How many of us have ever had a horse embarrass us at a ride when we attempted to trot them out, and said horse wasn’t cooperating? Yeah, me too! It is something that we need to practice. It’s not something that horses will automatically do well, though some do pick it up quicker than others. Many horses need the repetition of practicing as well as learning how to trot out in public without making a scene.
Whenever I am starting a new horse, I include trotting out practice after every single ride. I also like to practice a trot out and back while on the trail if I happen to dismount. That reinforces to the horse the whole idea of being asked to trot out at various locations or times during the day.
To start with, lead your horse at a walk out and back in an area where you want to practice. Try this first in an quiet area away from other horses, that way your horse can focus on you and what you are asking. I like to give the horse a signal that I am about to ask him to trot. Usually I will give a quick pull on the lead rope and tell the horse to come on as we take off. Some horses may be reluctant to trot, especially if it is new to them and they aren’t sure what to do.
There are many ways to encourage a reluctant horse to trot out. For training purposes, using a dressage or a longe whip works well. Stand with the horse to your right shoulder, holding the lead rope with your right hand. In your left hand, hold a whip (something longer than a crop is best) When you begin your trot out, encourage your horse by reaching around behind you with your left hand and tap the horse on the hind leg. No need to hit hard, just tap with about the same force as you would pat your horse on the butt. Another method is to use the end of your lead rope. Hold the excess length of rope in your left hand and use the last two feet of it to swing around and tap the horse near the hindquarters area. Be sure to keep a good hold on the horse’s head with your right hand. You don’t want to give too much slack if the horse should jump forward then he can instantly be in a position to kick you, or get loose.
Riders trotting their horses out at Robinson's Flat/TevisIf your horse doesn’t respond well to the gentle method of encouraging with taps on their hindquarters, enlist the help of a friend to provide some hazing. Ask your friend to click, wave arms and clap – that often will do the trick. Make sure your friend stays out of kicking range and that you continue to have a nice solid hold on your horse’s lead rope near the head. Your helper can also use a whip (again, something longer than a crop) – to encourage the horse. Tapping, similar to a slap is sufficient; no need to hit hard!
The length of trot out area for practice purposes should be roughly 100 feet. That way your horse is familiar with going that far and won’t be affected by rides that have shorter or longer trot lanes.
I like to stop my horse at the end of the trot lane, ask the horse to turn at a walk and then pick up a trot again. Be careful about pulling the horse around in a super tight circle as that can cause the horse to look lame. Now trot back. Stop a couple of feet prior to the end area so that your horse won’t knock the vet over! This is also a good time to have a friend or helper stand and watch the trot out and ‘play vet’ for you. Practice stopping and standing – it is just as important as learning to ‘trot out’. If your horse is having trouble with stopping and standing from a trot, then practice it at a walk.
Keep practicing until your horse will trot out next to you without pushing into you, pulling away, kicking out or having to be hazed to move out. Keep practicing the stopping, turning, coming back and stopping and standing quietly. When your horse is doing reasonably well, ask another friend to trot your horse out for you. It’s important that your horse be able to be trotted out and handled on the ground by others. You never know when you may not be able to do it yourself. Try not to let your horse fall in behind you, as that makes it hard for the vets to see your horse move and may result in you having to trot out again. It’s never fun to be asked for a re-trot, so do what you can to reduce the chance of that happening by doing a nice trot out the first time!
As your horse progresses with his ability to do a trot out nicely, change the setting and situation. Practice in the vicinity of other horses (making sure none can kick or get in the way), and in areas that are busy with activity. This ensures that your horse can still do what you ask and will keep his focus on you, and not have his attention diverted.
For training purposes, I like to wear gloves and always prefer cotton ropes. That way if your horse does pull the rope through your hands, you won’t get a rope burn. Any type of halter will work, though it is a good idea to use whatever head gear your horse will be using on an actual endurance ride. Using your reins as a lead for the trot out is a good idea too – maybe not at first if your are working with a green horse. Work your way up to that, after you are comfortable that the horse will not yank the reins out of your hands and run off.
Some horses can be really stubborn about doing a trot out and can require a great deal more effort to train. I know, I’ve had one! The more you practice, the better. Ride vets will appreciate having a horse that can not only trot out nicely, but doesn’t try to run over the top of them when they are finishing up the trot out.
At endurance ride tip: If your horse is new to the sport, or is just high on adrenalin at a ride, take him off to a private area and practice your trot outs in advance. Walk your horse around camp first to help get him acclimated to all of the goings-on. Wait till the vet area is as quiet as possible before presenting to vet or check in. Most horses get the ‘edge’ off once the ride starts and it is usually the pre-ride vet in where they have a problem being overly excited. If you are forced to wait in a line and your horse is acting up, keep a tight, snug hold on the lead. It only takes a foot or two of slack in a lead for a horse to back up or spin around and nail somebody with a well planted double barrel kick. It is best to try an avoid that kind of situation all together and keep new, green, or difficult to control horses away from ‘groups’ or ‘lines’ as much as possible. I kind of like the ride vets we have and don’t want to see them get hurt while vetting our horses for us.
Here is a video I made this weekend of Bo and I practicing on trotting out. We did this out on the trail, while out for a walk. It never hurts to practice with even experienced horses. Plus it’s always nice to do just as a way to watch how the horse is moving and see what his general demeanor is like. That way you learn to assess what is normal for your horse, and what is not. None of my horses put a great deal of effort into trotting out; they know the real work is on the trail and save themselves. I like not having a horse that has that “deer in the headlights” kind of look.
Next we’ll go over getting a horse used to dealing with an overall vet-check. More practice, practice, practice!!
This is video of Bo trotting out with Chad (crew person) at Foresthill, last year when he did the Tevis. In case anybody is interested, Bo is 13 years old and has approximately 4,700 AERC miles and has just started his sixth ride season.
Disclaimer: These lessons I am covering are meant to be for endurance horses or for horses that travel that already have some training and conditioning base on them. They reflect my experience and opinions and are not guaranteed to be effective in the hands of others nor are they meant to be the only method or means of training a horse in order to accomplish the same things. Working with horses can be incredibly risky and dangerous. You should only try these methods with proper supervision or assistance from an experienced trainer or horse person that you trust, and at your own risk. If you have any questions or comments feel free to email
me or comment in my blog. Happy trails, Karen
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