Re: RC: Extended Trot

[Bette Lamore <woa@stormnet.com>]

Dear Heather
I realize now I must have used the wrong "label." Donna said that he has
a terrific stride and asked if I had ever measured it. At a trot, free
in pasture, his front legs extend beyond his nose and yet he has
incredible propulsion from the rear end (really evident on the tape).
She said under saddle she noticed at a canter that his son started to
"quail" a term she said was used in the Olympics and that she did not
think Arabs could do (hence the reference to warmbloods). She explained
that Quailing is when all four feet are off the ground and she said that
Halyva Guy's feet were off for 1 and 2/3 body lengths. I thought their
(Hal's and get) big trot would be called extended (she didn't use that
word) because they "extended" so far out. When we showed hunter, a
normal trot was just medium speed; the extended trot was just a faster,
more ground covering trot. I can see that term has very different
meaning in dressage (and endurance) circles. But I'm still getting that
you like canter better than trot, and yet everyone who contacts me wants
to see the trot and never asks about the canter. Why is that?
Bette

> "hn.heather" wrote:
> 
> Have given this some thought (ie engage brain before opening mouth)
> and perhaps there is a danger in confusing fast trot with extended
> trot as they're not the same at all, as anyone who has ridden dressage
> will know.
> 
> In a fast trot the horse will generally but not always be bowling
> along as fast as possible with his weight on his forehand.  There is
> speed involved.
> 
> In extended trot "the outlined is lengthened to maximum without loss
> of balance" to quote Jennie Loriston Clarke in her Complete Guide to
> Dressage.  She makes no mention of speed.  In fact the horse covers
> more ground because of the lengthened stride in extended trot but
> theoretically goes little faster than a horse in medium or working
> trot.  In fact one of the classic ways to try and cover up the fact
> that a horse in supposedly extended trot which is not engaging its
> hocks correctly is to speed up the movement a bit, although most good
> dressage judges can see the difference.
> 
> Whats known as the "Russian trot" in arabians of these blood-lines
> could be more likened to a collected trot (I know I'm going to
> contradict myself here) with a lot of suspension but not a lot of
> forward movement.  It looks impressive in halter but is very difficult
> to sit in to.  Perhaps this what Donna Snyder Smith meant when she was
> comparing Bette's stallion's movement to a warmblood's.
> 
> With my russian mare when she was in her "big" trot she was actually
> going nowhere.  When she extended she lengthened her outline,
> flattened, and became more comfortable to post to and she started
> going forward.
> 
> Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that extended trot is perhaps less
> useful in endurance than a fast trot because of the speed angle, but
> both will still long-term tire the joints.
> 
> Heather
> SW France


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