My horse generally prefers to trot very little. I set the speed & he
sets the gait. He has a ground-covering hand gallop that he can
maintain for a very long time w/ a lower heart rate on the monitor
than when he trots.
When we 'are' trotting, I generally post. As with many of the other
replies, I do not "stand in the stirrups" during the posting or
during 2-point. If you can't do the 2 point or post w/o stirrups,
you aren't doing it correctly!
When in 2 point (whether trotting or galloping), I maintain a floating
position above the saddle w/ my weight supported by my inner thigh
& calf & some weight in the stirrups. The hip and knee joints must be
flexed & flexible. (Watch the open jumpers as they gallop into a
junp. They "float" above the saddle in an upright position. None
of this laying on the horse's neck to maintain their balance!) If you
"STAND" in the stirrups with your hips & knees locked, you support
your entire weight in the stirrups. This will cause pressure injuries in
the small area supporting your weight.
Several horses ago, I rode an App/TB cross. His trot was difficult
to post (so big!), so I did stay in 2 point more. My husband's
current horse maintains what we call a "road trot" that he SITS to!
The horse "squats" and "spreads" in the rear end & proceeds to trot
at 20-24 mph! He looks a lot like a standardbred trotter when he
does that. The gait is an easy one to sit & very comfortable. You
would never know that he is a QH when he does that! I guess that
whether you 2-point, post, or sit depends on the horse's way of going.
Linda Flemmer
Blue Wolf Equestrian Supplies/ Blue Wolf Ranch
Chesapeake, VA
"In case of emergency - Fur side up, steel side down!"