How to Ride the Trot & Canter: Part II

Hi, I’m Caroline Rider of Rider Horsemanship. This month’s Holistic Horse “Ask the Expert” Q&A is about developing a balanced seat during the trot to canter transition. This month’s viewer question is: “Dear Caroline, I bounce often at the trot, causing me to tense and my horse to speed up and rush into the canter. My question is threefold; how do I learn to sit the sitting trot and how do I ask my horse into a canter from the sitting trot? I also need to help my horse remain calm and tolerant of me while I am learning. Please help!”

This video is in two parts with the first part, Part I, demonstrating how I teach the rider how to embody energy, rhythm and become one with the horse in that movement. This is achieved through my ground work exercises for both horse and rider and involve both the free longe and my longeing technique. Here is the link to view Part I:    • How to Ride the Trot & Canter: Part I  

This video, Part II, is about transferring my ground work approach and technique to riding. Here I demonstrate the following qualities necessary to developing a balanced, independent seat within the rider as well as sitting the sitting trot to canter transitions:
Rider embodiment of the 2 beat trot and/or 3 beat canter when asking the horse to engage in similar movement
Breakdown of rider’s position, and body mechanics, when asking for specific movement
Understanding the function of the pelvis, hips, and seat when involved in movement
Qualities or proper rider position for rider-horse synergy, alignment and balance
Biomechanics of rider and horse in movement when engaged in the 2 beat trot and the 3 beat canter

I prefer to teach the sitting trot to canter transition bareback and for several reasons: 1) riding bareback will keep you safe. Yes, safe. I don’t know anyone, including myself, who will take the risk of getting hurt when riding bareback. You either know you can get on your horse and work safely bareback or you don’t. Bareback riding tends to remind us to not take the chances we would normally when in the saddle. We tend to take our time and are more mindful, aware, of our surroundings including our horse; 2) developing balance is easier without stirrups. We tend to put too much pressure, brace, in our stirrups when learning to ride or even refine our riding; 3) we can develop better feel and timing when we can feel our horse underneath us. Horses are sensitive to begin with and even more so when they can feel direct contact from our seat; 4) there is no better connection, in mind and body, than the connection a horse and rider obtains when moving as one. Trust and partnership are the two founding qualities to mastering bareback riding and when we have achieved these with our equine partners, we feel the magic of melding two minds, two bodies and two souls - together in harmonious dance.

The rhythm and tempo that rider and horse develop together through my ground exercises originates from the rider's hips/pelvis and moves upward through their spine and outward. Same feeling the rider feels when they are riding the movement, thus when the rider has worked weeks with my ground work this way and then rides, the horse and rider are tuned into the subtly of the mind-body synergy created for movement. This way not only offers an amazing relationship throughout your work together, it strengthens partnership and creates safety by developing full focus (discipline of the mind and obedience), awareness, presence and Being present together.

The following Rider Horsemanship DVD's will further explain the information covered in this video:
Biomechanics DVD: http://www.shoppingcartdepot.com/c/RH...
Riding as One DVD: http://www.shoppingcartdepot.com/c/RH...
Lunging with a Purpose DVD: https://www.shoppingcartdepot.com/c/R...

Please visit www.riderhorsemanship.com for more education materials, DVD's, clinic opportunities, training and the TAO of Horsemanship Online Foundation Course.