Opening up
Medium paces made easy with H&R’s problem-solving guide
Photos: Jon Stroud
Learning to ride medium paces isn’t just for dressage enthusiasts and horses with naturally flashy movements. Granted, those horses will find it much easier to lengthen than ones with a shorter, choppy stride, but anyone can give it a go and teaching your horse to open up will bring him many physical benefits, as well as higher dressage scores – if that’s what you’re after.
Over time, your horse will become more forward-thinking, learn to work from his hindquarters and, as a result, build more muscle over his topline. Plus, you’ll get to experience that glorious, floaty feeling during moments of suspension as he starts to cover more ground. Now, let’s look at medium paces and their most common problems in a little more detail.
DID YOU KNOW?
Medium trot is a pace that’s somewhere between working and extended trot, with the horse showing longer strides. In extended trot, the horse should cover as much ground as possible. But in both paces the horse should push from the hindquarters and stay in a good balance and rhythm.