Extend Much.....

Has anyone ever done a extended trot. How would you ask a horse for that and what does it feel like. Should it feel faster and bigger......

I don't ride Dressage, and haven't done English for a while, but I think the extended trot is at the same speed as a typical trot, your horse just takes fewer strides because they're longer

An correct extended trot takes years to develop even if the horse is naturally talented for it. It is a movement requiring a lot of collection and power from the horse. Basically the horse is going to transfer it's "up and down" movement into "up and forward" movement and take the biggest and longest strides possible while maintaining an uphill balance and it's metronomic rhythm. This movement does not appear until third level in competitions.

If I'm asking Geoffery for a Medium trot(inbetween Working and Extended I think) I sit deep, or make my posting bigger and drive him forward with my legs and seat.

to do an extended trot, i like to do a shoulder in or shoulder fore down the long side, then turn down the diagonal to do the extension. with more sensative sided horses i find it works best to lower my hands a bit & squeeze their sides like a tube of tooth paste. with no as sensative horses i do little nudges on their sides

Great post Anabel and appreciated.

In the First Level test there is a movement called the "Lengthened" trot. To the general public this would look like an extended trot, but it is not. My guess is this is what you're interested in.

If done correctly it is NOT faster - same speed as working trot BUT longer, bouncier strides.

How to do it: If you can correctly execute a HH (half-halt) then riding the rising trot (posting is easiest to prevent horse from going faster) come down the short side, do a HH before the corner, take horse into the corner more deeply than a 20 meter circle to get them moving off the inside leg into the outside rein. As soon as you're through the corner you'll reach a letter, at letter bend horse around your inside leg, straighten horse on diagonal, HH, then lean back slightly behind the vertical, squeeze with both legs and drive horse forward equally between both legs and reins. Make sure rider does NOT lean forward or horse will fall on nose.

Maintain posting rhythm. As soon as horse falls on nose or starts rushing forward HH and bring back to a working trot - usually on about 3 strides until horse gets used to performing the lengthened trot.

Idea is the horse elongates from tip of nose to butt - nose slightly in front of the vertical - taking longer steps (strides) which are also (hopefully) higher in the air.

Hope this is what you're looking for.