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How to kick at the trot!

Many riders struggle with how to effectively influence the horse to go forward from the leg in the trot.   It can be difficult, especially in the posting trot, to coordinate activating the horse from your leg AND to keep posting.

Here are some tips to use your leg more effectively:

Posting trot:

  1. Make sure you are posting correctly and that the posting trot is from the knee up.  The lower leg should NOT be swinging in the posting trot.  A swinging lower leg will feel like constant kicking to the horse and they will ignore the kick!
  2. It is easiest to kick the horse as you are coming down into the saddle.
  3. Always start by closing the calf first and then follow through with the kick. Ideally, the horse responds to closing the calf (and it is much easier to close the calf than it is to kick at the trot).
  4. Since you will be kicking as you are coming down into the saddle, the kicks will be in rhythm with the trot.  So it will be kick, kick, kick until the horse moves forward.
  5. Be sure to REWARD your horse when they go forward. Stop kicking and release your leg the instant that the horse moves forward!
  6. Do NOT lean forward and pull on the reins when you kick or when the horse moves forward.  This will only punish the horse from moving!
  7. The kick should be from the waist down, nothing above the waist changes!

Sitting trot:

  1. Always start by closing the calf first, then give the horse a kick if they don’t move forward.  Remember that you want to teach the horse to respond to the calf, the kick is the correction.
  2. Be sure to take the lower leg OFF after you kick and the horse moves forward.  DO NOT kick and squeeze!
  3. For a quicker trot, try kicking twice in the same step.  This is nearly impossible to do in the posting trot, but in sitting trot it is possible to activate the horse for a quicker trot by giving them 2 quick kicks in one step.
  4. Don’t lock up your hips when you kick! It is very important to work towards an independent seat where you can influence the horse with the leg and the seat stays following the motion of the horse!
  5. Be sure to maintain a forward-feeling hand as you activate the horse from the leg.  Often riders, without knowing it, pull backwards and give conflicting aids to the horse when they activate from the leg.

Transitions are the best way to get the horse more reactive and in from of the leg.  If you are struggling to get your horse responsive to the leg, try some trot-walk-trot transitions, slow trot to fast trot or even trot-halt-trot transitions!

I hope this video helps you! Comment and let me know!

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I help foster a trusting, confident bond between horse and rider. By combining natural horsemanship with classical dressage, I create a holistic training approach tailored to the unique needs of each horse and rider.
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