How to Teach Your Horse to Trot

Horses do not need to be taught how to trot; the trot is a gait that even gaited horses naturally perform on their own from birth. Instead, trainers teach a horse to trot on command. Trotting is a necessary gait that all horses should perform willingly when given the appropriate cues. Teaching a horse to trot on command is a basic part of training a young or green horse into a reliable mount.

Things You'll Need

  • Round pen
  • Lunge whip
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Instructions

    • 1

      Place the horse in the round pen and direct it to move forward by giving verbal cues and swishing the lunge whip as needed to elicit a walk. Allow horse to walk several laps, then encourage it to move faster with a verbal cue to trot (a cluck, click or the word "trot"). Give further encouragement with the lunge whip until the horse trots. If the horse goes too fast and canters, slow it back down to the walk using verbal cues like "whoa" and stepping toward the horse's shoulder, and try again.

    • 2

      Praise the horse when it trots correctly and continue to praise the horse until you tell it to stop trotting. Repeat until the horse understands the verbal trot cue. The horse should continue trotting until you tell it to stop, but be careful not to overwork your horse. Your horse should not have to trot for more than 3 to 5 minutes at a time. Some horses will understand the trot command session, others may take significantly longer to learn it.

    • 3

      Introduce the mounted trot command by saddling your horse and getting on it to ride. Ride the horse in the round pen at a walk then give the same trot command you have been giving the horse when you are working him from the ground. Accompany your verbal trot command with a light squeeze of the heels. Continue until the horse trots. Praise the horse when it trots successfully.

    • 4

      Practice trotting on command both on the ground and while riding until your horse thoroughly understands what it is that you want when you give the trot command. Be consistent with your commands and expectations, and most horses will learn to trot on command fairly quickly.