and you just keep bouncing the ball. It also takes lots of practice on a big moving horse. Molly didn’t look like she had a lot of movement in her back but maybe that’s just because she was ridden so well?
Love these tips and the one about the canter, all about protecting your back and reducing the strain. Different way of thinking!
I have just got a new horse and her stride is so different types what I'm used and I was finding sitting trotting really hard. great video, it helped a lot!
Thank you!! Can't wait to try this tomorrow, and usually I avoid sitting trot at all costs! Molly seems like a real gem by the way.
I ride a mule named Molly, and this helped me a lot.
Molly is so beautiful and healthy looking. this is one of the best video I have ever seen about controlling the bounce. Thank you.
thank you for this very helpful video. you call this a 'small tip' ;-) but it makes a big difference. not only for the rider but for the horse as well.
Molly is a gorgeous horse and I recognized right away that I do two of your 3 mistakes - bracing in stirrups and leaning forward. Hard to stop though ....
i love all the videos you post you have a very professional attitude and a calm and pleasant voice! even though I'm a little past the basics, it's always good to revisit things learned in the past that i now do on auto-pilot! keep up the good work!
Id love to just ride around in weather like that! Winter is for fluffy horses!
Having a horse riding lesson today, I hope to actually sit in trot this time xD My riding instructor saids I have a good back, just the legs and rhyme, thank you :d hopefully I can do it
this is very helpful :) I always get in my own way mentally when riding and I have always thought of it as a shock absorption too and she's right it makes it very hard for a big trot. I can't wait to try this once I have my babies and am allowed to ride again!
Great , thanks. Will try ur tips tommorrow
This really helps! I dont have alot of expirence with trotting, and for a started it seems very fast! I always bounce, and this helped alot!
I really like your different look at how to think of the movement. I too was always told to focus on my hips and keep them moving, which didn't seem to help much as it too my focus away from the movement itself. I will try your suggestions and hope I can it better. Thank you very much for this video!
this was VERY helpful, I watched multiple vids on the sitting trot and this is the only one that helped. Thank you !!
I just wanted to say you helped me a lot and my coach is impressed with me! 😁Thank you👏👏👏
She's so good at explaining....
This was actually extremely helpful! I’ve been riding for actually quite a while now and I’ve never really known why I couldn’t fully stop that bouncing, I’ll try this out when I go riding tomorrow :)
Thank you for the tip! I tend to lean a bit back, and that is really very tension full for my back, as well as the horse's I am sure.
Molly looks gorgeous with the snow!
Very well explained.. Wish you could come to my barn and give me a lesson.. You explain things all so well.
Hi this was a real help. Thanks from Piper in Cape Town South Africa.
Tips:
First go so slow that you are moving like a walk, but the horse's gait feels like a trot.
After you feel comfortable, start only clucking until you get to a comfortable speed.
When you feel comfy at that speed, keep increasing your speed until you have a good sitting trot and you are satisfied.
(these tip are mostly for a jog, but I do saddleseat. I still like to do this as a way to warm up after a long interval of no riding)
but what about if you are on a school pony cause my comfortable speed is a slow trot which i can sit in much better and deeper but since you have people behind you i am slowing everybody down so what do i do now?
After training in Germany for many years, a sitting trot is absorbed through the hips not the back. This is the true dressage form, through the hips and not the back.
i ride a horse with a really bumpy trot and this helped a bit with our sitting trot
Wow, thank you so much for this! Trot has always kinda given me trouble - now this makes a lot more sense! Definitely gonna try it this way now...
I have issues with keeping my seat in sitting trot, I'll certainly be trying this later today in my lesson. really want to get the balance mastered. thanks for the tips!
Can't wait to try this! My horse is 17.3 and his movements are so big.
I would subscribe a million times if I could. I'm getting riding lessons next month, so I've been researching. Your channel is very helpful, and you are very descriptive. :)
Thank you for the tips. What a beautiful horse too.
Excellent, what a beautiful horse and I love this informative channel so far!
I find your videos so helpful. Thanks for making and posting them.
Thank you that helps going with the horse being up in the saddle 👍
Really easy to watch especially in the snow. thankyou.
thank you for this I have been ridding a green draft horse this definitely helped me refresh my mind and can't wait to try some of these tips soon
This is fantastic!!! Extremely helpful. Beautifully explained and demonstrated. Thank you very much!
Thank you - this is such a complex movement to teach and it helps every time someone explains it well :) I like that you also mentioned the three things people often do that make it harder to sit the trot. But this is by far one of the hardest things I found to teach people because so much of it is based on finding that right "feel" of relaxing with the horse. Also - I was terribly distracted by just how beautiful the scenery is in this video! I wish it snowed more where I am!
The Yoga ball is a fantastic off-horse training tool! They come in different sizes so just get one that represents your horse's girth or a school horse that you ride =) also helps with balance. If you can't afford a £50,000 horse simulator it's the next best thing lol
TwistedTKD91 I'm going to try that.
That is one stoic horse. Lovely.
This is definitely a good video...love the beautiful snow:) The comment someone had about taking away their stirrups and falling off....I thought that might happen as alot of people's horse's aren't this calm and smooth:/ The sitting trot is the most misunderstood movement on a horse I think...
your videos are so amazing your always very informative and its nice to know some of the common mistakes people make
Thank you so much! I needed some of these tips so that I would have a better sitting trot and it would also help with my seat in a canter! Thank you!💕
Thanks Callie, super explanation as always,
😊
This video is so helpful, I'll definitely be keeping your advice in mind as I work on improving how I sit the trot!
Brilliant explanation! Gave it a go today and worked a treat....thank you!
Love this video! Molly is so pretty and fuzzy! I'm a new rider and am gathering up all the tips I can.
That is a gorgeous winter coat Molly has!
Thank you for this VERY helpful lesson on riding the sitting trot. Last week I started riding again after 30yrs. When my trainer started me with a posting trot on the lunge line I felt ok. We would walk and post, walk and post. It was very strange after so many years. She asked me to stop the horse and I had to sit the trot for a few steps. I had such a hard time!! I started to lean forward and dropped my eyes. She told me to sit down in the saddle, which I couldn't seem to do. I kept bouncing. At this point I know I was scared because I started to lose my balance. I did sit...eventually without falling. This video was very helpful! I also have a Pilates ball and will try to gain the feeling of the motion up through my back. I have a lesson on Thursday again. Do you have anymore helpful tips?
Congratulations after 30 years away! You are already doing an amazing job. I found that when thinking about stopping, take a deep breath from your stomach, and slowly blow it out of your mouth. It will stop your body from moving, which travels down into your rear end, and your horse will feel it and slow to a stop. Think stop. I ride dressage, so I don't use voice, but you can also calmly and slowly say "whoaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa,"" as you are breathing out. You and the horse will be in sync in no time. You've got this. Every lesson is a bonus. Every step forward. Please don't forget to congratulate yourself.
Callie, how is that when you transition back and forth from gates, it's as if you don't say a word, utter a request or even change your leg movements or positions, whether it be with a squeeze or a kick? It's like you and Molly are communicating through ESP. Is it my imagination, or are your moves so subtle and precise that they're not even noticed? Thank you and amazed!
I imagine she has very subtle movements that are hard to see on camera, most likely squeezing with her legs, or I've even found moving my hips in a certain motion can prompt a horse to pick up the trot if it's a particularly intuitive horse
Maddi Holmes h Fl loneliness
Its just correct dressage/riding aids. Angle of your hip and relaxation or squeezing with your glutes. I got what I called my "dressage booty" when I began correcting my dressage equitation and aids with a classical trainer, all the squeezing for aids, impulsion, and lengthening tightened my glutes like nobodies business :D
Jacki Piper Also she may have taught this horse to rate her seat. Sitting deep in the saddle is how I teach my horse to slow down, whether I ask them to slow their gate or slow to a different gate entirely. But I also taught them if I hold it after they slow, that means stop. I also taught my horses to stop just off saying whoa-- no using my reins or neck rope or anything. Just saying whoa.
Jacki Piper and M Chom, it is gait and gaits. Gates are the things you have to open when you want to go through them.
Thanks for sharing the video. It's very well explained about how to engage core by tense the lower back. The movement on the yoga ball definitely helped. Looking forward to more videos
Enjoyed your video. Loved the snow. I was close but this looks like I could be doing a better sit trot in the next little while. Thank you!!
This was a great video. I am learning to ride Western vs English and the sitting trot has been difficult for me to transition to from the posting trot. Thanks for the tips.