Medium trot

Out hacking, find yourself a nice big hill, keep hold of the front end and squeeze the back end up asking for a bigger trot.

ETA- I found doing this along side a horse who is established in MT also helped.
 
If your horse is balanced and understands counter counter you can do a 20m circle in counter canter, come back to trot in a corner, assuming the balance has stayed in the transition, then ask for lengthened strides.

Only works if the CC is established.
 
One instructor I have had swears by having a lead horse in front (be in in a school or on hack) in a working canter and asking your horse to keep up, but in trot so the only option he has is to lengthen the stride.
Another advocates the strong squeeze of the legs on the sit beat of a rising trot while maintaining a contact to the rythmn stays the same but the horse covers more ground.

Either way, you have to bear in mind not all horses are built for it, and requires a certain level of obedience and suppleness for it to work. You will instantly know if you get it, but it is a good idea to have either mirrors in the school, or someone to video you so you can see if the horse is truly lengthening, or just going quicker and rushing.

Also, one thing I have found is that horses that don't exhibit that lovely floaty trot with lengthened strides naturally in the field rarely find lengthened trot easy to master under saddle.
 
Nugget La Poneh said:
One instructor I have had swears by having a lead horse in front (be in in a school or on hack) in a working canter and asking your horse to keep up, but in trot so the only option he has is to lengthen the stride.

I have never heard of that one. Would that theory not just make the horse strong in the hand and plough onto the forehand ?

The stride is opened from behind, with the hind leg generating the energy, the hand containing and allowing it and enabling the wither to rise and lighten the forehand and that in turn allows the forelimb to lengthen.
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AdorableAlice said:
Nugget La Poneh said:
One instructor I have had swears by having a lead horse in front (be in in a school or on hack) in a working canter and asking your horse to keep up, but in trot so the only option he has is to lengthen the stride.

I have never heard of that one. Would that theory not just make the horse strong in the hand and plough onto the forehand ?

The stride is opened from behind, with the hind leg generating the energy, the hand containing and allowing it and enabling the wither to rise and lighten the forehand and that in turn allows the forelimb to lengthen.
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I was sceptical, but it came from a well known trainer, and the theory is that you do it to get the horse 'animated' and thinking power, then you can work on it without the lead and refine it. I doubt it would work for all horses and the one I had to do it with, and a lady at our yard who was taught this way had big 'lazy in mind' horses.

I know the old mare we had would just tank if I tried the above - couple of halt to canter transitions was enough to get the right outcome :D
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I would also suggest riding a circle in canter, ask for the downwards transition to trot at A for example, use the corner to balance and find your rhythm in the trot. Then turn into the long diagonal, half halt to bring the hind leg underneath and then try to ensure you have absolute straightness down both reins before asking for more impulsion into the medium strides.
As soon as you get a couple of strides, bring back to working trot, reward and repeat.
Good luck. :-)
 
The simplest method is as follows:

Around the short side of the school maintain a balanced but steady rising trot. Make sure you keep the energy.

Use the corner to balance, and use a small half halt, then use a light leg out of the corner but make your the rises of your trot BIGGER. The horse will match your rising, and the trot will slowly get bigger under you.

To ensure they don't fall onto the forehand, you come back to the steady energetic trot around the short side, and then ask with the bigger rises down the next long side.

I also agree that out on a hack with a friend is a good way to get them motoring, but in terms if teaching it to the aid I find the above fool proof.
 
I've always been taught to use a small trot circle to collect up then push for a few strides out of it, to start with as soon as you get the transition to the bigger stride go back to normal trot and praise, moving onto asking for it, half halting, asking for it again, few strides on half halting, until the horse gets the idea and builds the strength and balance to maintain the bigger trot for a longer period. I admit the canter methods wouldn't work for me as I tend to start working on medium trot ASAP as it's in every driving dressage test there is and my canter down transitions are poor and push most things onto their forehands :o I'm not sure even now with Pip who has a very established medium I could get it straight out of a canter without him losing balance a few strides after :o With C I start with working on it on a 20m circle, along with asking for bits of collection keeping changing within the pace as I really struggle to hold him together but once we're really listening to each other we can do it on straights :)
 
I struggled with my horses medium I eventually found it by using poles a few times a week ridden or on lunge and when on the lunge doing a lot of medium to strengthen her, then the penny clicked when I was on board too?
 
rara007 said:
I've always been taught to use a small trot circle to collect up then push for a few strides out of it, to start with as soon as you get the transition to the bigger stride go back to normal trot and praise, moving onto asking for it, half halting, asking for it again, few strides on half halting, until the horse gets the idea and builds the strength and balance to maintain the bigger trot for a longer period. I admit the canter methods wouldn't work for me as I tend to start working on medium trot ASAP as it's in every driving dressage test there is and my canter down transitions are poor and push most things onto their forehands :o I'm not sure even now with Pip who has a very established medium I could get it straight out of a canter without him losing balance a few strides after :o With C I start with working on it on a 20m circle, along with asking for bits of collection keeping changing within the pace as I really struggle to hold him together but once we're really listening to each other we can do it on straights :)
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Rara
Do you train the horse to respond to a voice aid for medium trot when you're driving?
 
Its all about helping them find their balance. Push the trot but don't let them run. As soon as the horse quickens the step, go back to working trot. At first the horse will do medium trot while leaning on the shoulder but should never weigh on the hand. As you do transitions between the baby medium and working trot, the horse will start learning to put more weight on its hind end and come more under, and then you have a pretty nice medium. Hope this helped :)
 
Sorry OP- off topic
Digger- yup :) Still use the same principles of half halting etc but Pip, C and LC all do a clear, true medium off the voice :) I don't tend to use the voice riding once broken as that confuses matters when you come to ridden dressage. I actually find it easiest to teach medium lunging/long reining on two lines so the horse learns it without the added issue of your balance (Im no carl hester) or carriage weight and you can very clearly see a rush rather than a medium, but I don't think that's normal ;) Pip really likes medium trot and as soon as you ask by voice his hind end visably drops down and he doesn't rush :) It took a few years for him to master it as he's not naturally flashy but now it's his favourite thing!
 
Im really rubbish at explaining things via the net but one excercise I do use for opening and condensing the stride is this:

Imagine you are trotting round on the right rein. at K do a 10m circle whilst sitting up tall, keeping your leg against your horses side and IMAGINE shortening the stride a little. As you finish your 10m circle carry on straight towards X riding forards from your leg, squeezing a little harder with your leg and carry your hands a little further forward than normal without giving away the contact you can feel in your hand.

as you hit X do a circle to the left 10m diameter, again without using you hands just imagine sitting up a bit taller and shortening the trot without pulling back on your hands. As you complete your 10m circle left at X head in straight line towards H. Again, carry your hands further forward and squeeze with your leg without giving your contact away.

As you hit H circle to the right 10m diameter and as before imaine sitting up and shortening the trot whilst keeping the horse active with your leg.

Obviously you reverse these directions for the other rein.

Like I say Im not very good at describing things like this over the net but playing around with your horses stride whilst remaining on a circle is a good way of learning for him to use his body and discourages you from being restrictive with your hand. The most important thing with medium trot/lengthened strides is not to ask for too much although I appreciate it is difficult the times your horse does offer you a lovely big trot!
 
The way my instructor taught me was to have a good working trot then to shorten/ collect it on a balanced 10/15m circle before the long side then tap it out so down the long side tap tap tap with your leg whilst maintaining impulsion. The first time I tried I got a rushed horrible on the forehand trot but after a couple of tries I realised I didn't need to tap it out as hard and now I van get it every time. Even scored and 8 for one in a test :0 worth a go but that's what works for me
 
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