|
|
   
| Off the track 3 yo with a rough trot. What drills do I do to get him smoother? |
|
|
|
 Miss Laundry Misshap
Posts: 5271
    
| I post therefore I don't have to worry about a rough trot and I'm not bouncing on their back. Most because my gelding has neither a slow trot nor a smooth trot! |
|
|
|
 Accident Prone
Posts: 22277
          Location: 100 miles from Nowhere, AR | They're either smooth or they're not. And even a smooth one, if they're really pushing from behind, will pop you out of the saddle if you're not careful. You can do ground poles to lengthen stride, but I don't think that will help smooth one out. My 4 year old was like a Cadillac from the get-go. My HS rodeo horse was rough as a cob no matter how nice I got him striding out. I won't buy prospects that are rough to ride, personally, because I don't enjoy one if they're rough and you can't change it. |
|
|
|
  More bootie than waist!
Posts: 18425
          Location: Riding Crackhead. | I'm with Nate....I post. You can ask for collection which can help but IMO they're rough or they're smooth. |
|
|
|
 I'm Here!!
Posts: 4583
      Location: Is it Summer Yet? | Post it, he'll learn to follow your rhythm and get smoother. Riding colts too is similar to drunk people walking. They're all over the place. Off the track they only know to run IMO. Give your horse some time, just trotting.
Edited by Lana 2014-04-23 9:28 PM
|
|
|
|
The Resident Destroyer of Liberal Logic
   Location: PNW | Post. On the correct diagonal :) |
|
|
|
 A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
              Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | I have always been a post'er, rough, smooth I have always posted a trot. Just easier on my body  |
|
|
|
      
| Shorter the horses pastern the rougher the trot ... |
|
|
|
Married to a Louie Lover
Posts: 3303
    
| Agreed with posting it for a while to work on his rhythm and balance.
Have your farrier watch him move and see if changing his shoe job, angles, break overs, etc could help smooth him out. |
|
|
|
  More bootie than waist!
Posts: 18425
          Location: Riding Crackhead. | Southtxponygirl - 2014-04-23 11:43 PM I have always been a post'er, rough, smooth I have always posted a trot. Just easier on my body 
Easier on the boobs but its excellent for building sexy legs and buttocks!!!! |
|
|
|
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 477
      
| I'm pretty sure the original poster posts at a trot..everybody does unless it's their first day riding.
I agree the horse is either rough or smooth. I have a 3 yr old that has a rougher extended trot, but if think that's just because she's still learning how to carry herself and she really reaches and extends herself. She's smooth at a lope and a trot while she is collected. |
|
|
|
 Elite Veteran
Posts: 684
     Location: Oklahoma | My 5 year old trots like a camel....all the time. Not a fun horse to long trot by any means. lol |
|
|
|
 Elite Veteran
Posts: 617
  Location: London Ontario | svincent - 2014-04-23 10:22 PM
Post. On the correct diagonal :)
GOOD LORD, thank you for posting this!!!! Off topic but it drives me NUTS to the point that my freaking eye twitches watching people trot around on the incorrect diagonal!!! I can’t believe how many people don’t know the difference or that there even IS a difference!!!! Or the people that lope around on the wrong lead....for no good reason....uhhhh......RISE AND FALL WITH THE LEG ON THE WALL!!! At any rate, I am in the same boat my horse doesn’t trot nicely or even have a nice lope..... |
|
|
|
 You get what you give
Posts: 13030
     Location: Texas | I had one who was rough at the trot. Posting didn't make him smoother…LOL. He was rough no matter what. I post on all my horses unless I'm specifically asking for a slow collected trot…but he was definitely one where we long trotted a lot and sometimes I would stand and do my best "two point" because it was easier than posting on him. and then we loped. Smoothest lope, smoothest turns, rough trot. It was a very beautiful trot if you were watching him- very long and floaty. My hunter friends loved the way he moved when they watched him. Just didn't feel good when you were on him! |
|
|
|
Expert
Posts: 1226
   
| MC1993 - 2014-04-24 6:04 AM svincent - 2014-04-23 10:22 PM Post. On the correct diagonal :) GOOD LORD, thank you for posting this!!!! Off topic but it drives me NUTS to the point that my freaking eye twitches watching people trot around on the incorrect diagonal!!! I can’t believe how many people don’t know the difference or that there even IS a difference!!!! Or the people that lope around on the wrong lead....for no good reason....uhhhh......RISE AND FALL WITH THE LEG ON THE WALL!!! At any rate, I am in the same boat my horse doesn’t trot nicely or even have a nice lope.....
Yessss!!! It's so much smother posting on corret diagonal. And I agree I see so many people who don't. I believe it's better for the horse too. And easier on the rider if on the correct diagnol |
|
|
|
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 395
     
| RISE AND FALL WITH THE LEG ON THE WALL
 |
|
|
|
The Resident Destroyer of Liberal Logic
   Location: PNW | MC1993 - 2014-04-24 8:04 AM
svincent - 2014-04-23 10:22 PM
Post. On the correct diagonal :)
GOOD LORD, thank you for posting this!!!! Off topic but it drives me NUTS to the point that my freaking eye twitches watching people trot around on the incorrect diagonal!!! I can’t believe how many people don’t know the difference or that there even IS a difference!!!! Or the people that lope around on the wrong lead....for no good reason....uhhhh......RISE AND FALL WITH THE LEG ON THE WALL!!! At any rate, I am in the same boat my horse doesn’t trot nicely or even have a nice lope.....
As someone who grew up riding equitation hunters (like, the real stuff, not the breed show nonsense) I just want to walk around hitting people in the shins with a Diagonal Stick. It is physically a more balanced way of riding to be posting with the outside leg - therefore an easier way of traveling for the horse.
It especially kills me when the "I'm such hot schmidt" girls trot around on the wrong diagonal, gripping and lifting from their knees..... Ugh meh god |
|
|
|
 Veteran
Posts: 173
   Location: Somewhere over the rainbow | I am having the same experience with my 6 year old off the track (last race last year) gelding. I ALWAYS post on the diagonal. I am dressage trained. Thanks my story and I am sticking to it!
Anyway, I have been reading some articles about rough trots and one theory is that "a horse that is more square through the shoulder will have a rough trot." I am not sure what that means or looks like. Maybe someone who has a really good eye for conformation can add to that theory with some cool pics...
The other thing that I read is that a rough trot can be fixed to a degree but a rough lope not so much". My guy has a beautiful and smooth lope, transitions nicely and has a very smooth canter departure.
It's frustrating but in his case I think he has had so much time off he is out of shape for one, I think he may be out of alignment so looking into that.
At this point I am eliminating anything physical and getting him back into shape. The more conditioned he becomes the smoother he gets. |
|
|
|
Member
Posts: 26

|
I agree that confirmation makes a big difference. Please don't flame me, But I'm also a believer that GOOD chiropractic and massage can sometimes make a difference. I bought a gelding as a 4 YO old who had problems dropping his shoulder and was never smooth in a trot. 17 years later after 2 sessions with an awesome equine body worker and he feels better than ever. It is easy to sit his trot and the shoulder issue disappeared. He had had massages and chiropractic work before, but one person took extra time to really get the old guy feeling great! |
|
|
|
The Resident Destroyer of Liberal Logic
   Location: PNW | The key to sitting a rough trot, assuming your horse is collected and round through the back, is SOFTENING YOUR BACK.
Allow your lower back to soften, think jello. Let your hips move forward and back instead of stiffening - which causes the pogo stick bounce. If you find yourself bracing, sing a song, it is impossible to hold your breath and brace if you are singing.
But you must first make sure your horse is traveling with collection, and not hollow in his back - which he will be if you've been pounding on it. Be jello, relax, breathe deep. Sink your heels down, make the lines of your legs long, and just let your back and hips move forward and back with the horse's motion.
Some horses ARE just rough, but it all starts with collection. Even the rough ones will smooth up at least a little bit when ridden up into the bit with impulsion from their hind end.
Good luck!! |
|
|
|
 Veteran
Posts: 173
   Location: Somewhere over the rainbow | Does anyone have a good conformation pic that would illistrate a horse with square shoulders vs one that does not have square shoulders?
Top pic is Dashin Bye
Second pic is Certified Business (son)
Edited by BabyJ 2014-04-24 1:17 PM
(thCA10ED9N.jpg)
(Dash 1.JPG)
Attachments ----------------
thCA10ED9N.jpg (7KB - 195 downloads)
Dash 1.JPG (61KB - 204 downloads)
|
|
|