Flatwork / Dressage Beginner 15 min

Lengthening Strides at the Trot

Focus: Impulsion, Adjustability, Balance

Equipment: Ground poles, 4 cones or markers

Set up 4 ground poles spaced 4.5 feet apart (normal trot stride distance).
Trot through the poles at a working trot. Feel the rhythm over the evenly-spaced poles.
Move the poles to 5 feet apart. Trot through again, allowing a slightly longer stride.
Move the poles to 5.5 feet apart. Now the horse must genuinely lengthen to reach each pole.
Focus on maintaining rhythm while covering more ground. The tempo stays the same — only the stride length changes.
Return to the 4.5-foot spacing and notice how the working trot feels more compact.

The horse rushing and getting quick instead of lengthening the stride.
Tripping over poles because the horse is not paying attention to foot placement.
Losing balance after the poles because the lengthening threw the horse onto the forehand.
Spacing the poles too far apart, causing the horse to canter instead of trot.

Use the same concept with canter poles (9-10 foot spacing, gradually increasing to 11-12 feet).
Ride the lengthening exercise without poles on the diagonal.
Add a collection exercise after the lengthening: lengthen down the long side, collect through the corner.

Tip: Poles teach lengthening better than any other tool because the horse can see and feel the target stride length.