Here is a handy exercise I’ve been doing with some of my riders lately.
Figure X Pattern for Sitting and Posting Trot
(That is a Figure X in an arena. )
The exercise:
- For half the Figure X, do sitting trot.
- For the other half, do posting trot.
- They should try to make the transitions between sitting and posting exactly at C and A.
Here are some examples of when to use this exercise:
- Sitting trot
- (the rider already knows posting and needs to work on sitting)
- Teach the sitting trot
- Practice sitting the trot for half the long wall, a few steps at a time to keep them from getting too bouncy.
- Progress to the whole long wall.
- Progress to across the diagonal for a longer distance.
- Progress to from A to C, using the figure X, alternating with posting.
- Posting on the correct diagonal
- (the rider already knows posting and sitting, and need to work on diagonals)
- Teach posting on the correct diagonal
- Practice picking up the correct diagonal on the rail
- Progress to the figure X, alternating posting and sitting, practicing picking up the correct diagonal when they transition from sitting to posting.
- Transitioning between posting and sitting
- Originally I used this to work on the sitting trot and crossing the diagonal with a rider, but discovered when he transitioned between sitting and posting his horse always stopped because his balance changed and he pulled on the reins. So we worked on transitioning between posting and sitting while staying balance, first on the rail, and then back in the pattern.
Enjoy!
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Note: This is not professional advice, this is a blog. I am not liable for what you do with or how you use this information. The activities explained in this blog may not be fit for every rider, riding instructor, or riding center depending on their current condition and resources. Use your best personal judgement!