I'm having trouble trotting. Any advice, tips, or things to remember?

I'mm having trouble posting at the trot and my instructor says that I need to work on keeping my lower legs as still as possible while trotting. I also tend to lean forward once in awhile while trotting and I can never keep a consistent speed!! My instructor says that this is because the lower legs are moving alot and sometimes it hits my horse's side without me knowing it or intending to which makes my horse speed up. PLEASE tell me ANYTHING I can do to improve my riding!! I'm having trouble trotting. Any advice, tips, or things to remember?
Heels Down. I know this sounds like the most generic answer possible but it really does help. Pushing your heels down will help strengthen your legs, snugs your upper against your horse, and makes you much more solid in the saddle.





When you're riding, really think about where your body is positioned with relation to your vertical axis. Ideally, at a relaxed pace, there should be a straight line down your back from your head to your heel. I have the same problem and one of the other thing that helps me is to remember to keep the butt bones planted firmly in the seat, not tilted foward. Think of it as collection for the rider! Move from the hind quarters, not the knee or upper leg--those are support.I'm having trouble trotting. Any advice, tips, or things to remember?
I have a solution and its fun too. I have done this before in one of my riding lessons. Take a piece of paper and put it between your calves and saddle leather and keep it there. This teaches you not to move your legs so the paper will not fall out. It can become a game too. Try this at a walk then do it at a sitting trot and work to your posts. When posting your trot KEEP YOUR HEELS DOWN and bend with your knees a bit too, like flexing, it also helps. Tilt your hips forwards also and shoulders back. You will learn and soon you wont have a problem leaning forward. It could be a little of being unbalanced so you to tend to steady yourself at times on you horse's back and lean foreword to help balance you. Don't do this too often at all and you'll learn to sit up, just keep thinking it. Hope this helps.
There are a few things that I can think of:


When you are sitting the trot try to focus in on your position. For instance try notice the curve of your lower back. The less you arch your back the better (this at least is a problem of mine) Try to really straighten your back out making yourself nice and tall and your seat deep. Then try to carry this feeling over to your posting trot.





Work on keeping your weight in your heels too, in order to deepen your post and giving you more control.





When you're not riding you can do calf exercises. Stand on a step on your toes and raise yourself up and down.





Keep up the good work. The more you do it, the more it will come to feel natural.





Hope this helps!
First off, keep in mind that you want your horse to do the work. Let him help you post (the horse can help you bounce up out of the saddle with the post, keep control and continue to complete the post and then sit down. Say to yourself ';up, down'; ';up, down'; and feel the motion of the horse. It does not matter at first which diagonal you post, you just have to feel the rhythm. Once you get it, it will become easier. Keep your legs underneath you (not forward, not backward) Don't give up.
this is probly because you need to build more muscle and strength in your legs. you should be able to (eventually) drop your stirrups while posting, and still keep your legs steady. just remember the basics. sqeeze with your knees and thighs and keep your heels wayyyy down. this should help. you might need to shorten your stirrups for a lesson, just to practice keeping your heels down ( this will allow you to realize how uncomfortable it is when your leg wobbles all over the place).





or, trying swapping saddles. a dressage saddle has a more secure feeling. it will make you feel comfortable when picking up speed, and you wont lean forward.





hope it helps
Don't know if this will help, but keeping your lower legs still swill take practice, it will get easier. Work alot on your balance. Like try to stand up, the way you do when you're posting, for as long as you can while on the horse, and keep your lower legs still.





Also, try to shorten the stirrups, this will help you practice balance and controlling your legs.





oh, and I found this link that might help:


http://horses.about.com/od/learntoride/h鈥?/a>





Best of luck!!!





Lilly :)
O.K, I used to do horse lessons. When my pony jumped, I didn't think it would lead with as much force as she did, so after the jump... lets say I was hanging down from the pony's neck.I took the lessons from a local horse farm. (I think that's how you spell it) She is really good. She is great! She told me, if the fence is to your right then when the horse's right leg goes up, you need to go up. Simple! Catch ya' later.
I'm learning to but when i trot this helps a lot....





Get up into a 2 point and do that for a little wial. it teaches your legs what position they need to be in. also squeeze the top of you legs to the saddle. And make your heals go down hard
put all your weight in ur heels. that usually helps. otherwise im not rlly sure. ive never had problems. o yea keep ur heels down.