How to Sit the Trot in Dressage

The trot is a two-beat gait that is faster than the walk but slower than the canter or gallop. Dressage riders must be able to post the trot and sit it. Posting involves lifting up out of the saddle every other beat, while sitting the trot requires the rider to stay firmly seated in the saddle the entire time. Riders must be able to sit the trot smoothly with minimal bouncing and jiggling to successfully ride through a dressage test in competition.

Instructions

    • 1

      Tack up your horse in a dressage saddle. Warm up at a walk and then practice trotting. Attempt to sit the trot. Make sure your heels are down and move with your hips and seat to control as much of the motion as possible. Your hips and seat need to be able to flow along with the horse's back in order to establish a smooth appearance at the trot. Practice at a slower trot to start with and then gradually allow your horse to speed up. Practice is absolutely necessary to be able to sit the trot.

    • 2

      Wear full seat breeches that are designed to help provide a better grip between the rider and the saddle. You may also want to try riding in a saddle with a deep, soft seat to reduce bouncing.

    • 3

      Ride without stirrups. Riding without the benefit of stirrups is often considered a good way to improve your seat and strengthen your position because it forces you to rely on your muscles and skill to maintain position. It also keeps you from using the stirrups to lift yourself away from the bouncing created by the trot, forcing you to sit the gait.

    • 4

      Contact a riding instructor to help you learn how to sit the trot properly and pinpoint any position flaws that may cause you to have a problem sitting the trot. A good riding instructor may lunge the horse with you on it to allow you to focus completely on sitting the trot.

    • 5

      Switch horses so you can practice on a horse with a smoother trot. Some horses have difficult or rough gaits and are hard to learn to sit on. Try learning to sit the trot on a horse with a smoother gait until you master the skill. Once you have learned to sit the trot adequately, attempt to sit the trot on your own rougher gaited horse.