I went to a show yesterday and I noticed the majority (1st level class) of the horses did not track up at working trot but did track up for the trot lengthening.
Is it ok for the horse not to track up at working trot if their rhythm is good and active? If the horse is supposed to track up should they over track for the lengthening?
Tracking up is kind of a misnomer. If all else is well and correct with the way the horse is going, than tracking up happens as a by product of this. It is not something you train for or even directly try to manipulate out of the horse.
That said, plenty of horses “track up” and don’t move correctly. It is not the individual components that matter so much as the summation.
Also, think about this: if the horse is moving straight, and then “overtracks”, would he not hit or clip himself? That’s certainly not desirable, or safe.
Abbie.S -
“Also, think about this: if the horse is moving straight, and then “overtracks”, would he not hit or clip himself? That’s certainly not desirable, or safe.”
Overtracking refers to the landing spot of the hind foot surpassing the TRACK of the front foot, not the foot itself!
ARGH.
There are lots of good sources for information on this topic. Please go find one.
OP - Most horses should at least track up in a quality working trot.
[QUOTE=Abbie.S;7664322]
Tracking up is kind of a misnomer.[/QUOTE]
Au contraire, tracking up means exactly what it says, for other animals as well as horses. The rear foot lands exactly in the front hoofprint of the same side.
Huntin’, no need for snark or having a meltdown. I have plenty of resources, thanks.
And alicen, I am aware of what “tracking up” means.
Perhaps I was not clear (indeed, I wasn’t, but that’s what you get for giving a quick answer on a phone): the OP asked what was “OK” in terms of horse’s tracking up or not for a given level she watched. Based on this, she seems to imply or understand that all horses either move in the same way or that being ridden at 1st level somehow means that they should all look the same or similar. Indeed, this is not the case. Some horses naturally track up, some do not. The point was, you cannot FORCE or TRAIN this: the horse either has the natural propensity to do it or he does not. You then bring in all of the possible training problems, rider errors, etc that could cause the energy from the horse’s hind end to be blocked, in which case even if the horse COULD track up, he would not be able to.
You can then move on to the horse’s conformation, pelvis angle, leg length in comparison to body length, and see how greatly that can affect the horse’s ability to track up. That doesn’t even get into conditioning and flexibility and elasticity of joints and muscles.
The reason I say tracking up is a bit of a misnomer is because of the OP’s implied understanding that horses of a certain level of training should or should not be doing it. This is the misnomer, my apologies for the lack of clarity.
Yes in working trot if the horse is going actively forward the horse should track up. Unfortunately because people can’t see the tracking up when on board they are often not getting the horse going forward enough in warm up. They think they are going too fast.
[QUOTE=rizzodm;7664296]
I went to a show yesterday and I noticed the majority (1st level class) of the horses did not track up at working trot but did track up for the trot lengthening.
Is it ok for the horse not to track up at working trot if their rhythm is good and active? If the horse is supposed to track up should they over track for the lengthening?[/QUOTE]\
Where was this show (recognized?) and what were the scores for these tests? The working trot should track up in a relaxed, forward horse unless the horse has an unusually long back and unusually short legs. Judges can tell what a horse can do based on the conformation. Some horses at lower levels are still gaining strength and balance to adequately track up at training and first level in the working trot. Some horses get tense in their back at shows (and sometimes the rider makes this happen) and so don’t track up well in the show ring (this usually solves itself with more show ring experience). Some riders don’t sit the trot well and interfere with the horse’s movement. Some riders aren’t comfortable with riding truly forward and so hold their horse back (so the horse doesn’t track up).
The horse should track up in the working trot but there are a lot or reasons as to why this doesn’t happen (and will lower the score). Ideally, the trot lengthenings will make the horse overstep. HOWEVER, a horse not strong enough to truly carry him/herself, or a rider who isn’t sitting well, etc. will cause the horse to simply track up in the lengthenings. This will be reflected in the individual score sheets. That said, many breeds such as Iberians are not gifted in lengthened/medium/extended gaits and simply will never score highly on them. They clean up on the collected gaits, though. Conversely, many warmbloods will “kill” on lengthened, medium and extended gaits but they can’t collect well. Every horse is different.
I expected to see a majority of horses tracking up and maybe one or two not able to because of confirmation or rider issues. But I was seeing that most were not tracking up until the lengthening. So I am thinking that the lengthening was actually the horses correct working trot. So then what should the lengthening look like?
I am guessing that riders are riding a bit behind the leg so when they show a lengthening the judge sees a big difference?
[QUOTE=rizzodm;7664873]
I expected to see a majority of horses tracking up and maybe one or two not able to because of confirmation or rider issues. But I was seeing that most were not tracking up until the lengthening. So I am thinking that the lengthening was actually the horses correct working trot. So then what should the lengthening look like?
I am guessing that riders are riding a bit behind the leg so when they show a lengthening the judge sees a big difference?[/QUOTE]
Where was this show? What were the scores for these tests?
After watching a video from Jane Savoie on adjustability I think maybe what people have done are, slowed the tempo which shortened their horses stride, but then didn’t lengthen the stride so the horse was tracking up in the new tempo… just a thought.
[QUOTE=Brydie;7664960]
After watching a video from Jane Savoie on adjustability I think maybe what people have done are, slowed the tempo which shortened their horses stride, but then didn’t lengthen the stride so the horse was tracking up in the new tempo… just a thought.[/QUOTE]
100% correct!
[QUOTE=J-Lu;7664892]
Where was this show? What were the scores for these tests?[/QUOTE]
It was a large show in CA and I was watching the Adult Amateur Championship class. I didn’t stick around to see the scores but I am waiting for them to be posted OL.
I get confused with all the definitions (working, medium, lengthen and extension) of trot because what I read and what I see are two different things. One horse appeared to be doing an extension during the lengthening. I would at least expect to see a majority doing it correctly at a rated show. Anyone have a video of a correctly ridden 1 st level test?
Technically you would not have “extension” at first level. You must have collection before you can have extension.
In a working trot horses should swing freely forward and hence they should track up. Lengthening is about covering more ground which comes from slightly more thrust and be perhaps a smidge longer in the stride. If the horse is not tracking most of the time it is likely because the horses are too low or too closed and hence cannot reach with the shoulders. The hind legs end up just pushing the load rather than folding the hind leg joints and lifting and placing the hind legs.
The definitions of the gaits are in https://www.usef.org/documents/ruleBook/2014/08-DR.pdf
[QUOTE=rizzodm;7665090]
It was a large show in CA and I was watching the Adult Amateur Championship class. I didn’t stick around to see the scores but I am waiting for them to be posted OL.[/QUOTE]
Just a minor correction - that show is not a championship show - it is a Competition specifically for AA riders. The Championship show is in September.
Tracking up is such a small part of the picture, and is partly affected by the horse’s conformation. A long legged horse should have an easier time tracking up then a short legged horse - especially if that short horse also has a longer body. But really, why focus on it, since it is such a small part of the ride?
[QUOTE=MysticOakRanch;7666368]
Just a minor correction - that show is not a championship show - it is a Competition specifically for AA riders. The Championship show is in September.[/QUOTE]
Didn’t say it was, I specified which class I was watching.
[/QUOTE]Tracking up is such a small part of the picture, and is partly affected by the horse’s conformation. A long legged horse should have an easier time tracking up then a short legged horse - especially if that short horse also has a longer body. But really, why focus on it, since it is such a small part of the ride?[/QUOTE]
I focused it on it because I saw it and wondered about it. I don’t think it is a small part of the ride and I would think correct trot work is a big part of developing a horse.
I once had an instructor who was AAAALLLLLL about tracking up. Until then, nothing else mattered. The work equaled forward into soft hands - very difficult for a beginner on a 16hh Appendix. Next instructor, AAALLL about slowing down, then pushing forward to increase the stride length. For that mare, forward first worked. Next horse, slowing down worked. So yes, tracking up is the goal, but diff. horses require diff. methods.
[QUOTE=rizzodm;7666486]
I focused it on it because I saw it and wondered about it. I don’t think it is a small part of the ride and I would think correct trot work is a big part of developing a horse.[/QUOTE]
Most amateurs at first level aren’t precisely developing their horse. They are usualy learning and developing themselves more than their horse.
So why don’t you give them a break? Yep, they weren’t tracking up…so what. They are showing, having fun while improving their skills and their riding.
I get confused with all the definitions (working, medium, lengthen and extension) of trot because what I read and what I see are two different things. One horse appeared to be doing an extension during the lengthening. I would at least expect to see a majority doing it correctly at a rated show. Anyone have a video of a correctly ridden 1 st level test?
How can you expect to see something done correctly when you have no clue of what it looks like? I highly doubt you saw an extended trot from any First level rider at that show.
Horses should track up in working gaits. It is incorrect to not. And, it has been revamped in the descriptions that a correct working gait is tracking up.
And, absolutely, any horse can and should track up, and it is absolutely training.
Depending on what is going on in the rides, the judges may have to focus on different things, but whether you’re saying to push more from behind, work from back to front, get the horse through or working over the back, or tracking up, it all is the same idea.
My guess is what you saw were a lot of people who were lacking basics, confidence, or whatever. Often the biggest issue with especially lower level rides is not going forward enough and losing all of the qualities that are needed for correctness, and the lack of tracking up was one of the results.
You may well have seen an extended trot at first level, especially if the horse were trained at a higher level. It is only required to do a lengthening, but if an extended can be done, that it can be shown for a higher score. Often horses don’t have the collection to do it, but maybe that horse did. What you would have seen was a significant lowering of the hind to push and elevate the front end as well as the extension of the gait.
