Smooth Trot

[Wendy Milner <wendy@wendy.cnd.hp.com>]

Someone asked if certain factors, wide rear, high racking, etc., 
affect the smoothness of the trot.  Or whether or not it was 
conformation determined.

*Soap box mode on*

Dressage is good for you.  Dressage is good for your horse.

A horse that does not use its body well, will typically have a
very rough trot.  You can easily (well sort of easy) change
the rough trot into a smooth trot through training the horse to
use the back end, round the back, flex properly, and through
training yourself to ride better.

Just last night I was taking a lesson on one of my trainers ponies.
(This is really a weird feeling after only riding my big guys:-)
At first the pony's trot was very rough.  Then I asked the pony
to "step up" into the trot, and to round her back, and to flex a bit
to the inside.  Her trot became very smooth.

When I take Drake out, he tends to be a bit gangly at first.  I'll
ask him to come together, and "magically" all his gaits are easier
to ride.

So, it's not the way the horse is put together, nor how high they
lift the legs.  It is how they carry themselves that will determine
how smooth the trot is.

*Soap box mode off*
--
Wendy

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  Wendy Milner                     HPDesk:   wendy_milner@hp4000
  Hewlett-Packard Company          e-mail:   wendy@fc.hp.com
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