I had another great lesson with Linda Zang at Dominion Dressage and thought I would include a video of the trot work. I am not sure if you can hear the audio, so here is a breakdown of what she talked about:

1. Never be afraid to continue in rising trot. Remember that you can do all of your upper level movements in rising trot when you train, even if you practice/show them in sitting trot. The rising trot encourages them to get an even looser back and more swing in their body.

2. Shoulder-in, Renvers, Travers… all great exercises to encourage the horse to reach into the bridle and use themselves. Linda encouraged me to ride them together like a series of movements in yoga or workout class: Shoulder-in to renvers, around the short side, 10-meter circle to shoulder-in to 10-meter circle to a few steps of lengthening, etc…. Think of how the one movement helps the horse, but also consider how doing them together can benefit the horse even more.

3. Always check that you are riding your horse’s outside shoulder. Sometimes, we get used to thinking that we need more bend/flexion than we do. Connect your outside aids, ride the horse a bit straighter than you think you need and check with a trained eye on the ground that you are having enough bend/flexion, but not too much.

Here is a quick video. Enjoy!