Getting an outline in trot - or not in this case!

[EarlGrey]

My cob was broken in a year ago and when I bought him in April, I saw him work in the school with the lady who broke him in and he worked in a consistent outline. She said that she has to be quite firm with him as he won't automatically adopt this nice outline. The lady lives too far away from me to have lessons with so I have an instructor who lives nearer. She gets on him for 10mins and then I have 20mins. He will go in an outline for her but I would say about 90% of the time rather than consistent as he was before and some days less than others. When I get on him I can now get him to go in an outline in walk and canter but really struggle in trot. His favourite stance is sticking his nose out so he looks like a donkey and is rushing on the forehand then when I collect him up from that he changes to head up in the air with a choppier trot. He also feels like he is working behind the bit if that makes sense? However I can get him in a nice shape when we go round the corners

but he doesn't maintain it. I know that I am not as strong a rider as them but I have really improved since having him. The biggest hurdles being confidence to begin with (now sorted

) and fitness/ strength (getting there).
It may just be a matter of time and practice together but...
Has anyone got any tips/advice on how I can get a better shape in trot?

 

[Hippona]

Well, I'm not an instructor or anything... I think you just said it really when you said you are not currently as strong a rider as your instructor and your horses previous owner. He's also only been broken a year, and it will still be hard work for him to develop the correct muscles to help him work in this way.

Sounds like you are making good progress, just keep at it and it will come together

..remember your horse will need to be doing stretching excercises also in order to develop his topline.

 

[Bossanova]

If the corners are easier then start on a circle. Use the inside bend to soften him to the rein- keep a contact on the outside and open and 'play' with the inside rein. This should involve little asks for a flexion to the inside and an instant softening when he gives it to you. If you find he's ignoring that aid then lift the bit slightly higher into the corner of his mouth on the inside and put on a reasonable level of pressure until he drops his nose down and to the inside- you must soften instantly not by slackening the rein but with a momentary release and then back to a contact. The outside rein remains constant throughout.

Once you can do this evenly on both reins on varying sized circels, you have much more chance when going large of using a hint of an inside flexion to soften and round him