Tips or videos for trot on a longer/lower rein

[Naiad]

I need to get Amigo used to trotting on a longer/lower rein for his rehab work. He's not ready to hold his head for a more standard contact - I think he needs a longer rein. But we've never actually done much work on a long rein trot. He's pretty good at walk on a long rein.

Any tips on how/where to hold the reins (on the sides of his neck, how wide apart) to get him used to this, tips on how to ensure he softens and keeps his head relaxed? Any videos of a decent long rein trot so I can see what it ideally looks like?

Just need some overall help as this is new to both of us.

[issywizz]

Difficult to say without knowing your starting point, does he stretch forward and down when asked or is he holding himself hollow?  

[Casey76]

I would start with your reins in the normal position, then as you are trotting gradually lengthen them. Send a vibration down the rein asking Amigo to take the contact as you do.

It can take a while for the horse to get used to this

You just have to be careful, that as he let's his frame down, that he doesn't start to trail his hind legs

[lmevans]

In my experience, many horse need to be taught how to stretch. Both in walk and trot.

Once they've got the hang of the signals for you asking for a stretch in walk (I teach this in hand first), you can develop this in trot. They're generally more keen to stretch once they've done some work into a contact, but you can stretch from nothing too.

The trot has to be kept forward, and the energy needs to to still be 'up' even though you're asking the head and neck to lower.

This is a really short clip of stretching in trot from a dressage test I did in October. Forgive the outfit and music  I discovered the suit was so damned shiny that it was really hard staying on the horse  hence my slipping about on corners and whatnot! Noos wasn't too impressed by the mirror balls and fairy lights either, hence the ear expression, poor girl  but you can see that her step rate doesn't change, nor does her engagement and body carriage. She is still pushing up and forward with her body into the topline and taking the contact down and forward without becoming hollow.

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/OPdSo7ODu2Q" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

http://youtu.be/OPdSo7ODu2Q

not sure how the embed thingy works, so I've added a straight weblink too! 

[lmevans]

okay, now I've had a youtube tutorial from SueWhitmore...

stretchintrot

[happy-horses]

Lippa posted a vid (of someone else) showing some good stretchy work not long ago, can't find it though 

[Naiad]

Okay thanks.

Just a note. We are in rehab/rebuilding mode now, so it is more just a question of getting a nice comfortable forward trot than hoping for a top notch long rein trot. I have no idea if he would go hollow or push through - but given he has not trotted in 6 months, I don't think that I can expect much (can I??). But I do need to start him trotting in a frame of some sort that will allow him to rebuild muscles in the right places, so a longer contact seemed a place to begin (whether or not he is on the hollow side initially). I just cannot give him no contact, or there is just no direction or focus and the trot is all over the place. Point is, this is not a horse who has been trotting for years where you could expect him to be working really well - this is rebuilding a horse who has been out of trot work for more than 6 months.

I thought that it might initially be a question of just getting him to accept this contact, and then rebuilding the trot from there, if that makes sense.

IW, not sure if your question referred to walk or trot. He accepts this long contact at walk at I think he is stretching but who knows maybe according to classical standards we are off the mark - I have no idea. I think that it feels very nice and stretchy. But he does not seem to "get" what I am asking for if I attempt it at trot. So I need to make sure I am asking correctly (hence, the question about where my hands should be etc.). I see some videos of people with the hands a bit lower and wider for long rein trot (as an example) but this could be wrong??

[lmevans]

Allow your hands a little further forward than your normal position, in line with the reins... as in offering the rein towards his mouth. A big shouldered draft cross will mean that you have to widen the hands slightly so that the rein isn't touching him, but not so far that your hands are wider than his shoulder / neck.

Offer him a open contact initially, with a little vibrational feel as Casey mentions. He should mouth the bit, softening his jaw and offering you some stretch in his topline. He may not be able to hold the stretch for more than a stride initially, but priase him each time he offers and ask again.

It should feel a little like you are surfing on top of a wave, in walk and trot. The back still moves in forward and upward lifting waves in both paces when the stretch is correct and going over the back and topline properly. Each push with the hindleg should lift and push your weight forwards, like that push from a surf wave.

[issywizz]

Good advice on here but I would also say if you can get some vid of attempting to do it it may help folk give more advice too. 

[Naiad]

Update. Amigo has strength from all the walk work we've been doing. He is so big and strong, yet unbalanced at trot given his lack of trotting for quite some time and his large mass, and he is motoring around at trot not really getting the idea of contact (although he used to, so this is just situational more than anything).

The best way to get him to soften and contain his energy in a useful way is to add in 20m circles (actually our arena is big enough to do 24m circles), but I don't want to load an inside leg with circle work at this early stage in bringing him back into trot work. It is just difficult to get him to soften when he is motoring around the arena large and with so much uncontained energy. If I "slow" him down, I can get a better contact but then he is more ploddy. I am not sure what is the best way to get started with some basic trot work - it seems something has to be sacrificed. He is happy enough trotting, but it needs more control.

Ideas anyone?? Don't want to video us just now, it would be too embarrassing!!

[issywizz]

Ask for a slight inside flexion then ask him to follow the rein forward by allowing with your hands and asking for a little more stepping with your legs?

[Casey76]

Use your rising and your voice to slow him down.  Only trot for a few steps at a time, and gradually build up to do more.

Amigo won't break if you do a few circles.  But even if he does feel "off" you have to keep riding him through it.

Yesterday Pinto was dreadfully stiff for about the first 15-20 minutes, after we'd warmed up properly I couldn't stop him... literally!  All he wanted to do was trot round (and round and round!).  Even though it always breaks my heart to ride him when he is NQR, I know, ultimately, it is for his benefit.