Development of medium and extended trot

[anon55755751]

Earlier year, I started pushing for more than just modest lengthenings with my horse. I got a lot of mileage out of straightening him by putting weight into my outside stirrup. That was effective for freeing up his neck and shoulders to start reaching up and out. Big improvement.

Now, I am finding that to start increasing the pushing power and hopefully take things to the next level, I have to engage the inside hind and ask for a wee bit more bend and lateral flexion in the poll during the lengthening - I am mostly asking for lengthenings on a long side. This is keeping him softer over his topline and really letting more energy come through from behind. His capacity to collect has increased over the year as well, so I am also preparing with greater collection and bend, but I don’t think that’s making as much of a difference as the “management” I’m doing during the lengthening to develop “more” of an extension.

I’ve never heard the development of medium and extended gaits described in quite this kind of detail. Mostly what I have seen/heard/read is about preparation through increased collection, then asking for extension basically by opening the front door and “letting” it happen. I’m aware of course that straightness and collection are relevant because training scale, but I feel like I’m doing a lot more to support the “extension” (we are probably barely verging on a true medium) than the description of “letting” it happen implies.

Wondering if this is consistent with what others here have experienced/felt in developing their own horses. Generally speaking, he needs a lot of support from the rider to help maintain his balance, especially when asking him to also be soft and elastic through his whole body. He has quite a downhill build. Maybe a more naturally balanced horse would not need so much “management”?

[atlatl]

It takes a lot of strength to do medium and extended gaits. Give it time and don’t ask for too many steps which will also reinforce your half halts. Think the old 3rd level rubber band movement, that had a few steps of collected trot over the diagonal.

[merrygoround]

To keep the steps from becoming quicker, make sure your hips are holding to a slow pace,while siting in a little stronger rather than just sitting in harder and quicker.

Some find it easier working out of a circle in the corner and then opening across the diagonal.

[AppaloosaDressage]

Shoulder in coming out of the short side and the first 10 m of long side before lengthening short diagonal. Ride shoulder in to lengthening.

[AppaloosaDressage]

Ride shoulder in to lengthening

[Jealoushe]

I have been advised that the lengthening on the circle is easier than the long wall. Too much can fall everywhere on the straight away.

[x-halt-salute]

@strangewings

I’ve never heard the development of medium and extended gaits described in quite this kind of detail. Mostly what I have seen/heard/read is about preparation through increased collection, then asking for extension basically by opening the front door and “letting” it happen. I’m aware of course that straightness and collection are relevant because training scale, but I feel like I’m doing a lot more to support the “extension” (we are probably barely verging on a true medium) than the description of “letting” it happen implies.

Wondering if this is consistent with what others here have experienced/felt in developing their own horses. Generally speaking, he needs a lot of support from the rider to help maintain his balance, especially when asking him to also be soft and elastic through his whole body. He has quite a downhill build. Maybe a more naturally balanced horse would not need so much “management”?

I’ve developed a couple of ordinary (unfancy, non-dressage-bred, not particularly naturally well balanced) horses up a few levels, and IME, the most salient thing about the mediums (and later, extended trot with one of them) really has been developing the balance, energy, and elasticity to be able to “open the front door and let it happen”. I’m sure these horses need more management within the movement than a really innately talented horse (esp. wrt longitudinal balance and tempo) but the impulsion really has come from longer-term development of basics and fitness.

What you describe in terms of trying to manage bend and balance to get more from a lengthening sounds familiar to me from when I first got my own horse to a place where we were mostly ready for the mediums … but still needed to develop a bit more balance and fitness to really be able to produce a true medium trot. FWIW, things that I found helpful at that stage in developing that last bit of fitness and finesse were more frequent transitions within the gait (vs. lengthening a whole long side or diagonal), canter work (esp. transitions, counter-canter), cavaletti, and exercises that forced us to maintain activity/forwardness in the lateral work. Once we had the fitness in place, the rubber band exercise on a 20m circle (I think there’s a good Robert Dover description of this out there if you search) was really the exercise that crystallized the concept of maintaining hind end activity and balance with different stride lengths, and helped me figure out the timing of my aids for getting crisp transitions without upsetting balance or energy or tempo.

I’m excited for the lightbulb moment I suspect is on the horizon for you with this particular horse, and for you to experience the joy of that first effortless medium trot transition with a horse whose physical preparation has required a little extra patient work.

[anon55755751]

Thanks all! I agree with all of you who have said that there is more strength building, and development of sit to be done. I think that is exactly where we are. Transitions (esp. skipping gaits), walk pirouette to trot (or canter), the rubber band exercise, and pushing for more impulsion in lateral work are all exercises/activities that have recently started feeling like I can easily ask for and get more out of this horse than even a month ago. At the risk of jinxing things, if winter stays mild a few weeks longer, targeted outdoor conditioning will also be back on the schedule.

[Dutchmare433]

For my 6 year old (jumper bred) his trot is nice but not on par with his walk and canter. The 2 things that have helped give him confidence in the medium trot are: 1) starting the half steps and 2) going out on the trails and letting him motor around in a big trot. Up a mild hill works best, but a big open field also works!

[J-Lu]

I think you have to set a horse up for a proper medium or extended gait. For example, try shoulder-in (which requires some collection) at the end of the the short side, ride the corner in shoulder-in, and when the hind legs match your line of travel, straighten to a medium/extended trot. Your horse should have collected, weighted his inner hind leg, lifted the front end and should be able to “release” in a straight line if moving correctly. This should happen on the long side, a diagonal or part of a circle. The part of a circle will be harder as your horse will have to be really on your aids.

You have to ride shoulder-in correctly for this to work.

You can also try transitions. If your horse is sharp, he should be able to trot-walk-trot-walk-trot through the corner on his end a bit and lengthen when you push forward (thank GOD should be his response). Once he knows the exercise, he might be able to do a medium trot.

I suspect you will have to constantly support a horse with “quite a downhill build”. It’ll be up to you to keep his balance and set him up to goooooooooo. Hills, groundpoles and cavaletti will help build the hind end but teach him to lift the front as much as he can. He is likely limited in how much he can sit and/or lift the front end, don’t try to push him beyond what he can comfortably do. He’ll lose confidence with you and the work. IT will take a while for him to be able to lift, give him that time and build up that hind end/core.

Good luck!

[Willesdon]

Transitions x one million. Also, pole work can be really helpful.

Set out four poles on the ground at 12, 3, 6 and 9 o’clock and ride a circle over them. Start at a walk, concentrate on rhythm and allow the horse to work out its feet. Then gradually work towards the inside edge of the pole, using the stripes if they are jumping poles to help your accuracy, thereby reducing the size of the circle and obliging the horse to adjust its stride. Uncoil outwards again. Once it is working in a walk, up to trot and then on to a canter. Obviously, you can do this on both reins. Most usefully, don’t micromanage: allow the horse to work things out for itself, heading towards self carriage.

Set up trot poles in the middle of the school and turn on either rein at the end of the school so the horse can’t anticipate. Concentrate on rhythm down the long side. Keep that rhythm over the poles. Widening the distance between poles will oblige the horse to extend, shortening the distance will help collection.

[Willesdon]

Oh, and don’t drill the horse into the ground: the circle exercise is hard work for the horse.