How to Trot

Steps :

1- Start at a walk

2- Sit right. You need to have your back up and straight up your heels down and your hands up and close together but not touching.

3- Squeeze both legs on your horse, with a little bit harder pressure on the inside leg (if you squeeze the outside leg harder, this is the aid for canter). If it doesn't respond, Gently kick the horse's flank with one of your legs. Only kick as a last resort. This is going to make your horse grumpy, and sensitive horses might end up reacting and hurting you.

4-Get on the right diagonal to post. Diagonal is when you go up the horse's shoulder closest to the wall should go forward then when you go down the horse's shoulder should go back. While this is the extreme basics of posting, you might want to know why you do it. Not only are you raising yourself up when the outside shoulder-blade comes forward, but you are lifting yourself off of their back when the inside hind leg comes forward. Hence 'diagonal.' This allows their inside leg to extend farther and the horse can use itself more efficiently. A lot of people blindly post and have no idea why they do it.

5- If the horse starts slowing down your back will start hurting so you have to keep the horse fast (but not too fast -- making him speed up can cause him to go into another gait, or run off with you, thus you lose control). Your horse should always be moving forward, but collected in your hands. His energy should be powered by your legs and caught in your hands. Not by jerking on his mouth or kicking, mind you. Please, if you want to ride, it is so worthwhile to invest in some lessons.

Tips:

• If your horse starts going too fast, you might want to give the horse a little nub with the reins. Because sometimes horses stumble after going so fast.
• Another thing is that you always want to sit back in stead of leaning forward because you will lose your balance.
• You should never have to pull or catch the horse in the mouth with the reins. You should have a feel of his mouth at all times and let your arms move with the motion of his head, back and fourth in a tempo. You need to understand collection, and lengthening/shortening strides before you even attempt to trot, or post.

Warnings:

• Never do this without another person around, for safety reasons. Even seasoned riders always ride with others near, in case of emergency.

• Now you will always want to beware that the horse can get spooked and they might turn fast and might throw you off. Or might just turn sharply.
• Most of all, NEVER panic, and never ever yell or raise your voice at your horse. Keeping good contact on the outside rein, and using plenty of inside leg, looking forward at all times, and keeping your shoulders and hips square over the horse is the best, surefire way to keep your horse where you want it.
• "Never" trot without the "ability to walk."
• "Never" trot towards an open gate without tight reins. Your horse could break into a canter and be hard to control.
• "Never" jump in a canter until being able to jump trotting in a two-point position.

Ref: http://www.wikihow.com/Trot