How do I help my 8 Yr old Daughter not to bounce so much while trotting?

Forgive me if I laugh here, because it is a common issue ;-)

I often find that the problem is rhythm. I have 4 daughters and I have taught them to ride (plus many other children). The best method I have found to teach them is to strip the principal of trotting right back down to basics.

First I get them to sit on a log like it is a horse. We actually have a perfect log at home, but you can use a child size chair that she can touch the floor with her feet flat.

You sit on a chair/log and face her. Then you rise up and down as if the horse was trotting, and either count one, two, one, two or up, down, up, down etc.

It helps them to understand their is a rhythm when the horses legs move forward and back. She is probably old enough to explain about the legs and shoulder moving and for her to understand it.

If needed then stand beside her and physically put a hand on her back and chest, to help her rise and fall to a steady and correct rhythm.

It is a lot for a child to trot, stay seated on a horse and keep balance and co-ordination ;-)

My question is, are you wanting her to rise to the trot bareback or are you wanting her to sit the trot and be more fluid?

My girls can do both. The easiest way to teach them how to rise to the trot, was to have them in a pony pad with a monkey grip and stirrups. I either run beside them on the lead or stand in the middle on the lunge and called out, up, down or 1, 2 etc.

Running beside them is easier to control the ponies rhythm, the pony will often match your stride and you can keep a rhythm count for her. Having them on the lunge is harder to control the pace and rhythm if the pony is a bit zippy, but it is easier to see the child's position and to also chant and watch the ponies legs at the same time.

Once they have mastered trot in the stirrups it is very easy to transfer it over to bare back. because they understand the concept of rhythm and balance a bit better.

On that note, I like to have the kids ride with a saddle cloth on the pony and a racing surcingle around the pony (like a girth) to keep it in place. You don't need fancy bareback pads and the like, but this will help her keep her balance and feel much more secure than on a slippery pony ;-)

To teach sitting trot bareback, I lead the pony and encourage a slow extended trot. I use big long strides myself (well, long as I can because I'm short) and get the pony into a comfortable gait. Encourage really good posture because she needs to be sitting really deep to go with the pony and not bounce above it.

Get her a neck strap for the pony to help balance and don't even expect her to steer the pony (you can even take the reins away). Let her place all of her concentration on staying up right, tucking her bottom in under her and flowing with the pony. If your use a saddle cloth and surcingle, then she can hold the front on the saddle cloth for balance or a bit of mane.

To practice her position again go back to the chair or log and show her the difference between sitting on her bottom normally and rolling forward and rolling back and tucking her bottom under (not leaning back or slouching). You can also find some dressage video on youtube of Olympic level dressage just to show her the sitting trot and the kind of posture she needs to keep.

Of course all of this is exaggerated in the beginning until she gets the hang of it. My 4yo girl took ages to get the hang of rising to the trot (they ride bare back with a saddle pad half of the time and in a saddle the other half) she has just turned 5yo and is getting much better. I still can count for my 7yo girl at times, mainly because she is now working on a particularly zippy pony that can be choppy at times and we work on keeping rhythm.

But it sounds like your daughter is getting a good foundation riding bareback. I was not allowed to use a saddle until I was 12yo when I was growing up and I have very good balance and a natural seat.

Confidence is key, keep her confidence high with lots of encouragement. Get her to practice lots in short bursts and then do other activities in-between.

Good luck ;-)

Just seen your extra info - Yes the idea of sitting on your pockets is good, it is the same as telling her to tuck her bottom under. If you need to be leading her, have a second adult that can keep telling her to sit up straight. This is why it is good to practice on the log because she will understand the difference between the postures.

She must be riding stiff or ridged, work the horse for her on the line and have her sit him and put her arms, out, up , on hips, on shoulders while trotting. Make sure the pony won't spook when she puts her arms out. I think kids have to be confident to ride relaxed and just go with the feel of the horse. I have never tried to ride a post bareback and I think having a child try to do it is ridiculous.

but I do let them ride without hands and that will develop the balance enoiugh that they can sit and ride relaxed that is what they need to sit a trot without bouncing.

I have given riding lessons for many years and I am not a certified trainer, but several of my students are pro. trainers now.

Okay well my teacher tells me to post in both English and western saddles. A post is when you go up and down in the saddle when trotting. Riding bareback in a trot is fun, what she has to do is sit back on her butt she should be able to feel the horses bone if she sitting the right way (that's how I can tell if i'm sitting wrong or not) and hold on with her thighs. So for bareback she needs to sit back on her butt and hold on with her thighs for extra grip she can hold on to the horses mane and lightly put her hands right where the horses mane starts that's how i ride bareback and it helps with the bouncing a lot

have you ridden her pony? maybe its just a little bouncy and isn't a "bareback pony" XD

otherwise just make sure she presses down her right seat bone when the right leg goes forward and the left when the left goes forward. Not so much press down, but keep it "glued" to the horse. Otherwise, I would just have her ride more often, her body will naturally figure out what to do on its own (:

remember: she's young, nothings going to be perfect, just let her have fun, she can worry about looking good when she understands it better

if you have a saddle, let her try trotting in that. that way, she can hold on to the dront of it and really oull herself into ot to stop herself bouncing. then once she really knows what she is going for, she should try it bareback again. but it really depends on your horse too - big horses can be harder for small people to sit to especially bareback and obviously some horses are a lot bouncier than others.

Work with her on gripping with her leg and putting her heals down like she would if she is an english saddle. This way, she will be more secure on the horse's back and will most likely be less bouncy. Good Luck and Hope this helps!

Is she riding English or Western? There are numerous videos on Youtube that show proper riding position. If you she is riding English she needs to learn to post. In Western she needs to support her weight with the balls of her feet in the stirrup and then let her pelvis roll with the trot.

Tell her to tuck her tailbone under so her hips will absorb the bump, her hips will do most of the work and she will ride smoother, she will get better with it as she works on it and will be able to sit up straighter almost each time she rides. Takes lots of practice.

Tell her to almost stand up in stirrups lifting her bottom off of the saddle, then sit down, avoiding every other bump.

Hope I helped!

she will get the hang of it, but it takes time. lol once i learned how i was a much better rider. tell her to move with the horse. if the horse moved then she must move in the same motion.