Can anyone explain how I can do collected trot? My boy can do medium trot fine now but I would like to start doing collected trot. Any help apprecitated on how to do this X
Collected trot is like slowing down the rythm but without losing the energy or power. As long as your horse is strong enough behind and balanced enough it isn't too hard to teach. I started preparing Louis for it by strengthening him up behind with lots of trot to walk transitions to get him sharp and listening to my legs/hands. Once he became really sharp at this I would ride the trot and then prepare for a walk transition using my seat and hands and just as he felt like he would walk I would push him on again in the trot. Once he got the hang of this I simply use my seat to slow him down and keep my leg on (to keep the energy) to ask for collected trot. The stronger he got the longer I would ask for collected trot. Now he's established in it.
There may be other ways to achieve it, but this has worked well for us.