Made up with Dressage Test/medium trot help

[vicm2509]

I did my 2nd ever Novice test at the weekend, and the first one in an indoor. We got 65% and I was so pleased. Medium trot needs work and I almost broke him into trot in my free walk but apart from that I was so made up with him.

Also my mate who part loans him got 1st (73%) in the P18. We started doing dressage less than a year ago and I am just made up and how he has progressed

Sorry its a bit self indulgent.

So if anyone can give me any good advice on how to achieve a better medium trot I would be grateful. He has not been taught it before, my instructor has been helping me a lot using trotting poles and also chasing me around with a lunge whip to get a little more impulsion which worked well. But I am still finding it hard to achieve just a few strides in the middle of a test. I can get it by making them bigger and bigger when schooling but just not on immediate demand

We got a 6, and comment was 'need to show more difference'.

 

[katiejaye]

Medium trot is one of those things that comes easier when the horse is working correctly from behind and has enough impulsion and balance. I'd work on building up your horses strength by practicing lots of transitions from trot to walk, walk to trot and then start playing around with the speed within the trot e.g. trot on a circle and slow down as if you were going to make a walk transition and then push forwards again with your leg and seat. Once your horse understands this then you can start playing with the medium trot on the long side and the diagnol and gradually asked for more strides of medium.

Well done on your fab results

 

[Blizzard]

Well done on the 73% and first place!!

Lots of transitions are the key, get him really listening to you and using his hindqarters, sometimes the hardest thing is teaching them you want 'more' from the pace, not to go up a pace, espec if he is quite new to it.

 

[TarrSteps]

All the usual transitions within and between paces, working on smooth, immediate changes. Plus lateral work to build hind end strength. A useful exercise (this used to be a test movement years ago and I was surprised how well it worked) is to put the horse in shoulder in then turn across the diagonal in medium trot. The si engages the inside hind and really allows you to feel the "push" into the straightened trot. Do only as much trot as the horse can do properly, then transition down and perhaps a circle or another movement to rebalance. Too much blasting about can get the horse "hovering" or leaning rather than truly stepping under.

All on top of the usual "calm, forward, straight" or course.

In the test be very aware of your preparation and your transition. Make sure you half-halt and rebalance your working trot BEFORE you reach the marker. Many people either slow waaay down in an effort to "show a difference" or start to panic and let the horse get flat - you want slightly more engagement in the trot through the turn but not more speed.

Also make sure you are allowing the frame to lengthen but upwards not down. Horses put their feet down where their nose is pointing so a horse overbent or too low will not show good reach. Make sure you keep your own body upright and your core engaged.

Oh, and congrats and good luck.

 

[vicm2509]

Thanks very much. I do a lot of transitions and lateral work already but I think perhaps I should do more transitions. He is a bit lazy behind which is why I do a lot of lateral work and direct transitions before I start working him properly.

I can manage him much better in canter, I can get a lovely extended canter, and can get him to almost canter on the spot, but trot is so much harder.