Are there any of these in the US? I’ve always wanted to try one, but the only ones I’ve found have been… elsewhere. 
I got a gift card for Christmas and am looking forward to trying it. Waiting until I have something else on in the area to make the trip worth it
A found a few by searching “equine simulator USA,” including one at Tryon.
Hmm the only one I found was at Tryon. I did find an article that said “Nearly every state has a riding simulator” and then proceeded to only talk about the one at Tryon 
edit: apparently there is one in Sacramento. Unfortunately I don’t live on either coast 
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oh awesome! Looking forward to your report once you try!
This! My trainer said pretend like you’re riding a bicycle.
Thanks for the link.
I have a question about the transverse abs.
It was implied that the TAs work in an up and down motion-I’m thinking of an accordion here. “N-S”
But since they run side to side ( E-W) don’t the muscles contract that way, not up down??
Color me confused.
Not sitting trot per say but i slacked off core work and it showed in my lengthenings BUT i learned in a lesson recently i was trying to ceate too much from my seat instead of activating the hindleg.
So i put on a bigger spur, and activated that hind leg - and it was so much easier to sit.
It comes from the hindleg - not bouncing to make it bigger.
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One way to feel how to engage your TA is this: lay on the floor. Relax your belly. Now, suck your belly button in, and as it comes in, pull it UP. You should feel the muscles on the side of your hip bone feel like they are coming inwards (E-W as you termed it).
When you engage the TA, it causes you to raise your ribcage (think of standing or sitting taller, more upright).
Now, do nothing and engage the RA (rectus abdominus, or “6-pack”). See how it curls you forward?
So, to apply this to riding: When you engage the TA, it stabilizes your seat (and your lower back) and lengthens your torso. This allows the RA to go up/down (north/south) as you are trotting, without curling over, as it responds to the motion of the horse.
Try this: sit in a straight chair or stool. Lean back slightly. Find your TA, and engage them. See what it does to your back? Especially the lower back. Activating the TA is crucial to keeping the lower back from being hyperflexed. Now, sit in same chair and activate only your RA. See how your rib cage compresses? Which is what you do not want!
Does this help answer your question?
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in yoga class we do this belly-button roll exercise
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Please read Gymnasium of the Horse. Specifically page 35 where the open seat is explained. You will only inhibit your horse’s back by keeping a closed thigh.
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Agreed! My short backed TB was hardest for me to sit. My trainer wouldn’t even attempt to sit him until he was reliably in correct collection ~3rd level. (We chose not to show him because he’s mentally unstable and I had a far easier horse to show coming up behind him, so never had to truly identify levels… and since he is a bucker we chose not to ever school changes on him, though they were simply there when we felt like it and asked.) It took him going VERY uphill to get enough swing in his back to be easily sittable. He was what I would consider PSG level of balance and engagement when I started sitting his trot more.
With him, obviously getting him to swing was key, but I also had to learn the correct technical mechanics. For me, the turkey leg exercise mentioned above while on the longe was one of the biggest helps. With legs off, I could sit easily if he was carrying himself well.
Which caused me to learn this:
I’m asthmatic, so even more fun. 
Once I had all those things, it suddenly (about 5 or 6 years in the making ) became easy. I remember the day my trainer said to do an extended trot, and I allowed, got ready to ask because it felt like nothing, and my trainer said, “Wow, that is by far the best extended trot on the property, with at least 2’ of overtrack!” It was so easy once everything clicked, even with a horse who was hard to sit. The sitting for where he was going piece was 100% necessary, because if I wasn’t on the front of the swell of movement like surfing a wave, it was tipping me back toward his tail and making him stop to stay with me.
My youngest mare is a typical WB big mover - suspension and power, but also natural swing. Her movement made me clench because of the different feel. With her, two point made the difference. Really probably the same effect as meupatdoes’s post 2, sit 1. Makes you balance and gripping won’t work for 2 steps, so you have to absorb in hips, knees and ankles without pinching.
My youngest is at an indeterminate level, and she always has swing, but when I get her truly using her motor, she is WAY easier to sit even though she always has a pretty soft back. I was doing some sitting medium without stirrups today and had the time to think how much easier it was than the working trot we started the ride with.
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UPDATE: THANK YOU EVERYONE!! We got a 7.5 on our rider position this weekend in our 2nd level test and scored 68% to win our class 
Putting my stirrups down a hole has helped a lot among all of the great suggestions here.
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Well done, you!
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How cool is that! Congrats!!
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Thanks guys! I have pics and video just have to get them uploaded 
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In Amelia Newcomb video. Horse is almost always BTV, makes sitting trot easier.
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Just adding this little video of my daughter doing sitting trot without stirrups in a lesson a few weeks ago. She says it always feels like she’s moving too much but I think it looks pretty darn good for her age and level. She really loves no stirrup work. Sharing mostly because it’s cute and I’m proud/envious of her! But if anybody has any tips I can pass them along to her. I know it’s a totally different ball game then the original question.
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