The working trot with a lengthening of stride is executed at
about ten miles per hour, or 800 feet per minute. To lengthen the
stride, increase the pressure of your calves until the horse
begins to take longer steps. As it stretches its head and neck
forward during lengthening, follow this movement with your hands;
but be sure to keep a steady feel of the reins, for even a small
amount of slack will encourage a break into the canter. It is
very important to maintain a steady tempo during lengthening,
since loss of regularity is another cause of the horse breaking
into an upper gait.
When the lengthening of stride is performed at the posting trot,
your upper body should be inclined no more than ten degrees in
front of the vertical. This enables you to use your weight as an
additional driving aid and promotes lightness in the horse's
forehand by shifting your upper-body weight more toward the
haunches than at the normal working trot rising.
When the lengthening of stride is performed at the sitting trot,
open your upper body to the vertical (instead of being 2-3
degrees in front of the vertical, as usual). From this upright
position , you can use your weight as a driving aid; but be
careful not to lean behind the vertical, for this is an
unneccesarily severe position.
On the corners of the ring, you can steady the horse slightly. It
is not necessary to shorten the frame, for the ends of a hunter
arena are usually wide enough to accommodate a sustained
lengthening. It will be helpful in competition, however, to
collect the horse into a slightly shorter frame for a few steps
at the end of the corner preceding the pass in front of the
judge, so that the horse will be in the process of lengthening as
it makes the pass, giving it a flashy appearance. This is also
good insurance, for there is less chance of a horse breaking gait
early in the lengthening process than when it has been moving on
an extended stride for a long period of time.