I'm with Angie...it would be an exceptional individual and an exceptional horse (not gaited) who could do a 50 mile ride at a true sitting trot.? I know several good riders who do a kind of just off the saddle seat "stand" in the stirrups, but I'm guessing that 90+% of successful endurance riders post to the trot.? The MOST important thing, and the hardest thing for riders without some training, is to change diagonals regularly and to post on both sides equally.? Many of us had to learn this the hard way by creating very one-sided horses with lots of lameness and sore muscles on one side of both horse and rider. Even one or two dressage lessons to make sure you understand how to do this, if you don't have the background in posting, is worth every dime.? For myself, I post to the trot and do a modified two point at the canter.? 7.5 MPH is a great pace, don't mess with it.??
