Most of our leg cues are accomplished by taking off pressure rather than applying pressure. Taking pressure off is a reward and therefore he learns from the reward not the pressure. In the following exercises when going to the right, straighten out the right leg and push with your toe. This will take all pressure off the right leg and it will push your hip over to the left side. Keep the left leg on thus taking off the pressure in the direction you wish the horse to go in. When going to the left take off the left leg and push with your toe to slip your hip over to the right while keeping the right leg on. (Exaggerate the hip movement) Thus taking off the pressure in the direction you wish to go. Make sure that your shoulders are on the same side as your hips. Practice this movement while setting still and move from one side to the other. This will need to be a smooth flowing movement from one side to the other. This will make lead changes, spins, circles, and canter departures an easy task. Remember that we always want the horse going away from our weight.
Exercises for the horse:
*note: Always do both sides
1. Bend while standing still. If the horse moves while you’re trying to bend hold until it comes to a complete relaxed stop. (We want the horse to be flexible and unafraid of being confined or turned)(No leg pressure for this exercise) The goal is to get him soft, bending towards your foot.
2. Guiding while walking (following head). Do this both directions make sure you do not drop your shoulder or turn your shoulders into the turn. We want the horse to learn to follow his head, this will aid in guiding the horse in circles and spins. Make sure that the rear does not travel out but follows the head. Remember to put your hip weight away from the direction of the turn as outlined above. Using your left leg and left hand going to the right. Lay your left rein across the horses neck (no pulling) at the same time applying pressure with your left leg. With the right hand pull the horses head to the right and release immediately. If you keep pulling it gives him something to pull back against and resist your cue. Don’t pull with your indirect rein, as this helps him to react to the left rein across his neck, thus teaching him to neck rein. Next try going to the left using the right rein across his neck with right leg pressure. If he does not point his nose in the direction of the turn pull him with the left rein (direct rein) to get him to point his nose and move in that direction. (following his nose). This should take weeks on a beginner horse and sometimes more on an older horse that does not neck rein. Then do this same exercise at a trot. When this starts working pretty good then cross the reins over the horse’s neck and place them in one hand. (going across the hand so each rein comes out one by the first finger and the second out by the little finger. You may use your free hand to do the pull and release maneuver whenever you need to re-direct his nose. As the horse advances he should automatically turn his noise away from the indirect at all gates. Spend lots of time on the walking before going to the trot!
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
The Program Lesson 1 Go,Stop, and Back
Starting from the beginning maybe boring to many of the more advanced riders. If you stay with me you may find that some of the holes in your performance and training are due to really basic concepts that are missing in your program. There maybe an advantage of not knowing too much for those starting from the beginning. Those people will not have to undo their old habits in order to become proficient at this program.
You must create the ride not be along for the ride. With that in mind let’s start:
We are always asking for impulsion when riding and impulsion comes from your legs and hips. Set up straight roll yourself up on your pelvis, open your chest, and allow a dip in your back. With your toes up rather than heals down and directly under your hips in a line with your ear you have achieved the proper seat. Don’t sit on your pockets and if you have ever been told to scoop with your hips please never do it again. Never hold pressure with your knees or your upper thigh and don’t push yourself out of the saddle with your legs. Set down with toes up and pointed out. Reach around the horse as if to hug him with your legs thus pulling yourself down into the saddle. This will allow you to lower your center of balance into your hips not in your shoulders where you could become unbalanced. Think forward with your hands thus lifting them up and forward as you squeeze with your calves and your horse will walk forward. You have created the ride. Allow your body to be relaxed and flow with the horse’s motion. As the saddle starts to move forward at the walk push it with your hips by elongating your body. Don’t kick your horse just squeeze and lift your hand in a forward motion. To stop your horse keep the leg on until you are ready to stop. Horses want to stop so this part is easy. Take your legs off by pushing them forward and making your legs straight. At the same time allow your tummy to crunch and your shoulders to fall in the direction of your hips. Just look down at the saddle horn! Do not lean back and elongate your tummy, Put your legs in a brace position but do not push your self out of the saddle, Put your hand down and fight the temptation to pull on the reins. In the beginning exaggerate these cues so that your horse really feels a difference in go and stop. When stopping make it an abrupt change from go to stop. Try jerking your feet into position and dump your shoulders down while crunching your tummy. If for some reason he does not stop then after he continues going forward a few steps pull up on the reins and say whoa. Pull to make him back up a step or two, Try again and see what happens. Now that you are in the stop position you can back. Leave your feet in the stop position pick up on the reins. Place your hands in a line from the horse’s mouth to your shoulders bending your elbows like you were lifting a weight. Stay back on your hips and apply enough pressure with your hand for the horse to try to find a way to get away from that pressure. Do not put leg on at this point just keep the pressure on his mouth and he will find a way to pick up his shoulders and back up. If he puts his head down even slightly I release and he will start seeking down as a way away from pressure. Just ask for one step at first then two steps and then more as time goes on. So far seems pretty elementary doesn’t it? One very important thing for you to do not only in this lesson but in all of them is that you understand and pay attention to what happens when you apply a cue. If you are not getting what you want then maybe you are not communicating with your horse. Your horse will not disobey you but he may misunderstand what you are asking. Always be consistent and ask the same way every time and the two of you will become a team. This is a team sport you know?
You must create the ride not be along for the ride. With that in mind let’s start:
We are always asking for impulsion when riding and impulsion comes from your legs and hips. Set up straight roll yourself up on your pelvis, open your chest, and allow a dip in your back. With your toes up rather than heals down and directly under your hips in a line with your ear you have achieved the proper seat. Don’t sit on your pockets and if you have ever been told to scoop with your hips please never do it again. Never hold pressure with your knees or your upper thigh and don’t push yourself out of the saddle with your legs. Set down with toes up and pointed out. Reach around the horse as if to hug him with your legs thus pulling yourself down into the saddle. This will allow you to lower your center of balance into your hips not in your shoulders where you could become unbalanced. Think forward with your hands thus lifting them up and forward as you squeeze with your calves and your horse will walk forward. You have created the ride. Allow your body to be relaxed and flow with the horse’s motion. As the saddle starts to move forward at the walk push it with your hips by elongating your body. Don’t kick your horse just squeeze and lift your hand in a forward motion. To stop your horse keep the leg on until you are ready to stop. Horses want to stop so this part is easy. Take your legs off by pushing them forward and making your legs straight. At the same time allow your tummy to crunch and your shoulders to fall in the direction of your hips. Just look down at the saddle horn! Do not lean back and elongate your tummy, Put your legs in a brace position but do not push your self out of the saddle, Put your hand down and fight the temptation to pull on the reins. In the beginning exaggerate these cues so that your horse really feels a difference in go and stop. When stopping make it an abrupt change from go to stop. Try jerking your feet into position and dump your shoulders down while crunching your tummy. If for some reason he does not stop then after he continues going forward a few steps pull up on the reins and say whoa. Pull to make him back up a step or two, Try again and see what happens. Now that you are in the stop position you can back. Leave your feet in the stop position pick up on the reins. Place your hands in a line from the horse’s mouth to your shoulders bending your elbows like you were lifting a weight. Stay back on your hips and apply enough pressure with your hand for the horse to try to find a way to get away from that pressure. Do not put leg on at this point just keep the pressure on his mouth and he will find a way to pick up his shoulders and back up. If he puts his head down even slightly I release and he will start seeking down as a way away from pressure. Just ask for one step at first then two steps and then more as time goes on. So far seems pretty elementary doesn’t it? One very important thing for you to do not only in this lesson but in all of them is that you understand and pay attention to what happens when you apply a cue. If you are not getting what you want then maybe you are not communicating with your horse. Your horse will not disobey you but he may misunderstand what you are asking. Always be consistent and ask the same way every time and the two of you will become a team. This is a team sport you know?
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