Medium and extended trot?

[sandi_84]

I know what they are but I'm not sure if I can really tell the difference from the ground
Could someone post a link for me showing the difference please?
Also how do you give the aides for medium/extended?
Cheers!

 

[JustKickOn]

Please see my signature for a detailed drawing highlighting the difference

Medium trot the horse should lengthen in frame and stride, like working but 'bigger'. MT should also be rounder than extended. Extended is again bigger than MT, with lengthening of stride matching both fore and hind stride length. I've always felt that you feel far more power from behind in ET than MT.

 

[sandi_84]

Please see my signature for a detailed drawing highlighting the difference

Medium trot the horse should lengthen in frame and stride, like working but 'bigger'. MT should also be rounder than extended. Extended is again bigger than MT, with lengthening of stride matching both fore and hind stride length. I've always felt that you feel far more power from behind in ET than MT.

Ha ha! I love your sig!

Ok sorry for sounding like a total twit but...
MT - slightly extended movements? What do you mean by rounder?
ET - much more extended movement... lengthening of stride matching fore and hind stride length? Sorry does this mean the hind should go out behind the same length as the fore goes forward?

 

[sandi_84]

Bump

 

[Irishcobs]

I think this is a good video, I can't have the sound on so not sure what is being said.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pP_hNjjOvU

 

[Nats]

Not sure if this helps? It's quite detailed. There are pictures of medium and then extended trot at the bottom of the page:

http://www.classicaldressage.net/members/lesson_pages/extended1.html

 

[JustKickOn]

In working trot your horse should be working well from behind, bringing the frame round and into the contact. When you start asking for MT and ET, because the body is lengthening, the horse isn't as round as they are in WT. from what I can remember from my equitation theory stuff, the basics are that MT lengthens strides, ET lengthens body.
The fore and hind legs in ET should be covering the same amount if ground as each other, as though they are working as a parallel. If that makes sense and my memory is correct! The main part if it is all ground coverage really, not the speed of the paces. IIRC that is....!!

 

[sandi_84]

Ok thanks I think I've got it now
How do you apply the aides for medium/extended?
I asked someone once and she said pull your leg further back and open at the knee. Is that right?

 

[kc100]

I've only done Medium trot, and it has been sort of self taught after reading up online (need a lesson soon to make sure I'm doing it properly, but got fairly decent marks from dressage judges on it so it cant be that bad!).

What I do, to start off especially, is use a corner to balance - give a half halt and collect the horse slightly, but make sure before you ask for the half halt the working trot is nice and forward, very active and he is working in a nice round outline. After you come out of a corner (it is easier to practice it down the long side or across the diagonal if the horse is nice and straight) and you have given the half halt, you have felt him collect, then sit back, raise your hands a little, and push through your seat and with your legs. You are keeping your hands a little higher than you would in working trot, making sure he stays round and in a good elastic contact. Dont be afraid to ask for little half halts (if he is getting faster) whilst pushing on through your seat and legs - you should 'feel' the difference when you get medium trot.

Dont allow the horse to rush and go faster, that is not medium trot - you need to feel the lengthening of the strides. This is probably a bad way of describing it (sorry to all the experienced people out there!) but to me it feels like he is flicking his front hooves up and out, that there is more power coming from behind and it is a 'stronger' trot - like with medium canter, you get more of a 'thundering' noise/senstation, the sound from their hooves is louder as they are powering on.

Get someone on the ground to watch for you, perhaps halfway through your schooling session once he is nicely warmed up, you have done some canter and his trot is nice and forward, start practicing the medium trot and ask someone (who knows what medium trot is!) to watch and tell you if you are getting it.

I had practiced medium trot a few times and I wasnt entirely sure if I was getting it, but when a friend watched me she said he was doing it quite nicely and it really gave me confidence that we were getting lengthening not just going faster!

 

[JustKickOn]

Ok thanks I think I've got it now
How do you apply the aides for medium/extended?
I asked someone once and she said pull your leg further back and open at the knee. Is that right?

Well, I open my knee, but don't put my leg back. I tend to squeeze with my legs, release my hand a little (lengthening) and thrust my hips more.
It really is easiest when you have somebody shouting at you what to do and making sure you're achieving it correctly!

 

[sandi_84]

I've only done Medium trot, and it has been sort of self taught after reading up online (need a lesson soon to make sure I'm doing it properly, but got fairly decent marks from dressage judges on it so it cant be that bad!).

What I do, to start off especially, is use a corner to balance - give a half halt and collect the horse slightly, but make sure before you ask for the half halt the working trot is nice and forward, very active and he is working in a nice round outline. After you come out of a corner (it is easier to practice it down the long side or across the diagonal if the horse is nice and straight) and you have given the half halt, you have felt him collect, then sit back, raise your hands a little, and push through your seat and with your legs. You are keeping your hands a little higher than you would in working trot, making sure he stays round and in a good elastic contact. Dont be afraid to ask for little half halts (if he is getting faster) whilst pushing on through your seat and legs - you should 'feel' the difference when you get medium trot.

Dont allow the horse to rush and go faster, that is not medium trot - you need to feel the lengthening of the strides. This is probably a bad way of describing it (sorry to all the experienced people out there!) but to me it feels like he is flicking his front hooves up and out, that there is more power coming from behind and it is a 'stronger' trot - like with medium canter, you get more of a 'thundering' noise/senstation, the sound from their hooves is louder as they are powering on.

Get someone on the ground to watch for you, perhaps halfway through your schooling session once he is nicely warmed up, you have done some canter and his trot is nice and forward, start practicing the medium trot and ask someone (who knows what medium trot is!) to watch and tell you if you are getting it.

I had practiced medium trot a few times and I wasnt entirely sure if I was getting it, but when a friend watched me she said he was doing it quite nicely and it really gave me confidence that we were getting lengthening not just going faster!

Thank you, that was a very good explanation

Well, I open my knee, but don't put my leg back. I tend to squeeze with my legs, release my hand a little (lengthening) and thrust my hips more.
It really is easiest when you have somebody shouting at you what to do and making sure you're achieving it correctly!

Thanks! I was just wondering (I'm not trying it because a. my horse hasn't been riden in ages so not fit enough to try and b. I don't have any experienced bodies to check I'm not doing it wrong), my curiostity was nagging me again Also I do like to know the technical theory waaaay before I'm even thinking of attempting a manouvre