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  Discussion on Up, Bump
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Member:
lhenning

Posted on Thursday, Feb 19, 2009 - 5:42 pm:

I am having a problem when I do the posting trot and I need some good advice.

As best I can describe this, I am posting along with this extra "bump" in there. I go down, up-bump, down, up-bump, down, up-bump. I can't figure out if it's my timing, my horse's tempo, my muscles, or what.

Can you give me some ideas to try that will get this extra bump out of my post?

Thanks!
Linda
Member:
dres

Posted on Thursday, Feb 19, 2009 - 6:04 pm:

I am just guessing here , but it sounds like you are behind him thus getting an extra ah-bump in the saddle .. Concentrate on having that hind inside leg push you out of the saddle and come back down lightly.. It is hard to tell you with out a video??

On the first day God created horses, on the second day he painted them with spots..
Member:
jowidner

Posted on Thursday, Feb 19, 2009 - 6:05 pm:

Hi Linda, by "up-bump" do you mean that after you rise up in the saddle you bump back down (losing balance backwards)into the saddle, or are you bumping forward (losing balance forward)?

Do you think that you could post a video?

I'm not sure if you are describing an issue with balance, timing, or technique. Does it happen on every horse or just the one you are currently riding?
Member:
dwinans

Posted on Thursday, Feb 19, 2009 - 6:05 pm:

I don't know if this will help you but I can tell you what has helped my post. I've had posting issues but they weren't the same as yours.

1. Practice a lot of two-point. Make sure you aren't just standing in the stirrups. Make sure your heel is down.

2. Then I alternate posting with the two point in 4 beats. So post 4 times and then go into the two point for 4 post equivalents. I count the whole time - 1 down, 2 down, 3 down, 4 down then two point for the same counts. It's kind of hard to explain in writing.

3. I think it helps to think of the post as going down from the two point rather than up from sitting in the saddle. Hope that makes sense.

4. Another thing I would look at would be saddle fit. Bad saddle fit can definitely affect your post.

Hopefully that gives you some ideas.
Member:
hollyw

Posted on Thursday, Feb 19, 2009 - 6:59 pm:

Hi, Linda,

Are you new to posting trot? Have you done a lot of sitting trot before now?

Can you count the two beat rhythm when you are sitting? Can you get your heels back underneath you and roll forward into your inner thigh/knee and balance "standing?"

When posting, it's important to think of it as a "hips to hands" movement and not an "up and down" movement. Don't push off of your toes. Lower leg stays set and the movement is between the knee and hip . . . mostly hips. If we think "hips to hands," then we don't need to rise UP out of the saddle as much as roll forward into our thighs/knees and get our seats out of the saddle just enough to miss the bounce. I find that there is less time taken up with the "forward/sit, forward/sit" movement than with a conscious "up/down, up/down" movement. Yes, Ann is right that you may be behind the movement. It's not uncommon if you are just learning posting trot. JoAnn asks some great questions, and Dawn is "right on" about it being a balance issue as much as a rhythm issue.

Do you have someone who can help you by longeing the horse while you ride without having to worry about steering? Then you can work exclusively on feel and balance.

Our horses usually have one hind stronger than the other, and if we "feel" it, and allow that stronger hind to give us a push and a lift, we will feel our hip on that side move a little forward of the other hip as our seats go forward, then sit, forward, then sit . . .

It seems the consensus is that you make a movie.
Member:
lhenning

Posted on Thursday, Feb 19, 2009 - 7:49 pm:

I am bumping forwards, not falling backwards. It's just a moment, and it might be his movement that sort of pushes me forward, but I know it's another beat that should not be there. I only have one horse and don't ride any others, but I don't really think it's specific to this horse. My saddle is a Tucker and I love it. I've had it looked at by a saddle fitter and she thought everything looked fine.

I am not new to posting, but I am no expert either. I've been doing this off and on for years. I just had it happen today and realized I don't know how to correct it. I don't think it happens every time I post, but I can't figure out why one day it all seems to come together and not on a different day.

At this time, my husband is just back to work after being layed off for four months, so my extra cash for lessons is non-existant. I have no one to lunge me either. Not sure about the video, I'll have to think about that.

Dawn, I like your posting exercise and I will try that.

Holly (so glad to see you back here!), yes I have done a lot of sitting trot and I feel very balanced and comfortable with it. Your hips to hands image is a good one. I think more in terms of up and down. Maybe I'm popping up too much and it takes too much time, thus I lose the rhythm. I do think of his inside hind as I rise so I feel I'm in rhythm at the start of the post, but then I lose it. It makes sense that my rise could be slower than his beat so I compensate. I wonder if I'm really posting to two of his strides without realizing it??? Oooh, I'll have to think about that tomorrow when I ride. Could I be that awful and not know it? Yikes. Scarey.
Member:
jowidner

Posted on Thursday, Feb 19, 2009 - 8:55 pm:

Linda, "bumping forward" indicates a loss of balance forward. Holly's suggestion of posting hips to hands should help you quite a lot. Let the motion of the horse open and close your leg angles rather than you creating an artificial up-down effort. Think about keeping length in your lower back as you post so that there is not a "break" between your pelvis and upper torso. Lastly, ask a buddy, or use a mirror if you have one in an arena, to check your alignment to make sure that heels, hips, and head are all aligned.
Good luck!
Member:
ajudson1

Posted on Thursday, Feb 19, 2009 - 10:52 pm:

I only started posting a couple of years ago. I can't give any real insightful advice except to start over every time you feel it's not right. For me, some days it feels so easy and flawless, other days I have to think, and count, and look at the shoulder, etc.

I am usually riding in my western treeless saddle, never an English saddle.
Member:
imogen

Posted on Friday, Feb 20, 2009 - 3:30 am:

Stirrup length?

Imogen
Member:
stek

Posted on Friday, Feb 20, 2009 - 10:55 am:

Also sounds to me like you are behind his motion, which can happen if you're trying to post too 'big'. If you can get someone to watch you posting the trot who could call out the 'up. down. up. down.' rhythm when it should be happening that might help.

Also, try thinking of posting not of lifting yourself up and down with the rhythm of the trot, but suspending your butt just a fraction of an inch over the saddle in the 'up' phase, then very lightly touching back down in the down phase. More hovering than up/down.

Posting is like riding a bike, when you really 'get' it it will become second nature.
Member:
lhenning

Posted on Saturday, Feb 21, 2009 - 10:38 am:

That's it! I was pushing off my toes and popping up too much. I did the two-point exercise and found my shoulder, hips, ankle alignment and balance. When I rolled forward and thought hips to hands, it all came together. Now I have a good understanding of my mistake so I can work toward consistently posting properly. Before, I was doing it right purely out of luck, probably from watching videos and imitating them. Now I can feel the right way and correct myself when it goes wrong.

Thanks, you guys are great!!

Linda
Member:
dwinans

Posted on Friday, Feb 27, 2009 - 11:42 pm:

I'm glad you figured it out. I love "light-bulb" moments - it's very exciting! I grew up riding bareback and posting has never come natural to me. It's always a challenge that I'm working on.

All I can say is keep working - once you fix something you find something else that needs fixing! :-)
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