Natural Balance:

Lope, English Trot, Jog

Palm Partnership Training™

Building a Partnership with your Horse

by Lynn Palm

What is Natural Balance?

Natural Balance is when your horse attains proper self-carriage according to his conformation. When the horse is balanced, the horse is straight. Straight means that the hind legs track on top of the footprints of the front steps, whether on a straight line or a curving line. When a horse is in Natural Balance and self-carriage, his movements will be relaxed and fluid. When a horse is strong and has a correct Natural Balance, he will be fit, has had play time, and is willing to do what you ask.

Natural Balance is the first foundation training that I want to get solid with my young horse, before I go on to more advanced training. I will spend considerable time for the horse to develop his Natural Balance. When I take that time, I am building the best solid foundation on my horse that he can achieve, and one that will last forever.

What do I look for? For true Natural Balance, I first want to see if the horse has Natural Balance at liberty with NO line or lead attachments. At each gait of walk, trot and canter, I study the horse’s self-carriage; that tells me what I want to achieve under saddle. I next want to observe the gaits by longeing the horse on circles of different sizes, and on a straight line. Does the horse keep himself relaxed? Does his movement get more defined with a steady tempo? What I see with my eyes, I want to achieve under saddle. This early training may take a year or more, depending on the horse. I wait to get this balance in all three gaits, especially the canter or lope, which takes the longest to achieve.

Natural Balance allows your horse to be balanced, move correctly, and be willing in performance.

What is Working Trot?

English Trot should be a “Working Trot”. This means a trot that has energy and is really covering ground. The trot should not be slow or sluggish. A trot that covers ground is what you want in a Hunter in order to have powerful strides for jumping. It is required for the horse to be in a Working Trot in all Dressage levels from Intro, Training, and First Level. The trot is active, the rider is in charge of the pace, and the horse is truly covering ground. This trot will get the highest marks in Dressage and is necessary for the horse to be “in gear” for any work over fences.

What is Jog?

Jog is a Western term for trot. The jog is a slower gait, with two definite beats to one stride. The jog is a relaxed, smooth trot, and can cover ground with smaller strides than an English trot. The jog is best known in Western Pleasure, What is Lope?

Lope is a Western term for the canter. It should have a definite three-beat to each stride. The horse should be relaxed in his overall look, especially in the neck. A horse that has a tight neck will have a tight back, thus shortening the engagement of the horse’s hind legs for energy or balance. The horse’s poll should always be level with or above the wither or top line; this helps with correct balance and to create three-beat strides. For the horse to be naturally balanced, he should display the same strides at liberty (on his own) as with the saddled rider.

Horsemanship, Trail, and Western Riding. The jog gait should be smooth and comfortable to ride. The jog should be ridden in a correct balance, with the horse’s poll level with or above the wither or top line.

Understanding Natural Balance May Save a Horse.

Natural Balance, or Natural Self Carriage is something all horse owners should understand, especially with Western Riders/horses. Natural Balance allows your horse to be balanced, move correctly, and be willing in performance. Especially in the Western world, this is not appreciated and understood enough. Horses are being destroyed and disposed of because they are not staying sound in the mind or body, and they just don’t like the show ring anymore….. why? What you may be doing with your horse is not in the horse’s best interest. They will challenge you, they will break down mentally or physically and be a short-term horse, if not allowed to learn Natural Balance/ Self Carriage and encouraged to move correctly.

I will always strive for longevity for my horses whether I own them or not. The horse always comes first. Remember, horses only want to graze all day and night long. They don’t care about our goals in any way. Horses will participate with our goals if we understand them, treat them with respect, and always care about the horse’s wellness first. This is why I love to share my knowledge. Horses are magical. If you don’t know that, search for it! Start recognizing their language! They are always there for us, if we just understand them!

Palm Equestrian Academy generalinfo@lynnpalm.com

352-362-7847

Cyril and Lynn offer clinics throughout the country and abroad as well as online coaching. Join them on their teaching tours or their Palm Equestrian Academy European Journeys.