Tip 56 – Posting the trot by Tom Goodspeed

Posting versus Bouncing to the Trot…ok….who is going to want to read an article about trotting on a horse when the game of polo is played at a gallop. I know…I know….big morning yawn. I can’t help it, it’s on my list of subjects under horsemanship. I put it off as long as I could, but it has to be included.

Now even though some players don’t even allow their horses to trot when they are being ridden, as they don’t want the horse to even consider the gait in the game, I think all of us are or should be aware of the trot as a great exercise in muscle conditioning when horses are first being brought back up into work.

It is also traditionally a great warm up gait when loosening the horse and preparing them for the work of the day. Do athletes take off at a sprint? Or do they stretch some, than do some jogging in preparation. It is the second option for any of you couch potatoes. Walking and trotting your horse before cantering and galloping is just plain old warming up and stretching for the horse.

The problem with the trot gait is that it is good for the horse and hard on us. Due to the nature of the movement of the horse, two legs at a time…it is a bouncier, rougher gait especially with a little pace or speed.

That is where the posting thing comes in. You may have heard the recital of the 1-2 beat with the lyrics up-down-up-down-up-down somewhere along the way. Those of us that grew up with riding lessons may even have night terrors in memory of our nazi instructors barking out abusive directives. Im sorry, is nazi not politically correct? Lets use drill sergeants instead.

The reason you post “up and down” is so that you stay in rhythm of the gait of the horse. So instead of being bounced around like a monkey tied on the back of a horse, you actually stand and lower in your stirrups in synchronization with the movement of the horse’s shoulder that is going forward and back as they trot. That takes the bounce out of the bounce.

Learning to post seems like an insurmountable task at first, but usually after a few minutes or a couple of rides, you just seem to get it. This may not apply to any of you that were unable to take the training wheels off your bicycle. You learn to let that bounce of the horse’s stride assist you in rising back out of the saddle along with the action of rising and lowering into the saddle with your leg.

Now I’m saying up/down and raise and lower, because I am continuing the tradition of error that has been passed thru the centuries. In fact…it is more forward-back-forward-back with your hips when done correctly as opposed to up and down like some polka dancer (sorry polka fans, it’s the Midwest in me). The correct motion is bringing your hips and pelvis forward and then back into your saddle.

Posting is easier on the horse’s back and your….umm…back side. Now it is a good thing to learn to sit the trot as well. The trick is to keep your shoulders upright, stay centered and try to press into the horse with your pelvis and seat to the rhythm of the gait. I think I may have just taken this article from a PG rating to an R with these last two paragraphs.

Now…once you have the posting thing down, there is the posting on the correct diagonal thing. I know..You have already double clicked and my words are now lost in cyberspace…but just in case you come back……posting on the correct diagonal is just making certain you are up or forward when the outside shoulder of the horse is forward. This applies to when you are traveling in circles. If you are on a straight line, you can go on either diagonal. But if you circle to the left, you should be rising or going forward when the horse’s outside shoulder/in this case, their right shoulder is forward. To be on the correct diagonal, you raise or go forward with the outside shoulder of whatever direction you are traveling in. The reason you want the correct diagonal is because it is easier on the horse. You will feel this yourself with some experience. If you look at your horse’s shoulder and you are rising at the wrong time, then you just sit a bounce and then raise back up onto the correct shoulder. I know it sounds a little complicated if you are new to this, but a little practice will get you a long way in a hurry.

So for a quick review. . .

Trotting is a two beat gait that is good warm-up for the horse.
Posting is the up/down or forward/back motion with your hips to stay in rhythm with the trotting gait.

Diagonals are raising up/forward with the outside shoulder (when you circle right, the horse’s left shoulder) of the horse going forward when you are going in a circle.
Back to PoloZONE.com

Back to Polo Basics Tip of the Week Archive