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Post by summer on Oct 16, 2009 22:45:15 GMT
Trying to get to grips with medium trot and just wondered what others experience of this is? Any tips for what you find is a good way to practice/how you ride it etc? I have found that it seems easier for me down the long side than across the diagonal but don't know if this is the same for others and whether this is also a reflection on straightness (get me, all technical  ;D) Anyway just wondered whether you experience dressage divas may care to share your experiences! ;D |
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Post by eirewhisper on Oct 17, 2009 9:29:31 GMT
Med trot is something we're still trying to get-its very much hit or miss between 5s & 6s for us  I find if I ask for "more" trot I get a hurried unbalanced mess instead. Our instructor started us off by gradually squeezing more length into the strides, even just a couple of steps, and not worrying about what his head was doing, with a view to fine tuning it later when he got the idea. (instructor has now gone to work in Florida over the winter   ;D ) It is a long process for the horses not naturally built to lengthen, like wee cobbies Flashy movers like WBs find it a bit easier lol ETA Olmoss may be able to advise - I think Toby had Med trot mastered. |
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Post by oldmoss on Oct 17, 2009 11:25:44 GMT
Well to be honest we are still working on medium trot, a year or so later however medium canter is no bother  I have to say though that the last 5-6 months I can't really have expected to get medium trot from Toby with a saddle that kept slipping forward ontop of his shoulder - so it's hardly surprising we were struggling over the summer months with medium However these last 3 weeks with no saddle Toby has been giving me a great medium trot even on the lunge - so fingers crossed with a great fitting saddle he will find it easier To be honest I've tried every exercise possible to get medium and you just need to find what works best for you and it's practice, practice, practice unfortunately Some horses will find it hard to give you a good medium - even though Toby is very fit and has good muscle tone etc my instructor thinks that another few months he will have much more power hence making his medium better as well - there are just some horses that just find it easy. MTA - cobs especially can find medium hard and will rush on because they normally have pretty strong forehands so will run on the forehand rather than step under and push from behind. Also they are normally pretty compact so it can be 100 times harder to show a decent medium/lengthened stride compared with a WB or longer framed horse. Try and not encourage your horse to rush and run on faster, if this happens bring them back to your normal working trot asap - as if you keep pushing and your horse keeps running you are just encouraging this to happen. Just ask for a little at a time, probably the best exercise is to collect your horses trot, keep it active though and cirlce a 10/15m in this trot and as you come out of the circle either up the long side or across diagonal ask for the horse to really stretch and reach in the trot - you want the frame to lengthen rather than quicken (this is the hard bit !). Don't over ride medium trot either. Also if your horse isn't understanding it can be useful to use trotting poles spaced out a bit more and gradually increase and encourage your horse to reach for the poles etc. I personally find it helps to teach your horse different temps in the trot gait anyway and that way they understand when you put your leg on to give you more - so do lots of slight transisitions within trot to get your horse listening to you etc. I have loads of other exercises I can onpass to you though |
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Post by valaraki on Oct 17, 2009 18:28:59 GMT
Dante is one of the lucky one then as he finds medium really easy. We always gets good marks for medium. I just need to rise a bit higher and give a little click (under my breath of course so the judge doesnt hear  ) and away he goes ;D ;D I find that if I use more leg he falls onto his shoulder and runs!!!! It isnt easy you just need to find what will work for you and your horse. |
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Post by roddie on Oct 17, 2009 18:33:34 GMT
This is a very interesting thread and I'll be reading all the replies with great interest as medium trot is a very difficult thing to get out of a Highland pony. Medium canter is usually a lot easier as we just go for it like we do when we're showing.
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Post by summer on Oct 17, 2009 22:08:51 GMT
Oldmoss and Roddie, funny you mentioned medium canter as we have been working quite a bit on canter (we need to :  and surprisingly medium canter seemed to come fairly easy. I think as has been said the compact cobs find this harder as there isn't the length of frame and it's all too easy to run on. It seems to require some lift and am not quite sure how to work on this. However instructor coming next week and so will prob spend a bit of time on this I'm sure Thanks for the exercises OM, please feel free to share more ;D |
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Post by casper on Oct 18, 2009 17:39:50 GMT
Katie has just started introducing this in my lessons - because Casp has a very big trot stride anyway she says that we will struggle to extent further - last lesson she had me really pushing him on the long side while running along side us with a lunge whip - C was totally confused but actually started to get it after a while - it's interested to read other peoples approach on this!
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Post by hopeteam on Oct 20, 2009 18:19:02 GMT
My Mum always says, not necessarily more speed but more impulsion.
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Post by penllys on Oct 20, 2009 19:32:37 GMT
Right been thinking!! (dangerous I KNOW!!) Think about really collecting the trot - think keeping the hand brake on and revving the engine - give with both reins slightly to lengthen the frame and slowly let the energy out while keeping the energy coming through - only do it for a few strides then contain energy again. Keep doing this and gradually let him do a couple more strides at a time. Might try half halting to keep the energy coming through. Oh also Katie tells me to make him a bit deeper and rounder before the med trot. Works for me but then again I am lucky that Kenco is built up hill with LOTS of energy ie no brakes!! |
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Post by summer on Oct 20, 2009 20:04:26 GMT
I'm thinking I might get Katie to have a wee sit on and then learn from her experience on this one It's like the blind leading the blind when it's just me and Dom |
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Post by oldmoss on Oct 20, 2009 20:08:52 GMT
Katie has just started introducing this in my lessons - because Casp has a very big trot stride anyway she says that we will struggle to extent further - last lesson she had me really pushing him on the long side while running along side us with a lunge whip - C was totally confused but actually started to get it after a while - it's interested to read other peoples approach on this! This is defo a good approach (if your horse is not going to go bonkers with someone chasing him with a lunge whip ) Some horses just need something to help them 'click' that this is what you want and sometimes someone on the ground encouraging so you can just relax and go with it so that you get a feel of what it is like can be a real eureka moment  |
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Post by eirewhisper on Oct 20, 2009 20:35:37 GMT
I'm thinking I might get Katie to have a wee sit on and then learn from her experience on this one It is great when someone really experienced gets aboard who can try a few things & feed back what works best ;D Andrew had a sit on Whisper on my last lesson, really got him working and then when I got back on (horse felt like butter!) he could tell me exactly what to do, and when, to get the same results-food for thought, in our Novice test on Friday our marks had shot right up!! Still havent got Med trot though lol |
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Post by scottyhorse on Oct 20, 2009 20:42:38 GMT
Lucinda Fredericks says she teaches her horses medium trot going up a hill. That way they can't run onto their forehand. It certainly seems to work for her.
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Post by lyna on Oct 20, 2009 21:26:16 GMT
penylls that is what i do as well, come along the short side collecting trying to contain some energy then make sure you go right into the corner so your diagonal line his straight and hey ho let the energy go!!! ;D I am needing to work on trying to get him more rounder tho he lengthens everything flicks his toes and then pokes his nose the bugger |
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Post by penllys on Oct 20, 2009 21:44:40 GMT
penylls that is what i do as well, come along the short side collecting trying to contain some energy then make sure you go right into the corner so your diagonal line his straight and hey ho let the energy go!!! ;D I am needing to work on trying to get him more rounder tho he lengthens everything flicks his toes and then pokes his nose the bugger LOL Try taking him a bit deeper and rounder and make sure you are staight. Keep feeling down each rein too |
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;D)
I find if I ask for "more" trot I get a hurried unbalanced mess instead.
;D )
) and away he goes ;D ;D
and surprisingly medium canter seemed to come fairly easy.
