Hi!! I’m teaching a 17 year old how to ride as favor… I’ve never given lesssons before though I ride almost every day and jump up to 3’. I tried last week and she fell off because I think I pushed her to fast horsegurl182 this is not troll a troll post she is to poor to afford lessons ski am teching her for free.Thanks
Start in the two-point at the walk. Once she can stay there, then I teach my students how to post at the walk, making them follow my very slow up-down-up-down direction. Once they can do that, we try it at the trot, usually holding onto a grab strap (or western horn).
Common problems are posting too quickly or too slowly. If either happens, go back to the walk with you saying “up-down-up-down” in a trot-like rhythm. Then trying again at the trot.
Lunge lines and grab straps are important for beginners.
3 Likes
She fell off? How did this happen? What were you doing at the time?
If this isn’t a trolling post (smells suspicious) you first need a horse that will walk and trot pleasantly and safely on a lunge line. First step is to teach the new rider about balance (theirs and the horses) and find their center of gravity. Walk them through the three positions (full seat, half seat and posting). Have them practice these at the walk, all on the lunge line so you can see and have some control. Get them to understand where their seat and leg are as well.
Once the rider is comfortable and understands about balance you can have them try posting at a trot. A couple steps is all they will need at first, so that way they can just feel what a trot is. A lot of beginners try to post with their hands and act like they’re grabbing for something, which causes them to fall backwards and become unbalanced. So beginners have difficulty understanding the concept of posting. You can use several analogies, including standing and sitting up and down in a chair or squats as the power comes from your legs and you never use your hands. Be sure her stirrup is on the ball of her foot has well and not “too far home” (close to her heel). This will make posting more difficult as well.
Take it slow. Some beginners pick it up right away (especially if they’re super athletic) others take a few lessons before it sinks in.
First thing is you need a steady, rhythmic horse. The horse needs to maintain its rhythm on its own with no input from the rider. If the horse is not stabelized enough to do this, it will not work, because a beginner rider cannot manage to learn to post plus control the rhythm of the horse. Longe lines work well, as long as the horse is steady and reliable on a longe. Teach the posting rhythm at the walk before trying the trot, and only do a few steps of the trot at the beginning. You need a horse that knows how to teach beginners–a horse that will stop before the rider falls off. Agreed a neckstrap or similar is needed for the beginner.
Don’t immediately throw her into trotting, start teaching her from a walk on a lunge line on a super safe and quiet horse. Have her post at the walk, she’ll need to gather her strength so do little drills like two-point at the walk for a lap, then sitting for a lap. Make sure she has close to proper position, keeping her heels anchored and squeezing with her lower leg and not her knee so she isn’t pivoting. This is going to take time! Often times at my barn we don’t teach people to post at a trot right away until they are comfortable controlling the horse at a walk and have their strength. I would save this for lesson 5 at the earliest. Hope things get better!
Don’t immediately throw her into trotting, start teaching her from a walk on a lunge line on a super safe and quiet horse. Have her post at the walk, she’ll need to gather her strength so do little drills like two-point at the walk for a lap, then sitting for a lap. Make sure she has close to proper position, keeping her heels anchored and squeezing with her lower leg and not her knee so she isn’t pivoting. This is going to take time! Often times at my barn we don’t teach people to post at a trot right away until they are comfortable controlling the horse at a walk and have their strength. I would save this for lesson 5 at the earliest. Hope things get better!
I also teach 2 point and posting at the walk, both with and without stirrups. I’ve found that helps riders figure out what thier bodies are supposed to be doing before adding the trot
1 Like
Another thing that will help, assuming you have a horse with a ‘bumpy’ enough/enough impulsion at the gait trotting horse, is to have her sit the trot and say out loud as she feels each diagonal pair ‘one two one two’ until you know she is aware of the rhythm. Once she is aware of the rhythm, then you start saying ‘up down up down’ in that same rhythm, and encourage her to let the horse push her out of the saddle in that rhythm. You may or may not need the horse on the longeline, but you do need a safe, enclosed area.
Make sure that her stirrups are short enough, and that she has correct leg position. Encourage her to place her hands on the pommel of the saddle for balance. I agree with the folks who said have her practice standing/sitting at the halt and walk first. Once she can do that, the horse pushing her out of the saddle should do the rest.
(FYI I am in my mid-sixties now, but from the age of 15 to 18, I taught many people how to ride, children and adults. This method has worked in the past in that diverse set of newbie riders.)
When I taught my mom how to post, (funniest and scariest thing ever) I just had her, at the walk, sit for two beats, two point for two, post for two, and so on. Also, have her do the sitting trot, and as sdlbredfan said, have her say out loud the one-two beat.
Just dont push her too far! You want her to enjoy it, not dread it. it might take a little longer, but its worth it!
Good Luck!
As others have said, she needs to be taught at a walk on the lunge line. I know she’s probably impatient, but she needs to have a strong base of support and strong leg at the walk before she starts trotting. I wasn’t taught to post until I could hold a two-point at the walk for a long time (sometimes without stirrups!) I started out western so I had trotted and cantered before. Then I had to learn to ‘post’ at the walk. But then I had to learn to sit the trot and not bounce, and then hold two-point for like 5 minutes at the trot. THEN I was taught how to post.
I was a tiny thing on a giant TB sometimes, and on a bouncy flouncy Appy other times.
