Why trot??

PapaFrita

PapaFrita

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No, seriously, why? If you SJ you don't really need to trot, do you? And I'm sure I've read of SJers (the horses, not the riders) not really knowing how to trot. Obviously this is a pain in the butt for someone trying to reschool a horse for another job but just for the sake of argument (or not!) what are the benefits for horse and rider of trotting (apart from for warming up)?
 
I haven't ridden for 15 years but am guessing it's a couple of things.

Trotting builds up different muscels which are useful for jumping - possibibly. And yes the balance. I was learning about the horse being 'on the right leg' and how to change 'leg' - I think trotting is useful for this.

Also - even if you are jumping mad you still need to keep the horse fit! You can't canter down a tarmac road but you can trot - getting further faster and building up your horses's fitness.

Hope this helps
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Also - even if you are jumping mad you still need to keep the horse fit! You can't canter down a tarmac road but you can trot - getting further faster and building up your horses's fitness

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Ok, for warming up, fine, but Antifaz can canter slower than he can trot and I'm sure I've read that trotting is more stressful on joints?
 
I think it is easier to warm a horse up in trot as you can have them long and low and swinging along which is a lot harder in canter. Also easier to do lateral work which always used to get my horse listening to my legs more.

My current horse though who is an out and out jumper, doesn't trot. She jogs when he is supposed to walk and as soon as you hit the warm up she's off in canter and you aren't going to stop her.
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However I have been told that you shouldn't do trotting poles only canter poles as you want to brain wash a horse into cantering into fences and not give them the option of breaking to trot.
 
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However I have been told that you shouldn't do trotting poles only canter poles as you want to brain wash a horse into cantering into fences and not give them the option of breaking to trot.

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thats really interesting!

My friend has two grade a's tho, and both can trot or canter into fences and are schooled to advanced level dressage.
 
More interestingly though, I've heard the opinion that you should never do trot or canter poles with SJ'ers as it teaches them to be careless - i.e. that they can bash them & it doesn't hurt, that they lose respect for the poles...
 
I went to a Tim Stockdale clinic and he said his horses walk when they need a rest otherwise they canter till he tells them to stop. After all there is no reason to trot a SJ. My current horse has not been taught to canter has a wonderful trot but a crap canter and I wonder if he had been taught earlier my life would not have been so difficult. I have read that more horses break down in trot than any other pace. Martin Pipe used to refuse to let his racehorses trot as he believed it was bad for them. But if you watch horses spooked in the field they mainly trot. I also think trot is a lot more expressive than canter and it really shows up inadaquate training. Any problems I have are always worst in trot!
 
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More interestingly though, I've heard the opinion that you should never do trot or canter poles with SJ'ers as it teaches them to be careless - i.e. that they can bash them & it doesn't hurt, that they lose respect for the poles...

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How bizarre. I would think every show jumping trainer I have been to (there's been a few!) have used trot or canter poles.

Guy I buy my horses from who deals specifically in jumping horses starts all his younsters off in trot with a placing pole and it certainly doesn't seem to do them any harm.

In fact whenever I go to him for a lesson we will start off jumping in trot with a placing pole.
 
my trainer told me that the Prussian Cavalry did research years ago into the amount of horses injured/broken down depending on whether they trotted or cantered them primarily, and the result was that those who trotted incurred far more injuries.
horses loose in a field tend to put themselves into canter very quickly, in my experience.
however, when schooling, it is a good way to get a horse to relax, as the adrenaline doesn't get going at trot the way it does at canter, especially with youngsters.
 
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