Making horses move bigger

Wagtail

Wagtail

Horse servant
Joined
2 December 2010
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I know this can be done as I've seen it with my own eyes. I'm not talking about lengthened strides in trot but turning a horse with mediocre paces and expression into one with huge paces and expression.

Many years ago, when I first got my mare, I sent her to my trainer as I temporarily had no room at my yard due to too many ex racers in for retraining. When I went to visit my mare I watched my trainer ride a 4 year old chunky 15.3 warmblood mare. I remember thinking she was very ordinary in terms of looks and paces. A year later I went to photograph my trainer riding her for a painting I was doing and could not believe the change in the mare. She looked to have grown several inches (though she was still only 15.3hh) and her paces were HUGE. I would never have believed it was the same mare!

Unfortunately I have moved since and lost touch with my trainer, but anyone here know how to do this? Has anyone else had this kind of success?
 
A friend who is very knowledgable always says dont buy a horse because of its flashy or not so flashy trot. She says a good over striding walk and good canter is what to look for and that the trot is the pace that can be worked on.
My horse isnt a warmblood, looks pretty average but people cant believe he is the same horse ONCE hes made to move. Im useless at it and he trots round like your average horse but when said friend gets after me and makes me push the right buttons, he can really move, so much he exhausts me trying to ride his big expressive trot. Only wish I could do it :(
 
tbh, i think alot of it is muscle tone. also, having everything correctly fitted. you want the horse to be a relaxed and free moving as possible. the correct schooling and the right riding, i think you could just about make anything look 'extravagant'.
 
Louby said:
A friend who is very knowledgable always says dont buy a horse because of its flashy or not so flashy trot. She says a good over striding walk and good canter is what to look for and that the trot is the pace that can be worked on.
My horse isnt a warmblood, looks pretty average but people cant believe he is the same horse ONCE hes made to move. Im useless at it and he trots round like your average horse but when said friend gets after me and makes me push the right buttons, he can really move, so much he exhausts me trying to ride his big expressive trot. Only wish I could do it :(
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I agree regarding the walk and canter. My mare had a lovely walk and trot but her canter was just wierd. When I first got her (and tried her) she almost just ran on her hind legs and did mini rears with the front. Very strange to watch, but didn't put me off her as I bought her as a forever horse for her character. I was able to improve the canter but it always remained 'pokey' and always earned me lower scores in dressage. Luckily her walk often got 9 and her trot 8. But canter would always be 5 or 6.
 
BSJAlove said:
tbh, i think alot of it is muscle tone. also, having everything correctly fitted. you want the horse to be a relaxed and free moving as possible. the correct schooling and the right riding, i think you could just about make anything look 'extravagant'.
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There's hope for my ex-race then. He's only just recovering from an op and ben schoolin for 3 months. There's a real improvement but his trot is still a litte short and choppy.
 
I'm a short a**e. There is a limit to my stride length. (I'm really selling myself here:o) If I was the fittest person ever to live, there will be a limit to my physical ability. A horse with a good length of stride will undoubtly impress more than that of a short, choppy striding horse. But it can be improved. Correct training as a youngster, the right muscle building exercises and temperament has a lot to do with the overall impression.
 
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