Horsemanship 101 - Preparing for your Equestrian Vacation - Part Two

Knowing what to expect when riding your horse's faster gaits

by Carol Moore

Learning to ride the trot

At this point, you should be comfortable mounting up, settling into your saddle and moving off at a nice walk. The next speed you will encounter is a jog or trot. This gait is a distinct up and down movement contrary to the rolling sensation of the walk. If the trot is slow and soft (called a jog) you can comfortable sit in your saddle. The key is to stay relaxed and not tense your body. You should notice a side to side pulsation (left, right, left, right) and if you can get in time with this movement with a slight pulsation against your stirrups (left, right, left, right) you will be quite comfortable.

Frequently, you will experience a trot when a horse is catching up with the rest of the ride. This will more likely be a brisk trot and more bouncy. On this occasion, place one hand (not the hand holding the reins) on the saddle horn for stability and barely rise off the seat of your saddle, bending slightly forward from the waist. This allows you to ride above the motion. It is imperative that you keep your knees bent as they are your shock absorbers (as well as hips and ankles) and if you straighten your knees you’ll loose your cushioning effect. Remember to let your weight flow into your heels which will keep your feet under you and help you stay balanced. Do not bring your upper body any further forward than necessary to negate any pull on the hand holding the saddle horn. Be conscious of never holding the saddle horn with both hands. You must always have one hand on the reins for control. Keep your weight evenly distributed on each side, your chin up and eyes forward. The stiller you keep your arms the quieter you will sit in the saddle.

Loping on trail ride

Guests at the White Stallion Ranch enjoy a gentle lope on their trail ride. Photo by Laura Holden.

The lope - a faster but more comfortable gait

Once you are comfortable with jogging and trotting and can stay balanced with total control over your horse, you are ready to try loping (cantering for English riding folks). To achieve these faster gaits, you must reach your rein hand forward to slacken the reins during transition and while they are maintaining the faster gait. If you bring your reins towards your body making firmer contact with the bit, your horse will slow down and probably stop.

The lope, in contrast to the up and down motion of the trot, has a back and forth motion similar to a rocking chair. You sit much as you did the walk, with your thighs and lower leg staying in position and your upper body taking the motion created by the stride. Your seat bones stay close to the saddle. As your horse springs forward in a loping stride, you will feel him elevate in the front. Keep your back rounded and not hollowed out. This keeps you in balance and helps maintain momentum for the horse’s next stride. Moving your feet slightly ahead of the vertical line and letting the ball of your foot pulsate against the stirrup will help you stay in rhythm with your horses stride and keep your seat in the saddle. Loping with your hand on the saddle horn will make it difficult to get in sync with the horse’s movement.

Horses lope as differently as people run with some being as smooth as a rocking chair and others being somewhat rough. If you are having difficulty finding the rhythm, you might find it helpful to bring your legs directly under you, and support your weight on the balls of your feet. Lift your body only enough to be skimming the saddle which allows you to control the velocity of body movement. This position can prevent painful saddle sores.

When you are loping be aware that squeezing with the lower leg makes the horse go faster, so do not use this portion of your leg to grip with. You may squeeze from the knee up if necessary, but you will be riding primarily from balance. Don’t forget to breath, this keeps your body relaxed. Keep all joints flexed so they can perform to their maximum as shock absorbers.

How to return your horse to a slower gait

As you prepare to slow down from a lope or trot, practice pushing your heels down, move your feet slightly forward, round your back, drop your seat into the saddle and then ask for a whoa with your voice and by pulling the reins gently towards your belt buckle. You can also take your free hand and push against the saddle horn which will firmly plant your backside deep in the saddle. Another exercise that will give you a deeper seat is to tuck in your abdominal muscles as if you were trying to make your belly button touch your spine.

Stopping your horse

To stop or slow your horse, pull your reins back towards your belt buckle. Photo by Laura Holden.

This should get you moseying down the trail. However, there’s much more you can learn and do. Soon you will want to go faster and attempt more horse related events. Ranches offer a myriad of riding activities. Almost all have walking scenic rides and rides that include trotting and loping. Many offer team penning (a horse and cattle game done in the arena with a team of three riders), some have gymkhanas (riding games requiring some speed and finesse), and others may have cattle drives and participation in actual ranch work. Horseback vacations are a lot of fun for all of the family and most ranches offer riding lessons for all ages. Any knowledge you can gain prior to your trip will give you that little jump start for your first time in the saddle. Just like skiing, tennis or swimming, horseback riding opportunities can be vastly enhanced with some hands on instructions.

Don’t forget, treat these animals with respect. They are about ten times your size and have the potential to be dangerous. Pay attention while riding and don’t get involved in rough housing or careless horseplay. Make your ride a safe and fun experience for all.

 

Read Part 3 of our Horsemanship 101 series!

Horsemanship 101 - Preparing for your Equestrian Vacation - Part Three: What is your horse trying to tell you?

 

About the author:

Carol Moore

Carol Moore has been involved in the guest ranch business since 1975 and has aided many beginners with their very first horse back riding experience. Carol is currently employed at the White Stallion Ranch in Tucson, AZ. She recognized the need for an instructional riding video specifically for the vacation rider and authored the riding video “Which End Does The Hay Go In?” in 1996. This video is used extensively by many ranches as part of their horse orientation program and by lots of prospective guests prior to their ranch visit. For more information, you can e-mail Carol at hoofbeat@theriver.com or visit her website at www.hoofbeatproductions.com.

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