Instructions
Instructions
Evaluate your horse. Some horses have difficulty with a slow trot and others struggle with landing the feet firmly and correctly in the proper rhythm. Run the horse through some trots at different speeds and watch closely to see if the horse's posture droops or if the horse favors one leg or side of the body. Determining the horse's flaws will make it easier to correct the problems.
Train your horse with a variety of exercises, particularly ones that build the shoulder and back muscles. Many horses that struggle with trotting are having difficulty supporting the weight of the rider on their backs while trotting. A focused and consistent exercise regime should improve the muscle tone of the horse and allow it to move rhythmically while still carrying the weight of the rider.
Lunge the horse several minutes each way during their trot. Begin the lunges first with a free rein, then with fixed reins. Every few days, do one workout that is nothing but lunges. Work in five- to ten-minute intervals, carefully watching for consistency and response to your movements.
Trot the horse in a large circle or a figure eight, beginning slowly. Increase the cadence steadily, but keep the maximum speed at a medium trot. Hold the reins loosely in your hands, with just enough tension to move the horse without restraining its movements. As the horse trots, pay close attention to the rhythm, and if the horse loses its trot, firmly use the reins to move it back into position.
Continue these exercises for several months. While some horses can correct problems with their trot in a couple of weeks, it's not uncommon for one problem to surface after the first has been corrected. A strong trot is primarily physical, but there is also a big mental component as well. To trot well, the horse needs to fall comfortably into the correct rhythm, and sometimes that requires an extended amount of training and a lot of patience.
How to Improve My Horse's Trot
The trot is two-beat diagonal gait where two feet are off the ground at the same time. When done correctly, the horse springs from one diagonal to the other, with moments where all four feet are off the ground. When done correctly, the movement is very natural. But just a slight problem with timing can make it difficult to achieve.