APRIL 2024 THE RIDER /29


4 Reasons Why We Post In Trot


By Kathy Farrokhzad. Probably one of the


first things you learn in your riding lessons is to post the trot. Initially, it might take some work and muscle memory to be able to move within the horse’s trot strides, but in time, posting will become second nature and a skill you may use for years on different horses in different riding styles and events. In fact, you might get


to a point where you don’t remember exactly why you’re posting, only that you know you are comfort- able, your horse is comfort- able, and you are able to be effective


and efficient


within the trot gait. While the posting


makes the trot easier on the rider and the horse, there are actually other, more biome- chanical purposes that might add a completely new di- mension to how you can use the posting trot to help you become a more effective rider.


Rider’s Balance Once you have fig-


ured out the rhythm of the trot and developed some of


the muscles needed to sup- port the forward/back move- ment of the post, you might get into a nice groove that allows you to post relatively efficiently and comfortably within your horse’s tempo. The horse’s move-


ment prompts you and you can stay in balance fairly easily and move with the horse as needed. Posting is especially helpful if your horse has very large move- ment or if the trot is very bouncy, which makes it dif- ficult for you to sit for more than a few strides. In this case, rising can save both you and your horse’s back! Even after you learn


to sit the trot, you might often go back to the posting trot just to re-establish bal- ance and posture. The for- ward phase can help you improve your shoulder and hip alignment, and remem- ber to bring the shoulder blades together at the top of the rise. The sit phase can help you establish a deeper seat as the seat bones rest into the saddle.


Energize The Movement You can use the post-


ing trot to encourage your


horse to step forward, thereby creating more im- pulsion and a larger hind end stride. Some riders tend to


hold the horse back while sitting the trot, possibly be- cause they are tight through the back or simply can’t move large enough to allow the horse enough freedom in the movement. Posting helps you move forward in the saddle enough to release your lower back and allow the horse to move forward with more energy. If you work within


the rhythm of the stride, you can actually encourage the horse to energize by sending your own energy forward to the front of the saddle while in the forward phase. The horse invariably feels the energy surge and attempts to match it.


Free The Horse’s Back There are many rea-


sons why riders might want to post in order to simply take our weight off the horse’s back. If you do long dis-


tance trail riding, you might spend considerable time in the trot. Posting trot is often


the choice of riders who want their horses to move strong and fast and not have to bear the weight of the rider long term. Posting will also save the rider’s back, which in turn will help the horse because the rider can be more comfortable for longer periods of time. Even if you ride in the


ring, you might want to in- tersperse sitting trot with posting trot for similar rea- sons. After a session of sit- ting trot work, you might want to post just to allow the horse’s back to move with- out your weight for a period of time.


Timing Well, posting trot is


all about timing, really. At first, you might


learn how to match our for- ward phase to the outside shoulder (so that the inside hind leg is free to reach fur- ther underneath the body). That takes considerable tim- ing for the inexperienced rider.


Then you learn that


you can influence the horse’s tempo with your own posting tempo. Go slower, and the horse will


slow down in the gait. Go faster, and the horse will match your tempo. This be- comes key when you want to slow the gait but keep the strides as large as possible, and develop hind end and top line muscles through tempo exercises. Finally,


the 1-2


rhythm of the posting trot can help you establish rhythmical aids. For exam- ple, in leg yield, you might want to apply the leg aid as the horse is getting ready to lift the inside hind leg (and outside front leg). So you can squeeze with the calf as you post forward so that you coincide the aid just as the diagonal pair of legs come off the ground to move - for- ward and sideways, in this case.


So, you see that there


is more to the posting trot than first meets the eye! Use it with understanding and good feel and you will find it to be a very useful skill in all your riding endeavors!


Bio: Kathy Farrokhzad is a licensed EC coach and au- thor of the Horse Listening book collection, Goal Set- ting For The Equestrian: A


Personal Workbook, and the creator of the Practice Ses- sions online program. If you liked what you read here, check out her blog at


What does Pony Club mean to me?


By Sommer Burrows Hi, my name is Sommer Burrows. I am 11


years old, and last year I joined the Guelph Pony Club.


What does Pony Club mean to me? Pony


Club is time spent with your pony in situations that most riders may not get the experience to do. Play- ing games on your ponies - what now? Shooting a ball into a net while leaning off your horse with a hockey stick - who does that? Pony Club does. I’m a new pony club member, and I can’t tell you how much my riding has improved since start-


we unload our ponies and tie them to the trailer. We tack up and are ready to ride by 6 pm. We typically ride for an hour and a half, taking turns learning the games and trying to master them. It’s so pretty at the Peace’s Farm. Every June


our Pony Club hosts a sleepover with the Ponies. It’s the best time. We practice on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. We make smores and catch fireflies. Who gets to sleep outside in tents with horses just steps away? Lucky people, that’s who. My next favorite event would be the cross-


country lessons we take part in at Glen Arden Farm. They are incredible. There’s nothing quite like jumping Cross country in a wide-open field. I also love jumping at Sharla Wood’s beauti-


ful farm. She always has the cutest jumps! I also love our education nights. The volun-


teers that make up education are the most amazing people, from teaching us about horses’ nutrition to taking us on field trips to an Equine Vet. We feel grateful that our lesson, Barn Horseworks, is such a huge support to Pony Club, not only lending us horses but also her time. Yes, it’s lots of early mornings and late nights


ing the PPG Practices. I have more confidence in my riding skills. I know more about my pony too. I have had the best time learning about the Prince Phillip Games, attending Cross Country events, being a groom at Rally, and even taking the lead at orienteering at Le Trec. Every week from May until Regionals we


meet at the Peace Farm and hold our PPG prac- tices.


Let me take you through a typical PPG prac-


tice day, we meet at the barn around 4 pm, feed our ponies, and groom them. We load them in our trail- ers and make the 20-minute drive to the farm. Then


but there’s nothing like seeing your hard work and determination pay off. And that doesn’t always mean you win, it might just mean your pony who was scared to do an activity or walk through water, this time just did it, no questions asked. Pony Club is celebrating its 90th year this


year. I love that this is a tradition that gets passed down from generation to generation. Pony Club is very popular in the UK. The Motto for Pony Club is loyalty, character and sportsmanship. Our Pony Club feels like one big family. We take care of each other and we learn from each other and we are lucky to have one another.


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