Medium trot

[Allykat]

I'm just about to start taking my TB gelding to a few novice dressage tests so obviously need to do some medium trot work. What is the best way to go about teaching him to do this?? I already do the counting strides down the long side and then reducing/increasing stride numbers. Is this the beginning or is there a better way??

Any hints/ideas/tips and I will be very happy

I have a lesson with my instructor on thursday where we will work through it but I'd like a bit of a practise first

 

[Nailed]

trot up hill on hacks.. ask for more speed.. as they have to push more for up his, th emed comes easily instead of speed.. Lengthening and shortening is a brillient start!
Lou x

 

[lizzie_liz]

Don't ask for too much all at once.
Try riding a 10m circle at say H, ask for more power but holding the front end, then as you come out of the circle, open you knees and allow the horse to go lengthen.

 

[Allykat]

Oh brilliant. Thanks for that one I have loads of hills round my yard so will find that one easy to try. I feel a few "schooling" hacks coming on

 

[Allykat]

Thank you, I'll try that too. I am soon to be doing novice 20, which is a 12m circle in working trot into medium trot across the diagonal.....that all makes sense now.

 

[Nailed]

nowt like a good schooling hack.. Make smy head hurt thought.
Lou x

 

[Allykat]

Well we had a couple of attempts over the weekend.

I did a mega schooling session on saturday morning and he really started to get the hang of it. We did 15m and 10 m circles in the corners and then powered off down the long side. After a few times I could really feel the difference between the sitting back in the circle and the power underneath into medium. I'm not sure what it looked like from the ground but we also managed a few attempts while remaining reasonably round too

I was mega chuffed it seemed to have gone so smoothly

Next day we hacked and I thought I'd put the hill work to good practice. We trotted until he was sort and stretching down then I got my leg on...the ears went up, the head went up and off we went at canter!!! Oh well I'd like to say he was kind of getting the right idea.......!!