A young or green horse needs all the support he can get when it comes to moving forward in a balanced frame. By posting the trot, you can transfer your own balance and rhythm to the horse.
Focus on the "Do's" "There aren't a lot of tricks to posting," Lange says. However, in that simple sit-and-stand sequence, there's a lot of room for error, especially when you're first starting. The best thing you can do is to create a mental checklist for your posting sessions. That way, you can focus on what you're doing right. Post with your seat, not with your hands. Riders new to posting have a tendency to post with their entire bodies, including their hands.
This creates confusion for the horse, who relies on your hands for communication. Keep in mind that, as you rise and sit, your hands need to stay in one place. This will take practice, so keep your elbows soft and let them hinge as you post up and down. For extra security, fix your hands in one place by resting them on the pommel or horn of the saddle. When you post, your stirrups are an important part of positioning. While you shouldn't rely solely on your stirrups to help you rise out of the saddle, they do help with your balance and create a base for you to post, says professional horsewoman Leslie Lange.
Too long of a stirrup and you'll struggle to clear the seat. Too short and you might just launch out of your horse's orbit. In general, you should rise out of the saddle high enough to fit one of your hands sideways between your seat and the saddle, meaning your stirrups have to be short enough for you to stand at least four inches clear of the saddle's seat. Here are some tips to make sure your stirrups are adjusted correctly. Hunt or jumping seat: The correct leather and stirrup length for riding in an English hunt seat saddle is approximately equal to the distance from your finger tips to your underarm.
Measure your stirrups by placing your fingers on the buckle, pull the leather taut and hold the iron in the pit of your arm. Western or dressage: Both dressage and western riders tend to have a longer leg in the saddle than hunt seat and jumping riders. A longer leg also means a longer stirrup. Although western and dressage saddles look very different, riders in both disciplines tend to use the same method to adjust stirrups. Sitting in the saddle, drop your stirrups or irons.
With your legs relaxed, the bottom of the stirrup should hit at or just above your ankle bone. Of course, both methods are just basic rules of thumb. Use your best judgment or consult someone knowledgeable when deciding on the proper length of stirrups for your body. And no matter what kind of saddle you ride in, make sure both of your stirrups are the same length.
Adjusting your stirrups to the right length will make posting easier. The tread platform on western stirrups should be approximately ankle height, allowing for a slight bend in the knee, making it easy to rise but not too high. In an English saddle, stirrup length is only slightly shorter, allowing for a nice bend in the knees, with heels down and toes turned out on a slight angle. Too short a stirrup and you'll be boosted out of your saddle higher than you want.
Stay mindful of your horse's mouth. Along with posting with their hands, many riders new to the rising trot will unknowingly balance on their horses' mouths or "water ski" their way up, meaning they pull on the reins to help themselves rise out of the saddle. This can seriously hurt your horse's lips, gums, tongue and palate, and contribute to a hard mouth.
To avoid this issue, concentrate on maintaining a light and consistent contact with your horse's mouth as you post. If this is a particular struggle for you in the beginning, use the saddle horn or a bucking strap to help you rise. Keep your knees, ankles and hips soft.
The rising trot is a simple up-down, up-down rhythm, which doesn't allow time for a full stand. You'll find that just as soon as you rise up, you're sitting back down again. As you rise, stay relaxed in your joints rather than locking your knees, ankles and hips into a standing position. On the way down, just gently touch the saddle with your sit-bones rather than thudding down on your horse's back.
Post with your horse instead of against him. With my current horse, I am finding it a challenge to post. Anything I should consider? Any help would be appreciated. The popularity of gaited horses has drastically increased lately.
There seems to be a correlation of interest along with the age of the largest recreational riding market: the Baby Boomers. At 51 years old, I am at the very bottom of this generation and beginning to feel the normal aches and pains of growing older.
Also, many people are getting into riding for the first time at this age, or coming back to riding after several decades or more and the gaited horse can be easier to ride because the gaits may be smoother and the horses are often narrower, which also increases comfort for the rider.
Gaited horses come in all shapes, sizes and colors and there are a variety of breeds with varying abilities and temperaments. Each breed is distinct for its size, temperament and purpose, so it is worthwhile investigating your various options to see what the best fit is for you. Some things to consider: First, just like naturally gaited horses, some are smooth gaited and some are not; there is not a guarantee that all gaited horses are smooth.
Doing so allows one foot to constantly be on the ground, allowing the horse to conserve more energy than they would while trotting. Gaited horses are used for traveling as they have greater stamina and endurance. Are there benefits to owning a gaited horse? Do gaited horses have limitations? Keep reading to learn more about this unique characteristic that is natural to many horse breeds. Although there is a significant difference between a gaited horse and one that is simply moving in an odd way, it can be hard to recognize the differences at first glance.
So, how do you recognize a gaited horse? The best way is to simply observe their movements. A gaited horse will traditionally have a four-beat gait. When walking, each foot will fall individually, following a precise pattern. Most gaited horses follow a pattern of right hind, right front, left hind, left front or right front, left hind, left front, right hind. Upon closer observation, this pattern should be rather obvious.
Additionally, when you watch a gaited horse walk from the side, you will notice that both legs on one side will move forward simultaneously. The rear foot will always fall before the front foot. Some of the most common gaited horse breeds include the following:. Naturally gaited horses , originally known as saddle horses, have been a popular mode of transportation since the early s.
Gaited horses are characterized by their stamina and endurance, making them easy to ride for long periods of time. By never suspending themselves in the air, a gaited horse is able to conserve more energy than a horse that trots.
A horse that is naturally gaited carries this quality in their genes. Naturally gaited horses often display a calm, easy-going demeanor making them a popular choice for long trail rides or beginner riders.
There are many benefits to riding a gaited horse. In this section, we will share a bit more about the unique benefits this type of horse provides to a rider. Gaited horses are used for traveling as they have greater stamina and endurance. If you just want to enjoy the countryside without putting too much effort into your ride, a gaited horse like a Tennessee Walking Horse is perfect. If you want to try ranch riding, a Quarter Horse is one of the best horse breeds for beginners.
For someone who has never seen a horse gaiting, this can look very strange and 'unnatural' — but it really is something they are born to do! To put it simply a gaited horse, moves like a regular horse does at a walk, it places all four feet down independently, the difference is in the upper speeds , the next speed for a trotting horse is a trot, and for a gaited horse it is just a faster walk, and some gaited horses can walk so fast that even the trotting Gaited horses are just wired a little differently in the brain, plus some to a greater or lesser extent have their conformation tweaked a little also.
It is not often said, but because their hind legs come way up underneath them, many TWHs have a beautiful canter. Well conformed TWHs can gallop , and gallop very fast. Gaited horses can jump with a little extra training and guidance help — and some can even reach high levels of jumping competition. If you do plan to teach your horse to jump, make sure you set a good training foundation and remove any special gaited gear before you begin stacks, padded shoes, etc.
American Saddlebreds succeed in a wide range of equine disciplines, including dressage, barrel racing, endurance and jumping. They also make excellent cattle horses, carriage horses and even trail horses because of their comfortable, easy gait and even temperament. The world's oldest breed but, to me, the world's ugliest horse.
Here are seven horse breeds that are often touted as ideal for novice riders Friesian Horse. Icelandic Horse. Tennessee Walking Horse. Welsh Cob.
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