Pony Didn't Trot

[Tarlo_Farm]

It seems my wonderful new pony, who came from a backyard situation, wasn’t allowed to trot. I imagine the girl who owned her mostly rode her bareback and either walked or cantered. I believe she has a canter like but-ahhhh (butter), and she initially wanted to go immediately into canter when I asked for trot. We’re now trotting pretty reliably and steadily, with some encouragement, to keep it up. She’s stiff to the left, but getting better as she gets stronger.
Oh, and she had the huge under-neck muscle that is diminishing as she builds strength and moves better over her back.

What I’m feeling - and noticing now the kids are learning to trot on her on the lunge line - is she almost skips into the trot. It’s the same movement as though she wants to canter, but she does move to trot.
I’m thinking of asking for the trot over cavalettis to stop that and make her move smoothly forward. Any other ideas?

[SillyHorse]

I have dealt with this by getting a nice, relaxed walk, and then very gently “sliding” into a small, sitting trot. Then, after just a few strides, back to walk. Rinse, repeat, gradually increasing the number of trot strides, and eventually carefully adding posting.

[eightpondfarm]

one of my green as grass horses that i’ve started doing dressage with was soooooo wobbly at a walk when i first got aboard her…so for about five or six lessons all we did were walking exercises. When she was finally steady enough to move into a trot what we discovered is that she has a big extended trot…so what i do is transition up into a trot, sit that trot for 3ish good steps then down to a walk…then halt then half-step back (she’s a big dancy bright mare…so she needs control imposed into her lessons!). After three weeks of that we now transition from trot to a full stop. And from halt into a trot and she is masterful and happy. Turns out she loves the game…where if she doesn’t listen she doesn’t get it right. She has this burning need to be ‘right’ LOL. AND her wobbliness has vanished and she knows how to walk and chew gum (ie move and carry a rider)

[SuzieQNutter]

We had this with a red coat horse who took winners on their lap of honour. Like you walk camter and no trot.

We did teach him to trot. Don’t make too much of a fuss about the transition until the confidence and strength is there.

He somehow jumped with hind feet leaving first. We fixed that using small bounces. He just didn’t know how and couldn’t work it out on his own.

[Tarlo_Farm]

Thanks for all these. Now that she knows it’s ok to trot, I’ll try sitting the first few strides after easing her into it.

[SillyHorse]

Keep us updated!

[demidq]

My daughter’s green-as-grass pony used to do that “skip” trot transition- we called it “slipping her clutch” for those who drive a standard! Lots of quiet transitions as suggested above.

[Tarlo_Farm]

So far, because it’s her VERY FIRST step, sitting doesn’t make any difference. I’ll be using cavalletti later this week.

[SuzieQNutter]

Have you tried her on the lunge?

Lunging correctly in side reins with NEVER pulling her in allows her to figure it out without the added weight of the rider. She will be able to find her own balance, tempo and bend.

With her young horses Ingrid Klimke lunges only every second day and rides every second day and I can bet she rides better than both if us.

[Tarlo_Farm]

I exclusively lunged her the first week in a chamborn (sp), to get her to stretch to the bit, not behind it. Turns out she was started in draw reins. Definitely does better at the trot while lunging. And while she’s 13, she is a bit like starting a baby. Without half the danger! hahahaha!

[SilverwoodGelfling]

I have a draft gelding that does that, he is downhill so “leaps” into trot and canter in order to get his front end up.

[SuzieQNutter]

@Tarlo Farm

I exclusively lunged her the first week in a chamborn (sp), to get her to stretch to the bit, not behind it. Turns out she was started in draw reins. Definitely does better at the trot while lunging. And while she’s 13, she is a bit like starting a baby. Without half the danger! hahahaha!

Poor thing. She is most likely broken necked. It will take time to create the correct muscles. It sounds like you just need to be patient. If she does better in trot on the lunge then use it and praise. The strength will come.

[Tarlo_Farm]

Ok, the past two days I’ve put her in side reins and just lunged her. She’s not built downhill, and fortunately she’s not sucking back from the contact any more. I have to bring them back to the girth and leave them loose enough she can stretch a bit beyond them, which does allow her to begin to raise her head at the transition up. However, when we do LOADS of walk/trot/walk transitions she’s beginning to move more smoothly from one to the other to the other, using her back. Getting quicker off her hind end helps too.
I guess I got over anxious to ride her.
She’s a smarty and I think actually appreciates the change in movement, the ability to trot, etc. Learning the lunge whip is going to be used judiciously and clearly seems to be helping her get over her dislike of it too.

The littles are just riding her on the lunge with a saddle, no stirrups, no reins. They just started trotting last week, so this won’t change anything they’re doing.
So far, so good…

[SuzieQNutter]

Just a little note. Lunging in side reins means halt trot transitions, trot canter and canter trot, when the horse is ready of course.

You do walk trot transitions, halt walk and walk halt without side reins. Walking in side reins can cause a lateral walk and you do not want to add any problems to her stride.

You will find you do not have to tighten the side reins, she is learning from them anyway and they don’t need to be tightened much. They are never used to pull a horse’s head in.

As an instructor I only lunge riders on horses in side reins. The same as above, I get the horse thinking forwards first by lunging without and then in long side reins. I tighten a bit to work in side reins then I unclip them and add the rider. They walk and halt until comfortable and I add the longer side reins for trot and canter.

[Tarlo_Farm]

Thanks for that. The reins are loose and even swinging. About 50% of the time she’s already smooth in her transitions, and it’s only when she does so smoothly that I praise her - and she loves her praise.

[SuzieQNutter]

Yes I made a mistake with Sim. I used verbal praise on the lunge. Under saddle giving inside rein as praise. The day I said good boy under saddle everything changed!