Perfecting your Trot Up with Pippa Funnell

We’ve teamed up with a few of our Brand Ambassadors to give you a selection of Training Tips which they find useful in their own training programmes. We have collaborated with Pippa Funnell on how to perfect your trot up.

As well as making a fashion statement, the trot up held at eventing competitions has a more important purpose. The trot up is assessed by a vet to determine whether a horse is sound to compete. There are typically two trot ups held at a three-day eventing competition; before the competition starts and again before the show jumping round.

A trot up is also required before a judge in showing classes where the horses are ‘stripped’. Additionally, it is a good skill to teach horses to correctly lead at home.

The key point is to make sure you keep your horse straight so that they can be correctly assessed, avoid allowing them to curl around you. Hold the outside rein under the chin but not too tightly as the horse needs to travel freely.

Carry a stick to encourage the horse to stay in front, you don’t want to be dragging the horse behind you or to be dragged by the horse. The shoulder is the ideal position to be.

Turn the horse around in a large circle as opposed to a sharp, tight circle. Set off in trot once the horse is straight, keeping a pace that suits your horse best.

Take a look at our short video with Pippa Funnell, highlighting her training tips.