Trot is the utilitarian gait - the gait at which much general schooling is carried out. It is most suited to this purpose since it is more impulsive than walk and less complex than canter. As a consequence of its diagonal nature, all four legs should perform an equal amount of work, and the back muscles flex and extend alternately on each side of the spine, producing an overall suppling effect. However, if it is to fulfil its role as a suppling and training gait, the trot itself must be of good quality, and should improve and develop as training progresses. Of course, this improvement and development may go far beyond the bounds of the working trot, to spectacular extensions and the ultimate levels of collection, as seen in piaffe and passage. These movements, however, will be subjects for further titles in this series. In this book, the emphasis is fundamentally upon the development of the working trot and its role as the foundation for training. The Trot is Book 1 in the Masters of Equitation series and in each volume the editor has collected the views of leading authorities on a specific gait or movement in order to form a unique reference work on each subject for the serious rider and trainer. The great masters are introduced by a leading present-day expert accompanied by the relevant instructions, and there is a summing up by the compiler. The series will eventually form a mini-reference library for anyone with an interest in academic and practical equitation.