The trot is a two-beat diagonal gait, which means that the rear and opposite front legs move together. Depending on the style of riding, the rider may either post or sit the trot. Saddleseat riders will post to the correct diagonal. There is a rhyme to help remember which diagonal is correct - "rise and fall with the leg on the wall." This means that the rider rises out of the saddle when the inside-rear and outside-front legs are moving forward. When the direction travelled is counter-clockwise, or the "first way" of the ring, the rider will rise and fall with the left-rear, right-front combination. The opposite is true when travelling clockwise, or the "second way" of the ring.

The use of diagonals helps balance the horse when transcribing an arc. The outside legs must travel further than the inside legs when moving off a straight line. It is easier for the horse to be balanced if the rider is up out of the saddle while the inside-rear, outside-front legs are moving. It is also often practiced to train horses on both diagonals when travelling on a straight line. This helps develop muscles equally, with alternating leg pairs bearing the rider's weight.

AVI Videoclip of Trot (1,226K)

Real Media Streaming Video of Trot ~ (same clip as AVI file)