Posted November 13th, 2005 — Filed under
Windrock Farm
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An effective and simple excercise for connecting your horse. After a sufficient warm up, find a place in the arena to carve out a box of 8 strides in shoulder in, turn the forehand to another 8 strides of shoulder in and so on until the box is completed. Take care to time your
aids so the the horse moves around the corner smoothly and relaxed. After one box take working trot around the arena and feel if there is any difference in the quality of the gait. There should be more lift in front and a smooth relaxed swinging trot. Always remember to ride both directions so that your horse remains balanced and even.
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Posted November 13th, 2005 — Filed under
Windrock Farm
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When riding, think of how a dancer who is about to be lifted must be light on her feet with all the energy in the torso lifting upward. Thus when her partner comes to raise her above his head, she is already helping him by sending her energy in the correct direction. Riders must remember this to allow the horses back to be open and free to move under their seat. Practice feeling the lifted energy in canter and tune into how much easier it is for your horse than when you are collapsed and allowing your weight to sink downward. Alwasys remember the training scale, rhythm, looseness and contact. Your horse can only dance in a relaxed rhythm if the rider is light and balanced.
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Posted November 7th, 2005 — Filed under
Windrock Farm
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Once you have established a proper shoulder in, where the horse’s forehand is brought about half a step inside the track of the outside hind leg, thus the outside shoulder is straight in front of the inside hind leg. The inside hind leg is brought well forward in the direction of the outside foreleg. The horse is flexed and slightly bent in the direction he is moving. The inside hock is engaged, carrying most of the weight due to the diagonal postion of the horse, the lateral bend and the increased collection. First ride a 10 meter circle on the long side, continue up the long side 5 steps in shoulder in and turn onto another 10 meter circle, repeat up the long side. This will help supple your horse and test your timing with the aids and communiction to your horse. Once this is performed seamlessly, track up the long side 5 steps in shoulder in, stop the forward movement with your outside aids and ride the horse straight on the diagonal 5 steps, shoulder in 5 steps, straight 5 steps, halt, rein back 5 steps, immediately into shoulder in 5 steps, straight 5 steps, repeat until you reach the end of the arena. This excercise will become a dance as your horse waits for your aids, starting to collect into piaffe as he becomes more proficient, but ask him to continue moving forward and sideways, staying very light in the bridle. The series is very difficult to ride and for your horse to initially understand, so take your time and try it in walk first. Once you have mastered the excercise in walk try it in trot. Be certain to demand immediate response from your horse in all transitions and slow it down if it becomes confusing. Once mastered, this is an exciting excercise to ride.
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