Masters of Equitation on Trot

This book explores the enormous value of the trot in schooling and suppling the horse, and explains how the natural trot of a recently backed horse is developed into the working gait, which will later form the basis for collection and extension. Trot is the gait at which much of a horse's general schooling is carried out. It is most suited to this purpose since it is more impulsive than walk and less complex than canter. As a consequence of its diagonal nature, all four legs perform an equal amount of work, and the back muscles flex and extend alternately on each side of the spine, producing an overall suppling effect. If the trot is to fulfil its role as the training gait, it must be of good quality, and should improve and develop as training progresses. Of course, this improvement and development may go far beyond the bounds of the working trot, to spectacular extensions and the ultimate levels of collection, as seen in piaffe and passage, however, in this treatise the emphasis is fundamentally upon the development of the working trot and its role as the foundation of training. Masters of Equitation on Trot is essential reading for all riders who wish to lay the correct foundations for their horses' schooling, and will fascinate all readers interested in equestrian history.