It is not uncommon for some horses to 'hop' into the trot from the walk. This can happen for several reasons, but it's often related to tightness in the back or lack of thoroughness. Some horses just tend to do it by nature, but often I see it appear at a stage when riders are asking for more collectibility, which is the case for the rider in this video. In this video, I coach a student through the process of getting smoother transitions and getting rid of the hop. It takes a lot of consistency and focus to change this pattern, especially if it has been happening for a while. The good news is that it CAN improve and eventually go away! This video also has some rider position tips in it! The rider in this video also appears in the video Developing More Throughness In Medium Trot, and you will see how the next day his trot is improved from doing what we show in this video.

This video is great for anyone practicing transitions within working or more collected gaits, especially those that are experiencing 'hoppy' walk to trot transitions.