Re schooling a trotter.

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Denise Stovell

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A friend has a very nice 5yr coloured mare, she was used for trotting, shes a little green and has the extra gait, a very honest type, has anyone had any experience in re schooloing these, would you start over from scratch with her education.....any opinions or advice ????
Thankyou
 
I have!!

Hilton was a french trotter x hackney, he had been too slow in the harness so had been (I suspect given) to a local dealer, who couldn't sell him. We went to see another pony she had and noticed him standing in the back corner of the stable looking everso poor- we bought him for £400.

At first he couldn't trot never mind canter, so yes we started again I had other ponies so there was no pressure on him, but we hacked him out lots where he learnt aids by following another horse. Had weekly lessons on him and when we showed him a pole on the floor (and I'm not joking here) he jumped 4 foot over it and lost me half way up!

But we found he loved jumping (quite common with trotters- once they can co-ordinate that is) only issue we had is he would jump 3'6 course, but the fences we're only 2'3!!! Eventually mum got curious and stuck all the jumps up at home 3'6 and he jumped them perfectly. So that weekend we went quite far from home and entered him on a day ticket and he did brilliantly so registered him BSJA and in 18 months he was a JA I jumped all around the country on him including Broomes, Hickstead, HOYS and Toggi quals (now Blue Chip).

When I turned 16 out of juniors we had real problems selling him as lots were interested because of his record but you needs to be a special rider to get anything out of him- most people get on him and he's just pace- nothing else! We gave him away in the end to someone who could ride him and he went on to jump for Wales stayed at the top for years and years.

Back to you question (sorry got carried away) you mention she has 'an extra gait' so i'm guessing trot (on the diagonal) and canter are there too? She will probably pace when worried or under pressure, as a rider your friend will need to be patiant adaptable (you really need to ride her like no other horse), Hilton would only trot on the diagonal if as i asked for trot I twisted my hips clockwise. I would advise getting a sympathetic instructor (I left half way through pony club camp because they couldn't teach us). If your firends mare is anything like Hilton she will be gentle, loving, sensitive and once a bond is made she will trust you to the end of the world.

Be prepaired that she never do a decent dressage test but once they've got together try jumping- I bet she's jump her socks off. Let me know how they get on please.
 
I've done a couple of pacers (if you mean trotting with the same side pair rather than diagonals?) time patience and more time go out hacking stick to a walk keep it simple so they can work it out walk to halt create understanding then introduce trotting in straight lines once they have bit of strength back to walk each time they pick up wrong push on when right I found leading with a lunge line to start and trotting up increasing the length of time to introduce lungeing helps the tricky ones the more you can sustain the pace the more it becomes normal. What does the horse choose to do if let loose?
 
Me too! Davie is my first pony, bought because he had a lovely character but was going from the riding school to the market because he napped. I hadn't a clue what I was doing and like nikC says he couldn't trot never mind canter. Patience and persistence paid off - schooling seemed to do his nut in so we hacked as much as poss...when working on trot I started in short straight lines. Initially when he fell to pace I would bring him back to walk and ask for trot again then lay the praise on thick....now if he does it I just push him through it. Davie too absolutely LOVES to jump (not in Hilton's league!) and went around his first 2'6" xc clearing everything by miles just for the hell of it (I'm not brave enough to go bigger!)! We will never manage a decent stressage either but who cares?! He will still naturally drop into pace if stressed or over excited and will occasionally just use it to keep me on my toes!! Patient and understanding instructor is vital - I didn't find one for 2 years and had one particularly snooty BHSAI tell me he was the "ugliest most unsound looking pony" she'd ever seen in her life and she "wouldn't waste her time on him" (hmmm didn't recognise pace then!!). In return for my patience I have a wee lad who tries his heart out for me, gives me great fun and with whom I have a fabulous friendship!! Good luck to your friend - hope she has fun.....the hard work WILL pay off!
 
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Thankyou for the replies, there VERY helpful, my friend is a very patient and kind owner/rider so im sure she will get the best from her horse, when shes loose she trots " normaly " though slightly extended, i hacked her out today and we had a little pace, only a few strides, then back to walk, its my first sit on a pacer and found it very comfy if not slighty strange, ill give her your replies and ill keep you updated,

Thanks again, Denise.
 
I had a pacer who I jumped. Brilliant over sj too hot for dressage or xc. She always would have paced rather than extended in trot. Very intelligent with legs like iron for such a fine boned mare, never lame in the four years I had her. If I was in a hurry home we would have had a little pace to speed us along ;) When I was too old to jump her anymore we struggled to get someone else who could ride her so she was eventually sold :mad:

I also trained pacers to race, some trained under saddle and some in harness. They do tend towards hot & quirky but have a heart like a lion, brill legs and most can jump for fun.

A bit of patience and the rewards should be great, good luck with her
 
The grey in my signature is a pacer. I didn't have a clue what I was doing when I bought him, having never had any experience with pacers before. Fortunately, he already knew how to trot "properly" and canter.
I find if he's in regular work he'll trot on the diagonal no problem but if he's been out of work, he reverts back to pacing if he can, simply because this is his natural gait and he finds it easiest when he's unfit. When he does this, I just pull him back to walk and ask again. Eventually he knows what I'm asking of him and I get a decent trot out of him. Sometimes he falls back into pace, but I just push him on through it and after a few strides he picks up the diagonal trot again.
Cantering has never been a problem with him.
He's incredibly brave and jumps like a stag. They have such strong legs, hard as nails and he can turn on a penny. He gets worked up sometimes, especially when we're out in a crowd, but as soon as he "finds his place", he settles down. He has a fantastic temperament and everyone comments on how beautifully natured he is. He doesn't have a bad bone in his body. He's loyal and always wants to please me. Personally, I couldn't ask for a better horse. :)
 
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