Lesson 8: Getting Good at Trotting
This lesson will emphasize a review of everything learned to date and will add exercises designed to prepare students for the next steps, sitting trot and cantering. Emphasis will be placed on using the mind as an aid to riding, and small, incremental elective steps toward the next phase of riding—sitting trot and cantering—will be provided.
Review of Posting
Return to the very first lesson, and work your way through lesson seven. Read the lessons, then take notes with you, and, before beginning this lesson, practice each exercise in the earlier lessons. Give yourself one good session for that.
Go back to lesson seven, and repeat several times the transitions to posting. When you are happy with your progress, begin to post around corners. At this point, your main aim is to simply get around them. Don’t bother yet with trying to influence the horse with your inside leg. If he bulges too far out of the corner, so that you’ll bump into a jump or other object, you may have to use some significant outside rein, though.
Give yourself one session for this activity.
