
Working On Our Trot Trot
I’ve been trying to push our flatwork up to the next level for a few reasons. First, let me give you a brief synopsis of how I usually hack my horse.
Wow you’re lazy today. Well, lazy means I’m not getting run away with! I can do lazy… I’ll call it “long and low”. Well we’ve done a few laps now, I should do circles or leg yields or something. That was moderately successful. Those hard hard. Let’s canter! Two circles at the canter and… we’re done.

Honestly I used to put a lot more into Simon’s flatwork when he was straight up green and not getting training rides, but overall I haven’t been giving it my all lately. Now that I’ve decided to really work to make Simon’s back end stronger to help these issues, I’ve realized that I need to step it up with our flatwork. Our goals now are…
- Forward
- Relaxed through shoulder/neck/back
- Supple
With that in mind, I asked begged my husband to come out and take some pictures of us this weekend. Saturday I felt like I had a fantastic unicorn like creature. Sunday (lesson and picture day) it wasn’t as good, but there were still good moments and as always pictures are an exceptional learning tool.
Starting out in a ride, Simon’s normal has good rhythm and is usually pretty relaxed. He lives in a “slightly above the vertical land” and will poke along pretty happily.

Lately I give him a lap or two of that, and then I ask for more forward.

Once that rhythm is going, I work on some collection. Typically I’m a “ride to the outside rein” kind of person but sometimes if he’s being fussy I have to “pretend my hands are side reins” and push him into contact. Either way, it’s getting much better.


Looking at these photos, I immediately realize his head isn’t as “set” as I’d like it to be and omg I’m so hunchy. Must sit up more!

Sometimes we lose the connection entirely. He gets anxious, gets above the vertical and chews at the bit or occasionally tosses his head. I usually don’t lose him completely, but our impulsion dies and the whole thing looks tense and gross.

The above picture is a good example of one of my bad habits – riding for a headset instead of the entire picture. You can easily see a multitude of things going wrong here.
On the flip side, sometimes we’re chill as a cucumber but we lose all connection and he wants to dive his shoulder and get quick.

It’s getting better though all around. I’m sure dressage queens would tell me a multitude of things I’m doing wrong (and I wouldn’t argue) but this is a big improvement for us.

Overall, I think it’s coming together. Room for improvement, but isn’t that always the case?

And spoiler alert… there is an additional reason besides hind end strength for all this work, but that’s a topic for a different day!
15 thoughts on “Working On Our Trot Trot”
He’s looking really good! Nicely forward and relaxed. You’re right, don’t ride for the headset, ride the hind end and the head will come as he becomes stronger.
Good for you with the no stirrup work!
Singing “trot-tra-trottrot-trot-tra-trottrot” in the same tune as that stupid Shots song…
EVERYBODY!
Great post. You’re working on a lot of the things I need to. Ginger is so easy/forward that I got really lazy.
You guys are looking great, BTW 🙂
Man I wish you guys had some hills.
😀
He’s still the most adorable dressage pony! And ignoring thr head is SO hard but when you do just ride the hind end, it’s true the head fixes itself…. I always have to be reminded of that…
Fab to have hubby come take photos. Love me some media to help me improve!
He looks great! Sounds to me like you’re heading in the right direction.
Is that little teaser at the end because you’ve decided to jump ship and venture into the Dark Side, aka Dressage-Land? 😉
Dressage Queen checking in here … and I think you guys look great. You have all the concepts, and just need to keep chipping away. Remember to ride forward and stay in balance, and you’ll keep trucking right along. 😉
This is the part we’re working on too. Just hacking away at the day to day. It does get better and I’m really glad you got pictures. Take more in a couple weeks and you might surprise yourself. 😉
The synopsis of your usual flat sounds very familiar!! I might do something very similar!
I think you guys look really nice! The fact that you know what you’re aiming for and working to get there should be enough for us dressage queens not to nitpick 🙂
Add in some raised poles and you are set for a nice strong hind end!