28/ JULY 2025 THE RIDER


How To Flow From The Trot To The Walk


By Kathy Farrokhzad. It sounds simple, does-


n’t it? Just pull back on the


reins and the horse will stop trotting. But there are a lot of small details in there that might be overlooked. For example, you might notice the rider yanking back and the horse’s mouth opening wide. You might be able to see the neck come up in an upside- down arch, and the back drop into a hammock-like position. The most obvious


problem that can be visibly identified is the hind legs. When the transition is prob- lematic, the hind legs liter- ally get left behind. The striding is short and the legs seem to be stuck together, causing an imbalance that then gets transmitted to the front end. The horse “falls to the forehand”. There are many alter-


nate aids we can go to, espe- cially for a downward transition. Here are three steps to develop a balanced trot-walk transition with minimal rein pressure:


1. Half-Halt Several steps before


you want to do the down- ward transition, do three of four half-halts. IN the rhythm of the trot, use a light leg aid to encourage the horse to reach further underneath the body with his hind legs. Then go like this: half-halt, half-halt, half-halt. The half-halt comes mainly from your back and seat, followed by light squeezes from your al-


Many horses tend to


“flop” into the downward transition. Some horses fall heavily to the forehand and eventually change gaits; others simply like to quit. Those are the horses that lurch into the walk, with lit- tle effort put into supporting their weight from the hind end.


Ideally, the energy


should continue at the same level, irrespective of the gait. So whether the horse is


trotting or walking, there should be the same amount of fluidity to the movement. To ensure continued


movement, don’t stop your seat when the horse breaks to the walk. Add enough leg aid to keep the energy flow- ing forward. Instead, without skip-


ping a beat, swing your seat from the trot into the walk, within the movement of one horse stride. Go with the same commitment and flow


as the trot. Encourage with your leg aids if needed, and expect your horse to switch just as easily from the trot to the walk. Don’t be discouraged


if you can’t get it right away. Instead, practice the “flow” at every opportunity and soon enough, you’ll notice that your horse isn’t getting stuck in his downward tran- sitions. Then, be sure to pat him to thank him for his ef- forts!


Bio: Kathy Farrokhzad is an EC coach and author of the Horse Listening book collection, Goal Setting For The Equestrian: A Personal Workbook, and the creator of the Practice Sessions on- line program. If you liked what you read here, check out her blog at HorseListen- ing.com for many more arti- cles about horses, riding and life in general.


Hamilton Mounted Police Reinvest in Large Animal Emergency Rescue


ready closed hands. Brace your lower back and seat against the trot movement. If you are posting in your trot, do the bracing when you sit in the saddle.


2. Walk With Your Seat Immediately after the


half-halt, sit into the walk. Your seat should resist any more trot movement, but also change its rhythm to a walk rhythm. Once your horse knows to expect the change in your seat, he will easily switch his legs to a walk when he feels the walk from your seat. At this point, if you


think using a voice cue would be beneficial, use a low, calming tone to “walk”. At some point, though, you want to see if


your horse is responding to your riding aids rather than just the voice.


3. Follow Through If he still goes through


your seat and half-halt aids, momentarily close your legs and knees to support the bracing from your back. Push down into your stir- rups.


As a last resort, use the


reins. But keep in mind that...


Every pull backwards


on the reins prevents the horse’s hind legs from reaching underneath the body. But there is more to it. The ideal transition should simply and easily flow from one gait to the other.


4. Just One More Thing...


Guelph, ON - Mar. 27, 2025 - Equine Guelph’s Large Animal Emergency Rescue (LAER) training team re- turned to the beautiful Holly Oaks Farm on April 30, 2025 in Lynden, ON. The trailer fully stocked with specialized tools and rescue mannequins for the one-day refresher workshop. Hamil- ton Mounted Police part- nered with Equine Guelph for their fifth workshop, highlighting their commit- ment to enhancing their res- cue


skills. Additional


attendees included York re- gional police, veterinarians and veterinary technicians. Large Animal Emergency Rescue April 30 2025 “We were pleased to


have members of the Hamil- ton Police Mounted Patrol Unit participate in the First Responder


Refresher


Course for Large Animal Rescue, presented by the University of Guelph”, said Sergeant Amberlee Rodgers from the Hamilton Mounted Police. “Their commitment to ongoing training and col- laboration highlights the im- portance of preparedness, safety, and animal welfare in emergency response situa- tions. We value the expert- ise and partnership the University of Guelph and their team of instructors bring to these critical learn- ing opportunities.” A successful large an-


imal rescue hinges on swift action and seamless team- work within the incident command system. Dr. Chris Riley, Chair


8782 Longwood Rd, Mount Brydges, ON, N0L1W0 www.viatrailer.com


of the Department of Clini- cal Studies at the Ontario Veterinary College, kicked off the day with an insight- ful discussion on veterinary roles in animal incidents, emphasizing the importance of collaboration and role fa- miliarity among responders.


The attendees then launched into hands-on learning, tackling the challenges of safely extricating a 600- pound horse mannequin named ‘Rusti’, from haz- ardous situations. Using wide tow straps


the crew mastered forward, backward, and sideways drags tailored to the scenar- ios they faced. “Rusti” proved to be a very cooper- ative horse as always, never once complaining about the repetitive dragging. “The proper use of


specialized equipment and precise positioning of web- bing around the animal’s body are crucial for success- ful lifting or dragging a large animal to safety,” says lead instructor Victor MacPherson, EBSP Rescue. Safety was a top pri-


ority in every animal han- dling technique, with participants receiving exten- sive learning about equine behavior. They were re- minded that even a calm- looking horse could react suddenly once freed from a compromising


position.


Staying out of kick zones is essential, regardless of the horse’s demeanor, as was donning the appropriate per- sonalized protection equip- ment. After all, no one


wants to be on the receiving end of a horse’s surprise kick!


“All large animal inci-


dents, regardless of cause or scope, pose a risk of injury to responders. The key to improving the odds of a fa- vorable and safe outcome for both animals and respon- ders lies in proper training of best practices and the use of rescue equipment,” says course facilitator Dr. Susan Raymond. Participants honed


their skills in tight spots, like horse trailers, and prac- ticed confinement


tech-


niques. They also became adept with ropes, learning to create emergency halters. Flossing techniques were covered to position recovery straps correctly. This kind of flossing won’t give your horse a dazzling smile but will ensure safe movement without causing further in- jury. Anatomy lessons stressed that a horse’s head and tail should never be used as handles. Various lifting meth-


ods were discussed and practiced. One scenario re- quired strategic planning to rescue a horse trapped in a trailer. Downed horse and rider situations on treacher- ous terrain provided oppor-


tunities to practice securing both ‘Rusti’ and the rider to glides for easier transport. Equine Guelph thanks


the supporters, facilitators, and participants of these im- portant large animal emer- gency rescue workshops. A special thank you to Linda Rawlinson (Holly Oaks Farm) for hosting the work- shop at Holly Oaks Farm. Equine Guelph would


also like to thank Grand River Agricultural Society (GRAS) for its foundational funding of the Large Animal Emergency Rescue pro- gram. `Delivered by Equine Guelph (University of Guelph), in the past decade, the LAER program has con- tinued to grow and expand its offerings to a varied group. If you are interested in helping to build this pro- gram or would like to dis- cuss offering this program in your area or to your mem- bers, please contact Susan Raymond at Equine Guelph. Courses can be offered on a cost-recovery basis, or through sponsorship,


to


communities/individuals who would like to expand the reach of this training program. Story by: Jackie Bellamy- Zions, Equine Guelph


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