Flatwork / Dressage Beginner 25 min

Extended Trot Development at the Trot

Focus: Extension, Impulsion, Power

Equipment: Letter markers

Begin with a working trot, then collect for 8-10 strides to store energy in the hindquarters.
At the beginning of the diagonal, release that stored energy: allow the horse to push powerfully from behind.
The extended trot should show maximum ground cover with each stride. The legs should reach forward, not just up.
Your posting becomes bigger and slower to match the longer stride. Let your hands follow the head motion.
Maintain the extension across the full diagonal, keeping the rhythm steady.
Before the track, collect firmly over 4-5 strides. Don't slam on the brakes.
Trot on a long rein and assess: did the horse push more from behind or just run faster?

Confusing extension with speed — the horse should lengthen the stride, not quicken the tempo.
Falling onto the forehand because the horse is pushing flat instead of uphill.
Losing the collection at the end, arriving at the track unbalanced.
Tension in the horse's back causing short, tight steps instead of sweeping extensions.

Practice half-arena extensions: lengthen for half the diagonal, collect for the other half.
Compare your extension left vs. right — most horses extend better in one direction.
Video yourself to check if the diagonal pairs of legs reach equally (true extension) or if one pair is lazy.

Tip: True extension comes from collection. You cannot extend what you haven't first compressed. Always collect before you extend.