working on the bit in trot

G

GrumpyHero

Well-Known Member
Joined
3 May 2010
Messages
405
Visit site
having troubles getting Tilly on the bit in trot..
she works herself in an outline in canter no problem, and in walk if asked to, but runs round like a giraffe in trot! i have no idea how to even try and change this.

does anyone have any exercises or tips i could try to try and get her working correctly in trot? me and her other sharer want to try some ridden shows with her this year, just not with her giraffish ways!

thankyou for any advice :)
 
Is she the same if you lunge her? (Have you tried side reins?)

Do you keep your hands soft when in trot? (some people tense up tring to balance coz they can't sit deep)

Lots of hard work, my boy used to be a giraffe, we went through the following process:

Was nearly always ridden in a hackamore and when bitted was in a jointed KK and wouldn't accept the bit in trot. We persevered until I changed bits to a french linked hanging cheek (bit of poll pressure and doesn't poke him in the roof of the mouth). I have lots of lessons and learnt to keep my hands active and not to fix which resulted in giraffing.

Have a friend who helped hers with bungie ?reins? (attached to bit and girth).:)
 
A good RI will hep you immensly.

Is the trot too fast? It sounds like it is and she is throwing her head up to balance. Slow the trot right down but remanin energy, do this by lots of half halts and very slow rising but the leg remains on. Once you've mastered the slow/ energetic trot (easier said than done) do lots of lateral work.

A good one is to work on a 15m circle and as you go around push the nid quarters out so like your doing a giant turn on the forehand.
 
Both previous posts sound like very good advice. Open your hands wide would be my advice, without giving extra rein, just open wide. works for me, and as they get used to being on the bit in trot, you can start to close your hands, little by little!!
 
thank you :)
i think i do need to start having lessons on her if i want to progress any more ..
and i try to keep my hands as soft as possible. she's in a single jointed loose ring snaffle.

her trot can often be rushy especially after she's worked the canter, she get's a bit excited and can take a while for her to settle down. i'll have a go at the slow/energetic trot thing and see how that works
 
Good advice from the others.

I would only reiterate the bit suggestion. A single joint may well be poking her mouth, especially if you are working on softening your hands.

See if you can borrow a French link - many, many horse horses go well in some form of French link (other than my Dizzy one who seems to much prefer a simple Mullen mouth).
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top