# Keeping a horse trotting



## turkishdelight (Aug 2, 2014)

I had a lesson yesterday on a fairly unresponsive horse. The first time I rode her, despite all my efforts my poor trainer had to walk behind us half the time with a whip getting her to trot (and in 35 degree weather!). She was certainly a lot more responsive today, however we still had some issues.

I have to use a kick to get her to respond. Squeezing/applying pressure with the legs does nothing. Getting her to trot takes a while in the beginning.

My issue mainly surrounds keeping her trotting. Two point is extremely difficult because she'll stop even while in a walk or at least slow down when trotting. Sitting trot has similiar issues, both because I can't kick without losing my balance.

I've found that I can keep her going while posting by rolling my heels inwards and nudging her for every sitting beat. However, doing this in 35 degree weather for almost the entire hour-long lesson leaves me hot, sweaty and close to fainting (I have a heart condition that does not allow me to play sports but I make an exclusion for horse riding). 

Is there any better way to motivate her? I don't get a crop until we begin cantering (I've ridden for six years and have had about 1 month 1/2 formal English lessons and although I'm progressing quickly my trainers expect all students to have perfect position in walk and trot, I achieved this quite a while ago however I recently began group lessons and have to wait for others to catch up) so that is not an option yes.


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## BreakableRider (Aug 14, 2013)

Can you ask to get a crop sooner? All you are doing right now is getting her even more dead to the leg by having to keep it on her so much. Unfortunately, your instructor is doing the same thing by nagging her with the whip and staying behind ya'll so much. 

At the very least, if she does respond to a kick, then see if you can get her softer over the course of your lesson. Try clucking at her ( just once or twice), then giving a soft squeeze of your calf, then a pretty darn firm kick to get her butt moving. I hate kicking a horse to get them going, but there isn't much you can do with a school horse if the instructor won't give you a whip. 

Your other option is to ask for your instructors help out to get her lighter off you leg. You would ask with a cluck and soft squeeze, then she'd follow up pretty firmly with the whip to get him moving off into a nice forward trot. After a few times, he'd respect your leg a lot more. 

Another thing to try, depending on how quiet he is is to kind of slap your leg. Ask softly with your voice then leg, then take a hand and slap it on your thigh. With some horses the noise is enough to wake them up and get them moving.


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## turkishdelight (Aug 2, 2014)

I have been trying to reduce the kicking; once she gets moving in the lesson I only need to kick her gently so it is more of a nudge. It's the constant need to do this that is the problem.
My trainer only used the whip in the first lesson with her and hasn't needed to since.
I have tried building up into kicking using different signals, but she won't do a thing without it. 
I will try the slap though! It sounds like a good idea for her.


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## BreakableRider (Aug 14, 2013)

Once she goes, you have to stop putting your leg on her. So increase from a cluck, squeeze kick, etc until she goes. As soon as she goes the speed you want, relax your leg and take it off of her. Then let her make the mistake to come back to a walk and repeat. 

If you keep nagging her to stay in the trot with the small nudges, she's just continuing to learn to ignore your leg. Horses learn from the release of pressure, so she doesn't understand she's doing what you want until you take your leg off. 

If you're consistent about building the pressure, she will get softer. Now at the beginning of your next lesson she will have regressed as other riders have ridden her since you. However, a horse is capable of learning to respond off of soft aids.


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