How to Improve Your Sitting Trot For Dressage

Learn how to improve your sitting trot and what goes into creating a soft seat that makes the sitting trot feel effortless.

The sitting trot is one of the most challenging movements for dressage riders to master, but once you do, it can be a game changer for your overall riding performance.

Whether you’re a beginner rider or an experienced equestrian, improving your sitting trot will allow you to move with your horse more seamlessly, build a deeper connection, and unlock better communication.

But here’s the truth—it doesn’t come easily (for most), and that’s okay!

It’s important to know that just because you can’t do it yet doesn’t make you a bad rider.

Improving your sitting trot is up to you and your goals.

Plenty of riders can ride a lifetime in rising trot and hover out of the saddle in canter, and as long as you are doing your horse no harm and enjoying what you do, that’s fine. You do you and keep doing what you love.

However, if your goals are to develop more and improve your independent seat, then read on.

This is where I hope I can shed some light on this tricky topic to navigate.

There will always be riders who find it easier, but for the majority, it is a skill that is developed and fine-tuned over time.

And it’s a skill that becomes a lot easier when your body cooperates.

There are many different ‘styles’ of sitting trot, and I know from my own experience that I have explored several different approaches. And sometimes it can be hard for someone who finds sitting trot easy, to help someone who doesn’t and thats ok.

It will always be an area for continuous improvement in all of us and I feel like I have done it all wrong in the past, in the hope that I can share with you what NOT to do.

One thing that has helped me a lot is advice I once received from a coach, who said, “Choose the kind of rider you want to be.” If you want to be a kind and soft rider, this will help you navigate the different styles of riding, coaching, and training that are out there. Because there is a lot—be true to who you want to be and make choices that reflect that.

It’s a simple truth that has helped me to this day.

In this article, I am going to share what I know about the human body given my back ground and guide you with some practical tips and strategies to improve your ability to control your body and improve your sitting trot. So next time your coach says ‘relax’ or ‘soften your seat’ you have the actual ability to control your body to do this.

You have an independent seat and a soft seat too.

My hope is to help you ride with confidence, stability, and make wise choices about the direction and paths you choose through the education you gain.

Let’s get started and unravel all things sitting trot.

Understanding the Basics

To improve your sitting trot, it’s best to understand what the movement involves so you can address any areas in your body that need improving.

One of the biggest challenges people face when it comes to the sitting trot is flexibility and their own body’s imbalances and range of motion.

Improving one’s range of motion was once a bit of a taboo subject in the riding world because many top riders didn’t do anything off their horses—they just rode horses all day long.

But just because the top riders don’t do something doesn’t make it right. We’re learning today, more than ever, that this applies to many aspects of horse ownership.

More riders are becoming aware of what they need to do outside of the saddle to help their riding.

Though a skilled rider’s movement may look still, there’s a lot of subtle movement happening in the hips, along with strength to stabilize the pelvis and spine.

When a rider has tight muscles and ligaments around their hips, they find it hard to follow the horse’s movement and instead get a rigid response, which often results in bouncing.

This is often completely out of their control and is likely due to the nervous system kicking in, causing the muscles to tighten and brace.

When we sit in the saddle, many of our hip muscles are stretched to their full range of motion. When a muscle is stretched beyond the point it feels safe and strong, its stretch reflex kicks in to protect your body. Causing those muscles to tighten and brace.  You get stiff.

It’s actually doing an incredible job of keeping you safe.

There are continuous forces moving through our hips when we ride. Our hips move rhythmically, in tune with the horse’s movement.

This action happens at walk, trot, and canter, though the rhythm changes with each gait. Your body constantly responds to those forces.

The key is to learn how to isolate and soften your hips so you can truly follow the horse’s movement, no matter the gait.

This is incredibly hard to achieve when your body’s natural defense system is overriding you in the saddle.

We need to train our muscles OFF the horse to be strong at longer lengths—the lengths we encounter in the saddle, with some extra wiggle room for those unexpected movements so we don’t strain a muscle in those unpredictable moments like a spook.

How much “room” you need depends on your relationship with your horse, your goals, and what you aim to achieve.

You don’t need to do the splits or crazy moves. When you start improving your range of motion, you’ll discover where you need to create more space and freedom by doing.

You’ll also find how much ‘room’ you need to be able to ride at your best.

You will experience ‘ah hah’ moments as you begin to feel your seat bones deepen and your legs soften.

The key is we need to override the nervous system response that braces those muscles that are getting tight in the saddle.

When you have loosened the hips so your pelvis can sit balanced, with even seat bones on each side, and you learn to isolate your abdominals, that’s when you begin to create the real independent seat.

Your thigh bones need to move freely in their sockets while your body remains stable, supple, and balanced, creating the illusion of stillness.

Sally Swift, author of Centered Riding, talks about “riding with your bones.” When you create that space and freedom in your muscles, you can ride with your bones and fully understand this concept by feeling it in your body. This is a real ‘ah hah’ moment.

It may seem like a lot, but it’s possible to achieve when you truly understand what’s going on in your body. When you create space and room, the skill of the sitting trot becomes quite effortless and much easier to achieve.

Other Factors to Consider

It’s also important to ensure that your horse’s back is both strong and supple enough for you to sit to it.

Your horse needs to be moving correctly, without bracing or being crooked, for you to sit light and soft. So before you commit to stirrup less November, ask yourself if this is the best thing for your horse.

Instead of a condensed ‘boot camp’ approach to sitting trot, consider a more long term sustainable approach—starting once a week with just 5 minutes and developing slowly together.

This approach is better for your horse’s back and better for you too.

Equally important is a saddle that fits you correctly. When you, as the rider, aren’t balanced because of ill-fitting equipment, the wrong muscles fire up as you fight gravity to stay balanced. This makes everything but effortless.

Make sure your saddle is checked for your horse and yourself.

Understanding Your Seat

Let’s take a look at our pelvis now. This is the central hub that your spine connects to, and at the base, it has your hip sockets where the femur (thigh bones) connects via a ball-and-socket joint.

Our hips need to be open enough to allow the femur to move forward and back within the hip socket without pulling the pelvis with it. This movement needs to be balanced on both sides; otherwise, we’ll feel uneven in the saddle and may experience saddle slipping issues.

Any unevenness creates a block, causing other muscles to overwork and compensate, which can lead to a vicious cycle.

In order for the pelvis not to be pulled with the horse’s momentum and the pulsing action of the hip, the torso must be stabilized to keep the pelvis still, while the thigh bone remains in the correct position within the saddle.

When a rider has tight, rigid hips, it blocks the horse’s movement. This causes the rest of the body to become stiff and bounce, which can put pressure on the lower back.

To prevent this rigid response and allow the rider to absorb the horse’s movement effectively, we must learn to correctly engage our core abdominals, starting with the transverse abdominis.

This creates stability in the body, allowing for the correct biomechanical position—an upright pelvis and torso—that can absorb the horse’s movement safely and efficiently.

When we engage our abdominals correctly and maintain even flexibility in our hips, the hip joints can act as shock absorbers for the horse’s movement.

With 21 different muscles involved in our hips, one of the fundamental things to understand is the symmetry of these muscles, both front to back and side to side. It’s not about being super flexible, how much flexibility you need will be different to the next person.

But symmetry is vital for correct feel in the saddle and for creating softness and relaxation.

One of the biggest hurdles all riders face is that we are all crooked. Understanding this is key. We ALL have things to work on.

No one is perfect, and it’s common for one side to be stronger than the other, leading to imbalances through our hips.

This is easy to understand, given how much time we spend sitting in our daily lives.

If you’re right-handed, it’s likely that the muscles on your right side are tighter, which will affect the freedom of that hip joint in the saddle. This, in turn, affects your seat bone, thigh, and toe position in the saddle.

These tight muscles can alter the position of the femur, pulling it forward or sideways, making each side slightly different.

To learn more about your pelvis and its relationship in the saddle, I go into more detail in this article.

Everything is connected, and how you move—or don’t move—OFF the horse will affect how your hips move ON the horse.

Now that I’ve given you some background on the foundation of your seat, here are some practical tips to get you going.

Remember, we’re in this together.

NO ONE is perfect, and developing and maintaining your seat (aka your hips) should be a lifelong journey.

t’s not a quick fix.

Perfection is a myth.

But when you have the tools and knowledge as to your bodies physical responses in the saddle, you can begin to clarify things for yourself.

When you understand your own seat and its imbalances, you become a much more compassionate rider because you can truly feel with your seat and understand what’s happening in your horses back and through its body.

Here are 8 key ways to improve your sitting trot today:

1. Start with Relaxation

It might sound counterintuitive, but the first key to mastering the sitting trot is relaxation. When you’re tense, everything becomes harder. Your body stiffens, your horse picks up on that tension, and you start bouncing all over the place.

It’s a vicious cycle.

We are trying to train our nervous system alongside our muscular system. When we’re stressed, our sympathetic nervous system kicks in, and survival mode happens. This creates tension in the body, affecting our breathing and posture.

Before thinking about posture or technique, take a deep breath and check in with your body.

• Are you clenching your jaw?
• Are your shoulders tight?
• Are you gripping too hard with your hips and thighs?
• Can you relax your legs to drape around your horse?

The relaxation I’m talking about isn’t the “lay back on the couch” kind of relaxation. It’s about maintaining good posture while removing nervous tension and tightness. Breathe and ground yourself with your horse. I wrote an article here that goes into relaxation in more detail.

2. Strengthen Your Core for Stability

Now let’s talk about your core. Having a strong core is crucial for dressage, especially in the sitting trot. But “core” doesn’t just mean your abs; it’s your entire midsection—front, back, and sides—working together to support your posture and keep you balanced.

If your core isn’t engaged properly, you’ll either collapse forward or rely too much on your hands for balance, which throws off your horse.

Think of your core as a gentle stabilizer. Engage it just enough to keep your upper body steady while allowing your hips to follow your horse’s movement. For more information on improving your core, check out this article here as a place to start.

3. Work on Hip Suppleness and Flexibility

By now, you’ll understand the vital role our hips play in the saddle. If your hips are stiff, sitting the trot will be tough.

Having a routine to improve your hip range of motion is essential for riders. Your hips need to move with your horse’s back to absorb the trot’s bounce, and tight hips make that almost impossible.

Remember, we are all crooked to some degree, and how much range of motion you need depends on your goals.

My goal is to help you do more of what you love and create longevity in the saddle.

So, whether you ride once a week or aim for Grand Prix, keeping your hips supple is equally important. We have a program designed to help you with just this. Learn more about your hips and unlock that elastic supple seat with our 21 day hip suppleness program.

4. Sync with Your Horse’s Rhythm

The trot has a natural rhythm, and your job is to find it and flow with it. One way to practice is by starting in rising trot, paying close attention to your horse’s rhythm. Once you’re in tune, gradually sit into the trot for a few strides, keeping your seat soft and following the movement.

Imagine your hips moving forward and back in time with your horse’s hind legs. Every horse moves differently, so it’s about finding that unique rhythm and adjusting your seat accordingly.

5. Use Your Seat, Not Your Hands

A common issue riders face is relying too much on their hands for balance in the sitting trot.

But your seat should be doing most of the work, not your hands. Pulling on the reins for stability blocks your horse’s movement, making it even harder to sit the trot smoothly.

Focus on riding from your seat and legs. Your hands should remain quiet, maintaining a soft, elastic connection with your horse’s mouth. Use your soft seat to communicate, not your hands.

If you find yourself gripping the reins, halt, refocus on your seat, and try again.

6. Practice Transitions for Better Control

Practicing transitions between gaits is an excellent way to improve your sitting trot. Transitions develop better control and balance while encouraging your horse to stay engaged and responsive.

Start with simple transitions between walk and trot, focusing on keeping your seat deep and connected. Progress to transitions between trot and canter. Stay balanced and in control throughout.

Alternating between rising and sitting trot also helps, as it prevents stiffness and fatigue during long sessions of sitting trot.

7. Ride Different Horses to Build Versatility

If possible, ride different horses. Every horse moves differently, and the more you expose yourself to various trots, the better you’ll become at adjusting your seat and following the rhythm.

8. Work Without Stirrups

No-stirrup work is beneficial, but only do it if your horse’s back is strong enough.

Start small and build up over time.

Avoid a “bootcamp” style approach, and instead, build strength gradually together and start with just 5 minutes once a week.

9. Stay Patient and Consistent

Mastering the sitting trot takes time, but progress doesn’t happen overnight. Every bit of improvement counts, and with consistency, you’ll see results.

Be patient with yourself and your horse. Progress is slow but rewarding. Focus on core strength, hip mobility, and relaxation, and allow yourself the time to improve.

Celebrate every small victory!

Conclusion

Improving your sitting trot isn’t about achieving perfection overnight. It starts with understanding your own body OFF the horse.

By understanding and improving your biomechanics, you’ll be able to refine your balance, rhythm, and connection with your horse.

Focusing on relaxation, core strength, and hip suppleness will gradually lead to a deeper and more confident seat.

Stay patient, practice consistently, and enjoy the journey toward mastering your sitting trot!

If you want more help with hip suppleness, we have created a 21-day program for riders.

Here is a snippet from the program. You can find all the information about it here.

Dressage Rider Training System

Dressage is all about you, the rider and the horse. It is a team sport, so we developed a training system for you as a rider.

It is designed to help you work on symmetry, balance, coordination and suppleness while OFF the horse.

The aim is that when you are riding, you can sit in good posture and control and focus on your horse.

To get started on your journey, download our FREE Rider Fitness guide and discover our training system.

Learn the four elements that go into you as a dressage rider and how you can begin to develop them today.

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