How to Sit the Trot Without Bouncing for Beginners

How to Sit the Trot Without Bouncing for Beginners

Watching a more experienced rider trot along, without bouncing, may look like magic.

Once you’ve tried trotting for the first time, it’s hard to imagine how they do it. They must have thighs of steel, or velcro on their saddle seat! In actuality, they’ve simply practiced a LOT.

Here’s how to start improving:

1. The secret to not bouncing at the trot is learning to relax and not tense up.
2. Think about walking along holding a really full cup of water without a lid. If you don’t want it to spill, you have to let your wrist relax and your elbow bend. It’s the same way with riding at the trot.
3. You have to relax your body and try not to grip hard with your legs.
4. Let your legs hang long, quiet, and with weight down in your heels.
5. Imagine that you have that cup of water strapped to the center of your chest, and you’re trying to keep it from spilling all over you and your trusty steed.
6. Once you learn to sit the trot without squeezing, other pieces of the puzzle will fall into place.
7. You’ll soon learn to coordinate your hands and weight while you’re in the saddle.