Your First Trot: How to Ride It with Confidence (Even if You’re Nervous)

Let’s set the scene.

You’re sitting tall in the saddle. Your horse is walking calmly under you. Your instructor smiles and says:

“Are you ready to try your first trot?”

Your stomach flips with excitement and maybe a little fear. You grip the reins tighter. Your brain shouts “What if I bounce right off?!”

Take a deep breath.

I want you to imagine me standing next to you, reins in my hand. Because for your very first trot ever, you shouldn’t be alone. Ideally, your instructor has you on a lunge line or is jogging alongside your horse holding the reins. That way, you can focus on yourself without worrying about steering, speed, or where your horse is going.

This first trot isn’t about technique. It’s about getting the feel. So let’s walk through exactly what to expect, what to do with your body, and how to build confidence instead of tension.

Why Trotting Feels So Different

The trot is a two-beat gait. Unlike the walk, which feels like a gentle swing or sway, the trot has a natural bounce to it. You’ll feel your horse lift and push off with diagonal pairs of legs:

• Left front + right hind together
• Right front + left hind together

This creates an up-down rhythm under your seat. At first, it may feel jarring, but with practice, your body will begin to move in harmony with it.

Before You Ask for Trot

Here’s what I want you to check before even thinking about trotting:

✅ Are you sitting tall with your shoulders over hips?

✅ Are your legs relaxed, hanging down naturally with gentle calf contact?

✅ Are you holding the reins with a soft, steady feel – not clenching? It is also a good idea to hold a grab strap, to prevent pulling on the reins for balance.

✅ Is your seat evenly balanced, not tipped forward or braced back?

✅ Have you taken a deep, calming breath?

If not, pause and adjust. A secure, relaxed position at the walk sets you up for better success at the trot.

How to Ask for Your First Trot

Important: For your first trot ever, your instructor should either:

• Lead the horse at a trot from the ground.
• Lunge you, meaning you’re connected to a long line while they control the horse’s direction and speed on a circle.

This way, you can focus purely on balance and feel, not steering.

Here’s what to do:

1. Breathe. Exhale tension out of your shoulders, neck, and hands.
2. Prepare your seat. Sit tall stretching up slightly through the top of your head and with equal weight in both seat bones going down relaxing into your heels.
3. Stay relaxed through your hips, thighs and ankles. If you grip with your legs, you’ll bounce more. Think of your legs draping around the horse, gently hugging.
4. Look up. Keep your eyes ahead, not down at the horse’s neck. Looking down rounds your shoulders and tips your balance forward.
5. Let your body move. At first, you will bounce a bit – that’s normal. Try to let your hips move forward and up and back gently and down with the motion instead of tensing up or bracing against it. You may also feel that there is also a slight side to side movement as well. It is usually pretty quick movement almost like moving hips in belly dancing but your trying to move in sync with the horse.

Common First Trot Mistakes

I see these over and over in first trot lessons. Awareness is the first step to fixing them:

❌ Gripping with your knees. This lifts your seat out of the saddle and unbalances you.

✅ Fix: Keep knees relaxed, let your weight drop down your legs. Hip, knee and ankle joints should be relaxed and absorb the movement.

❌ Leaning forward or curling into a fetal position. This makes you less secure, not more.

✅ Fix: Sit up, shoulders open, imagine your spine growing taller with each step.

❌ Holding your breath. This instantly creates tension everywhere.

✅ Fix: Inhale deeply, exhale slowly. Your horse feels your breath.

❌ Pulling on the reins to balance. This is unfair to your horse and doesn’t help you stay on.

✅ Fix: Keep your hands steady but soft, balancing with your core and seat instead, using a grab strap be helpful if you loose your balance so you don’t pull on the reins. Or your instructor can take the reins from you fully, so you don’t gravitate towards gripping with your hands for balance.

What to Expect Your First Time

Your first trot may feel fast.

You might bounce out of the saddle a bit – that’s okay. You’re learning. Most beginners are surprised by how much bounce there is.

You might laugh nervously or feel overwhelmed. That’s normal too.

Remember: In riding lessons, your horse has likely carried dozens of new riders through their first trot. Trust their steadiness, and trust your instructor beside you.

First Trot Tips from the Ground

Here are cues I often give my students when leading them through their first trot:

🗣️ “Breathe. Let your hips move.”

🗣️ “Sit tall, don’t hunch like a turtle.”

🗣️ “Let your legs hang down like damp towels around the horse’s sides.”

🗣️ “Imagine your seat bones making little forward-back circles in time with the horse’s movement.”

Why We Don’t Post Yet

You might have seen riders rising and sitting in rhythm during the trot – that’s called posting trot, and we’ll cover it in another post.

For your very first trot, usually you will just sit and just feel the movement. Posting requires timing and coordination you’ll develop soon, but first, you need to feel what the trot actually is.

Exercise: First Trot Feel

Here’s a simple practice you can do in your lesson:

1. Walk your horse with your instructor leading or on the lunge.
2. Prepare your position as described above.
3. Instructor cues trot.
4. Stay relaxed, breathe, and focus on feeling the motion.
5. Return to walk after a few strides.
6. Discuss with your instructor what you felt, what felt secure or wobbly, and what you need to adjust.
7. Repeat in short bursts until you gain confidence and can trot for a longer period.

Final Thoughts from the Rail

Your first trot is a milestone. It’s the moment you realize horseback riding isn’t just about sitting – it’s about moving with a powerful, living partner.

Don’t rush it. Don’t compare yourself to others. Everyone’s first trot is a little awkward – but it’s also a memory you might never forget.

In my next post, we’ll talk about how to post the trot so you can rise and sit in rhythm, lightening your seat and moving even more harmoniously with your horse.

Have questions or want help preparing for your first trot lesson? Leave a comment below.

Ride joyfully,

Kacey