Deep breaths and relax, we do not stay on by tensing particular muscles, just like it was said before enjoy yourself and don't think too much about it! If you tense your thighs or calves your legs will bunch up as you will be gripping with your knee's and you will bounce and it won't be a lot of fun! Just relax and remember to breathe - the tip of singing a song is a good one!

Your question earlier about where the book was on the classical riding website - check out under the merchanise tab

CRC - Invisible Riding

If you really want to watch other people - try searching on you tube or better still go to some local dressage competitions and watch. It always helps watching other people riding!

Steph
Paws Of Eskbank

Does anyone really know why bouncing takes place? it might help to understand the reason to fix the problem?

My opinion is that during the trot the horse is doing ups and downs movement, and hence, it's very logic that anything on its back will bounce, lifting it up then dropping it down.

If this is true, and no one is recommending to squeeze with any muscle to stay fixed on the saddle? so howcome this bouncing can disappear?

i.e what can singing or breathing do to some physics rule ? every action has a reaction, trot = anything on the back will bounce.

Let me know if i am getting it wrong all the way though

Its not about trying to do specific things you just sort of go with it to be honest. I don't really know how to explain it but when you see dressage riders doing trot they seem to fit the horse perfectly and sort of nod their head in time with it - they don't resist it. You shouldn't be trying to use knees, thighs or whatever - just go with the movement. Just totally sink into it - at first if it helps forget about trying to keep good upper body posture - just totally go with it - sink into it. Once you have mastered the trot without bouncing so much you can then worry about what your posture is like.

DT your friend is a couragous lady to have gone on to do very well in the horsey world after brain damage

That friend - her name is Gillian - was in the very first 'womans' race that was on TV, alas she fell at the fidth! but I was there cheering her on! The brain damage wa due to a motor cycle accident! She went on to break race horsses for a very well know trainer!

DT

Thanks Chesben and thanks all for your helpful replies,

Chesben, what do you by totally going with the movement? leaving myself freely to the horse movement? but this exactly is what makes me bounce once the trot starts. the horse sudden trot automatically lifts me up in a bounce and here it goes!

When the horse first trots you are bound to bounce for one or two strides intially as you are changing gait, just freely move with the horse. Forget what your posture should be, what you are doing with legs - just don't think about it too much. Trot is the hardest gait to master so give yourself some time

relax and the horse will take you.i had a hackney once and they must be one of the worst to do a sitting trot and canter with but i did grip with inner thigh muscles but also kinda being an experienced rider i also had natural balance and went with the horse not against.sorry if dont make sense but seems the only way at the mo to explain,it is late lol.

If you have a good riding school the instructor should explain that the trot is a 2 time gait where the horses legs move in diagonal pairs.

Before you set off to ride do see that your leathers are the correct length for you because if they are to long you will ride on tip toe and if to short you will tip forward and bounce.

Do see that you have a supple back and seat moving with your horse and a nice long relaxed leg from your hip,see that you are sitting up right with your tummy facing forward and having dropped your shoulders to give you supple arms and elbows through to your wrist and fingers so that you can allow your horse to go forward..if you are supple through your back and seat you will feel your horse moving under your seat.

Whilst walking on your horse let your leg come down from your hip and look down and you will see the tip of your toe just in front of your knee.
have your leg around your horse but with no gripping because as soon as you grip this will send you away from the back of your horse and out of balance.

when your horse is walking nicely forward ask for trot as he starts to trot keep your leg long and underneath you your knee and ankle become a spring
for your up and down movement, no gripping its a little like standing up and down in your stirrups but you only need to rise a little not right up into the air
the movement of the horse will help you to rise as he changes diaginal prs of legs this gives you a 2 time movement ,as you rise your tummy is moved towards the horses ears and you can count to your self 1,2,1,2,1,2 .
if you need to use leg aids to keep the horse trotting apply a little sqeeze of your lower leg as you come down to sit in the trot not on the up of the trot.

It feels like you are springing up from your ankle do try to keep your lower leg long and underneath you and not shooting forward or back.

Whilst in rising trot you do not need to grip with your thigh or lower leg just have your leg around your horse if you grip this makes you stiff in your legs and upper body and you will then bounce away from your horse hence bouncing.

Also when you are learning to trot only do about 10 strides as the longer you go the worse it feels if you have lost the flow and then try again for another 10 strides.

In time you may feel in tune with the horse for only a few strides but once you have have a few nice srides you know the difference and the rising trot will come with practise and suppleness and balance as you improve.

It is very easy to say no gripping its the first thing a novice rider does to feel safe and they think gripping will keep them on ,,it does not gripping pushes you away from the horse to move with the horse is what you are aiming for.
ask you instructor teach you about riding on the correct diaginal this is important for the comfort of the rider and the horse and for the transition to canter and more.

best wishes to you .

When i was learning we were taught to put a little pressure into the stirrup to push you up in the rising trot. It can be very very hard to grasp because it really is a little pressure to push you and then your legs do the rest of the work, without squeezing! I mastered it after.........hmmm many many lessons!!

Don't worry too much about it! xx

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Ive just taught my partner to ride, he had the same problem so i taught him to do sitting trot and to sit the first couple of strides then let the horse throw you up, you shouldnt be working hard to trot, let the horse throw you out of the saddle and then if you loose the rythum sit trot again until you feel you have found it again.

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