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Put Your Horse On The Bit So You Can Sit the Trot Better Many riders don’t realize that when it’s hard to sit the trot, it might be because theyhaven’t put their horses on the bit. No matter how good a rider you are, it’s nearlyimpossible to sit the trot if your horse’s back is rigid and hollow.The key to making both you and your horse more comfortable for you so it’s easier to sitthe trot, is to put him on the bit so his back is round. You do that with what I call “the“connecting aids”.Forward FirstBefore you try to give connecting aids, check that your horse “thinks forward” in postingtrot. That is, When you close both calves, does he surge forward toward a lengthening? If he doesn’t, give him a couple of taps with the whip or a couple of bumps with your legsto chase him forward. Then, ask him to surge forward again when you close your calveslightly. If he gives you a good answer this time, praise him.The Connecting AidsSo in a nutshell, here are the aids to put your horse on the bit. I call them the “connectingaids”.The “connecting aids” are a combination of three ingredients that are maintained for about three seconds—the length of time it takes you to inhale and exhale:Those three ingredients are the:• driving aids• bending aids• rein of oppositionThe driving aids consist of your seat and your two legs because any of those aids willdrive the horse forward.The bending aids consist of your inside rein which asks the horse to look in the directionthat he is going, your inside leg on the girth, and your outside leg behind the girth. Eachof those aids contributes to bend.The rein of opposition is the outside rein. It’s called the rein of opposition because itopposes too much speed from the driving aids and too much bend from the bending aids.When you marry those three ingredients–driving aids, bending aids and rein of oppositionfor about three seconds, you give the cue to put your horse on the bit—the connectingaids.First ask him to surge forward as you did when you were asking him to go forward
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