Sit_the_Trot's Page

I get questions about going faster without bouncing--trotting, cantering, loping, galloping--and realize that novice riders are often intimidated by faster gaits, not realizing that riding the trot or canter on a calm, well-trained horse is fun and relaxing, even exhilarating.

Part of learning to ride comes from spending time in the saddle but plenty of riders spend hours in the saddle without really learning the one simple thing that will make it enjoyable to ride: moving with the motion of th… Continue

Ride in the Middle of Your Horse: Developing Lateral Balance
By Michele Morseth, MA, GCFP
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From Pacific Northwest Endurance Riders Newsletter Spring 2009
“Ask The Experts” column:

Q: When I ride, I notice I am very asymmetrical with the way I distribute my weight, which effects my horse's balance. I've tried yoga and strengthening with some success to fix the problem, but I think now I'm just unconsciously enforcing my asymmetry, and can't… Continue

Ride With a Natural Seat: You Can Too! by Michele Morseth, MA, GCFP

ABSTRACT: Riders can ride for years without ever really moving in unity with the motion of their horse. However, you can learn new habits and posture so you ride in secure comfort. You are not your habits and at any age you can become fluid in your movement and more effective in your riding. What good riders have is an internal sense of balance on their horse. They get this in much of the same way a baby learns… Continue

"Even among experienced riders, fear or anxiety can seem like an insurmountable obstacle in riding or just being around horses. Your horse spooks and you get hurt, you experience pain and lose the ability to be relaxed and supple, you see someone else get thrown. All of these events can cause anxiety and excessive fearful responses. Because horses tune in to our emotional states, our anxiety can cause unwanted behavior like shying or what seems like disobedience. When we are calm and confident o… Continue

Crooked Riders = Crooked Horses: Develop Your Awareness of Balance and Symmetry
Like many young girls, I grew up carousing around my neighborhood bareback on my pony. The saddle came out for 4-H, otherwise, I stuck to her sleek back like glue. In college, I went on to work for a dressage trainer, never thinking that moving with the motion of a horse could be a problem. In my mid-20s, lured north to the arctic, I quit riding. I moved with my husband to the Brooks Range, mushed dogs, hauled… Continue