Posting/Rising Trot Help!

Question

Hi. I am a beginner in English horseback riding, and I am currently having lessons. =) But my last lesson didn't go so well, because when i was practicing posting/rising trot, my horse, Jimmy, who i was riding kept stopping! What was i doing wrong? My teacher says that I need to squeeze with my legs to keep him going, but how do I? Do I squeeze with my legs when I go up in the saddle, or do i squeeze when i go down in the saddle? Please explain it to me! I am leaving to have my lesson in about 20 minutes, so please someone answer my question, and FAST! Thank you!

Answer 1

Squeeze with your legs when you are in sitting trot, loosen your reins so yuo are not pulling him when you go forwards, also give him a kick whenever he slows, and try and figure out where he tends to stop, if he tends to stop in a certain area of the ring, and give him extra leg when you get there.  

Answer 2

Hi i teach people to ride. And everyone else is talking sense.

When you go up sqeeze and push up when you come back down don't squeeze.

Also here's a hint if he stops in canter then swing your legs about quite madly but not too madly! So that he knows NOT to stop.

Answer 3

you're not squeezing the horse with your calves when you post. you have to have a certain rhythm when you do this, or else your horse will stop every time you rise. its a common thing i learned to correct when i was a beginner. you could also be accidently digging your heals into the horse, pulling back on the reins? always make sure to squeeze when you kick, not just simply kick

Answer 4

What you need to do is keep your calves squeezing him at all times (until done trotting) and when you go up squeeze harder.

Also something that might help is making sure your reins aren't to long.

always feel comfortable to ask your trainer/instructor for help. That's what they're for.  

Answer 5

Squeeze in a rythm, thats what I do, every time you go up, squeeze your calves against his belly

Answer 6

you could be posting on the wrong diagonal, when i first started trotting lessons i knew how to post but i didn't know about diagonals. the horse i was riding was trained for a girl with cerebral palsy so that if the rider gets off balance the horse will stop! so whenever i got on the wrong diagonal the horse would stop and i would have to restart on the correct diagonal. im sure your horse is not trained for this but you could be posting on the wrong diagonal and cause him to get off balance and want to walk or stop because it is uncomfortable for him to move, does that make sense ?