If you watch a dressage rider perform rising trot most probably you will see a few distinct features. Many dressage riders - keep their upper body vertical, their stirrups are so long they have to reach to keep their feet in them, their rising trot looks like up and down movement, Upward movement usually happens because of the horse's thrust and down movement is simply a fall back into the saddle. Interestingly enough many hunter jumper riders look much more balanced in the rising trot: their body slightly inclined forward, stirrups are shorter so there is room for the knee to unbend and many of them do not simply fall back into the saddle but come back with balance and grace. Rising trot is a rising trot, it doesn't matter if it is ridden by dressage or hunter rider. It has it's own principals and physics. If riders violate these by trying to adhere to the specific form of their discipline they disturb the balance of their horses.

Rising trot requires fit riders. If you want to control the movement of your horse and stay in balance with him you need enough cardio and muscle fitness to keep up. If you try to use your horse's thrust to bump you up and then simply fall back you are at the mercy of your horse. He can go any way he likes, no balance, athleticism or grace required. Even worse, if you are doing rising trot the way I have just described you constantly behind your horse's movement, using reins to catch up to him, disturbing his spine every time you fall back into the saddle. Rising trot is performed mostly by your thigh muscles. They lift you up and they control your descent. If your muscles are not fit they will "scream" after 5 minutes of correct rising trot, or even sooner.

Rising trot is like a shallow squatting with your lower legs and knees in a quiet and stable position and only your upper thighs are working actively. Your thighs are moving your torso up and forward and down and back. Your hips angle will open and close with the movement. Try this at home. If you have a flight of stairs use lower step or a sturdy low stool. Stand on the step with the balls of your feet. Your heels are hanging in the air, feet apart. Find your balance with your ankles relaxed and your weight is in your heels. Squat slightly to the similar position you have in the saddle. Without moving your knees forward and back unbend them about 20 degrees and then come back. Your torso will move forward and up and you will feel how your thighs are working hard to keep you in this position. To be able to repeat this movement in good rhythm you need to keep your torso slightly inclined forward when you are squatting and then simply let your torso come forward and up, your hips angle open and close with the movement. On the drawing the black figure shows the starting position and the blue figure shows up and forward position. As you can see knees are stable (they circled with the red circle), the hips go more forward then up which is true for the rising trot on a horse and head and shoulders move very little. The red vertical line shows how the whole body is well aligned on top of the base of support. This is very important factor for rising trot. Without such good alignment you will fall back into the saddle every time you try to rise and probably use the reins to stop toppling backwards.

Correct technique for rising trot gives you ability to regulate your horses tempo, make only necessary movements, easily rise on the very soft horse and stay in control and balance on the big mover. You will be able to teach your horse to keep steady tempo and lengthen his stride or, keep the energy and shorten his stride. You will stop depending on reins for balance and your horse will use his back and stretch into the bridle.

Happy riding...