Strides for Success

Tag: Trot

  • Securing Your Swinging Lower Leg in Trot and Canter

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    Have you ever glanced down mid-trot or canter and seen your lower leg doing a full-on windscreen wiper impression? You’re not alone. I see this all the time. Novice riders trying to figure out how to stop that swinging lower leg from distracting their horse (and them!).

    The issue is that so often, trying to ‘fix’ your lower leg won’t work. This is because your lower leg is not the issue… It’s just the most visible side effect of something else that’s going on in your riding… 

    Whether you ride with a sensitive horse who thinks you’re asking for more speed. Or a fairly laid-back horse who simply tunes you out, this issue can quickly throw a spanner in the works. So today, let’s get right to the root of it, and more importantly, figure out how to fix it in a way that works long term.

    What Is a Swinging Lower Leg

    First off, let’s be clear on what we’re talking about here. A swinging lower leg is when your leg below the knee moves excessively while you ride. It often swings or flaps forward and back like a pendulum. Or a windscreen wiper! It usually shows up during trot (especially rising/posting) or canter.

    It might look like:

        • Your leg shooting forward when you rise, then swinging back as you sit.

        • Your lower leg losing all contact during canter and flapping uselessly.

        • Your aids becoming inconsistent—or even unintentionally sending the wrong signals.

    And while it’s easy to focus only on that swinging lower leg, the truth is this: the lower leg is rarely the actual problem. It’s a symptom of something else going on in your riding.

    The Real Reason Your Leg is Swinging

    Here’s the hard truth that most riders miss; your lower leg is swinging because something else is out of sync. It’s not about gripping harder or squeezing your leg tighter. In fact, doing that will very often make things worse.

    Instead, think of your body like a kinetic chain. When one link (your seat, your core, your shoulders) is unstable or misaligned, the result often shows up in your lower leg. So rather than treating the symptom, we’re going to dig deeper and fix the actual cause.

    To do this, first you have to figure out when your leg is swinging…

    Step 1: When Does It Happen?

    Get curious about when this is happening for you in your riding. Become a bit of a detective! If you ride alone, the only way to really know for sure is to capture your riding on video.

    First, check what happens in the trot. Particularly the rising trot. For many riders, the swinging lower leg pops up when they are posting. You’ll see that your lower leg (below the knee) shoots forward every time you rise. Instead of being underneath you (as in the Click Your Fingers Rule), it will be somewhere up at your horse’s shoulder or elbow. Then, as you sit back in the saddle, it will swing back under you again.

    I then suggest testing yourself in the canter. You might find that things are fine for you in the trot, but as soon as you transition into canter, that swinging lower leg makes itself known!  It’s like your leg develops a life and mind of its own! Doing its own thing! And, unfortunately, usually either causing your horse to increase speed or tension, or completely ignore you altogether!

    So grab your phone, whip out your Pivo, or get a friend to record you riding. Look closely. When exactly does the swing begin? Is it the trot? Or maybe it’s the canter for you…

    Fixing the Swing in Rising Trot

    Let’s start with trot. If you’ve got a swinging lower leg here, chances are your rising or posting technique needs to be revisited and updated. Most riders learn to post by being told “up-down, up-down.” Combine that with “heels down,” and what you get is standing up on your stirrups. That forward push causes your leg to swing because you’re using the wrong parts of your body to post.

    Instead, here’s a better way to think about it:

        • Imagine squeezing your glutes (your bum cheeks!)

        • Let your belly button travel forward and slightly upward towards your horse’s ears

        • Focus on moving diagonally with the horse, not up and down like a piston

    This subtle shift changes everything. Now, you’re not standing up on your stirrups, you’re moving with your horse’s motion. Your seat stays connected, and your lower leg stops swinging like it’s trying to escape. This also allows your lower leg to become an effective aid when you need it.

    Fixing the Swing in Canter

    Now, if you’ve got a swinging lower leg in the catner, there are a couple of different reasons this is happening.

    1. Are You Gripping with Your Knees?

    Gripping with your thighs or knees turns you into a human clothes peg! And not only does this cause your lower leg to swing, it can also cause your horse to feel uncomfortable.

    Instead, allow your thigh and knee to stay soft and open. Think of your legs ‘draping’ over the saddle. Let your seat move with your horse. And keep your lower leg gently against your horse’s side. No clamping, just resting against your horse’s side, ready for when you want to use your aid.

    2. What Are Your Shoulders Doing?

    This one surprises a lot of riders. But I’ll say it; your shoulders and your lower leg are very often just doing their own thing in the canter! And this is an issue, because it actually STOPS your seat from moving with your horse.

    If you’re doing any of the following in the canter:

        • Circling your shoulders

        • Rocking back and forth like you’re on a swing

        • Collapsing through your upper body

    …then guess what? That movement is disrupting your balance, and your lower leg is paying the price.

    Instead, keep your shoulders steady and aligned. Think tall, soft, and grounded. Let your seat follow your horse, and trust that you don’t need to ‘ride the canter’ with your shoulders. Let your seat do the talking.

    In the canter, your shoulders and lower leg remain ‘consistent’ while your seat and hands move with or follow your horse… 

    Why Holding Your Leg Still Won’t Work

    A quick reminder here: you can’t force your leg to be still by gripping harder or focusing solely on it.  That approach kills suppleness, flow, and the energy that needs to move through you and your horse.

    Instead, your goal is to create consistency through your upper and lower body, while allowing your seat to follow your horse’s movement.

    How to Train a Secure Lower Leg – Without Burning Out

    Like any new habit, improving your leg position takes time and consistency. But it doesn’t have to be overwhelming.

    Here’s how to start smart:

        1. Break it into short, focused blocks. Choose two 8–10 minute sessions within your ride to specifically focus on your lower leg.

        2. Start in the walk. Then move to trot or canter – not both. If both gaits are an issue, focus on trot first until that improves.

        3. Use video. Every few rides, film yourself again. You’ll be amazed at the progress once you train your awareness and refine your feel.

    This is not about “riding better for the whole ride.” That will come. Riding now, if you have a swinging lower leg, you need deliberate, short bursts of effort. This will help you to rewire the habit. To upgrade this ‘basic’ in your riding so that it serves you as the rider you are now.

    It’s a simple (but not always easy) swap. Change the old basic that got you this far, and replace it with a more refined basic that takes you to the next level.

    If you’re dealing with a swinging lower leg, don’t just accept it as something you have to deal with forever. Your swinging lower leg is simply a signal that it’s time to upgrade some of the foundational skills that got you started – but aren’t serving you anymore.  The good news? This is fixable. And it starts with consistent, intentional focus during your rides.

    3 Action Steps for a Swinging Lower Leg

        1. Record yourself riding this week – identify exactly when and where the swinging leg appears

        2. Tweak your rising/posting in trot – aim diagonally forward with your seat, not straight up

        3. Check your shoulders in canter – be consistent with your shoulders and lower leg, and let your seat follow and move with your horse

    If you’re ready to take the next step and refine all those basics that are holding you back, pop over to www.returningtoriding.com and join the waitlist for my free training. I’ll help you make sense of it all so you can go from frustrated passenger to confident rider.

    Happy Riding
    Lorna

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  • Getting into Canter on Your Easygoing or Lazy Horse

    Getting into Canter on Your Easygoing or Lazy Horse

    [fusebox_track_player url=”https://op3.dev/e/traffic.libsyn.com/dailystridespodcast/1253_Getting_From_Trot_to_canter_on_an_easygoing_or_laidback_horse.mp3″ title=”Getting into Canter on an Easygoing or Laidback (lazy) Horse” social_linkedin=”true” social_pinterest=”true” social_email=”true” tweet_text=”Check this out to help make getting into canter easier for you!” hashtag=”lazyhorse #horsepodcast” twitter_username=”strides_success” ]

    Getting into canter on an easygoing or lazy horse can be exhausting!  And while we do love our laidback equines… Can we all be honest in admitting how, sometimes, just a little more enthusiasm would change everything?  The good news is that you can quickly begin to change this in your horse.

    You see, often, the trot to canter is often a symptom of a bigger issue – a lack of responsiveness.

    Increasing your horse’s responsiveness is possible. It will take a consistent approach from you – and the transformation can be instant… 

    So, rather than scrubbing, pushing, and shoving into the canter each time, begin working on increasing overall responsiveness first.  Be strict or disciplined with both yourself (it all starts with you) and your horse.  Oh, and did I mention that you also need consistency ;)

    Your Training Goal

    Before you begin working on this with your horse, it is important to have something to aim for.  My suggestion is to have the goal of being able to ask a question with the lightest of aids, and have your horse instantly respond. However, I get that, right now, this may seem impossible.

    Training your horse to respond to light aids immediately is your focus over the coming few rides. And you will also review this regularly going forward in your riding as well. 

    But, in order for your easygoing or lazy horse to begin changing, you must first take responsibility for your actions.  How things are now is a reflection of what you have continued to allow to happen in your training.  A more responsive horse starts with a more responsive rider…

    Your Leg Aids

    Just like most ways we communicate, you can use different methods with your horse to ask similar questions.  So if you have been just asking one way and not seeing results, maybe it’s time to begin experimenting with a wider range of aids?

    Easygoing or lazy horses need to learn to go forward without constantly being encouraged to do so by the rider’s legs. 

    Think of your leg aids now.  How are they being used to ask your horse to step into the canter?  A slight squeeze?  Maybe a squeeze and a small ‘nudge’?  Or do you have to give a few solid ‘kicks’?  Your aim for your training is to have your horse respond to the slight squeeze.

    However, in order to do that, you may need to apply a little more pressure initially using the ‘kick’.  Although, I would rather strongly suggest the correct use of a schooling or long whip. This is because I believe a ‘tap’ behind your leg to bring your horse’s attention to your leg is often a much ‘nicer’ solution than kicking the sides off your horse!

    Moving from Obvious to Subtle

    As you work towards the ‘light touch’, it will be so important to remember that consistency is key when working on responsiveness. So getting on and wandering around for 10 minutes not really focusing on anything while ‘warming up’ will not help your situation! From the moment your bum enters the saddle, your focus will be on responsiveness.

    Most riders overlook the very first transition that happens when begin riding. The one from halt to walk. Rather pay attention to it. This is where you can set the tone for the conversation going forward. 

    Aim for the whole conversation to be ‘I, the rider, ask a question and then you, the horse, respond in a timely fashion’. Ask followed by a quick response.  Repeat this over and over, throughout the ride.  Start in walk and trot.  And only when your horse is truly ‘going forward’, begin to work on the canter.

    Stop Nagging Every Single Stride

    The final key to this is to change the habit of nagging.  When you have ridden an easygoing or lazy horse for any length of time, certain habits can creep into your riding.  Kicking or squeezing every single stride is one of those habits. Now, the irony is that you may feel like you MUST do this to keep him going forward, right?

    It is important to remember that, when riding, the goal is for you to ask a question, and your horse responds until you interupt and ask a different question

    Part of your responsibility, as a rider, is to allow your horse to take responsibility for his role in this conversation.  Your horse must begin to take responsibility for ‘going forward’.  And if you are reminding him of this every single stride, he simply can’t.

    Learn to ask a question.  Repeat if necesary with more pressure.  Let your horse respond. Then wait until you need to make a correction…

    The correction in this situation is asking again for more energy when you feel that he has stopped working forward himself. And going forward is not ‘working forwards’.  True forward feels like moving with a sense of purpose.  Keep that in mind as well.

    Your Easygoing or Lazy Horse

    As you begin working on this the next time you’re in the saddle it is really important to remember one thing.  The struggle you are experiencing while getting from trot to canter with your more easygoing or lazy horse is merely a symptom.  The root cause is a lack of responsiveness.

    Responsiveness is one of the easiest things to correct in your riding.  And it is something you have almost 100% control over the outcome.

    Keep in mind that the key to overcoming this challenge is to be consistent with your training, and how you ‘show up’.  I would suggest short, extremely focused sessions of 20 to 30 minutes initially and then build from there.

    You will be amazed at what you can transform in just one ride!

    Happy Riding
    Lorna

    More About Canter Transitions:-

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  • When Your Horse ‘Runs’ From the Trot into the Canter

    When Your Horse ‘Runs’ From the Trot into the Canter

    Riding, just like life, is about enjoying the journey rather than just the destination.  However, when you’re transitioning from the trot into the canter – and your horse seems determined to show you just how fast he can actually trot beforehand; well, the journey is not all that enjoyable!

    I don’t know of a single rider who enjoys the ‘rush’ of a horse running from trot to canter. It is bouncy, unbalancing, and, sometimes, scary.  Also, it more often than not sets up a canter that feels like all of the above as well.

    The good news is that there are a few things you can do, starting today, to begin re-schooling this behavior; for you and your horse.

     1. Improve Your Suppleness, Coordination, and Balance

    This can seem pretty obvious.  However, for many riders, the struggle to transition from the trot into the canter is down to their lack of suppleness.  The suppleness required for a mediocre trot is not the same as what is required for a forward-thinking and moving canter.

    And as you begin to set up the canter, the increased energy and intention inside both you and your horse can become blocked by your lack of suppleness

    This shows up as excess tension in the rider’s body; the more energy they feel, the more than ‘hunker down’ and try to ‘control’ both themselves and their horse. This will naturally lead to more bouncing, less balance, and a breakdown in the coordination of your aids.

    Devote some time to practicing how you respond when you create more energy within just the trot. Work on channeling that energy, rather than ‘holding it’. 

     2. Spend Time Developing the Trot

    This leads me to the next point.  Developing a more rhythmic, spacious, and forward trot will really help you transition from the trot into the canter with greater ease and balance.  The trot is the gait where we often simply accept what we have been given with regard to our horse’s way of going.

    Most horses will have a natural rhythm in the trot, and it is important to keep in mind that you can positively influence this further.

    Work on forwardness (both thinking and going), responsiveness, lightness, and creating more space inside of each stride.  From here, you can then begin to ‘test’ yourself using the sitting trot.  If you are struggling to remain balanced, relaxed (correct tension), and coordinated inside of a better-quality trot, revisit the first point again!

    Working between walk and trot will also help you here as you can practice what you are doing before, during, and after the upward and downward transitions.  More on that in point number 4.

     3. Get Clear on EXACTLY What You Want

    Yes, you want to get from the trot into the canter.  And, if that is all you want, that is probably what you will get; and any way possible! Not ideal and often not enjoyable either. Okay, so if you were to rethink this, what do you actually want regarding this transition?

    Where do you want it to happen? How would you like it to feel? What type of canter are you looking to create when there? And what is the focus for the actual transition as training for you or your horse?

    When you are working with a younger horse or a green horse, you can be a little more relaxed with regards to getting things ‘exactly’ as you want them.  However, the longer you are working together, the more specific you should become on what you want and how you want it.

    I feel that ‘balanced’ is always a good outcome to work towards.  So too is accuracy. Lightness really does help it all feel better. As well as straightness throughout…

     4. Transition From Trot into the Canter

    When you know what you want, you can now go and make it happen. Start by modeling everything you expect your horse and the transition to be, through your own body and actions.  Ride the transition exactly as you want it to happen.

    Straighten yourself in the saddle.  Carry yourself and remain ‘light’, especially with your upper body. Be accurate and timely with your aids. And respond in a way that allows your horse to do what you ask him to do. 

    When you feel the trot beginning to deteriorate, change the focus.  Rather go back to balancing the trot again. Once you have it back to a quality you are happy with, set it all up and ask again.  Pushing on through for the sake of pushing on through is rarely the right way to develop a better transition from the trot into the canter.

    When you feel the quality of the trot, and therefore the transition begins to deteriorate; rather focus on improving that first. From this reestablished place, try again. 

     5. Allow the Canter to Flow

    The more attention to detail you devote to what happens in the lead-up to the transition, and through the transition, the better each transition will become over time. However, getting from a trot into the canter is a 3 part process.

        1. Establish a good quality trot
        2. Ask for a clean, timely, balanced, and light transition
        3. Allow the canter to go forwards

    As riders, we can often become confused with our role in each of the questions we ask when riding.  The canter is no different.  So many riders think that they have to ‘do’ canter in order to canter!

    Your job is to ask your horse to canter, and then get out of the way and allow him to canter. You do not canter; he does. 

    This means that leaning forward, especially with the shoulders to the inside, is not helping your horse.  In fact, it’s probably doing the exact opposite and blocking his inside shoulder. Similarly, collapsing into the back of the saddle to stop bouncing is equally unhelpful.  It blocks the flow of energy from back to front.  This prevents any connection, lightness, and self-carriage from happening.

    The canter is a gait that you can see an almost instant improvement in when you know what to look for and do. All it takes is some dedication, focus, and the right guidance.

    Happy Riding
    Lorna

    Improving Your Canter

    If you are keen to develop your canter more, I would love to help you. YOU CAN FIND ALL THE DETAILS HERE for a 4-week program on the canter. Using a blend of audio horse riding lessons, and video, you will receive step-by-step guidance on how to improve your canter.

    Created with riders who are working alone without a trainer or coach, you will learn how to improve both yourself and your horse. Getting into, riding the actual canter, and transitioning out of it too.

    The course is self-study, and you get lifetime access to all of the materials, meaning you can go back and refine things over and over again. Created with the goal of 3 focused rides a week to work on your canter, this program can transform how you think about, ride, and develop the canter. For you and your horse. CLICK HERE FOR MORE DETAILS

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  • Revisiting the Basics; Why You NEED to Do This in Your Riding…

    Revisiting the Basics; Why You NEED to Do This in Your Riding…

    [fusebox_track_player url=”https://op3.dev/e/traffic.libsyn.com/dailystridespodcast/1236_Revisiting_the_Basics_Why_You_Must_as_a_Rider.mp3″ title=”Regularly Revisiting the Basics; Why You MUST Do This as a Rider…” social_linkedin=”true” social_pinterest=”true” social_email=”true” tweet_text=”Here’s proof that the basics in horse riding are not just for beginners… ” hashtag=”equestrianpodcast #horseriding” twitter_username=”strides_success” ]

    It can seem like something that only novice or beginner riders would worry themselves with; revisiting the basics.  After all, surely there’s a point where, as riders, we can ‘set and forget’ a couple of things in our riding? Basics like position and the aids.  Or trotting and cantering…

    And I think a lot of this stems from the fact that we see the basics as being, somehow, for beginners.  For riders who are only just getting started on their journey.  Surely not riders who have been hard at work for 5, 10, 40 years… Or riders who are competing at high levels. 

    And yet, if riders could begin to swap out the word ‘basics’ and replace it with the ‘essential foundations for the current level of work or development’, revisiting those old places, from this ‘new level’, wouldn’t seem so bad after all, would it?

    Upgrading As a Rider

    As a rider, you are developing your skills all the time.  You learn new ways of doing things.  And you also stop doing things in certain ways because they no longer serve you.

    Being willing to put down old thoughts, methods, and ways is an essential part of growing and developing as a rider. 

    When riders cling to the ‘old ways’, progress will inevitably come to a halt.  Whether we like it or not, there is a capacity for what we can hold at any one point in time…

    And yet, letting go of the old ways can feel so uncomfortable!  There are thoughts like ‘well, it’s worked fine up until now’ and ‘if it’s not broken, why fix it?’.  To which I answer, why wait until it breaks?  Upgrades are essential for everything that is in good working order.  Maintainance and replacing worn-out parts keep things going – and make them better.

    You cannot ask a horse to halt the old way and ask a horse to halt the new way at the same time.  Something has to give. 

    Deciding What Needs Revisiting

    I am a huge believer in tracking things.  Looking for patterns and then tweaking a specific something in order to see what happens.  If you apply this to your riding, you will begin to clearly see what needs upgrading.

    For example, perhaps you have now begun to work on contact.  You can maintain good quality contact while you and your horse are moving forwards.  However, as soon as a downward transition is required – Hello Hollowness or Hello Heaviness! In this situation, it could be your half halt that needs to be revisited and upgraded to now include or allow for this new skill of contact.  Or it may be your balance of aids; how you are using your aids together to communicate something specific to your horse.  Maybe you need to learn to become less reliant on the reins through downward transitions and develop your seat and weight aids more.

    Each time you learn something new, incorporate something different or reach a plateau in your riding, it is worthwhile revisiting the basics. 

    Tracking your progress, and your horse’s development will allow you to see specifically what needs to upgrade in order to truly move forward to the next level in your riding.  And, as riders, it is important to both want to and try to develop your skills, understanding, and practice.

    What Makes a Great Rider?

    It’s a big question, I know.  But if I think about someone who I really admire as a rider, what usually stands out is how ‘quiet’ they are.  They really have taken the time to develop their skills in a way that allows for a ‘secret conversation’ to take place.

    Great riders, whether they realize it or not, are happy to adapt what they do in order to more effectively communicate and partner with their horse. 

    They are fluid in their thinking and actions.  They know that a one size fits all solution is not the key to working with any horse. They can assess and feel the situation without even consciously having to think about it.  And they have their own basics sorted out and developed so that their focus can be on the effective communication they want to achieve with their horse. Not fixing their position or using more ‘leg’ at a certain point in the movement.

    And they are not afraid to go back, spend time revisiting the basics knowing that what they put onto autopilot is what works NOW for them in their riding.  This creates clarity going forward in the training and development. 

    Revisiting the Basics in Your Riding

    This is a key point; your basics should be on autopilot.  You really and truly do not want to spend your time in the saddle focusing your attention on ‘lifting your hands or bending your elbows’.  You also don’t want to keep having to ‘fix’ your lower leg because it wanders.

    Whether you realize it or not, you already have basics on autopilot.  The question is, are those things still serving you? Or are they outdated and holding you back?

    How you stopped your horse the very first time you rode a horse looks very different to how you stop a horse now – we hope!  You upgraded your knowledge and skills.  And from this upgrading, you changed the actions you take to make it happen.

    Doing things a certain way because that is how you have always done something is only a recipe for becoming stuck and hitting a plateau in your riding. You MUST upgrade things in order to improve and thrive as a rider. 

    Start Today

    I bet that, as you read this, one or two things jumped out at you that you can begin working on or improving in your riding.  It could be the thing that an instructor or trainer is saying a lot… Or something that seems to be written on every ‘marks sheet’ you get from judges or assessors.  It may be something you keep complaining about to your equestrian friends, or your horse!

    Once you have identified something that needs upgrading (and something will always need upgrading), begin creating a plan to make it happen…

    Find out more about that basic.  How can it evolve or how can the role change?  What can you do differently or change?  When you know more about something, the path to making it happen will appear.

    Find exercises that will help you to work or develop that basic more. Some may be riding-related, or some may require you to upgrade your mindset or physical fitness. 

    Once you know what you want to work on, the final piece is to do it.  Take diligent, correct action, and see how things change.  Once you upgrade a basic, you will see a whole new level appearing in your riding.  And your horse will feel the difference as well.

    Happy Riding
    Lorna

    Returning to Riding Program

    For many riders, being out of the saddle for a while means that they are no longer sure of what needs work in their riding!  If you have been on a break from riding (2 months or 20 years) and would like a step-by-step system to get you back into regular, effective riding, make sure you check out Returning to Riding.

    This premium program (usually $497) is completely free if you join Connection, my monthly membership for equestrians, in the month of March 2022.

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  • Feeling and Finding The Correct Diagonal in the Trot

    Feeling and Finding The Correct Diagonal in the Trot

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    Landing on the correct diagonal can be hit and miss for many riders. Let’s face it, there’s a chance you’ll get it right 50% of the time! And while most riders are pretty well versed on their diagonals in the trot… It’s ‘feeling’ the diagonal that causes confusion.

    Trotting has a two-time beat. The 1,2,1,2,1,2,1,2,1,2 that you experience and feel when you’re in the saddle. If you do sitting trot, it will result in a sit,sit,sit,sit,sit,sit,sit,sit rhythm. However, most riders can ‘tire’ a little when it comes to riding a constant sitting trot! And so, we learn to post or rise in the trot.

    The 1,2,1,2,1,2 is matched with an up,down,up,down,up,down of the riders backside. The rhythm of up-downs and the rhythm of the trot are a perfect match.

    The Correct Diagonal

    The reason your horse creates the 1,2, rhythm in the trot is because of how he moves his legs while he is trotting. The right-back foot moves with the front left foot. This is the ‘1’ part of the rhythm. Then the left-back foot moves with the right front foot. This is the ‘2’ part of the rhythm.

    The trot is very ‘even’ with regards to what is moving where… This is also the reason it can be hard to ‘feel’ what diagonal you are on at any given point!

    The correct diagonal is when you are moving with the inside hind leg – and, by association, outside front leg – of your horse. There is a little rhyme, ‘rise and fall with the shoulder by the wall’. That about sums it up. As your horse’s outside shoulder is forward, you want to be ‘up’. As this shoulder moves back, you want to be down.

    I have a post and an episode HERE about how to identify the correct diagonal through sight and voice…

    Up/Down versus Forward/Back

    So, part of the confusion is the ‘up – downs’ we all learn when we start rising or posting to the trot. Because we learn up and down, we tend to think of the trot as being ‘up and down’. It’s not. It’s actually ‘forward and back, with a little up and down thrown in for good measure!

    Your horse’s legs move forward when he trots. They appear to move ‘back again’ in the second part of the stride, but this is actually just his body moving over the previously just moved forward limbs. This is important to learn how to feel your diagonal.

    As you ride sitting trot, notice how the movement is less ‘up and down’ and more ‘forward and back’. From here, notice how your seat bones are actually moving independently of each other.

    Your left seat bone will move forward and dip slightly down as your horse’s left back leg moves forward. This will coincide with your horse’s right shoulder moving forward. As this happens, your right seat bone will move ‘back’ while also coming up a little. This is as you and your horse’s body moves over his right hind foot on the ground.

    It’s a little like imagining the pedals of a bicycle peddling backward. As one goes down and forward, the other comes up and back.

    It is a quick movement and one that is easily missed – especially if we are only allowing ourselves to think in terms of ‘up and down’ when we think of trotting.

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    Start in Sitting Trot

    I am going to suggest starting in sitting trot and using what you can see to guide you initially. You can glance at your horse’s shoulder. Pay attention to the outside one. Let’s for the sake of this example, say that you are riding anticlockwise around the arena. On the ‘left rein’. Your horse’s outside shoulder is his right shoulder in this example.

    Practice glancing down and being able to identify when the shoulder is moving and where it is moving to.

    From here, begin to build a relationship in your head between what that shoulder is doing, and what it means the diagonal back leg is doing in the trot. In this case, it is the left back leg. When your horse’s outside (right) shoulder is forward, it means that his inside (left) hind leg is also moving forward. The same for when it is back.

    From here, begin noticing how this feels in your body. Can you feel the slight ‘dip’ of your inside (left) seat bone? How about the slight forward swing of your inside (left) seat bone?  And what about your upper body? Can you feel any difference there as your horse moves this diagonal pair you are focusing on in the trot? Play with this for a while. Change diagonal often and look for the differences.

    Learning how to feel what is happening underneath you in the trot takes time. It won’t happen if you won’t commit the time to learn!

    Test Yourself Often

    Once you feel that you can, indeed, tell what is moving where test this theory. Feel into it. Identify the correct diagonal pair that you want to move with. Once you think you have identified the pair, begin ‘moving with’ it.

    Moving with the correct diagonal pair simply means rising and falling in time to the movement of those legs.

    As the two legs on your chosen diagonal pair move forward, you move forward. You rise or post. And, as they begin moving back, you do too in that you ’sit’ or ride the ‘down’ part of your rising trot. Remember, your horse’s legs don’t actually move backward, it is simply you and your horse moving over the legs as you travel forward.

    The final part is glancing down to the outside shoulder and seeing if you chose correctly.

    Mastering Your Diagonal

    Choosing the correct diagonal every single time can seem daunting at first. However, the good news is that it’s one of those things in horse riding that is hard until it’s not!

    Meaning, once this ‘clicks’ for you, you will wonder how you could not feel this before.

    If you want step-by-step audio training to listen to as you learn to master this skill, join Connection; the online membership for equestrians. In there you can get the Diagonal audio horse riding lessons. And a whole lot more training, coaching, and riding plans to use with your horse.

    Happy Riding
    Lorna

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  • The Canter to Trot Transition

    The Canter to Trot Transition

    Transition from canter to trot
    The canter to trot transition is the one transition that so many riders don’t ever think about until they are in the midst of it. So much focus and attention are put into getting into the canter, and yet the ‘getting out of the canter’ is just left to chance.
    [smart_track_player url=”https://op3.dev/e/traffic.libsyn.com/dailystridespodcast/1146-Your-Canter-to-Trot-Transition.mp3″ title=”Riding a Better Transition from Canter to Trot” social_linkedin=”true” social_pinterest=”true” social_email=”true” tweet_text=”Smooth out that transition from canter back to trot with this episode of the Daily Strides Podcast” hashtag=”equestrianpodcast” twitter_username=”strides_success” ]
    Today I want to give you a few ideas to work on, in the saddle, before you get into the canter that will help you begin riding a smoother and more ‘put together’ canter to trot transition.

    The Bouncy Transition

    For so many riders, the canter to trot transition is filled with bounce and general bumpiness.  And usually in a way that is not benefiting the rider or the horse.  I personally think that this is often due to the fact that the canter can and will improve the trot.
    Meaning that when the trot is flat and not all that great, the rider is okay. However as soon as there is ‘more’ happening in the trot; well it’s not all smooth sailing or riding.
    So if you find yourself being able to manage quite nicely when in trot ‘before the canter’, but struggling little with the same trot after a canter, you are in need of suppleness. Because this is a rider issue.  It is your inability to ride the transition that is the issue where.

    Working on Your Responsiveness

    If you are experiencing challenges with your canter to trot transition, I am going to suggest starting with responsiveness.  And not when cantering!  Before you begin riding the canter, work on improving your responsiveness as a rider. I firmly believe that almost always, a lack of responsiveness comes from the rider.
    How consistent are you being with your aids and your riding in general? Your horse will ‘mirror’ or ‘reflect’ your approach to responsiveness. Meaning the ball is firmly in your court when it comes to improving it.
    Responsiveness is important for al transitions.  where a lack of responsiveness affects the downward canter to trot transition is that when it is lacking, a certain amount of ‘hauling’ happens!  Rather than the aids communicating the intention for a smooth transition to the horse, the rider has to pull and tug the horse into the trot.
    My advice is to work on your responsiveness in halt, walk and trot before you pick up the canter.  Pay particular attention to your timing, your half-halt, and how you are ‘releasing’ when your horse responds.

    Maintaining the Contact

    The canter to trot transition can be confusing when it comes to contact for many riders.  There is a tendency to throw the contact at the horse. I often think that this is in a slightly misguided attempt to prevent catching the horse in the mouth.  And while you definitely don’t want to catch or jab your horse in the mouth; you also don’t want to drop him where contact is concerned.
    Contact is like a mutual agreement between horse and rider.  Maintaining a positive and ‘working’ contact through the transition is essential if you are both to build trust and confidence.
    The other side of contact is when the rider holds on too tight.  This is usually due to either a need to balance on the reins – which NEVER works!  Or a deep desire to control EVERYTHING!  Again, contact is a mutual agreement.  It cannot be this when you are using it to further your own agenda 😉
    Here, I advise you to begin establishing a truly independent seat.  Correct your base of support and begin relying on yourself to maintain balance throughout the transition.  It will go a lot further to riding a good canter to trot transition.
    Incorrect use of the contact through the transition often causes the horse to hollow.  This results in that horrible bounce riders experience as the horse moves into the trot.  The irony, of course, is that this same bounce causes many riders to hold on even tighter!  Learn to follow your horse, seat, and hand, through the transition.

    Asking for Straightness

    If you ride a canter for any length of time, without being mindful of what is happening, your horse might begin to ‘curl’.  Usually, it is around your inside leg.  But sometimes the hindquarters ‘curl’ to the outside.  Either way, all thoughts of straightness fly out of the arena and this has a real negative impact on the canter to trot transition.
    In order to really maintain the energy flow, so, therefore, establishing a good quality trot from the get-go, attention to straightness is necessary.
    My advice is to begin working on this in other transitions.  Allow it to become a habit for you and your horse in all transitions.
    Will it be perfect from the beginning?  No!  In fact, it probably won’t be anywhere near perfect for quite some time.  However, by training yourself to look for this, from day 1 (today) you will be more inclined to encourage it through the canter to trot transition.

    Your Position Through the Transition

    There is a tendency for riders to either lean back or collapse forward when riding the canter to trot transition. Either of these things is going to make for an uncomfortable entry to the trot.  If riders lean back, it encourages the horse to become hollow.  Simply put, the energy no longer flows from the back end to the front end.  Hollowness also causes a really uncomfortable ‘bumpiness’ to happen!
    Keep in mind that there is also a tendency for many horses to become heavy in front when they get back into the trot from the canter.  The rider sitting perched on the withers will only amplify this!
    Your focus should be on maintaining your alignment, before during and after the transition.  This will put you in the best position to communicate with your horse.  And also, to allow your horse to actually do what you have asked him to do.
    Again, practice this as you work between halt, walk, and trot.  Use the slower gaits to really begin training your body to remain aligned, so that when you do ask for the canter to trot transition, your body will be more inclined to remain in alignment.

    The Canter to Trot Transition

    Simple things practiced correctly before you ever get into canter can really help you to improve this transition.  Finally, I am also going to suggest getting back into a rising trot, posting to the trot, as soon as possible after the transition. This will allow you to establish your balance more quickly.
    And, the rising trot will encourage a more rhythmic trot from the first step as well.
    Happy Riding
    Lorna

    The Original Returning to Riding Program

    Are you looking for a way to get back into confident regular riding again? If so, I have a step-by-step, day-by-day plan to help you make this a reality that works with your existing lifestyle.
    The Original Returning to Riding Program is an audio program, that plays from a podcast that you subscribe to on your phone.  Each day, new training or lesson is available for you to use as you make the transition from ‘grounded’ to regular riding again. You can find out more about it HERE

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