Szerkesztő:HorsemansWiki/Ügetés

Az ügetés

Az ügetés egy kétütemű átlós jármódja a lónak, ahol az átlós lábpárok egyszerre mozognak előre. A lépések között lebegőfázis van.

A ló egyensúlyát tekintve az ügetés egy nagyon stabil jármód, és a lónak nem kell nagy egyensúlyozó mozdulatokat tennie a fejével és nyakával. A díjlovaglás során általános ennek a jármódnak a használata, mert sok változata van.

A szabályos munkaügetés átlagos sebessége 8 és 12 km/h (5 és 10 mph) közé esik, de elérheti a 19 km/h (12 mph) sebességet is a fogathajtóverseny maraton versenyszámában. Az ügető verseny lovai még ennél is gyorsabbak. Más változatok, mint például a western pleasure versenyek „jog” ügetése lehet sokkal lassabb.

1872-ben Eadweard Muybridge volt az első, aki fényképekkel bizonyította, hogy az ügetőlépések között van egy lebegőfázis, amikor a lovat egyik lába sem támasztja alá.

Az ügetés fajtái

Összeszedett ügetés

Munkaügetés

Középügetés

Nyújtottügetés

Versenyügetés

Az ügetést általában a hátsólábak tevékenysége, a ló ültetettsége és összeszedettsége alapján lehet “munka”, “összeszedett”, “közép” vagy “nyújtott” ügetés.

A ritmusa szerint megkülönböztethetünk valódi kétütemű ügetést, amikor az átlós lábpárok ugyanabban a pillanatban érnek földet, és négyütemű átmeneti jármódokat, mint például a „róka ügetés”, vagy a „trocha” amit néha a Paso Fino fajtájú lovaknál lehet látni.

Az ügetés különböző fajtáinak elnevezései (a leglassabbtól a leggyorsabbig):

• Jog trot: seen in western horses, it is a slow, relaxed trot lacking the suspension of a working trot, with shorter strides. It is easy to ride because there is less "bounce." The head of the horse is carried low, and while the hindquarters are engaged and underneath the horse, there is less impulsion than in a dressage-style collected trot. [1]
• Collected trot: a very engaged trot where most of the horse's weight is carried toward the hindquarters. The frame is compressed, the stride length is shorter than any of the other trots, with the horse taking higher steps. The horse is lighter and more mobile in the collected trot.[2]
• Slow trot (harness) or Road gait (roadster): slower than a working trot, but faster than a jog trot, this gait is one of the gaits used in harness classes at horse shows.
• Working trot or Trot: the natural trot of the horse when under saddle. The stride length is "normal" for the horse (note: some breeds have naturally shorter or longer strides). It is a gait between the collected trot and medium trot. [3] [4]
• Medium trot: a trot that is more engaged and rounder than the working trot, with moderately extended strides. It lies between the working and the extended trot. The horse has good, solid impulsion. [5]
• Park trot: Sometimes simply called a Trot in a given class, seen in saddle seat and fine harness classes for Saddlebreds, Arabians and Morgans. It is a showy, flashy trot with extreme elevation of the knees (forearm is horizontal or higher and the hind legs are extremely flexed). The head is held high, and while at times a horse may hollow its back and lose cadence in an attempt to achieve high action in front, the hindquarters must be engaged for it to be properly performed.
• Lengthened trot: a trot with lengthened strides. It differs from the more advanced extended trot in that is does not require the horse to bring its weight as far back on its hindquarters. [6]
• Road trot or Show at Speed: seen in roadster classes, this gait is similar to a racing trot, but much slower (suitable for an arena setting) the head is still collected. While the stride is still at maximum length, the step is still high and animated.
• Extended trot: an engaged trot with long strides, where the horse stretches its frame, lengthening the strides to the greatest degree possible. The horse has a great amount of suspension. The back is round and the horse's head just in front of the vertical. [7], [8].
• Racing trot: seen in harness racing horses that race at the trot, such as Standardbred. The stride is at its maximum length, with a great deal of suspension. The hind leg in a diagonal pair may begin to ground before the front. Unlike the extended trot, the neck is not round but extended out. [9] [10] [11]

Haute Ecole variations on the trot

Passage

Piaffe

In advanced dressage, two additional forms of the trot are used:

• Passage: a slow, elevated, extremely engaged and collected trot. The horse moves like it is in slow motion, with a long moment of suspension between steps. A very advanced movement. [12] [13] [14]
• Piaffe: an extremely collected trot in place, where the horse carries most of its weight on its hindquarters and does not move forward except for a few inches per stride at most. [15] [16] [17]

Riding the trot

There are three ways the trot may be ridden:

1. Sitting: Where riders keep their seat in the saddle the whole time, absorbing the shock from the movement through the relaxation of rider's lower back. This is preferred for all show ring western-style riding and dressage (especially at the upper levels). Sitting the trot gives the rider optimum control over the gait, because he or she can use the seat to influence the horse. Sitting can be very tiring, especially if performed by riders who have not built up their core strength, or if riders are on an extremely powerful mount, such as a Warmblood with a big trot.
2. Rising or Posting: The rider's seat rises out of the saddle for one beat, and lowers (sits) for the second beat. This is preferred for show jumping, hunt seat, eventing (the jumping phases), saddle seat, lower-level dressage, and most other English-type riding. Although this does not provide as much control as sitting, rising frees up the horse's back. This makes it an important warm-up tool, especially for disciplines that compete at the sitting trot. It is generally accepted that riders should warm-up rising until the horse's back muscles are working well, before starting to sit. Rising is generally less-tiring for the rider than sitting.
3. Half-seat or Two-point: Half-seat involves the rider getting the seat bones off the saddle and keeping soft contact with the pelvis, two-point involves the rider raising the seat and pelvic bones. This provides a great deal of freedom for the horse's back. It also offers the least amount of control for the rider. These positions are rarely used at the trot (although both are common at the canter for jumping riders). However, they can be valuable in some situations, and are good techniques to learn. Two-point also requires a good amount of strength in the rider's legs, which must be developed slowly.

Rising or posting trot

The hips

In the rising trot, the rider makes an up and down movement each stride, going up on beat one, and down on beat two. The rider should allow the horse's movement to throw his or her seat a bit out of the saddle, then allow the pelvis to move forward and toward the pommel, opening the hip angle. Riders should not simply throw the shoulders forward (which will disrupt the movement of the horse). When coming back down, the seat should touch down lightly, rather than slamming down on the horse's back, and the hip angle will close slightly. The rider will land back on the saddle with more weight on the pelvis and less on the seat bones. In general, dressage riders and those with longer stirrups post more "up and down," and riders with shorter stirrups (such as in the jumping disciplines) post more "forward and back" with a slightly more forward incline in their upper bodies.

To get the movement more easily, the rider can count "one-two-one-two" with the sound of the horse's footfalls. The rider should post up on one, and down on two.

The upper body and lower legs

The shoulders and lower legs should remain in relatively the same position when the rider is both forward (up) or sitting (down), with the pelvis moving between the two. In order to stay with the motion of the horse, the rider's shoulders should maintain a slight forward incline throughout the rising trot, instead of the upright, vertical position seen in sitting trot.

The heels take up the rider's weight as he posts up, acting as a shock absorber, and should sink slightly toward the ground on the "up" beat, but should not be pushed forward.

The hands

It is important that the hands stay in the same position as the rider posts up. A common fault for beginner riders is to lift their hands upward as the move their pelvis forward into the up position. This resulting in constant movement of the bit in the horse's mouth, which could irritate, annoy, or possibly cause pain to the animal. To keep the hands still, the rider should focus on the elbows: opening the elbow angle going up, and closing the angle when posting down. The larger the rising movement, the more the rider will have to open and close elbow angles. If the rider still has problems keeping a steady hand, the reason is usually because the base of support and the lower leg are not steady. A swinging lower leg may make also the rider try to use the reins for balance.

When the rising trot is performed correctly, it is very comfortable for the rider and should feel relatively easy.

Diagonals

After the rider learns the movement of the rising trot, he or she should focus on the diagonals. Diagonals help to keep the horse balanced, and are also useful for timing certain aids, such as those for the canter. When the rider is on the correct diagonal, the pelvis up and forward as the horse's inside hind leg and outside foreleg are coming forward, and coming down to sit as the outside hind leg and inside foreleg come forward. To determine the correct diagonal, the rider may look at the shoulder: when the outside shoulder is going forward, the rider should be rising.

The rider should learn to recognize diagonals by feel, however, at an intermediate stage, it is acceptable to discreetly check for the correct diagonal by a quick glance down, by using peripheral vision. A rider should not stare down at the shoulders for several strides, as this unbalances the rider on the horse, makes it difficult to see what is up ahead, and looks unattractive. Developing this feel may take months.

Sitting trot

Rider at the sitting trot

Reasons to sit the trot

Sitting the trot is a skill that all riders should know. It provides a great deal more control of the horse than any other seat, as the rider's seat bones are always in the saddle so that they may influence the horse with their weight and improve the horse's gaits. A rider that is sitting correctly can use the weight aids to ask for an upward or downward transition, request the horse to turn, or increase impulsion. Sitting is a technique that can help slow a horse down, when used as a restraining aid. It is also a test of equitation, proving that the rider can passively move with the horse without inhibiting him in any way, which is the aim of all riding regardless of the discipline.

Sitting the trot takes time to develop, and requires strength, but is quite comfortable if performed correctly. If a rider sits the trot poorly, it is very uncomfortable (due to the pounding on the seat bones and general jarring of the body), but also can hurt the horse's back. Due to the pain of constant slamming, the horse will hollow its back and stiffen its movement, making it impossible to obtain optimum best performance. Such a horse may eventually sour to work, especially if a sensitive type.

Learning to sit

Riding the sitting trot is generally more difficult to learn than rising, especially on big-moving horses. The jog-trot, which is the preferred gait of western horses, is generally smoother and less-bouncy than the working, medium, and extended trot of the English-style horse. This is partly why western riders sit instead of post, because sitting is not as tiring on a flatter mover. (However, in working practice, many western riders post or ride in a modified two-point position.) In general, the extended trot is the most difficult trot to sit, followed by the medium trot, then the lengthened trot, then the working trot.

When learning to sit the trot, it is best to learn on a horse with a soft, smooth trot, and preferably one that is well-trained enough to keep its balance and rhythm despite the rider's mistakes. If possible, the rider should bring the horse down into a slow trot with little impulsion to make it easier to sit. It is preferable if the horse raises its back and rounds, as a hollow horse produces a very choppy, hard-to-sit trot. When the rider is able to sit a slow trot, then the horse can be asked for a bit more impulsion, continuing to increase slowly until the horse is at its regular working trot. After the working trot is easily performed, the rider can ask for the more impulsive trots, such as the collected, medium, and extended gaits.

If the rider finds sitting to be difficult, it is best to slow the trot back down to where it is more comfortable. Remember: a tense rider bounces, which bangs on the horse's back, which causes the horse to hollow and makes the trot harder to sit, resulting in the rider bouncing even more. If slowing down is not feasible, the rider should come back to a rising trot if the horse hollows or speeds up, re-establish the appropriate gait, and then try again.

It is always best to learn to sit the trot while on a longe line and with a good instructor. Then the rider is able to focus completely on sitting correctly, rather than controlling the horse, and the instructor can pick out problems which, when corrected, will help the rider move more fluently with the horse. Working without stirrups is another excellent technique.

Lastly, the rider should remember that learning to sit the trot is a process. It takes riders years to perfect their sitting trot, and many find they must re-learn it when they start to ride a horse with bigger or more extravagant movement.

The seat

To sit the trot, the rider must focus on the hips. The hips have both a lateral movement and a longitudinal movement.

• Longitudinally, the hips move forward and back with each step (so twice per stride), with the lower back softening forward with the hips. During the forward movement of the hips, they will feel as if they are tilting slightly downward, putting more pressure on the pelvis. The hips should be forward every time the rider hears the hooves hit the ground (during the "grounded" phase of the stride), and back during the "suspension" phase of the stride. Remember: the movement is in the hips, NOT the belly. All too often riders try to "belly dance" their way at the sitting trot, which is incorrect. There will be a slight movement of the lower back/belly when the sitting trot is performed correctly, but it should not be extravagant. To get an idea of the correct longitudinal movement, it is best to watch an experienced rider sit the trot from the side (profile view).

• Laterally, the hips move up and down with the hind leg of the horse, as if the seat bones are on a see-saw (one going up toward the ceiling while the other is dropping into the saddle toward the ground). So when the right hind leg of the horse is moving forward, the right seat bone of the rider will feel like it drops lower than the left seat bone. When the left hind leg moves forward, the left seat bone will drop. For help, the rider may look down at the horse's shoulders: when the horse's shoulder is coming back, the animal's hind leg is coming forward, and the rider's hip on that side should be dropping. So, if the rider sees the left shoulder of the horse moving backward, the left hip should be dropping. The rider's seat bone should reach the highest or lowest part of its movement when the hoof touches the ground. So when the rider hears the clop of a hoof, one hip should be as dropped as far as it will for the stride, the other hip should be at the peak of its movement. To get an idea of the correct lateral movement, it is best to watch an experienced rider sit the trot from the back (facing the horse's tail as the rider trots away from the observer).

The final result of the sitting trot is that one hip moves forward and down as the other comes up and back. A good visualization technique is to think about your seat bones as pedalling a bicycle backwards: they have a circular movement, one going forward and dropping deeper as the other goes back and upward. It may also be helpful to focus on the forward-back and side-to-side motion of the hips as the horse walks. At the walk, the rider's hips will move forward-back twice each stride, and side-to-side twice each stride. However, the side-to-side movement is generally less noticeable at the walk than trot.

It is important that the rider move both laterally and longitudinally to properly absorb the movement. This is critical if he wishes to ever be able to sit green horses with a hollow or unbalanced trot, or schooled horses with a big, athletic trot. In many cases (notably, the American hunt seat scene), riders are only taught to move their hips forward and back. To absorb the movement correctly, so that the rider and horse are most comfortable, both techniques should be employed.

To absorb the trot, the rider must have a looseness throughout his or her body, relaxing especially through the core muscles (the stomach and lower back), as well as the legs. The rider should focus on relaxing the hips, as if sitting on a very wide horse or on an elephant. Opening the hips allows them to appropriately relax. Closed hips are usually an indication that the rider is gripping or tense in the thighs. Tightening or gripping with the thighs results in the seat bones being lifted slightly out of the saddle, rather than correctly flowing with the horse's movement.

Lastly, the rider should be balanced on seat's "triangle": the two seat bones and pelvic bone. He or she should have equal weight on all three areas to sit correctly.

The upper body

The rider's upper body should remain erect when sitting the trot. The lower back will feel like it is moving forward and back with each step, but the rider must stay loose enough in the body so that the chest and shoulders do not follow this movement. If there is excess movement in the shoulders, it is due to tenseness, either in the shoulders themselves or in the rider's seat.

The upper body should feel "stacked" above the hips, as if it were a pile of plates. If the rider leans forward he or she will fall onto the pelvis, and this will force the rider to absorb the trot motion on the pelvic bone (which is not a good shock absorber, causing bouncing and discomfort). If the rider leans back and falls onto the seat bones, this will drive the horse forward, but the rider may then get behind the motion.

The hands

The hands should remain steady during the sitting trot, and the elbows should stay by the rider's sides, not ahead of the body. Generally, steadiness of the hands is easier to accomplish sitting than in the rising trot. A straight line should be maintained from bit to elbow. To allow the movement of the hips, it may be helpful to slightly raise the hands so there is a 90-degree angle in the elbow, and then think about allowing the hips to move forward under the hands, and back again.

The lower legs

The lower legs are not involved in sitting the trot, and should remain passive in response to the movement (i.e. they should only come into play when the rider gives a leg aid). It may help for the rider to pretend that their legs are cut off at the knee, with the lower legs gone.

The lower legs are, however, a good indicator that the rider is sitting correctly. If the rider is correct, his or her weight will sink slightly into the heel on the side of the lower hip. So if the rider's left hip is going downward, the left heel will sink slightly lower than the right, to absorb the motion.

Faults include gripping or banging the horse's side with the lower leg. Both are direct results of a tense seat. If the rider's legs are banging, it could be because the rider is gripping too hard with only the thighs.