Sitting The Trot | How To Move Your Seat

Summary

In this equestrian tutorial, Josie shares a key tip for mastering a more elegant sitting trot: actively moving in sync with the horse's rhythm instead of sitting still. She demonstrates the correct seat movement and offers exercises to help find the right balance and tone in the body. Additionally, Josie emphasizes the importance of having a soft leg, maintaining an upright upper body, and practicing regularly to improve. Her encouraging words invite beginners to embrace the learning process and persist in their efforts to enhance their riding skills.

Takeaways

• 🧘 Active Movement: In sitting trot, riders should actively move with the horse's rhythm rather than sitting still.
• 🔄 Synchronized Motion: The rider's seat should move in sync with the horse's trot, going up and forward as the horse's back moves.
• 👀 Visual Aid: Josie uses a green dot on her belt to help viewers understand the movement of the pelvis during sitting trot.
• 🔄 Diagonal Rhythm: The horse trots in diagonal pairs, which affects how the rider's pelvis moves—up and forward on one side, then the other.
• 🚶‍♀️ Ground Demonstration: Josie demonstrates the movement on the ground to help visual learners understand the concept before applying it on horseback.
• 🤸‍♀️ Practice: Riders should practice the movement in small amounts to get the feel of it and then incorporate it into their sitting trot.
• 🧘‍♀️ Core Engagement: Maintaining the right body tone, similar to a dancer's, is crucial for an elegant sitting trot.
• 🦵 Soft Leg: The rider's leg should be softly draped around the horse, not clamped on, to maintain balance and fluidity.
• 👍 Upright Posture: An upright upper body is essential in sitting trot; leaning forward is for rising trot.
• 💨 Breathing Technique: Breathing out through pursed lips can help engage the core and maintain a flexible but stable torso.
• 🤔 Balance Exercises: Riders should do balance exercises to improve their ability to find and maintain balance on the horse.

Q & A

What is the main focus of Josie's video?

The main focus of Josie's video is to teach viewers how to improve their sitting trot in horse riding, making it look more elegant and controlled.

What is the key advice Josie gives for a better sitting trot?

Josie emphasizes that one should not sit still in the saddle but actively move in time with the horse to create the illusion of stillness.

How does Josie suggest practicing the sitting trot off the horse?

Josie suggests practicing the sitting trot motion off the horse by standing on the ground and mimicking the up and forward movement of the horse's back with the seat.

What visual aid does Josie use to help understand the movement of the pelvis during the sitting trot?

Josie uses a green dot on the front of her belt as a visual aid to help viewers understand and track the movement of the pelvis during the sitting trot.

What is the importance of having the right body tone when practicing the sitting trot?

Having the right body tone is important for maintaining balance and control while riding. It allows for a graceful and elegant movement rather than being too stiff or too loose.

How does Josie describe the ideal tone for riding a horse?

Josie describes the ideal tone as similar to that of a dancer, who carries their body with grace and elegance, and is able to move with control and fluidity.

What exercise does Josie recommend to help find core tone?

Josie recommends breathing out through pursed lips as an exercise to help find and engage core tone while riding.

Why is it important to have a soft leg when riding?

Having a soft leg is important because it allows the rider to maintain balance without clamping onto the horse, and it helps in absorbing the jolts of the trot without bouncing.

What should the upper body posture be like during the sitting trot?

During the sitting trot, the upper body should be upright and aligned with the rest of the body, avoiding leaning forward, which is a characteristic of the rising trot.

How does Josie suggest dealing with the challenge of learning the sitting trot?

Josie suggests giving oneself permission to be a beginner, to practice regularly even if it looks awkward at first, and to be patient with the learning process.

What is Josie's advice on stirrup length and weight distribution during the sitting trot?

Josie advises that if a rider is losing their stirrups during the sitting trot, it could indicate that the stirrups are too long or the rider is tensing their muscles too much. She also mentions that the rider should have weight in the stirrups but not stand in them.