The trot (that is, the trot that follows the rise and fall of the horse’s back) is an equestrian technique mainly used in English dressage, in which the rider rises and falls in the saddle in step with the horse’s pace. This prevents the rider from being hit while riding at a trot, as well as from putting pressure on the horse’s back. Although it may feel unnatural at first, with practice, brisk walking will become easier and easier. Now start learning how to do the correct brisk step.

Learn Equestrian Trot

Learn how it works. The main reason for trotting is to prevent the rider from being bumped in the saddle during particularly bumpy periods, namely during the trot. This makes it more comfortable for the rider and easier for the horse.

• Once you become more proficient at the trot, you can also easily adjust your horse’s rhythm by speeding up or slowing down the trot.
• The horse can pace itself to suit you, so you no longer need to signal with your hands and legs.

Understand diagonals. Command the horse to trot forward steadily. Now, pay attention to the horse’s gait – notice the change between the two beats of the trot. It helps you understand the principles of brisk walking.

• When trotting, the horse’s left hind leg and right front leg (the two legs are positioned diagonally) move simultaneously, and vice versa. This is what riders mean when they talk about “diagonal” – the front and rear legs moving in sync with each other in a diagonal direction.
• Diagonals can make a big difference in the trot. If the trot is correct, the rider will rise from the seat of his/her seat as the inside hind leg and outside front leg move forward, and as the outside hind leg and inside front leg move forward, the rider will Sit down.
• The reason for this is that the horse’s inner hind legs propel it forward. When this leg is moving, the rider rising from the seat encourages the horse to extend the leg underneath him further, allowing for a faster and more efficient stride.
• At first, it’s hard to tell which diagonal the horse is walking on. A little trick here is to look at the horse’s outside shoulders. You should stand up from your seat as your shoulders move forward, and sit down as you move your shoulders backward.
• If you can’t tell the back-and-forth movement of the shoulder, place a piece of bandage or colored tape on the shoulder. This makes movement easier to discern.

Move forward or backward, not up and down. Now that you’ve figured out “when” to stand up and sit down, you need to know how to do both steps. Most new riders think that trotting means moving straight up and down in the saddle, but this is incorrect:

• First, moving straight up and down takes a lot of time and causes you to lose your sense of rhythm. Secondly, standing upright in stirrups causes your legs to sway involuntarily and throws you off balance. Third, standing up straight will cause you to fall back hard, putting tremendous pressure on the horse’s back, which defeats the purpose of the trot.
• Instead, you should try making forward and backward movements in the saddle, as it is a more sustainable movement. As the horse’s outside front leg comes forward, your hips move toward the top of the saddle. You only need to lift three to five centimeters from the saddle – just enough to be completely out of the saddle.
• Don’t use your feet to propel yourself forward – in fact, your feet aren’t involved in the process at all! Bring your knees toward the ground and squeeze your inner thigh muscles to lift your butt off the saddle.
• When standing up from the saddle, lean forward 30 degrees. This helps you move more naturally to the horse’s rhythm and also makes it easier for him to trot. But in dressage, your shoulders and hips need to be in a straight line.
• Sit gently into the saddle as your horse’s outside shoulders move back.

Change the diagonal when changing direction. When you change direction (i.e., when riding in a ring, changing direction), the horse’s inside hind leg and outside front leg will shift diagonally, which means you need to change the trot rhythm.

• To change the diagonal, you just need to sit one more step, leaving a little bit of space. The next time you stand up from the seat, the forward step will be in sync with the horse’s (new) inside hind legs and outside front legs.
• In other words, instead of doing “up-down-up-down,” this time you’re doing “up-down-down-up.” It sounds complicated, but it’s simple once you get used to it.
• You don’t need to worry about changing the diagonal when out riding, because outside of the ring, horses don’t have “inside” or “outside” legs. However, this also gives you a good opportunity to practice brisk steps and changing diagonals, since you can change direction at will.

Solve Common Problems

Avoid sitting too hard. When a rider is new to trotting, sitting too hard is a major problem that needs to be addressed. This puts pressure on the horse’s back, causing the horse to shorten his stride and even lose his balance.

• As long as you move forward and backward rather than straight up and down, you can avoid falling hard.
• However, stiffness can also be a problem, so make sure your knees are supple and move as naturally as possible with the horse.

The position of the legs should be appropriate. If your legs are too forward, you’re likely to lean back, and if your legs are too far back, you’ll end up leaning forward, neither of which are suitable for a brisk trot.

• It’s best to keep the legs in a neutral position (middle of the horse) as this keeps your back in the proper position.
• Also, try to avoid meaningless swinging of the legs (which is common in the trot) as this can send complex signals to the horse and he may think you are kicking him or urging him forward.
• When the calf is too loose, the knee and thigh are pinched, often causing the leg to swing meaninglessly. You can relax your thighs and tighten your calves, keeping your calves lightly pinching the horse’s belly the entire time.

Many riders put so much emphasis on keeping in sync with their horse that they keep looking over the horse’s shoulder and forget to pay attention to their surroundings.

• This bad habit is easy to develop but difficult to correct. Not only will it be difficult for you to be aware of what’s going on around you, but you’ll also unconsciously slump your shoulders as you walk forward, which affects your posture and ability to do a brisk step.
• To overcome this habit, you can find a spot to stare at while doing brisk steps, either at the tops of trees or nearby rooftops. It can help you learn to pace yourself through loneliness, rather than relying solely on sight.

Keep your hands and arms steady. Many riders move their hands and arms up and down when trotting. This is incorrect because it breaks your bond with your horse and disrupts your command system.

• Try to keep your hands and arms as stable as possible, keeping them in the same position even as the rest of your body is moving forward and backward.
• If you can, imagine moving your hips between your elbows as you stand up.

Tips

• A common mistake is to pull on the reins to maintain balance. Horses don’t like reins, so instead, shorten the reins and keep your hands above the horse’s mane. When you do the brisk step, keep your hands gently steady – don’t let them move up or down!
• Sometimes the horse will speed up or slow down to a walk or canter. To stop walking, gently pinch your calves and heels; to stop jogging, be aware of when they start to transition from a walk to a canter, or when they start to trot. Once you realize this, give the reins a gentle tug (not too hard), sit up straight, and prepare to trot. The horse can sense your command and slow down again.
• Remember to breathe! Some riders are so focused on trotting correctly that they forget to breathe, which causes their bodies to tense up. Breathe deeply and evenly, allowing your body to relax.
• Don’t use stirrups, use your calf and lower thigh muscles to help you. If you need help, try to trot without stirrups. A good rider doesn’t need stirrups!
• Don’t stray too far from the saddle. When the horse’s back is up, you only need to stand high enough to avoid being hit. Too far away and you’ll lose your balance.
• If you find yourself trotting on the wrong diagonal, sit for one more beat (up-down-down-up) to correct the error.
• As you stand up, move your hips forward and upward without overdoing it.