ZinniaZ wrote:Sounds like your coach has great suggestions.
I've ridden and trained dozens of ex trotters and pacers. I've found that their biggest issue is balance and rhythm (not necessarily in that order). I would bet that the smaller trot is just difficult at this point. He most likely does not have the hind end strnegth to do that so transitions will help. I like walk halt walk transitions, tuning up the horses response to my leg. Then I go for walk trot walk. They often need you to show them where their hind legs are and be taught how to spring off of them. His natural gait is going to cover way more ground than a traditional riding horse. It may be that the slower smaller trot will take a year to develop. I would think strength and hind legs. Get out into fields and forests so he can build muscle on uneven errain. Use your transitions. Help him find his hind legs. And if you are at all interested, my boss wrote the book 'Retraining the Harness Racehorse', which has exercises and ideas for this kind of horse. I could give you info about that.
I rode him today and he was much better! After these new exercises I noticed that he reads my leg aids wrong, he thoughts lower leg means more upward... Before this ride I thought it would relate more to the seat.
I tried to use my upper leg more than calf and it works great!
I use much transitions too and countercanter is great for straighness. Normally I hack 1-2 times a week (5-15 km), 2-3 times a week he's schooled. Because we have poor weather conditions in this country since the early winter and early spring, arena is closed for a couple of weeks and then we are only hacking. My boys live 24/7 outdoor, they have free exit to the barn. They run and play every day, so I can give them more day offs.
He's not so green at all but sometimes I break things part too much and he losts his tone... Unfortunately this mental block affects to the quality of his all movements.
Like in this case I made mistake when I praise him upward trot/canter and he takes it little bit too seriously...
Then I have to go back to basics and take some time to get him to the right track again.
He is so kind and willing horse, but his self-esteem has always been very delicate and he lost his confidence easily.
I've been riding many ex-trotters too, but this horse is different than others because of his character. My trainer said yesterday: "Don't think that transition, just do it, he's so sensitive especially down transitions, that he 'reads your mind' before you even realize you are giving any aids". And that's so true, I just wish I had him in that stage some day with up transitions too... maybe just wishful thinking
That book sounds very interesting!
The same problem occurs when I'm lunging him. 
My dear horse tries to please me and offers that upward-canter almost every time I try warm-up him slowly... If I warm-up him in a little bit of an overtempo there is no problem at all. I just don't want to ride him so much forward (btv and losing regularity in canter, not good combination at all) , there has to be some other solution 