I noticed that with Rascal. When we follow Champ 16.1 long built, and Champ gets going into a really fast trot, then Rascal gets going faster and faster till he breaks into a canter. Considering he has just learned to canter this year with a rider, and he is getting more balanced I figured it was easier on him to canter than trot that hard and fast trying to keep up with Champ. He has been doing it more and more unless I pull him out of it. I figured it must be easier because he couldn't canter balanced a year ago, was very vertical, like bucking at first. But he is getting smoother, and he couldn't canter on a 20 meter circle on a longe line without breaking last year.He is very shortbacked and vertical in his shoulder, very springy, but not the smoothiest horse to ride. Perhaps a canter will be easier for him? ----- Original Message ----- From: Heidi Smith Sent: Tuesday, November 05, 2002 6:48 AM To: Typef; Jennifer Thompson Cc: ridecamp Subject: Re: [RC] Canter vs Extended Trot
> I have often thought that a canter would be easier on the horse as their
> weight gets spread out over 4 hoofs hitting the ground at a slightly
> different time than a trot where the weight it split up between only 2
> impacts at once. Would love more information on this. My daughter's horse
> almost always refuses or fights an extended trot but can seemingly go
> forever at a nice soft canter.
All depends on how a horse moves at a given gait. Some are better designed
to trot, and some to canter. It behooves the rider to work on whichever
gait the horse is weakest, even as one takes advantage of what the horse
does best. A truly well-built horse should have the ability to do both
well, but different variations of conformation from the ideal (as well as
selected tendencies, in breeds such as Saddlebreds, and of late, the more
faddish lines of Arabs for the trot) will render some horses more able to
trot and others more able to canter.
BTW, a truly extended trot is NOT easy on the horse--what one strives for at
the trot is a really free WORKING trot that is very ground-covering.
Extension, especially to the extreme, takes a lot of extra effort. (I think
many endurance riders mistake a fairly long working trot for extension--I'm
talking about the actual alteration of gait as one would define it in
dressage here, not just a big, long trot.)
Metabolically, one can see a horse's heart rate climb as one pushes for more
and more speed at the trot, and then drop back down as one "shifts" into a
canter. Although it is not a perfect analogy by any stretch, imagine
watching the RPM meter on your vehicle as you push further and further on
the accelerator, and then watch it drop when you shift up into the next
gear.
Heidi
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net.
Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp
Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp
If you are an AERC member - PLEASE VOTE in the upcoming By-Laws
Election!!!! (it takes 2/3rds to tango!!)
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Get more from the Web. FREE MSN Explorer download : http://explorer.msn.com
|
