# Trot Critque



## Lexiie (Nov 14, 2011)

This is my 13 yo STB mare. I apologize for the interruptions during the video..
She's a free-legged pacer who's been trained to trot. Her lunge line trot is always nice, so I thought I would try to get a video of it. It's not the best and I apologize.
I could probably get one tomorrow, if need be.

What do you all think?

VIDEO0100_zpsb75fecf3.mp4 Video by lexiiefur | Photobucket


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## Tryst (Feb 8, 2012)

Not sure what type of critique you are looking for... she seems responsive to your commands, is tolorant of all of the junk in the arena, and is trotting over a pole  But she really isn't using herself at all. I will admit I know almost nothing about pacers trained to trot, so perhaps this is an acomplishment in and of itself. She looks willing enough, but a bit lazy.


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## Lexiie (Nov 14, 2011)

She's very lazy on the lunge, but she's consistent.
I guess I'm looking for any kind of critique, really. On my technique or how if she has an problems that are visible.
I know she likes to drop her shoulder, I can fix that easily under saddle, but on the lunge I have no idea what to do.
I can roll the whip towards her and she moves out, but she never really straightens up.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

it is odd how she has to kind of throw herself into the trot. for a few secs it looked like she was off in her front right.


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## Lexiie (Nov 14, 2011)

I thought so too... But only every once in a while, she'd bob.

I would think maybe hopping into the trot would be because of being a Standardbred, but she never raced.
Under saddle she'd much quicker to pick up.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## SketchyHorse (May 14, 2012)

tinyliny said:


> it is odd how she has to kind of throw herself into the trot. for a few secs it looked like she was off in her front right.


That's what I thought too...

OP - I trained an STB who was a pacer, raced. She never had problems picking up the trot or threw herself into into it. Neither have any of the pacers I've jogged - we typically trot them to stretch them out in the beginning then ask for a pace. She had problems cantering, but never trotting. It could depend on how heavily she's pacing bred vs. trotting bred. I've never personally experienced it myself - not saying it's not possible - just seemed odd to me. Then again everyone's horse is different & has those quirks lol.


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## Lexiie (Nov 14, 2011)

Was watching her today, it's not very obvious in the video, but she paces before she picks up the trot. It's not really a full pace it's kind of like a walk mixed with a pace. 

She's off in the front right for sure. We think she twisted something on Friday/Thursday out in the fields. They were SUPER muddy those days.

She's on stall rest and turn out in our arena. We just want to keep her away from the others and off the frozen/uneven ground


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## Lexiie (Nov 14, 2011)

Here's better videos of her, you can see how she does a weird thing before she picks up the trot. They're about a month old.





 (skip to around 20 seconds in, before that we're just walking)





 (this one is almost pointless because when we pick up the trot it's in a dark corner)


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## rookie (May 14, 2012)

She looks lame to me in the videos. It is more noticeable in the first video going clockwise than in the second when going counter clockwise. Its a slight lameness that is more noticeable when she picks up the trot but she takes stutter steps throughout the trot and does have a head bob. I would bet that if you trotted her on a hard surface or did a flexion test on her she would come up positive. I would have the vet out to check her out.


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## Little Jane (Mar 7, 2013)

Do get her checked, to see if she's lame. It's also possible that she's muscle sore. My mare has appeared lame a few times when she was sore.

Now, what I would be doing with her, in both riding and in lunging, would be to make sure she's going sideways and with more of a bend than you'd usually ride. So, by sideways, I mean especially in those transitions. Get her shoulders supple and moving laterally. When you ask her to trot, have her first move away from the inside leg. Keeping her head positioned more to the inside will help with that. Disclaimer is that I'm far from experienced, but my own horse did a lot of hopping and bobbing into the trot, and this is one of the things my trainer had us do to fix it. And—transitions, transitions, transitions. Don't just cue her up into a trot, do that for many circles, and then come back to a walk. Do four or five strides of trot, then back to a walk. Four or five steps of walk, back to a trot. Allow the walk-trot transitions to develop—ie, don't expect her to trot instantly. Give her a little time to move sideways and pick up the trot. Hopefully that helps  To try to accomplish a bit of that in lunging, I would put the reins under the stirrups, with the inside rein shorter than the outside one. She'll probably pull it straighter, but that's okay: it will give her a little of the feel. See if you can get her moving forward and sideways from the ground as well.


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## Elana (Jan 28, 2011)

give this horse more rein and drive her FORWARD (after she is sound). She is being ridden front to back. Her head is being held in a false position and she is heavy on the forehand. 

You need to forget the vertical face and get her forward first. She is right now being ridden so her face is vertical and she is NOT forward at all. Give her another 2-3 inches of rein and sit up straight and DRIVE her forward..... 

Yes.. she is off in the right front. Could be any number of things.


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## Zexious (Aug 2, 2013)

There is something about the walk-trot transition that I am not thrilled about. It just looks a bit sloppy, and not as crisp as I like.


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## paparazzi (Dec 13, 2013)

To me it appears she is not responding to your trot aid. It has nothing to do with picking up a slow pace before the trot. To me it looks like she is just not wanting to make the transition. It looks like he hind end is disengaged from the rest of her body. You need to get her to shift her weight back round herself up and use her hind end. Now that being said it takes a lot of practice and does not happen over night.
Ive trained stb's before and it is difficult.
You should always lunge with side reins on this will help the horse have contact and give her something to streatch down into. When using side reins you can have the inside one a few holes shorter than the outside one to create bend.

She is a pretty horse and I know it can be difficult! Good job.


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