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I've never been in favor of insisting that a horse trot almost exclusively 
during a ride.  Always thought changes of both gait and speed was a better 
use of wider groups of muscles, not as tiring.   Love a BIG trot, don't like 
to ask for it, or allow it,  very long at a time.
I've had good luck encouraging my horses to change leads often, depending on 
the terrain and footing.  With some cueing in the beginning of a career most 
were very good about managing what was easiest for them.  Several would 
change from trot to canter, and back, each canter phase in the opposite lead 
from before, without any cues from me.    I have to admit I'm not quite as 
good at being sure I'm on a different diagonal each time.  At a trot, on 
uneven ground, I'm more apt to just stand as quietly as I can, that way the 
horse only has to compensate for the footing, not any weight shift I might 
make.
Watching the HM there is little difference in heart rate at trot or canter, 
unless the terrain or speed changes.

Knock on wood, I've never had a suspensory injury. 



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