So I was watching a video of someone on HF riding a TB. Well I noticed how short his stride was. I also have a horse that stride is shorter/chopper. I don't think choppy is the right word????. I was wondering how and if there is a way to get the horse to lenghten the trot which would help the horse lengthen in the long run. I would love to post a video but I can't get anyone to do it. Someone mentioned she looked straight in the shoulders so I am wondering if that might affect why she would'nt have as much free movement. I well be posting conformation pictures thur since I don't have to work and can spend the day with her.
Yes, a straight shoulder can contribute to a short, choppy stride. As well as posty legs on the back and a steep croup along with many other conformational combinations. If there isn't some reason for the stride to be abnormally short (pain, improper training, etc), then it is likely due to how the horse is conformed. I also have a short strided horse and it is impossible for him to lengthen without picking up a fair amount of speed. Even then, he still is short strided, just moving faster LOL.
While it is hard to overcome conformation there are things you can do to help improve a horse's stride. Lots of bending and flexing to keep them supple and TONS of transitions to get them light and learn to open up their shoulder and drive from behind can improve a poor trot.
I am new at this forum but am also new at riding. I have learned trotting but get so many telling me different things...how do I stay on the horse?? Squeeze my but ??? Or the top of my legs?
I agree, tons of transitions will mean he's not on the forehand which should help a little.
Prettibrave, no offence meant at all but you shouldnt even be trotting til you are satisfied you can stay on at walk. You should have developed some balance and general feel of the horse before you start trotting.
Thanks for the reply...I actually have been having lessons once a week for 2 months and feel like I should be further along. I have actually been loping , trotting, and steering. I have a great coach and she is very supportive but the problem is sometimes I feel like I am all over the saddle. When I tell my coach she says I look great! I am not sure if it is the way I am " suppose" to feel because I have never been on a horse before.
I know Ineed to use my legs at times etc...but I still feel like I am flopping around...people offer different suggestions and the latest is..squeeze my butt and do the pelvic tilt. Any truth to that?
If your horse has a short, choppy trot, chances are he's on the forehand. Some horses have a naturally short, choppy stride, as someone mentioned about a steep shoulder/pastern angle can contribute to this.
Bending and stretching is the key here. You need to get this horse off the forehand and supple through the body to allow him to open his shoulder, thus lengthening his stride.
First of all check that your saddle is not pinching anywhere, and that it is not sitting on his shoulders. A saddle on a horses shoulders is like you trying to walk with your thighs tied together!!
You should start with riding multiple walk-trot-walk and canter-trot-canter transitions, changing rein (figure of 8's, serpentines and shallow loops will help immensely) and spiralling in and out on a 20m circle using leg yield. These will all help to open his shoulders, relax his back and allow his hinds to swing through, thus opening his stride.
It is most definately NOT a case of just making him run faster and faster, that is simply putting him further onto the forehand and teaching him to be heavy in the hand and brace his back.
You might like to start your own thread in Horse Riding. Then you would get more responses specific to YOU.
Just keep in mind, it takes a long time to get a good seat. 8 lessons is like NOTHING. Take is slow and give yourself time at each gait to get confident there before moving up to the next one.
If your upper body is flopping around, then probably your are gripping really hard with your knees or calves and have your lower body really rigid. The action of the horse's movement has to move through your body. If you don't absorb it in your lower body by allowing it to move WITH the horse in a loose and relaxed way, then the motion just travels up your body and goes through it in almost a "crack the whip" sort of motion.
The trot is the one gait that can be improved quite dramatically even with conformation faults but it takes an experienced person to get "all the horse can be" out of it.
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