Trotting Idea's!

[TallyHo123]

Hi guys,
I have been riding a horse for a short while which has a very very fast trot. He also doesn't have much balance or a rhythm and will take very fast choppy strides then really slow down etc.
Been working on trying different things with him to improve this and he is slowly starting to get better but would love to hear some of your idea's as of how to improve.
He is the same in the school, in a field or on a hack.

 

[ThePony]

Does he steady at all on circles? I would put in lots of different sized circles to help him to balance. Sounds like anything other than mega fast trot is really hard for him. If the trot is slow, is it at least 'correct' with him working on the bit? If the slower trot is the more correct trot then I would accept that and try and work on it, rather than accepting the belting along trot. Can you get an instructor in to advise? Being able to see what is going on with help them alot with suggestions!

 

[unbalanced]

You could try some simple polework exercises e.g. put two single poles at 6 o'clock and 12 o'clock on a 20 metre circle and work on the circle. They will help to keep the rhythm, especially if you count the strides between the poles each side. When that is easy, you could put poles at 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock as well. You could also do a 3 loop serpentine with single poles to cross on the centre line.

When your horse is coping with single poles easily then you could build up to three poles (avoid using two as it encourages them to jump it) on a straight line. Doing three poles on a circle is more difficult as you have to get your line perfect or shorten or lengthen, which is not what you want with this horse YET. Later, sure, once the working trot is good, but not now.

When I rode with a western trainer she was a big fan of using leg yields to slow down horses that rushed in trot and it worked really well for the horse I was riding out there at the time. We also did a lot of circling, and worked on making sure that I was really relaxed in my body (yet keeping the tone in my position, if you know what I mean) as if your breathing isn't regular it can make the gaits irregular.

I would also hack with another horse if possible if you have an older steadier equine friend to go with and somewhere where you can go for a long steady trot behind or alongside the other horse until it isn't a big deal. My horse had problems cantering when I got her and that is what I did with her to sort it out.

There is a book by Jec Aristote Ballou which has some good exercises in it - I think it is called Horse Fitness or something like that but some of the exercises in there would be quite relevant to you. The pole/serpentine exercise described above is in that book. Anyway, I hope something I've said is useful and good luck with your horse.