Understanding how a trot works helps us ride it better! A trot is a two-beat gait, meaning the horse’s hooves hit the ground at two distinct points. In this video, I break it down so you can see these different phases of the trot. Many English riders “post” a trot. Posting means rising up out of the saddle for one beat of the trot and sitting for the next. You can see me does this movement with Noah in the video. A “diagonal,” something that confuses many beginners, simply refers to which front leg of the horse you are following. For example, if you are posting on the right diagonal, you will come out of the saddle when the horse’s front right leg is moving forward. On the left, you rise with the left front leg. The “correct” diagonal is to rise and fall with the leg on the wall!
Watch the video to see in detail everything I’m talking about here. Enjoy!
I read in a book once that the canter was the gait at which worry couldn’t keep up. I certainly subscribe to that belief ;) Cantering can be tons of fun, with its rocking-horse motion and the exhilaration of speed. But what is a canter? And how do you ask a horse to canter? The video below explains the basics of a canter gait and how to ask for a canter from the sitting trot.
