A.L. wrote:
"I have an 18-year-old quarter horse mare with a very bouncy trot. I'd like to know how to lengthen her stride to make it a bit smoother. I've heard that I should use ankle weights, but I'd like a professional opinion. Thanks!"

"Dear A.L.:
I wish I could see exactly what your horse is doing as it is trotting. The trot is the bounciest gait, of course, because it is only 2 beats, with the feet hitting the ground diagonally in pairs. The canter is smoother, because it is 3 beats, and the walk is the smoothest because it is 4 beats. That's why people like riding gaited horses, because they don't trot, they just have a very fast 4-beat walk. Also, some horses are bouncier than others because of their conformation (something to do with the length of the pasterns, the shoulder angle and the length of the back, etc). Here at our farm, we actually try to breed our Quarterhorses for a smoother, more gliding trot.

First, you have to make sure that there is nothing physically wrong with your horse, like tight shoulder muscles, a sore back, or a saddle that pinches or doesn't allow the shoulders to move out freely. Ankle weights would be a mechanical cure, a device that might or might not help, but which is really not teaching the horse a better way of moving, and as soon as the equipment is removed, the horse will go back the way it was, and the problem may even be worsened because the weight will have caused the wrong muscles to get even stronger (this is similar to what may happen with frequent use of a tie-down to keep the horse's head low). It is my opinion that the horse with the bouncy trot needs to learn how to go in a more "collected" manner. The "collected trot" or Western "jog" is actually the smoothest of the trots. If the horse is not "collected", it will be strung out, his nose will be stuck way out forward, his back will be hollowed out and he will likely be unbalanced and very uncomfortable to ride.

Perhaps your horse has not learned to "give" to the bit, and to go forward in a collected manner, with impulsion from behind, but not necessarily a lot of forward motion. This is what "collection" is, and when you have it, your horse's back will feel more elevated and rounded, rather than hollowed out, and his trot will be powerful and yet smoother. Teaching the horse to go in a collected manner takes a lot of practice and is strenuous for the horse. He will need to develop different muscles in order to be able to hold himself in this frame.

You would probably have to start from the beginning again and teach him that when he gives to pressure on the bit, then he gets a release. Start from the ground, then work up to the walk, getting him to walk forward, stop and back up all in a collected, controlled manner. First get him giving to the bit and breaking at the poll really well from the ground and at a walk, before you try to go on to the trot. Then work at the trot only for short distances, giving him release when he is able to collect himself up and hold himself in the frame. Work on lots of transitions, gradually building up his strength at the trot.

Thanks for your question. Good luck!"