How important is the trot !

This article is very interesting: http://www.grayson-jockeyclub.org/ne.../warmingup.pdf
In short, not much research has been done, but the little that has suggests that warming up is beneficial for a horse, especially a high-performance horse. However, it does say that all horses are different and some may do better with going from walking on a loose rein straight to a slow canter (or lope) instead of trotting. Other horses may require the traditional walk then trot then canter method.
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The Horse | Effects of Warm-Up On Performance

Very good information .
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I feel like trotting while warming up is the least of the problems with this post. I think the buteing dead lame horses and riding lame horses should be the main concern for you. But to answer the question I always walk trot/jog canter/lope when warming up my horses before and after I get on. It gets them stretched out, prepares them for whatever level of riding I'll be doing and I can see if they are favoring a leg or acting a bit lame.