Training Tip: Teach at the Trot to Keep Gas in Your Horse’s Tank

When it comes to teaching your horse something new or going back and fixing an issue under saddle, there’s no better gait to work from than the trot. Reason #1: It keeps gas in your horse’s tank. When you start a training session with your horse, you only have so much gas in the tank or energy to work with. There’s only so much your horse can give you, and you need to use his energy wisely. You cannot teach a horse something or make any progress when he’s exhausted and out of air. When he reaches that point, he’s too focused on survival to pay any attention to what you’re asking him to do.

So when I know there’s something I need to address with my horse, I work at the issue from the trot. Once I’ve got it fixed there, then I move on to the lope. You can do a lot more trotting on a horse before he becomes winded than you can loping him. And sometimes, just slowing things down is a huge help in giving the horse time to figure out what you’re asking him to do.

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