>>> Trot to tolt - ask the hindquarters to move over a little - and she >>> stepped right into the tolt.
>>Functionally, why does this work? What effect does it have on the >>position of the horse's body and why does that cause him to move into >>tolt? I'm not being argumentative. I just do better when I understand >>the body mechanics involved. The problem I see is that no method will work across the board for cuing trot-to-tolt, or tolt-to-trot, or foxtrot-to-running walk. Why? It makes a huge difference in what the horse is built to do. You have to base your actions on what the horse's conformation and wiring tendencies make him do. I don't have to do anything to get Sina to "tolt" - although her "tolt" is more likely to be either a saddle rack or stepping pace. I have to DO something to encourage her trot. Some horses are the opposite - by default they will trot. Karen Thomas, NC
