Still Sitting the Trot

And I am doing it on both horses!

Last week, I mentioned that Izzy is due to have his hocks injected on Friday. With that in mind, I've kept his rides really simple with just walk and trot. Since I need to work on my sitting trot anyway, and I can't sit if the trot is big, Izzy's rides have been about trotting slowly while he stretches his topline.

March 2017 - proof that we do trot.

It would seem counterintuitive to sit on a horse whose back is slightly sore because his hocks are sore, but we have had several really productive rides. It took a few days to see it, but over the weekend, Izzy's back was finally loose and swinging, thanks to his recent chiropractic adjustment.

Now that I am able to sit the trot for longer and longer, I am finding that I am a better rider all of a sudden. I can help Izzy maintain a more consistent tempo, and I can "catch" him more quickly when he goes to hollow his back. He even seems to prefer that I sit. He doesn't feel as out of balance, and he's been spook free.

An interesting side note is that I ride Speedy one hole lower on my stirrup leathers than I do with Izzy. Over the past week, I've had to go down a hole for both boys. I am guessing that means that I am sitting deeper with a longer leg.

Another photo from March of 2017.

Since I still can't ride a lengthening while sitting, I've been riding Speedy in a more collected trot. If he gets to go slowly, he has to do it with good hind leg activity. I am finding that by sitting the trot, I feel like I have more influence over his back and withers.

I don't think he's as much of a fan of the sitting trot as is Izzy, but he's starting to listen to my seat, and honestly, the dude is really just a saint. He would definitely prefer that I let him fall on his forehand while letting his hind end trail out behind us, but he's a team player, and he wants to please me, so he's been working as hard as I have.

Over the past two weeks, I haven't done any rising trot! Hopefully I'll be able to sit Speedy's medium trot by the end of October when we make our Second Level debut (fingers crossed!).