The Paces
No 2 The Trot
In this series of articles, I have decided to concentrate on the individual paces of the horse, the correct sequence and the basic requirements from a judge’s and a rider/trainer’s point of view. Dressage training is about the athletic development of the horse and the freedom and regularity of the paces is a fundamental necessity.
In this second part of the three part series on paces, we take a look at the TROT.
The trot is a pace with a two beat rhythm, that means that within one stride, two clear hoofbeats can be heard at regularly spaced intervals, with a moment of suspension in between. The sequence of footfalls is such that the feet touch the ground in diagonal pairs, ie left hind and right fore together, followed by right hind and left fore together, separated by a period where no feet are on the ground, known as the moment of suspension.
WHAT ARE THE ELEMENTS OF A GOOD TROT?
Clearly, the correct two beat rhythm is the first and most important element. The trot should be free, active and regular. Because of the element of suspension, the ability to maintain regularity is important, a hovering trot with disengaged hindlegs and a variable rhythm is not good. There needs to be an impression of elasticity and this requires the horse to move from behind over a supple back.
Many Iberians struggle with rhythm and this can result in choppy trots, or false elevation through tight backs rather than a supple back and good engagement. The high knee action may also result in a trot where the hindlegs and front legs do not match, this needs to be addressed through correct training.
THE FOUR TYPES OF TROT
In competition, there are four types of trot required, at the various levels.
WORKING TROT
At the basic levels, prelim and novice this is the main required trot. It should reflect the natural trot, it should be free, balanced, the horse should work from behind with active engaged hindquarters, through a supple back and into a steady contact. It should look natural, rhythmic, energetic without being hurried, and the back should swing.
COLLECTED TROT
This is first required at elementary level, although at that point only sufficient collection to carry out the movement is required. In a collected trot, the hindquarters become more active, there is increased engagement and impulsion. The ground cover of the steps is less, resulting in shorter steps, but not slower or less activity. The single, biggest mistake in the trot that we see at elementary level is the rider slowing the trot, mistaking this for collection. This results in a loss of impulsion and engagement. More collection means more activity/energy in the same rhythm, with a shorter ground cover. The French word for collection is rassembler , it means to gather together, and I prefer to think of collection as a gathering together of the horse, his energy and power, this implies that one keeps what one has, but in a more concentrated manner.
MEDIUM TROT
At novice level, you are required to show a few steps of medium trot, at elementary and above it should be established sufficiently to show from a given marker to another marker. This pace is between the working and extended trot (see below) and we see a clear lengthening of the steps, there is more ground cover, the hindquarters are engaged and the horse shows the ability to push from behind, as well as the strength to carry more weight on the hindlegs in the preparation for that push. There is still the same rhythm and balance.
When teaching this I like to explain to my pupils that whilst the horse may go from, say, M to K faster than in the working trot, that is because he covers more ground with every stride, NOT that he actually trots faster. Each stride covers more ground, so in a given time, the horse in medium trot will reach his destination sooner. This is the single, biggest mistake we see in the medium trot – the rider hurries the horse in an attempt to achieve the medium trot, when the emphasis should be on maintaining the rhythm, and increasing the stride length.
EXTENDED TROT
First required at Medium level, extended trot requires the horse to cover as much ground as possible. He must still maintain the rhythm, and the cadence, but due to the maximum thrust and weight carrying action of the hocks, he works through his whole body to appear to fly from one diagonal pair of legs to the other. It should look powerful and the whole frame of the horse lengthens. The biggest mistake that riders make is to hurry as in the medium trot, or to attempt to create a trot which looks big but isn’t, by artificially raising the forelegs, but if the movement is not matched by the hindlegs, it will result in a stiff back and a loss of connection to the contact.
COMMON PROBLEMS IN THE TROT
As usual, faulty rhythm is the culprit for so many of the problems we encounter. This is why it is the first stage in the scales of training. Failure to address faults in the rhythm in the early stages of training will haunt you throughout all future work. It is vital to maintain rhythm in changes of pace within a pace, eg from collected to medium trot, and in moving from one movement to another, eg from collected trot into shoulder-in. In a test, it is in these two areas that a judge can clearly see whether you have trained your horse along the correct lines, or just trained movements.
Stiffness in the back will prevent a good connection being made from the hindlegs to the bit. Horses who have not developed the ability to swing over the back are difficult to sit to once you begin to try to develop impulsion which is why suppleness is the second phase on the training scales. Conversely though, a stiff back is quite easy to sit on if there is no impulsion, and that is why riders who fail to understand the concepts of correct training end up with shuffling sewing machines !
Problems in the contact will often be the result of poor rhythm, and a steady contact can only be achieved if the horse is working in a correct rhythm, with energy from the hindlegs working over a supple back.
Impulsion is often misunderstood for speed, which is in fact the enemy of impulsion. Correct impulsion is developed over a period of time as the horse through systematic training gains strength in the hindlegs, and develops the ability to carry more weight behind. Smooth transitions from working paces into medium and extended paces show good development of impulsion. A clear indication in trot that there is insufficient impulsion is when the feet do not track up, ie the hind feet do not step in the prints of the forefeet. This is commonly seen at elementary level when riders shorten the steps and lose impulsion in an attempt to show collected trot.
All young horses are basically crooked, and it is our job as trainers to straighten them. Only a straight horse can correctly develop impulsion and collection. There are three types of straightness- when the horse is on a straight line, on a curve, and on more than one track, ie in lateral work. In each case, the hindfeet must follow the track of the forefeet and his body must be correctly aligned, straight on a straight line, showing the same bend as the circle, or maintaining the bend on a straight line, as in shoulder-in.
Readers who follow my articles will have spotted that I have listed the faults in the order of the scales of training – rhythm, suppleness, contact, impulsion, straightness and I have not yet added the final stage, which is collection. The scales are the basis for my systematic training, and whenever I encounter a problem I look to the scales for the solution. Collection is then achievable, and we see this in correctly executed piaffe and passage.
EXERCISES TO IMPROVE THE TROT
Starting with the rhythm, the exercises that help develop and maintain rhythm, are work on circles, figures of eight, serpentines, shallow loops, frequent changes of rein, increasing and decreasing circle size, lateral work, leg yielding, shoulder in etc.
I advocate using rising trot, especially with young horses until the back is strong enough to carry the rider. Many riders of Iberian horses seem to think that it is “de rigeur” to sit, but I do not allow pupils to sit until I can see that the horse is ready, and that the rider has the suppleness and core strength necessary to sit well enough to benefit the horse.
Exercises that develop the suppleness and straightness include those for rhythm, also the lateral work, the leg yield, shoulder-in, travers, renvers, half pass.
Exercises that help to develop connection/contact are transitions, eg trot- walk- trot, trot-halt-trot, trot-canter-trot etc. Work on lengthening and shortening the stride length are also helpful. The principles established in the work on suppleness/straightness/rhythm are required in order to develop the connection.
Exercises that help develop impulsion are transitions between the paces, trot-walk-trot, trot-canter-trot, and also within the paces, moving smoothly from working trot to medium and extended trot. Working the horse on and back will help develop the smoothness and the power. On and back means alternating between a more forward trot and a more collected trot. As long as the horse maintains his balance he will develop his strength, as soon as he drops the poll, loses rhythm or cadence etc, he needs to be brought back with a half halt, rebalanced and sent forward again.
As well as the conventional patterns in the school, it is beneficial to any horse in training to incorporate hill work, to develop the haunches, encourage him to work through the back and stay forward. Equally, work on the lunge is invaluable to establish bend, suppleness, straightness. Polework/gridwork helps to develop rhythm, suppleness, impulsion, straightness etc.
Of all the paces, the trot is the easiest to improve. Working on the trot following the principles of the scales of training will systematically improve the way of going. Ultimately we are looking for a trot that is adjustable, from the greatest and most elastic extensions, to the ultimate collection, the piaffe.
Next time we will look at the canter, the exercises and movements, what the judges want to see and how to improve it.
