Cari Swanson

How do I learn to ride the sitting trot?

In a recent lesson, a student requested we work on her sitting trot. She has a lovely Selle Francais, with correct gaits that are easy to ride to, however, she found herself unable to sit the trot. First, we checked the riders postion. The upper body must remain stable, lifted and relaxed. She tends to lean forward thus throwing off the balance of the horse. Once we established a correct postion, we slowed the trot down and began by posting several strides then sitting several strides, repeating the excercise until the rhythm and tempo did not change. Gradually we increased the sitting strides until she could maintain the correct postion. Be careful that when you slow the trot down, you are not allowing the horse to fall behind the aids, he must still remain active and in front of the riders aids.

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How do I become a Working Student?

Many farms offer working student positions throughout the year at varying intervals. First of all identify what you want to learn and then find a farm that teaches your disicpline. Be prepared to ask some basic questions, what are the farm’s expectations of you and what do you want to learn out of the experience. Are accomadation and meals included? Are there other students at the same time? Windrock Farm offers this opportunity to day students as well as those from other countries who stay at the farm. During the summer there may be as many as 6 students at one time. In addition to barn chores and riding several horses each day, we take field trips around the region as well as into NYC for some cultural outings. The riding experience includes lessons in dressage, jumping, cross country and occasionally swimming in a nearby pond. Many students travel from France and Germany to visit the farm and learn about horses in America.

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Buying a Horse

A mother writes, my daughter is too big for her pony and I need to buy her a horse, where do I start?
First of all, you must be realistic about your daughters riding skills and goals are before searching for a horse that suits her. I would look for an experienced older horse to teach her the basics and build her confidence. Some things to consider are the size of the horse, the age, temperament,
and experience. When trying a horse, ride him in the ring and outside on trails to confirm your daughters comfort level on him. Remember, there may be an adjustment period when you bring your new horse home, so give him a few days to settle in. Have fun and good luck with your new horse!