Transitioning from Simple to Complex Movements
Once you’ve mastered the basics of changing pace—from a walk to a trot, a trot to a canter, and so forth—it’s time to level up. This is when you can start asking your horse to bend its body. Until now, you’ve mainly been using diagonal aids, meaning you’ve been using your opposite hand and leg to guide your horse.
Understanding and Using Lateral Aids
Now it’s time to move onto making full use of the lateral aids. Lateral aids refer to using the same hand and leg to guide the horse— a technique that, in my experience, serves as crucial corrective aids. These aids are potent tools you can use to adjust your horse’s movement and direction, making your riding skill even more refined and effective.
Managing a Shying Horse and Mastering the Pivot on the Forehand
Handling a Shying Horse
When a horse shies, its head often turns towards an object, and its hindquarters swing away. As a rider, you can correct the horse’s position by aligning its head and quarters using the same leg and hand. These aids are similar to those used to execute a pivot on the forehand.
Pivot on the Forehand and Its Relevance
Though the pivot on the forehand isn’t particularly favored by dressage enthusiasts currently, it used to be a common practice in Pony Club tests. I believe it can still be beneficial, as it helps the rider gain control of the horse’s hindquarters, which are moved using the rider’s leg behind the girth.
Practicing the Pivot on the Forehand
To execute a pivot on the forehand, the rider’s active leg pushes the hindquarters, while the outside leg, positioned over the girth, maintains impulsion and prevents the horse from stepping backward. The inside hand guides the horse’s head to follow the hindquarters, and the outside hand resists excessive forward movement, as the horse should only take one step forward throughout the maneuver.
To practice this pivot, try coming to a halt from a walk while keeping the horse on the bit to maintain impulsion. Perform a half-turn in the opposite direction and walk on. As your control improves, attempt a complete pivot, then continue walking in the same direction.
Developing Advanced Riding Skills: Pivots and Lateral Movements
Practicing Pivot on the Hocks
To gain better control of a horse’s forehand, practicing pivot on the hocks can be beneficial. This involves using diagonal aids, i.e., the opposite hand and leg. An easy way to learn this is by asking your horse for a half-turn towards the center of an area and halting from a walk. This advanced movement is the foundation of pivoting at a canter.
Enhancing Control Through Lateral Movements
To improve your control over a horse’s body even further, practice movements like shoulder in and out, renvers, and travers. These four movements are closely related, with slight differences in the bending requested.
Shoulder In and Out
The shoulder in or out movement requires the rider to ask the horse to bend around their inside leg. While keeping the horse’s hindquarters in a straight line, the forehand is taken off the track so that the head and neck bend inwards, towards the center of the riding area. When tracking right, the horse’s right foreleg creates its path, while the right hind leg follows the left foreleg’s path, leaving the left hind leg to make a third track. In this process, the horse’s head is bent against its movement.
For shoulder out, the horse’s head is bent towards the wall or fence the rider is working alongside. Initially, the horse’s legs move in three paths, while later, they move in four when the horse crosses both in front and behind. This could be considered a half-pass with an incorrect bend.
Understanding Advanced Moves: Travers and Renvers
Grasping Travers in Horse Riding
Given that travers and renvers are part of new test requirements set forth by the Association of British Riding Schools, it’s worth tearing them apart. In both travers and renvers, the quarters of the horse are bent, while its forehand follows a straight path.
To perform a travers, you need to keep your horse’s forehand on the outer track of the riding area and get its hindquarters to curve inward, away from the wall or fence. This creates a three-path movement.
Mastering Renvers
Renvers is similar to travers but reversed. In renvers, you keep the horse’s hindquarters in towards the wall or fence while creating a path about 3-4 feet away from it.
These movements are designed to bend and flex the horse’s spine. However, I believe these techniques serve more as a learning tool for riders, helping them gain better control over their horse’s movements. While I’m not necessarily a fan of these maneuvers and prefer Henry Wynmalen’s advice in Equitation, which suggests that these maneuvers should be ridden in very short distances, they are indeed a part of advanced horse riding.
Mastering the Use of Rein and Leg Aids in Complex Maneuvers
Developing Expert Horsemanship for Flexed Positions
Achieving the flexed positions in advanced horse riding, such as travers and renvers, requires a precise combination of rein and leg aids. These complex maneuvers can be challenging and demand a high level of horsemanship. It’s essential to develop your riding skills and confidence before attempting this type of work.
Enhancing Your Horse’s Flexibility: A Guide to Suppling Exercises
Using Circles for Back Suppling
If you feel like your horse needs more suppleness in its back, one effective exercise you can try involves working your horse on circles. You can increase and decrease the size of these circles to gradually enhance the flexibility of your horse’s back.
Progressing to More Advanced Maneuvers
Starting with simpler moves like ‘shoulder yielding,’ you can gradually progress towards a complete half pass in both directions as your horse becomes more obedient to your leg and hand aids. This approach will also help you, as a rider, become more adept at controlling your horse’s body. Remember, the key is persistent practice and gradual advancement in your horsemanship skills.
Mastering the Half Pass: Combining Elegance and Grace with Correct Techniques
Understanding the Half Pass
The half pass is an advanced horse riding move in which the horse moves forward and sideways simultaneously, gracefully crossing its legs during both the front and back strides. When executed correctly, the half pass is a beautiful and refined movement. However, if done improperly, with the rider and/or horse being wrongly bent or resistant, it can look quite unappealing.
Techniques for a Proper Half Pass
To perform a successful half pass, your horse must be flexed and, ideally, collected to some degree while looking in the direction of the movement. This maneuver is typically easier to execute at a trot than at a walk, as it’s crucial to maintain forward impulsion.
Start by positioning the horse at a 45-degree angle from the wall or fence, coming out of a corner at a sitting trot. Make sure to leave enough room to move forward onto the track. Then, ask your horse for a few steps sideways before transitioning to a rising trot, rewarding your horse with a pat if it makes an effort to understand the new movement.
Learning Correct Aids through Experience
Riding a well-schooled horse can help you develop the appropriate aids and gain a better understanding of the half pass. Combining the experiences of a novice rider and a novice horse can be problematic, often leading to confusion and frustration for both.
The old-fashioned method of pushing a horse sideways on the ground with a stick can help the horse understand the concept of sideways movement. However, maintaining forward impulsion during this process can still be challenging. As a rider, mastering the half pass and maintaining proper form while managing movement in two directions may take some practice, but the result will be a captivating and elegant performance.
Perfecting the Rein-Back: A Key Step in Developing Communication with Your Horse
Understanding the Purpose of Rein-Back
The rein-back is a valuable movement from a rider’s perspective, as it helps them understand the feeling of their horse accepting the bit and being ready to obey an order. By mastering this maneuver, you can develop a deeper connection with your horse and improve communication between the two of you.
Executing the Rein-Back
To initiate the rein-back, start by halting your horse. Gently ask your horse to accept the bit and lower its head using your hand, while applying gentle pressure with both legs slightly behind the girth. When you feel your horse’s head drop, you can then request the rein-back.
As your horse moves backward, maintain its straightness using your legs. During this movement, your horse should follow a two-time rhythm, moving diagonally, similar to a trot. It’s essential to limit the rein-back to just a few steps at a time and promptly guide your horse into a forward movement afterward. This will prevent your horse from getting behind the bit or developing a run back instead of a controlled step backward.
Mastering the Counter-Canter: Developing Obedience and Suppleness
Understanding the Purpose of Counter-Canter
The counter-canter is an exercise designed to enhance a horse’s suppleness and demonstrate the horse’s absolute obedience to the rider’s aids. In this maneuver, the rider asks the horse to canter with the outside leg leading, which contrasts with the previously learned inside leg leading canter on a circle.
Introducing the Counter-Canter
To begin practicing the counter-canter, start by asking your horse to canter on large serpentines while maintaining the same leading leg. Initially, a well-schooled horse might attempt to change legs automatically when changing direction. However, as a rider, you must ensure that your horse maintains the same leading leg as it moves through the bends. Over time, the horse will become more familiar with the desired action.
Be patient throughout this process, as the horse must unlearn previous training and adapt to the outside leg leading, which can be uncomfortable. Initially, only request large circles in the counter-canter.
The Debate on Counter-Canter Training
Ultimately, the goal is for the horse to perform figures of eight at a counter-canter. However, some may argue that this exercise might not be suitable for show horses or cross-country horses, as it contradicts their prior training. After spending significant time developing a horse’s natural balance, introducing the counter-canter may potentially confuse the horse.
The counter-canter may also cause a horse to feel overly reliant on the rider, which may not be ideal for cross-country horses. These horses should possess the ability to handle challenging situations independently while caring for themselves and their rider. Despite these concerns, the counter-canter does demonstrate the effectiveness of a rider’s aids and their horse’s obedience. It is worth noting that the counter-canter is included in event horse tests, such as the B.H.S. Test 18.
Transitioning from Halt or Rein-Back to Canter: A Smooth Shift from Standstill to Full Speed
Understanding the Goal of the Transition
Transitioning from halt or rein-back to cantering is not just a simple shift from one pace to another. This exercise is more demanding and can be likened to a car going directly from a complete stop or reversing to top gear. It’s about gearing up your horse from a stationary or backward MOtion to a forward, fast-paced canter smoothly and efficiently.
Managing the Excitement and Keeping It Smooth
Some horses really enjoy this exercise, but the challenge lies in maintaining their calmness and ensuring their movements are smooth. It’s crucial not to let your horse prematurely anticipate the rider’s aids.
As a rider, you must learn how to guide your horse through this transition without causing unnecessary stress. Remember, just like a car doesn’t jerk into top gear from a stop or reverse, your horse also shouldn’t leap abruptly from a halt or rein-back into a canter. The key is to make this transition seamless, preserving the grace and elegance inherent in horse riding.
Changing Legs at a Canter on a Straight Line: The Art of Elegant Transitioning
The Spectacular Element of Canter
Among all the intricacies involved in horse riding, one of the most spectacular, yet challenging movements is changing legs at a canter on a straight line. This move is rarely executed correctly and smoothly, making it a sight to behold when done right.
Requirements for Perfect Execution
Such a move requires your horse to be collectable and highly responsive. Collection, in horse riding terminology, refers to a horse’s ability to carry more weight on its hind legs than the front ones, allowing for smoother shifts and transitions.
The Rider’s Composure and Horse’s Direction
As a rider, it’s crucial to maintain composure and stability. You should sit very still and navigate your horse through a straight line while performing this move. One common error with this movement is excessive movement from the rider causing the horse to sway from one side to the other, resulting in an inelegant appearance.
Perfecting this movement doesn’t happen overnight. But with constant practice, it’s possible to integrate this into your horse riding skills, enhancing the elegance and grace of your canter.
Mastering Two-Track Work: Guiding Your Horse Through Complex Movements
Perfecting the Two-Track Movement
Two-track work is an essential part of advanced horse riding, requiring utmost care and precision. When performing this move, the horse moves on two tracks with each leg crossing in front of the other, and never behind. It’s crucial to ensure the horse is always moving forward during this maneuver.
Utilizing the Shoulder In or Shoulder Out Technique
Many riders prepare their horses for two-track movements using techniques called “shoulder in” or “shoulder out.” In these exercises, the horse makes three definite tracks with its legs. For instance, if your horse is performing a shoulder in towards the right, with a hedge or the school wall on his left, his head should be flexed right. In this position, his off foreleg (the leg on the side away from the rider – the right side if traveling rightward) occupies its own track, the off hind leg aligns with the track of the near foreleg (the leg on the side nearest the rider – left if moving rightward), and the near hind leg creates its third track. These exercises should be practiced on both reins (left and right), enabling the horse’s seamless, three-track movement.
Harnessing Control with the Pivot and Maintaining Forward Movement
Another beneficial exercise to gain better control over the horse’s hindquarters, and increase their sensitivity to your side aids, is to practice the pivot on the forehand. In this move, the horse pivots on one of its forelegs, with a hind leg crossing over the other. It’s normal for the horse to take a step forward in this process, but backward movement should be avoided.
Practicing the pivot on the quarters is also effective for gaining more control over the horse’s forehand.
When initiating two-track movement, it’s best to start simple. At first, you should aim for a couple of perfectly executed steps. Positioning the horse at a 45-degree angle a fair distance from a fence or wall, guiding them to walk sideways and forwards can be a big help. Before the horse reaches the boundary, direct them into a large turn and trot away to sustain continuous forward movement.
After some practice, preferably on a horse familiar with these exercises, you’ll find the two-track movement at the trot easier to execute than the walk because the trot naturally gives the horse more impulsion.
Frequently Asked Questions about Advancing Canter Skills
Q: How can I prepare my horse for the counter-canter?
A: Preparing a horse for the counter-canter starts with ensuring they have a strong foundation in standard cantering. Practice cantering on large serpentines and guide your horse to maintain the same leading leg throughout. This might feel a bit strange to the horse at first, and he might try to switch leads. But with patience, consistency, and practice, your horse will begin to understand what you’re asking for.
Q: What’s the best way to transition smoothly from a halt or rein-back to canter?
A: A smooth transition from halt or rein-back to canter requires maintaining a calm connection with your horse. Prepare your horse for the transition with light aids and release them once your horse responds. Keep your horse straight and balanced, and use a gentle, progressive leg aid to ask your horse to canter. Never rush the transition, and ensure the horse is relaxed and ready.
Q: I’m having trouble changing legs at a canter on a straight line. Any tips?
A: Changing legs at a canter on a straight line is quite an advanced skill and requires a combination of firmness and gentleness. The key is to keep your horse collected and guarantee they are responsive to your aids. As a rider, you should stay calm, composed, and still. Over time and with practice, both you and your horse will become more comfortable with this move, making it look more elegant and effortless.
Q: When is it appropriate to practice a counter-canter?
A: Counter-canter is a more advanced technique and should only be practiced once your horse is very comfortable with regular canter. Keep in mind that the exercise might feel strange and uncomfortable for the horse at first. Gradually ease them into it by starting with larger circles, and only proceed to smaller ones when they seem ready.
Q: Why does my horse become overly excited when going from halt or rein-back to canter?
A: The sudden shift from being stationary or moving backward to swiftly cantering forward can energize some horses. If your horse becomes overly excited, try to guide them gently and smoothly through the transition. Maintain a calm demeanor, consistent rhythm, and firm but gentle rein contact to help alleviate their excitement.
Q: How do I prevent my horse from swaying side to side during a leg change at a canter on a straight line?
A: Excessive movement during a leg change often occurs due to the rider’s body movements. Try to remain as still as possible and keep your horse on a straight line. Over time, with regular practice and enhanced rider stability, your horse will sway less and maintain more elegant, fluid motions.
