Trotting and Cantering With a Horse
By Renee Lella
As an amateur equestrian, I treasure the bond that develops between rider and horse during a day in the saddle. One of the most enjoyable aspects of riding is encouraging the horse to move at a faster pace, such as a trot or a canter. The trot is best achieved by starting the horse off at a walk, seated in a proper upright position with the heels back in the stirrups. Squeeze both legs together, exerting slightly stronger pressure on the inside leg. As a last resort, a small kick on the horses flank may get the horse to trot, but be conservative in this. Horses react unpredictably to kicks and crops, and you don’t want to make an enemy of your mount. As the horse begins to speed up, you will want to post at the right diagonal. This is a natural movement in which the lengthened stride of the trotting horse pushes the rider out of the saddle when the inside hind comes forward. Difficult to teach or explain, riders often learn this intuitively. Once the horse is in gait, many beginning riders have difficulty slowing their mount to a walk. There are several techniques for doing this, depending on the rider’s experience and the training of the horse. Horses used to being ridden by inexperienced riders may only respond to active handling of the reins. Horses more familiar with a rider will respond to cues such as a sigh or a settling of weight deeper into the saddle. Advanced riders utilize subtle alternate movements of the pelvis to bring the horse into a slower trot, gradually leading the horse to a walk.
The canter is a faster gait than the trot and is essential for equestrians to master. To initiate the canter, bring the horse into a balanced trot for a few strides before sliding the outside leg behind the girth and squeezing. Sit deeply in the saddle for stability as the horse picks up speed and avoid pulling on the reins for balance, as this can be very uncomfortable to the horse. To slow a well-trained horse, simply sit back a little in the saddle, as with the trot. With practice and an experienced instructor, the trot and the canter can become part of any rider’s repertoire in a remarkably short time.
About the Author: Renee Lella is President of Another Medical Must, LLC, a medical transcription service based in Las Vegas, Nevada.
About the Clinical Documentation Industry Association’s Special Projects Initiative
By Renee Lella
Through her roles as President of Another Medical Must, LLC, and member of the Clinical Documentation Industry Association (formerly known as the Medical Transcription Industry Association), Renee Lella supports the organization’s Special Projects Initiative. This program was established through a partnership with the Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity.
The two associations hired the Dewey Square Group, a lobbying firm with an office in Washington, D.C., to advocate for higher visibility of the profession within Congress. The Special Projects Initiative has already contributed to several meaningful developments and raised awareness about issues in the medical transcription industry. The Initiative also strives to increase the visibility of the transcription sector though educational endeavors and grassroots connections. This goal furthers the understanding of medical transcription’s role in an always-changing healthcare industry. The Dewey Square Group has helped the Clinical Documentation Industry Association and the Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity gain strategic connections in Washington, D.C.
These provide opportunities to effect change as policy is crafted, rather than attempt to modify laws already been put in place. Other factors that helped shape the medical transcription presence in the nation’s capital include identifying critical issues, maintaining relationships with decision-makers, and designing outright endeavors. In the future, the Special Projects Initiative aims to work with other lobbying organizations to advance efforts in the health care documentation process. For more information about this project or the Clinical Documentation Industry Association in general, visit the organization’s official website at www.mtia.com.
Renee Lella | Another Medical Must 