Trotting young horse under saddle...

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ginger_dressage_pony

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So, my 4 year old is now walking happily with me on top, still attached to lunge line but totally loosely, so I am stopping/starting/steering on my own. Now to introduce a bit of trot, I would rather do it before we go solo around the school without anyone on a lunge line, just thought if something spooks her and she shoots forward I want her to be happy with me being up there moving etc while she trots.
So, how would you all go about introducing trot. Sitting/rising?! She is a warmblood, so the trot is rather large, was thinking I could just go for a few smaller joggy steps, and then if she's happy then let the trot grow..? Or get it really forward and big straight away..any thoughts much appreciated!! 😀
 
I feel if you are still attached to a lunge line, that is rather strange, but each to his own.
Horse should know the verbal Terrrot command and understand what to do, however, who is in charge, the person on the ground or you?
Ask for the trot and accept what happens, but best to keeep moving forward, and not on a circle all the time, obviously, one of the first thing to establish is a balanced straight line.
You have to watch a few breaking videos till you develop a plan, and a bit of confidence in your plan.
I always have a handful of mane or a neck strap but he must be used to you doing it.
 
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I only have a helper twice a week, so all my ridden work is done on those days, I suppose that's why I have someone on a lunge line, taking things slowly. I am in charge though, person on lunge stands quietly and doesn't speak. I feel I could happily go around the arena without someone there though, so I will phrase my question differently. If I was walking happily solo around the arena, how would you introduce trot, on the lunge or without anybody attached? I have watched numerous breaking videos, and I had a plan in my head, depending on how my horse took it all, I just thought I would ask for some friendly advice on here, lots of different opinions and ways of doing things. 😊
 
I'm big on hacking with youngsters, as it's easier for them to do things without having to worry about corners. With both youngsters I've backed, I've taken them out with a friend (also on a horse) and when we've found a decent straight bit (only a few strides long, with maybe a bit extra in case you're worried stopping is an issue), friend goes in front and we just ask for trot.
However, if hacking is an issue for whatever reason, I think just ask for trot. If she's walking happily around the arena there's no reason why trotting around it would upset her. Neck straps are also a good idea.
 
I usually do a few steps of trot at the earliest opportunity just to give the horse a feel which is very different to having a rider in walk, it depends on the individual as to whether it is on the lunge, loose or led, it also depends on who is on the end of the lunge rein if they are not doing much and have no relationship with the horse then I would prefer to be loose as if they do not react in the right way if something does go wrong they can make what may have been a minor blip into a major drama.

In your situation as you are well established in walk I would probably get off the lunge and when it feels right just ask for trot and see how it goes, if after a few attempts she does not go then ask the helper to get involved, either encouraging from behind, quietly, or running with you, not too close and gradually getting out of the way so as to not interfere too much.

I usually do the first few trots sitting as some will react to the new sensation and the less movement from you usually helps, after a few short trots then start to gently rise, if she throws you into rising just go with it.

There are numerous ways of starting youngsters, they are all individual and react in different ways to new experiences, the key to doing a good job is to try and avoid any negative experiences and be prepared to change your plans at any stage if something feels wrong at the time it probably is best left or even going back a step, it is not a race although some do get bored if taken too slowly and they start to try it on, listen to your horse and your gut instincts and go at a pace that suits you both.
 
I nearly always walk and trot (and sometimes canter) on the very first sit on, otherwise it becomes a Big Deal and something strange for the horse. Obviously this is only if everything is proceeding calmly, but I've never not been able to do this. Also never had someone lunge the horse with rider on either, but there are many ways to proceed.
 
I very rarely will trot on a circle on the lunge line. If I feel they might be twatty I will ask someone to keep hold at a distance in a straight line but otherwise I generally walk a gew times round on the lunge then unclip!

I would always walk & trot straight at first ride but not canter i like them to have a bit of a balanced trot before we canter :)

Neck straps are your best friend as if they throw a paddy the last thing you want to do is sock them in the gob & scare them for life. I have an insane ability to half rise but very lightly so they get used to the motion without the weight at first but god knows how i do it!
 
i know people who do it both ways (first trot off lunge V first trot on lunge) so its whatever you feel comfortable with personally :)

i would go for a gentle joggy trot and stay sitting first time (but a light sit not a deep sit if that makes sense) and build that up over the session to rising. Dont over think it :)

Have to say that none of mine have been bothered by the sensation of rising, even Goof who was a bit silly reactive when being backed-the guy that rode him away went sitting and when i rode i sat, then went rising and he didnt even notice :)
 
I've never had a problem (beyond the oooh ahhh that feels weird) when asking youngsters for their first trot. They go off the voice command and to be honest the first one normally so sedate that I can just sit, return to walk, praise, and then do it a few more times until they're confidently moving forwards in a low rise (depending on the horse - some are built like barrels, might as well sit, but for most a low balanced rise I believe is a kinder introduction!)
 
i try not to do much on the lunge because if/ when they have a paddy and whip round in the wrong direction you've suddenly got a lunge line behind the bum, leader may or may not be trying to pull them back round and it all just gets a bit hairy and confusing. When we bout my 4yo home, Mum put her on a lunge line for the first ride as i didn't have much steering in a new place and there was some one else in the school, after that i just went solo.

Hacking behind a steady friend is the best thing i think
 
Sounds as though he is moving really loosely and thoroughly accepting of you on his back, which is great. Lots of good points mentioned so far, so I wont repeat, but one important thing is that I find it isn't a good idea to use your legs for the first few transitions at all - if he is voice trained you can use your voice, but otherwise, rely on the positioning and aids from a ground person to support you. Introduce the leg aids later, with the ground person (or your voice if he is trained to it) there to support them until he really understands what they mean and is in the habit of moving forward from them. I usually work with a ground person walking behind the girth line and moving the horse forward with some subtle body language or a click noice or two. With sharper/more athletic types, you don't want them to jump into the trot and then feel the rider up there and worry, so I tend to build toward the trot by growing the walk in the same place in the arena each time for a couple of circuits first, and then they expect to move on a bit in that area and you can often get a couple of steps of jog and back to walk with no worry at all, on about the third circuit of doing that, if the couple of steps of jog feel OK and the back feels relaxed, I let it continue for half a circuit or so, and then the next time, trot and hold the trot for longer and allow it to become more forward. I prefer to do this in a round pen, even though I know lots of circle work isn't great for them, but I find the whole process of first trot, and then getting the trot really swinging and comfortable, is easier in the pen as you can really leave their head alone entirely and not worry about steering, and speed control, or safety (obviously within reason!!), as the horses follow the edge and find a rhythm nicely so move much looser than when finding trot in a bigger space. I bring them out the pen as soon as this is the case and don't work hard in there, and then the bigger space comes into its own for really getting forward and swinging and loose - it's just the round pen can be so valuable for the first few rides in terms of being able to really do one thing at a time and not restricting the forward they offer with the reins at all. Obviously there are many ways to skin a cat - and this is just what currently works for me! I have probably started about 100 horses now, and never had one buck on the first trot yet.
 
Thank you everyone for your responses, it's so interesting hearing everyone's ideas! I tried a little bit of trot while we were loose in the school yesterday, had my helper with me stood in the middle and I just asked on the long side. She was reluctant to go, but did eventually manage 25 ish metres going towards the gate. Slightly out her back up, but nothing terrible, just reluctant to go. So she has had today off, in the field and plan is tomorrow to go for a hack with a friend of mine, with a super safe little cob. Mine has been around the lanes a bit on long reins, so hopefully with a calm companion alongside her she will learn to go forward a bit more, depending on how she feels I may or may not ask for trot. Despite being sharp and very willing on the lunge, (she is dressage bred, and nicely forward thinking) she is not very forward under saddle and I thought she might benefit from hacking. Going to choose the quietest time of day and see how she is, I am slightly worried about traffic, she lives on our farm so sees lots of tractors/lorries etc but she's not met 'road traffic' yet. Hoping she will follow her companions lead and be sensible. We are so rural we may not meet any traffic anyway! Fingers crossed we get on well anyway!
 
i can`t see how a lunge rein is going to stop a horse doing something, it could make a bad tangle, if its good at walk proceed to trot off the lunge, they general offer trot and if used to voice commands on the lunge should not be a problem, just make sure the horse understands to halt at walk first!
 
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