Flatwork / Dressage
Beginner
20 min
Medium Trot on the Long Side
Focus: Transitions, Impulsion, Balance
Equipment: None required
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Establish a balanced working trot on the track. Sit deep and maintain a steady rhythm.
- At the beginning of the long side, allow the trot to open up into medium trot.
- Your hips follow the bigger trot stride. Soften your hands forward slightly to allow the horse to lengthen the frame.
- The medium trot should cover more ground per stride without speeding up the tempo.
- Maintain medium trot for the length of the long side.
- Before the corner, collect back to working trot using half-halts from your core and outside rein.
- The transition back to working trot should happen over 3-4 strides, not abruptly.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- The horse flattening and running instead of truly lengthening the canter stride.
- Not collecting soon enough, causing a scrambled turn through the corner.
- Losing the three-beat canter rhythm in the medium — it becomes four-beat.
- Leaning back too much in the collection, pulling on the horse's mouth.
Variations & Progressions
- Perform medium canter across the diagonal for a different spatial challenge.
- Alternate medium and collected canter every half of the long side.
- Progress to extended canter for maximum ground-coverage.
Tip: Think of medium canter as turning up the volume on a speaker — same song, just bigger. The rhythm doesn't change.
