I have a youngster I am working with who is very much on the lazy side. I’ve been working on re-enforcing forward forward forward and she seems to be getting it at the canter, but not so much at the trot. While she will do a nice working trot, whenever I ask for an extension she takes it as a sign to attempt to canter. I noticed this mainly occurred when i applied an even pressure at the same time from both legs. I have noticed a slight improvement when I use one leg at a time like left leg when right leg is forward and right leg when left leg is forward, but we are still not there. I make sure I have a light but even pressure in my hands and that her whole body is round and not hollowed. She really does everything else on the flat very correct (shoulder ins, haunches in, half pass etc) and is easy to collect while maintaining a forward influence. But the dang extended trot won’t happen! She is in a very light snaffle. I wear spurs and carry a whip. Any tips?
Try in addition to leg pressure using your seat at the sitting trot. In the sitting tot, the seat should not be passive, simply following the trot, but by controlling how heavily you sit with each stride, you can by driving increase the tempo, or by sitting lighter, slow it.
The use of the seat is a far more subtle aid than the use of hands.
Ah that is exactly what I am probably missing! I have only tried from a posting trot, thank you! She is very responsive to the seat as she knows out of tack means forward and sitting means slower. Thank you!
Do you notice a difference in your horse from sitting to posting?
At the canter? Yes most definitely. She is very lazy about flat work. Jumping she is an eager beaver, but finds flat work rather boring. So I try to make sure she does lots of galloping to stay fit but also get a forward brain without jumping. But I also practice lots of collection for adjustability which I do sitting. She responds nicely when I sit. At the trot she does not change her tempo much unless requested to do so now. At first when I tried to sit the trot she would immediately slow down. That is why I have not tried to get the extension from sitting, but hopefully she is out of that habit now and I will try it tomorrow when I work her!
I would normally agree with using your seat, but I’d be hesitant to have you suddenly change your cue when the horse is in the middle of trying to figure out what it is that you want. Instead of using aids that you won’t normally use to get the correct response (i.e. a right or left leg instead of both legs), use the cue that you will ALWAYS want to use for extended trot. Ask, if she canters bring her back to a trot at which she’s comfortable, then ask again. As soon as you get a tiny increase in length of stride, stop asking. It will take time, but she will get it. Canter is easier than extended trot. As soon as you make canter the more difficult choice (because then it’s back to trot, more cues, more confusion), she will extend the trot.
I often read these threads in which people are having trouble with one maneuver and it seems that the answer that no one ever gives is time and repetition. Sometimes there is nothing wrong with the horse or what the rider is doing at all, but learning doesn’t happen in an instant. These things take practice and your horse is still working it out. Someday your horse will have a fantastic extended trot, but it might take two months. You can probably get it faster by randomly adding and subtracting aids and tricking her into doing it a couple of times, but replicating that every single time will be impossible.
Sidenote: I had a horse that spent two months going through EXACTLY what you’re going through. It took time and patience and then I completely forgot that it was ever even an issue until I read your post!
Collected trot comes first. Extended trot comes second.
The better the collected trot, the better the extended trot.
She made a huge improvement today actually, instead of going from a working trot to an extended, I tried a sitting collected trot to asking for an extended and as I used more leg and she increased I began posting and she seemed to understand that really well(if that explanation made sense). Not a full extension, but more than I have been receiving. Thank you all for the input! I know as a youngster these things take time, but we had hit a wall for the past few weeks. Glad today was a light bulb moment. Reminds me why I love working with babies so much:D
A helpful exercise it’s to do shoulder-in down the long side (can sit it) and then about midway down or as many steps as you want, straighten and ask for a lengthen across a short diagonal. If she canters, I wouldn’t get too upset since she is at least answering your leg and coming forward and it could be a balance or strength issue.
There’s some good suggestions on my thread that is loosely related to this one that you might like 
ETA: The title is about shortening the stride while maintaining impulsion, but the general consensus about halfway down the first page was that we weren’t ready for this yet so the suggestions were geared towards keeping forward.
Thank you! And yes I have been watching your thread!
I have a similiar horse that I am also beginning to teach extensions. Granted it is a very slow process but what helps me is sitting the corner like another said, then bumping my legs as her sides as I send her forward, giving as pressure builds in the reins. I only get a few steps but it is progress.
What I also like is setting trot poles. First two regular trot steps, 4.5ft, then grandually increase the spacing by just a slight roll of the pole. Use the same aids that you use to aid for more trot. This doesn’t allow the breaking to canter. Huge praise if you even get a little. I max out at about 5ft at the moment, it seems to be the most I can get so far without taking away from the rhythm.
Good luck.
the trot poles are a wonderful idea actually! We used them to help collect, not sure why it never came across to help extend! thank you!
You say she is a youngster - it takes a lot of time to build the strength/balance required to do a lot of these movements. Be content with just a few steps at first.
[QUOTE=Foxtrot’s;7918371]
You say she is a youngster - it takes a lot of time to build the strength/balance required to do a lot of these movements. Be content with just a few steps at first.[/QUOTE]
A thousand times this. It takes strength and especially balance for the horse to extend the trot. A youngster shouldn’t be expected to do this before strength and balance are in place.
raised cavaletti
Do you have access to hills/ raised cavalleti? they both work the body muscles and joints in the same WAY A GOOD COLLECTED/ EXTENDED WOULD; their is physical advantage in the learning phase at the walk; how is she with back lifts and pelvic tilts?do all of those from the ground first unmounted then, with your saddle loosely girthed; then mount up and have someone do them for you mounted ; hills have the same benefit as raised cavalletti; all of this to develop the same physical condition:yes: she needs for collected/ extended paces
You’ve gotten some great responses here… but to totally not answer your question, I’m assuming you mean Lengthen… Lengthen and Extension are two completely different things.
I have a youngster I am working with who is very much on the lazy side. I’ve been working on re-enforcing forward forward forward
Sounds more like the poster is looking for ways to reinforce “forward” and/or “in front of the leg” vs lengthening.
A trot lengthening comes after true balance and engagement, and can’t occur unless that is there. This is totally different from getting a horse in front of the leg. OP, can you clarify where your horse is, in order to get more relevant advice?
[QUOTE=Up2NoGood;7917864]
the trot poles are a wonderful idea actually! We used them to help collect, not sure why it never came across to help extend! thank you![/QUOTE]
Jimmy Wofford’s new book has some excellent exercises on using trot poles for exactly what you are looking to do OP. The one I think might help you the most might even be viewable in the google preview.
When I was working with my horse when she was younger, I found I got a nice extended trot when I would ride her out of the ring.
