In my situation I have an easier time connecting and getting consistent contact and impulsion at the trot where as at the walk it’s sort of a 50/50.
Does anyone have any ideas why this may be?
I will say that this isn’t uncommon. Many riders struggle to ride the walk properly (which is tangentially related to the fact that it is very hard to improve a horse’s walk with good riding but is very easy to negatively influence a horse’s walk with poor riding).
A few things to consider:
An actual, active walk requires more work for a lot of riders than an active trot. (Maintaining activity through the hind end without rushing the foot fall is key.)
The mechanics of a walk tend to benefit from more elasticity than the trot. It benefits the trot to have a horse being supple and elastic, of course, but if a horse isn’t supple, elastic, soft through the back and swinging behind, the walk can basically be dead in the water.
And then of course, I think riding the walk is something that’s deceptively challenging. Riders can keep track of the front legs but feeling where the back legs are and when, and the ability to cue for appropriate aids (such as driving for more energy or using the seat to package the horse somewhat) is generally limited when riders aren’t sure of where the hind legs are.
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It’s not just you. For me, at least, it’s easier to keep “forward” at a trot. I can rev my horse up, then rebalance and really feel the push from behind.
At the walk, especially if she’s tight in the back, I can’t always get a nice marching gait and I have a hard time with getting a connection.
These answers confirm what’s been going on in the saddle for me as well. I have to be a lot more giving with my hands and maintaining contact is incredibly difficult while I try to engage the rear engine.
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Something that might help you, especially with some of the thoroughbred types, is that I’ve found that riding them in the idea of a free walk, exaggerating the down and out stretch, can help encourage freedom in the hind end and over the back. It may require a little bit of a light seat at first (getting off the back to let her move herself how she feels most comfortable). Additionally, keep in mind that activity in a stretch like this is hard and she might not be able to stretch very much at first, but if you keep at it it will improve and the duration can also extend. If you free up the head, neck, and back, it might help encourage her to use her hind end more effectively.
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Because trot has more impulsion.
Also, Walk has more moving parts than trot does. In trot, horse’ head remains relatively static, therefore, rider’s hands remain relatively stationary. In walk, there is forward, backward, and even slight up and down in horse’ head/neck, as well as rolling in the horse’ back. It is harder for the rider to follow well, in both hands and seat.
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When my TB type is having a particularly tight day, I do a lot of “no pressure” warm up at the trot and canter. Post the trot, keep a light connection on the reins but don’t ask for anything other than basic steering and general acceptance of the bit. Canter with a light seat, don’t fuss about tempo, just let her cruise around for a bit (in other words, let her pretend we’re in a low level hunter class), and let her muscles and mind get used to the idea of a workout.
That’s an incredibly good note, @Sunsets! I forget about the warm up sometimes… I am a perfectionist at heart and have high anxiety so if it’s not perfectperfectperfect from the moment i get on the world is going to end and the ground will cave in and we will all die and yada yada yada… my trainer has really drilled home the idea that sure, maybe she’s not round or in a frame or whatever at the beginning but that’s ok! and you know what? not dictating her the first 15 minutes of the ride has made her SO MUCH MORE AGREEABLE! we don’t fight anymore! and we DO get there!
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I think your horse may be related to mine…:lol:
I will also add that the “best” connection I ever got straight off the bat at the walk was at a clinic. Mare was UP UP UP, and a loose warmup was out of the question. So, on the advice of the clinician, I did I heck of a lot of walk/halt, then trot/walk transitions on a pretty short rein. Mare’s head was in the sky, but the clinician was OK with that, he just kept at me to maintain contact and straightness and keep my core solid and not allow her to steal any rein away. Lots and lots of transitions and patience on my part and like 20 minutes later, we had a lovely forward walk with a solid connection and an attentive horse. Clinician was like “Wow, she really CAN use her butt!!” Only then were we allowed a break on a long rein.
So that’s another possibility when things are frustrating, maybe?
@Sunsets, I actually did that a few days ago!! my mare was in a full blown heat cycle since moving next to a new gelding and she always tends to have some tension and soreness along her back during heat, so she was super reluctant to come on the bit and lift and engage. I fought with her for the first few attempts then realized what was going on and proceeded to just ignore and wait for her to give and she DID! eventually! and I had made up my mind we weren’t even going to force the issue and it happened! I swear i think horses are telepathic! @_@ the minute i stopped demanding was the minute she gave… such a cool feeling!
Because at the walk, hands have to follow the head back and forth, and the rider’s legs/hips have to follow the horse’s body swing left/right. At the trot, the hands are meant to be completely stationery (though many riders actually bounce their hands up and down) and the rider is either posting or just sitting and going bounce, bounce, bounce.
There is more impulsion naturally at the trot because there is more speed, and it is usually a lot easier to ride a 20 meter circle at the trot than the walk because the centripetal force keeps the horse on the curve, whereas the horse can more easily wander off track at the walk.
Also many riders and instructors work hard at the trot, but don’t work hard at the walk, as it isn’t as big a part of the tests.
I think riding at a big swinging walk on trails, where the horse naturally wants to go somewhere, is very helpful and the rider can practise getting into the right rhythm.
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It’s the rhythm that makes it difficult.
Easiest gait to work is the trot, then the canter and finally the walk.
The walk is slow but it goes south quickly!
4beats to give cues, to control at every stride… so much time to go wrong!
It’s for everyone in general and not just you. For horses as well…(to deal with our incompetence, it’s harder for them at the walk.)
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@alibi_18, it’s great to know this is a normal struggle! I’m flying solo so talking to and getting together with other dressage riders in my area isn’t something i’ve been doing yet, and knowing what is normal and what is not is relative to watching a few other people at my barn ride (they are obviously further along than me but they are all I have to compare myself to).
