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9/21/2007
 

I apologize for the recent website issues.  I believe we are on track now.  I have been able to retrieve all the old archived articles, but the FAQ questions asked since January 2007 have been lost into the great cyber-unknown.  If I can recall some of the more key questions – I will post them and answer them again. . . Otherwise, it is up to you to ask the questions (they are anonymous) and I will get the answers up ASAP.  This site is for YOU – so use it, and use me, to help you!

The Trot

It is the “Lex Luther” of many a good horsemen.  It is the thorn in the side of those who have enjoyed horses for years.  It is the one thing I consistently get asked about by even the most seasoned riders.

Its is the trot.  Sitting the western trot can look like the easiest thing in the world, until you try it yourself.  And even then, it really does take a lot of practice and time to get it right.  In this month’s article, I will attempt to get deeper into the trot than even my manual goes.  I spend a good deal of time explaining the trot in the BASIC WESTERN Horsemanship and Riding Lessons Manual, and have had students say that it really does help in understanding what you should be doing.  I will be using some excerpts from the manual, but like I said, let’s take this a little further.

The premise of the trot is that it is an energy-saving gait that can get you from one place to another much quicker than the walk.  Typically, horses have a very pleasant “jig” trot, and as you speed up that trot – it gets a little rougher (or a lot rougher).  Some horses have never learned how to slow trot, so they spend most of their trotting time in that spine-rattling medium to fast trot.  Other horses never get out of a slow trot – so their owners can fake how to sit the trot until they ride a different horse.  (No snickering here – you know you’ve done it!)

The key to the trot is both in the posture of your seat and in your mental imagery of what your body should be doing.  I’ve talked about posture before, so I wouldn’t expound on that – but I do want to mention that you do not want to over-emphasize the natural arch in your lower back.  If you are arching your back like someone is tickling you – that is too much.  It should be natural, but evident.  Definitely do not sit with your spine in a C-curve (hunching your shoulders forward).

Now, with that good posture in mind:

Remember that lower back arch?  Do not think of your back as a straight line.  If you do – you will feel the sensation of pounding on your backside and spine.  Think about your spine with that slight arch in your lower back.  Imagine as the horse trots – with each down motion – that your hips follow that natural arch in your spine.  This will mean that your backside will push slightly back into the seat of the saddle instead of straight down.  Visualize the motion of your hips following horse’s movement – which is not up and down, but a motion of moving front to back.

I’m telling you to ‘think’, ‘imagine’ and ‘visualize’ – because the motion will be more or less undetected by an observer.  Much of good riding is in your mind.  What you see in your mind’s eye – your body will accomplish.  So, I am not asking for exaggerated movement, just simply following the horse’s natural movement – which will not only be more comfortable for you but also for your horse.

The movement that your body will be following should be somewhat contained from your lower ribs to approximately mid-thigh (your body’s “core”).  Of course, there will be some movement (slight bouncing) in your shoulders/arms and lower legs – but it should be greatly minimized through using your “core” to ride the horse.

And if you are sitting with good posture, and if you are allowing your hips to move with the horse’s motion in the front to back motion, you should not feel as though you are bracing against the stirrups.  The broadest part of your foot should be securely in the stirrup and your heel should be dropped, but you should not be “pressing” on the stirrups for balance.  Just like the saddle horn is there if you feel the need to grab it in the case of extreme loss of balance or an emergency, the stirrups are also there to use briefly to gain balance and control. 

You can check yourself once you have accomplished a comfortable seat at the trot by removing your feet from the stirrups and riding with your lower legs in front of the stirrups.  Just keep your lower leg still hanging straight down from the knee with the heels dropped as if you were in the stirrups still.  I have all of my students do this once they are trotting well – in order to force them to feel the trot and move with the horse – but by the time we do trot without stirrups, it is really pretty easy for them.  And, surprisingly, many comment on how it is easier to trot without stirrups than with.  Again, however, be sure that you are trotting well and fairly comfortable before trying this!

I’ll conclude with this final excerpt from the manual:

As your horse goes into the trot, you may feel a slight (or more abrupt with some horses) hop, what your horse is doing is pushing off into the trot.  Do not be tempted to grab at the horn, or compromise your posture.  Keep your hands low,  sit up straight and allow him to move off.  I want you to feel the motion of the horse.  Allow your lower back and hips to move with the horse – thinking back into the seat, rather than straight down into the seat.

It may seem bumpy at first and maybe even for the first several times that you trot – it is a learned skill.  The more you ride, the more you will understand.  It typically takes 2-3 lessons (2-3 hours) at a trot for most beginners to begin to feel what I am talking about.  And, if you are ever able to observe other more skilled riders, they do not ride completely “bounce-free”.  The horse is at its roughest gait, therefore, there is going to be some movement on your part – at least some of the time.  That is okay.  Just work to minimize the movement of your upper body from your ribcage up, allowing your hips and legs to take on the movement, and you will be able to ride much more comfortably.  Be patient and be persistent.  It will come and you will get it. 

I’m also going to remind you, as the horse is trotting, to force yourself into that long, tall posture.  Fight the instinct to tuck into that fetal position that I spoke of in Lesson 2.  Stay tall in the saddle, and stay relaxed.  The more you drop your heels, the less you will bounce.  If you feel like you are bouncing, press your heels down and keep that slight arch in your back.  I have many riders that begin to feel what the trot should be like, and then start to bounce. . .  99% of the time it is because they allow their heels to drift up.  Push them down and concentrate. . .  stay in the saddle.  Keeping your legs long on either side (by pressing your heels down) will help you stay low in the saddle – which is the whole focus for riding comfortably.

As you concentrate on the movement, you’ll feel that steady rhythm of the trot.  Each time the horse’s body goes down, your hips come down and back into the seat.  As the horse’s body comes up, you naturally follow it up.  You are not so much moving your body, as you are allowing your posture to follow the horse’s body and natural rhythm.  Take your time and work at this.  This is really the foundation to all else you will do in the saddle.

If you try what I have suggested and feel like it is not working for you, please send me an email and let’s address what exactly you are experiencing.  I want you to be comfortable in the saddle and, of course, competent – so that means at a trot as well.  Most experienced riders that I work with in an actual riding lesson will get it right off the bat, they simply need only to be shown.  That’s where working with someone one-on-one is so beneficial.  Hopefully, reading this today can help you where you are at in your riding and you can begin to put these concepts into use the next time you are in the saddle.  J

Part 1:  Doing Your Part

Originally posted: May 2007

"Desire is the key to motivation, but its determination and commitment to an unrelenting pursuit of your goal - a commitment to excellence - that will enable you to attain the success you seek." ~Mario Andretti

I saw this quote and immediately thought of how much it applies to riding and horsemanship.  Whether you’re driving a race car or just wanting to go to a weekend team-penning, if you want to be good at what you do – it’s the determination and the commitment that enable you to make it a reality.

This month, the first order of business is talking about horse training and horse trainers.  As all of you who are regular visitors to this site will know, I do not teach on horse training.  I do enjoy starting and working with young horses (and have had great success), but Stay in the Saddle is dedicated to you, the rider, in hopes of making you a better horseman the saddle.  There are literally hundreds of horse trainers, both local and world-renown, that will either work with your horse or teach you how to work with your horse.  Some are very good at what they do, some are very good teachers of what they know, and all of this information has its place.  But I want to make one thing perfectly clear:  All of the horse training in the world will not make you a better rider.

If you have had your horse “trained”, or are considering such, you really need to do your part to become a better horseman/rider so that you can actually ride the horse that has been schooled.  Once your horse is trained, if you are not able to ride it – what’s the point?  This is a situation that I see quite often as people bring horses to my husband only to find that the horse is not in need of more training, but the rider.  And with a little riding instruction, the rider is then wonderfully impressed with the horse!  It takes effort on your part to make the most of your horse’s training.

Perhaps, you wish to train horses . . .  Again, if you cannot sit a horse, how are you going to be that skilled trainer?  If you want to train your own horse (or even train for others), I’ve put together a short list of what to plan on in the ideal situation:

1)      Learn to ride on a broke, gentle horse (this may take years – and that’s okay!)

2)      Study horses – inside and out

3)      Once your skills are up, challenge yourself with a more challenging horse under instruction

4)      Attend horse training seminars – find a method that is meaningful to you

5)      Continue to ride, seeking instruction as needed

6)      Learn from an experienced trainer in your chosen method (apprenticeship)

7)      Train a horse under supervision from that experienced trainer

8)      Your first horse that you train should be one approved by your mentor-trainer so that you are not getting in over your head

Most horse training methods these days, and most of the effective horse training methods, utilize the round pen.  This is a phenomenal tool when used properly, but can be abused by someone who really does not understand the true concept of what it is for.  So, besides learning about “horse training” – be sure to pay attention to the facilities, equipment, and all the fundamentals that you will be utilizing. 

Training or having your horse trained can be a very rewarding experience, but make sure you’ve done your part to be the best that you can be.  Jumping the gun can unfortunately be a sad and/or dangerous situation for both horse and trainer/rider.  Dale, my husband, has been working with horses his whole life.  He’s trained hundreds of young colts, not to mention the hundreds of older/problem horses.  And it’s only through the time and effort that he has become as competent as he is.  It certainly didn’t happen overnight.

Part II:  When Things Get Out of Control

After receiving a great question on my FAQ page, I decided to include a little time on such a timeless and necessary topic:  when things get out of control.

First, if you ever think or are ever told that someone is in 100% control 100% of the time when working with horses – they are either lying to you or completely ignorant to the nature of horses.  Bad situations are going to happen when you work with horses.  Horses can be unpredictable and downright dangerous given just the right recipe . . .  Even your good-ol’ bomb-proof ranch gelding can have a moment of “freak out.”  Sometimes we can identify the cause and sometimes we can not.  Knowing that we are not always in control is the first realization that I ask my students to come to when I am instructing.

So, when things do go awry, what should you do?  A lot of this will depend on your experience and ability.  Take a step out of “horseman world” and let’s think about regular life . . .  Remember the first time you were driving (maybe you were 16-years-old or so) and someone swerved into your lane, or maybe you lost control on the ice . . . what did you do?  Panic may be the first word that comes to mind.  But as you spent more time behind the wheel and driving, you were able to handle the situation much, much better.  How about balancing your checkbook?  When you first started managing your money, if the numbers didn’t add up – it could be frustrating or downright maddening.  Now, most likely, you know where to look when there are problems and you just know how to solve the problem much more efficiently.

Now, as cliché as it seems, riding and horsemanship requires the same thing:  time spent with and on horses, learning and working through problems.  When I work with students, I teach them how to be comfortable, and then how to communicate with the horse to be in control of the horse – thus, building confidence.  At first when the walk is mastered, the trot seems a little scary.  But in a relatively short amount of time, the trot is a concern of the past as they jog to and fro, round and round.  The next step is stopping and turning at a trot, and once this is easy work – we progress to the lope.  Loping is fun, but to a new student – it can be a little intimidating.  Once they find the rhythm of the horse, they can find comfort in the saddle – learn to communicate and control – and build that necessary confidence.  Next challenge, please!

You see, we took each step as is came at us and worked through it.  Soon, the “concern” was a step in confidence and we moved on.  When you are on a horse that spooks at a shadow or a sneaky cat skirting around the arena – that confidence that you learned in the saddle will translate to confidence in the situation.  You will be balanced in the saddle; you will be moving with your horse and as he jumps sideways or forward – your body will naturally follow him.  And because you are not struggling to stay in the saddle, you can focus on communicating with your horse (“Whoah”) and control his actions (“Let’s go back and do that again – properly- this time”).

If it is a situation where the horse begins to buck – and this is a horse that should know better (having been trained or already broke) – you need to have your confidence built sufficiently that you can communicate to him to stop or bring him around, thus taking control away from him and back into your hands where it should be.  I’m not going to lie, its not easy to learn how to sit a bucking horse, but through learning the basics – you have a much better chance of staying on as well as learning what to look for and how to handle it.  (Disclaimer:  sometimes it is a better choice to come off of the horse than stay on – but this is highly situational and only time/experience will tell you when is that time.)

I joke with my students that I would like to create the “perfect storm” for them – so that they may learn, once they have had many lessons and lots of time in the saddle, how to handle a potential wreck.  But this is not possible.  So, I coach each student how to be comfortable and balanced, how to use only their body for balance and use their arms and legs for communication and control, and work on building that confidence.  This is your best bet in a bad situation.  I pray each person takes the time and effort to learn, but even more so, I hope that you are riding a horse that is commensurate with your riding ability and that you can avoid any such situation.  If and when one does arise – do your best, learn from it, and get back in the saddle as soon as you are able.  You’ll be a better horseman for it.

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