Lengthening strides

[whoa]

My riding school is having a dressage competition next week it's just a fun thing (thank God!), and I've been persuaded to enter - that should definitely be a laugh:o

Anyway one of the things we have to do is get the horse to lengthen his stride in the trot. I've only had one go at this and wondered if anyone could give me some tips on how to do it. So far I've been told to get a faster trot and rise up more during it. Also I'm sure this is a stupid question but "track right" means turn right, right?!

Thanks.

[FreedomStar]

Lenghthening does not mean faster!! People often mistake lengthening and extending as a faster trot, but that is just change in speed. Lengthening the trot is where a horse takes fewer but longer steps at the same speed. And track right does indeed mean to be going to the right, and don't worry it's not a silly quesiton.

[whoa]

Originally posted by FreedomStar
Lengthening the trot is where a horse takes fewer but longer steps at the same speed.
How do you achieve that?

[welshie girl]

Don@t know if this is correct but I was told to slip both legs slightly behind the girth and to slow my rising while maintaining impulsion.

[happyhorse]

i had a lesson on learning this the other day and heres a good exercise that will help.

Get two trotting poles. Place one near top of longside of school. place the second at other end of the same longside. Ride down the longside in normal trot and count how many times you sit (strides ) you do betweent he two poles. Now ride through and try to do less strides that you would do normally, without decreasing the speed to much, rather collecting the impulsion up underneath you. Its easier to understand when you do the exercise, as you can feel what i am trying to describe. If you want to trying shortening the stride do the same but try to do more strides between the poles instead.

[Palomino]

A good excercise is to start in normal trot round the school and when you get to the short end collect the trot. As you go down the long end start to lengthen his strides.

The idea with the trotting poles works really well as well.

[kelsey]

I have been taught that all variations of the trot should maintain the same rhythm. (I school with a clip-on metronome to make sure that rhythm is constant.)

So, an extended trot is technically faster than the others, given that the horse is taking the same number of strides per minute, but they are longer.

[whoa]

Thanks for the tips everyone. Did my dressage test yesterday and didn't do very well :o I was a bit nervous and matters weren't helped at one point when the horse I was riding noticed his best friend being lead past the outside of the school and tried to go over and say hello!!! Nevermind it was good fun.

[virtuallyhorses]

Just a tip on leg position - forward (if required) for lengthen, backward for 'up' ie more collection or 'over' sideways. So whoever told you to put your legs back for extending the trot was giving you bad directions.

The trick to extension is timing, co-ordination and pushing from your stomach\torso.

When you get extension for the first time you should feel as if there is enormous power under you like a big wave and coming through your belly, hands and rolling through the horses neck.

The mechanics are more like - squeeze with your legs for more impulsion, hold VERY briefly with both reins evenly so that the horse knows you don't want faster, you may feel the horse rise in front (that's the power going down behind) almost as if you are now surfing the horse, but you MUST let your hands go forward WITH the horse while keeping a good elastic contact. The horse needs to stretch its neck forward (its whole body actually) to extend, the nose should be in front of the vertical in extended gaits. The legs should only be giving enough squeezes\taps to keep the trot going NOT to encourage more and more speed which would force the horse to 'run'.

If the horse does not respond with extension try again but move your lower leg forward a little - there's an extension 'button' just in front of the girth ;)

Remember not to plop into a chair seat or you'll lose the 'big wave' and your horse will collapse under you.