On The Trot (No. 1)

Trot is the utilitarian gait - the gait at which much general schooling is carried out. It is most suited to this purpose since it is more impulsive than walk and less complex than canter. As a consequence of its diagonal nature, all four legs should perform an equal amount of work, and the back muscles flex and extend alternately on each side of the spine, producing an overall suppling effect. However, if it is to fulfil its role as a suppling and training gait, the trot itself must be of good quality, and should improve and develop as training progresses. Of course, this improvement and development may go far beyond the bounds of the working trot, to spectacular extensions and the ultimate levels of collection, as seen in piaffe and passage. These movements, however, will be subjects for further titles in this series. In this book, the emphasis is fundamentally upon the development of the working trot and its role as the foundation for training. The Trot is Book 1 in the Masters of Equitation series and in each volume the editor has collected the views of leading authorities on a specific gait or movement in order to form a unique reference work on each subject for the serious rider and trainer. The great masters are introduced by a leading present-day expert accompanied by the relevant instructions, and there is a summing up by the compiler. The series will eventually form a mini-reference library for anyone with an interest in academic and practical equitation.

Publisher: J.A.Allen
Format: Hardcover
Number of Pages: 112
Author: Compiled by Martin Diggle
Author Notes: A rider with many years experience, Martin Diggle has achieved success in all of the major competitive disciplines. He maintains an involvement in the training of both horses and riders and he is the author of seven books on riding. An editor by profession, he has worked with a number of contemporary equestrian authorities, and has been fascinated by how often they acknowledge the influence of past Masters, and how often such acknowledgment echoes down through the generations. He has also discovered that, while methods of riding and training may alter according to individuals and circumstances, and while debates may rage around certain points and personalities, there is, at the very least, a considerable consensus regarding principles. He has therefore compiled this series first, to give the thinking rider ready access to the methods of the Masters and second, to help prevent training errors that fly in the face of the basic principles.
Further Title Description: The Masters of Equitation series gathers together, under individual subject headings, many of the key thoughts of eminent equestrians from past centuries down to the present day. The series does not seek to promote any one school or philosophy over others, but simply provides a ready source of reference to the idea of many acknowledged Masters. The reader is invited to research, compare and contrast and may find special significance in areas of obvious consensus.

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