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Riding a Serpentine

Do you , like many riders, find yourself overlooking the humble serpentine as being too basic and easy a schooling movement to be of any real consequence to your horses development? If so, I would love to challenge you that the modest serpentine, if ridden and worked on correctly, can be a fantastic training aid for both your horse; and for you as a rider…

[smart_track_player url=”https://op3.dev/e/traffic.libsyn.com/dailystridespodcast/SFA386-Serpentines-for-Straightness-Balance-and-Suppleness.mp3″ title=”Serpentines for Straightness, Balance and Suppleness” social_linkedin=”true” social_pinterest=”true” social_email=”true” tweet_text=”Back to basics with the suppling serpentine… ” hashtag=”horseriding #schooling #equestrian” twitter_username=”strides_success” ]

The serpentine is the sort of exercise that can be used over and over again, daily if necessary, to improve your horses balance and rhythm, as well as his straightness, suppleness, bend, and can also help, later, with lateral movement.

They are a great tool that you can use to first assess your horses rhythm, balance and straightness. Serpentines will often show up any favoring of one side to the other in your horse which, once identified, allows you to develop a solid strategy from where to jump start not only your horses training, but also your own.

The serpentine is also a great tool that riders to use to improve and develop their own skills in the saddle. I have found them extremely useful in helping to keep riders looking forward and thinking ahead as to where they are going, and how the movement they are riding now will affect this. This combination will ensure that are looking up and ahead, while still riding the specific movement you are riding at that moment.

Unfortunately many riders see the serpentine as being merely a basic riding school movement and not giving it the attention it deserves while being ridden. This is where the potential is greatest for riders to get this wonderful and helpful movement wrong.

One of the first steps to riding a correct serpentine is to continuously monitor and feel what is happening underneath you, adjusting all the time to the different requirements of you as a rider, as you and your horse progress through the serpentine.

I have found that many riders tend to get ahead of the movement while riding a serpentine, both physically with their upper bodies and mentally, in their heads.

Serpentines teaches control on the riders part, to wait for each aspect of the movement as they ride through.

I have also seen riders leaning and collapsing through their upper bodies as they ride through a serpentine. It is almost as though they wish to get through the serpentine as quickly as possible and are physically willing their horses on and forward through the movement.

On the other side of the spectrum, I will find riders taking far too much of a hold on the reins or head and resulting on the horse going or leaning on to the forehand and becoming heavy. Part of riding the horse through a serpentine involves allowing your horse to carry himself through the movement and

Lack of preparation will result in late transitions or inaccurate changes of flexion which affect the whole exercise. It will also show up inconsistencies in tempo, bend and general suppleness of both horse and rider.

The next time you are in the arena riding, really use the time spent riding through the serpentine movement to, firstly, notice which side you and your horse find easier. Look out for any differences between the shape, bend and later transitions from one rein to the other.

I suggest taking the time before you mount up to mark out your serpentine, so you initially don’t have to worry about hitting the correct parts of the arena or figuring out where to go. Use poles or cones, however bearing in mind that sometimes riding over a pole each time may cause you and your horse to lose concentration… Maybe two parallel poles to ride through may work better.

Ride the serpentine first in walk and then work up to trot. Try and keep all of the loops the same size and aim for accuracy throughout the movement. Ride the serpentine from both directions and begin from both A and C on the arena so your horse does not begin to anticipate the movement. You can start initially with a large 3 loop serpentine and then, as you and your horse become more balanced over time, look to creating a 4 loop serpentine and even a 5 loop, depending on your arena and experience level.

Also concentrate on the ‘straight’ part between the loops. Use this space to half halt and re-balance your horse. You can initially have as many as 4 or 5 strides of ‘straight’ with a green horse and slowly as balance improves, work to 1 stride of straightness.

Pay particular attention to your horses shoulders, are they ‘falling out’ or or is maybe your horse using the rail as support? If so, you can begin by ‘shortening’ the width of your serpentine, by riding the outer most point of each ‘loop’ about 2 to 3 meters before you reach the track of the arena fence. Again, as you ride through the movement, analyse how well balanced your horse is when the fence or track is no longer there to support him.

Look for any leaning in from both you or your horse. Also try and keep the tempo and bend all the way through. See is your horse is willing to wait for each movement or if he is rushing through. This can often indicate a lack of balance and is something which should be corrected early in your horses training.

As always, come back to walk if there are problems and work through them from the walk before trying again in the trot.

Once both you and your horse are happy and confident riding through the initial 3 loop serpentine, you can begin to add variations to the exercise. One of these is to ‘close’ each loop into a circle, which you can ride for 1 or more circuits before continuing on with the traditional serpentine itself.

This exercise can be used to re-balance the horse, and also, can slow things down if necessary or change things up if your horse is beginning to anticipate the movement and run through it.

As you are riding each circle, make sure you don’t get ahead of your horses movement and ahead of the vertical with your upper body. Use your bending aids to correctly to ride the circle and then half halt as you leave the circle before then straightening your horse, crossing the center line and then continue on with your serpentine, bending the other way.

Another variation you can use of the traditional serpentine is flexing your horse away from the direction he is working on each loop and thus asking your horse for some shoulder-fore as you go around each loop. However, your horse does need to be supple and obedient to the aids, as well as supple and balanced, before attempting to perform this particular movement.

Finally, you can work transitions into your serpentine, both incorporating different gaits and transitions within the initial gait itself. This can be built up to cantering your serpentine, crossing the center line and changing bend through trot and later canter itself by performing flying changes.

Happy riding!
Lorna

May 26, 2015
A Smooth Sitting Trot
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Does the thought of any sort of prolonged periods of sitting trot fill both you, your bum, and your horse’s back with a sense of dread?! Perhaps the find the more you try not to bounce; the higher you appear to go?!

Sitting trot is probably one of the most confounding things to master when you first begin riding. And often enough time is not invested at the beginning of your training to understanding the sitting trot. This leaves riders to their own devices, of which there are many, in trying to stay in the saddle and not bounce around like a gummy bear!

Ideally, the sitting trot should be thought before the rising or posting to the trot, however, because sitting trot has gotten a bad name over the past few years, this is rarely the case.

This leads most novice riders to think of it as difficult or hard, which does not have to be the case.

Challenges with the Sitting Trot

Riding a good sitting trot involves staying in the saddle and moving with your horse. No bouncing and no daylight between your backside and your horse’s back. However, this is often easier said than done. What happens is when your horse’s back moves up on the first stride of the trot, you move up with it.

However as your horse’s back moves back down, you are not quite quick enough to move with your horse and your ‘coming down’ is now a fraction of a second behind your horse’s movement.

This can be due to a number of reasons and the problems begin to present themselves when your horse’s back moves up again, while you are still on your way down. The saddle or your horse’s back will ‘bump’ you and this causes the bounce, of which two or three in a row is usually enough to put most riders off balance and results in them clinging on by any means possible!

The Trampoline Effect

The same effect is experienced when on a trampoline with another person. If they touch down on the trampoline before you do… Their bounce coming back up meets your legs coming down… And results in a huge bounce, knocking you completely off balance and sometimes off the trampoline itself!

When the bouncing begins, so do all reactive actions that riders take to try make the bouncing stop, all of which only make the bouncing worse and get the rider further and further away from their correct position, which is essential to correctly move with the horse and stop the cycle.

What Not to Do…

Common faults include gripping with upper thighs to stay in the saddle or using your reins to balance yourself. Collapsing your upper body and rolling into an almost fetal position is also popular!

Gripping with knees and/or holding the arch at the pommel of the saddle is another common occurrence. And, of course, flapping the legs. I have even seen riders hanging on around their horses neck!! Not good folks, not good!!!

Sitting Trot; the Right Way…

A smooth sitting trot begins with being relaxed enough to move with your horse.

However many riders confuse a relaxed body with a floppy body. Relaxed means that while you are still carrying yourself. You have simply released all the excess tension from your muscles. There is the right amout of tension there. This allows you to be pliable and flexible enough to allow that movement.

Your hips and pelvis will certainly move up and down in the sitting trot. However, there is also a slight backward and forwards movement happening as well.

Becoming Like Jelly…

The strange thing about initially riding a sitting trot is that often the best way to learn how to actually begin moving with your horse is to ride a little incorrectly. This is just so you can begin to really feel what is happening under you.

You can then begin ‘polishing’ things up and holding a correct position for longer each time.

Firstly, make sure your legs are long and not gripping upwards. Focus on keeping your toes up, which for some reason seems easier to think of than weight into the heel in this particular situation. Also, keep your knee off the saddle.

By ‘off’ I mean no gripping or squeezing, just a very relaxed knee laying gently against the saddle.

Next, look at opening your pelvis. Do this by allowing your thighs to relax and open up. Again, no gripping, or pressing… Just gently draped down over your saddle and relaxed all the time. As you ‘open your pelvis’, allow your body to sink down, so you are no longer really carrying yourself in the saddle and are actually becoming heavy.

Again, I have to stress, this is not the correct way to ride, however often when riders are stiff or tense, ‘over relaxing’ is the key to allowing them to feel for the first time, what it is like to move with their horse instead of tensing against each stride.

Move With Your Horse

Once you have relaxed everything, you will probably feel almost like you are leaning back a little and are quite low in the saddle. Don’t hold this position for too long and it is uncomfortable for your horse, not to mention bad for your back. However, while there try to notice how your horse’s back is moving underneath you. I

f you feel confident, you can try a few strides of a very slow trot and see how, in this ‘jelly-like’ position, you stay on the saddle, not bouncing off it.

Self Carriage for the Rider

Once you can master the sitting trot in a completely relaxed position, you can begin to carry yourself again. Do this by engaging your core muscles, in particular your abdominal muscles. Notice how, when you engage the muscles in your tummy, you lift your body up. You are still relaxed, however now you are beginning to carry yourself.

Again, ask for slow, short trots, making sure not to spend too long in the gait as, until you can master carrying yourself and allowing your pelvis to follow. Otherwise you will feel very heavy on your horses back and may cause him discomfort.

As you use your core to carry yourself, pay attention to how you are sitting up through your body. Almost as though you don’t want your rib-cage to squash the organs underneath. Work on keeping your chest open. The points of your shoulders opened out and no ‘creases’ on the front of your tummy. Try not to arch your back or pull your shoulders back, as this will only cause you to tense your lower back again. This will lead to straight back to bouncing. You must carry your upper body so your pelvis, hips, and seat can indeed move with your horse

Sitting Trot is Like Dancing…

Sometimes we hear that we must try and absorb the energy. However, this is often difficult to visualize or understand for many riders. If this is the case for you, rather think of moving with your horse. Like a dancing partner.

Each of you is responsible for carrying and supporting your own body and all the while, you move together.

Another exercise you can try is to put both reins into one hand and, bending your elbow, place your other arm behind you with your hand flat on your back. This works in two ways; you can feel what is happening with your back as you ride, but also, your elbow is now slightly behind your shoulder, which will help keep your upper body and chest area open.

Lastly, remember to keep on relaxing through your legs so you do not grip up. A ground pointing toe is often the result of gripping up with the legs, so pay attention that legs are hanging down, with the weight going into your heel.

Start with a Few Strides of Trot

Again, begin by trotting 5 to 10 strides and then back to walk. Repeat until you can really begin to understand what is happening to your body as your horse trots. But, also, that you don’t have to concentrate on not gripping or curling forward.

If you do run into trouble and feel like you are about to fall off at any time, lean back, push your heels down, and bring your lower leg forward. Once you have regained your balance, begin working on ‘fixing’ your position again.

As I mentioned earlier allowing yourself to become heavy and completely relaxed in the saddle is not correct. However sometimes as riders, we make such an issue out of our bouncing in the sitting trot, that we train ourselves to tense up in order to try to prevent it.

Often the easiest way to untrain this is to feel what the movement is actually like with a totally relaxed body. Then begin to control your core so that it can support you and, most importantly, can move with your horse in the trot.

Once you have mastered carrying yourself and not bouncing for the shorter, slower periods of trot, you can then begin to ride longer pieces of sitting trot as you are now moving with your horse, not against him.

And, trust me, when this happens both you and him will be happier for it!

Happy Riding
Lorna

Additional Resources for Equestrians
May 22, 2015
Improving Your Feel in the Saddle
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Feel… A hugely important component of successful horsemanship and something that is often considered as a talent that you are either gifted at birth with or your not!

From years spent helping and watching people ride, I do agree that some people seem to have a more natural feel than others. However, I have also found that, often, riders who seemingly lack natural feel can learn it. They can develop it with consistent effort and diligence.

What Is Feel?

So what is feel? My explanation of feel is the ability to know the right time to ask a question of your horse without having to consciously think about it. It is also the skill of reacting correctly, in a timely fashion, to almost all situations without, again, having to think too long or hard about it.

True feel is not a conscious thought, rather a subconscious response to the present situation to affect the outcome you want.

However, often the frustration felt while trying to find your ‘feel’, is the very thing that will prevent you from developing your riding skills and mastering your body. This prevents you from getting in tune with your horse and dancing the same dance.

Warm Up Before Riding

Firstly, before you hop into the saddle, invest some time warming up your body. This will ensure that you are just as ready to work as your horse is. I think as riders we can definitely improve our own personal performance in the saddle if we invest even a quarter amount of the time and dedication we spend on warming up our horses, warming up our own bodies!

Some initial simple stretches & exercises can be a huge game-changer when you do then mount up.

Correct Your Position & Posture

When in the saddle, begin by engaging your core. Then make sure your shoulders, pelvis, and legs are aligned as they should be. More times than not, a locked pelvis or hip joint is what works against you developing your natural feel as a rider.

Pay attention that your legs are not too far back, leaving you sitting on your crotch. Also that you are not squeezing or pinching with your thighs or legs which stops you from releasing your knee. Allow your legs to hang. Then look at ‘wrapping’ them around your horse, keeping your knee off so your legs do not ‘stick out’.

Relaxation is, as always, of the utmost importance in order for you to be receptive to the horse & his movement. Excess tension in either you or the horse will stop most of the feel between horse & rider. And stop you from absorbing the movement as it happens.

It is also important to remember that your horse must be allowed to move forward. When he does you,as the rider, should follow your horse. Make adjustments based on what you are feeling, when, and with each body part. Only when you, the rider, can truly feel the horse underneath you can you then actively begin to make adjustments based on what is happening, or what you desire to happen.

Increase Your Awareness

You need to become aware of your horse and be sensitive to their every movement. I suggest taking things back to walk. Then, with your feet out of your stirrups, allowing your legs to drape over your horse’s sides. From here, begin counting each footfall in each stride your horse takes.

Begin to notice which hoof is the 1, which is the 2, the 3 and the 4 of each stride.

Once you can accurately tell which hoof is moving when in the sequence, begin paying attention to your body. Notice how your horse’s moving is affecting & influencing your movement. If you are in a safe, enclosed space with a horse you trust, you can even close your eyes. This will help you to block out other distractions and really allow you to feel what is going on underneath you. So, as your horse is walking, first begin to feel the rhythm of the walk, the 1, 2, 3, 4…

Notice The Hind Legs Moving

Once this is established, begin focusing on which of the beats is your horse’s inside back leg moving forward (before) he puts his hoof on the ground. Your left hip (on that same side) will dip down as his leg lifts off the ground to move forward underneath you both.

This is because his barrel will swing out to the opposite side to make room for the leg coming under him. Often this is an easy way to remember this…

Concentrate and focus on the movement, rhythm, and beat. If necessary, have a person on the ground first tell you when this is happening. Then notice and remember how your body reacts to this movement. If you are not fortunate enough to have a reliable person on the ground and you are still struggling to feel, it often helps if you place your hands on your upper thighs and feel which thigh goes up and down, and when.

Only through correct repetition of this exercise in a calm, relaxed manner will you begin to enhance your powers to feel what is happening and from there, begin to move with your horse as a real team.

Happy Riding
Lorna

This topic is just one that we regularly cover inside of Connection. If you are interested in finding out more about Connection, have a look HERE >>

Additional Resources for Equestrians
- - Online Community for Equestrian focusing on Planning and Mindset
    
    Great Expectations – Returning to Riding series
    
    Step by Step – Returning to Riding Series
    
    Choosing Your Mindset – Returning to Riding Series
    
    Focusing on the Basics – Returning to Riding Series
    
    The Original Returning to Riding Plan
    
    The Full Returning to Riding Program
    
    Free Equestrian Fitness Challenge
    
    Connection; The Online Membership for Equestrians
May 15, 2015
Controlling Your Hands While Riding

Do you find that often when you ride, your hands begin to do their own thing? Waving about, flagging some imaginary air traffic, conducting a symphony, or just bouncing up and down like a jack hammer?! To make this even more frustrating; it seems like the more you try to ‘quiet’ or ‘still’ your hands the worse the problem becomes…

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The uncomfortable truth is that while you might be feeling frustrated about your lack of control, it is often your horse that is taking the brunt of this particular riding challenge. He may begin to fight you for the reins, lean on you or pull you along.

Or maybe you spend time while riding continuously changing or fiddling with the length of your reins, dropping your hands and straightening your elbows, twisting your wrists so your knuckles are on top. Or perhaps you are flapping your shoulders and arms in an attempt to ‘relax’ and all the while, that soft, following contact with your horse’s mouth continuously evades you…

Steady hands come from a relaxed body that is carrying itself. Relaxed does not mean floppy or loose, but rather supporting yourself without any signs of tension. Relaxation will also allow your body to follow your horses movement, which is the first key to controlling your arms and hands. I realize that it seems almost counter intuitive to focus on your body first when trying to ‘fix’ your hands, however one will not happen without first controlling the other.

When your body is relaxed, your ‘shock absorbers’ can work optimally, working with the energy from the horse and not against it. Often hands that bounce around are the result of a rigid or tense rider, who is only rigid and tense because they are trying so desperately to control their body! It is a vicious cycle.

The first thing to do is begin paying attention to your seat and pelvis and how, in walk, they follow your horse. Notice your breathing, and lift your upper body to allow your lungs to fill with air with each breath, to remove any tension from your body. Open your chest, remembering all the while to carry your body, not slouch, and then allow your arms to simply fall from your shoulders.

Then remember to carry your hands. Don’t just allow gravity and your horses mouth to dicate where your hands are at any given time. In order to become soft through your contact, you must carry your own hands, which means bending your elbows. A good guide line is to try keep your hands around the height of your belly button.

Once you have your hands where they should be, pay attention to how your shoulders, upper arms, elbows, fore arms, wrists and fingers all work together to follow your horses mouth. If you move your hand forward, move it from the elbow. Supple elbows will allow you to absorb movement and continue to keep a soft contact.

Pay attention that your fingers are closed on the reins. Also, that you are ‘holding’ the rein with your thumb by pinching the rein between your thumb and index finger, not by squeezing your fingers. This will then free up your fingers to have more subtle ‘conversations’ down the reins to your horses mouth. Holding the reins this way will also prevent your reins becoming long and causing you to drop the contact with your horse.

Begin establishing a following contact by lengthening your reins out, so you initially will have very little connection with your horses mouth. Move your elbows and hands with your pelvis and seat. Think of them being somehow invisibly connected to each other and relaxed enough that the movement of your horse underneath you is enough to quietly influence your body. Don’t force the movement, you must follow your horse, not drive your horse along by pushing with your seat or hands. When you feel that you are now following your horses mouth, you can begin to slowly gather up your reins again and begin establishing a contact with your horses mouth. If you feel any tension coming back, gently lengthen your reins and begin again.

Another good visualization you can use is to think about carrying cups of hot tea… If your arms are tense, the tea will splash and spill from the cup. If your arms are floppy, the same thing will happen. Only when your arms are ‘working’ with your moving body, will the tea stay in the cup!

Remember that you do need to have a contact when riding. However that contact must come from soft, following hands that provide steady, consistent support connection and direction when needed. Sometimes it seems that more emphasis is placed on the leg and getting our horses back end working underneath him while being ridden. And this is true…

However, there must also be a contact to direct and contain that energy and ask your horse to work in a frame. Be careful not to hang on your horses mouth, but also not to lose the contact either. It is a fine balance, which needs to be continuously re-evaluated and adjusted depending on the work or the results of other aids.

A strong core must be maintained throughout, so you are carrying yourself and are agile enough to follow your horse. When you can begin to confidently carry both your body and your arms, you will find that the tension which was causing the jarring or bouncing will soon dissipate, leaving you with quiet, soft hands from which you can begin direct that wonderful energy.

Happy Riding
Lorna

May 5, 2015
Basic Exercises for your OTTB (Off the Track Thoroughbred)

There seems to be two types of riders in the world, those that love an OTTB and those that don’t! I am squarely in the former category and if you are also there, well make yourself comfortable because this week on Daily Strides we are focusing on basic exercises you can begin implementing with your OTTB today that will help lay a solid foundation for future schooling, regardless of the discipline.

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An OTTB, or off the track thoroughbred or retired racehorse, are athletes whom are bred with a specific purpose in mind; to get from A to B as fast as possible while remaining sound. They also, through years of selective breeding, mature earlier, have quicker reaction times and have a winning attitude which can sometimes be difficult to work with if you do not understand how to use this to further the horses training.

However, for all their wonderful attributes, OTTBs are often looked down on by many pleasure riders and competitive riders in specific disciplines alike, which is a shame because a quick flick through the history books will soon highlight numerous thoroughbreds who, once finished their careers on the racetrack, achieved glory in both dressage, jumping and eventing.

The OTTB has a sensitive and quick mind and because of this, they do will under the guidance of riders who are careful and mindful of what they ask and how they ask for it. The thoroughbred also has fantastic athletic ability and are wonderful animals to train because of how well they can use their body and brain.

Of course, it goes without saying that initially choosing the correct horse is vital, with emphasis on the horses age, confirmation, temperament, racing history, soundness, to a lesser extent breeding and the all important condition and shape of the hooves.

Being such a highly prized and bred animal, the OTTB may need extra care which might just equate to extra financial implications and while purchasing an OTTB may be cheaper initially, he may just cost you in other areas in the long run.

When your horse first retires from the track, you can either ‘allow him to be a horse for a while’ and after roughing him off correctly, turn him out for a few months into some nice pasture, or you can start him in work straight away. It seems to depend on the horse and if he is not happy and needs more time ‘away’ he will let you know! Of course before starting any training program, ensure all the necessary health checks are performed; teeth, back, dewormer, inoculations etc.

Begin With Training Your OTTB to Lunge Correctly

Your initial goal in your training program should be to achieve a level of relaxation from your horse. Keep in mind that his life up to now was very ‘busy’ and he will need a transition period where he can start enjoying his new career. Lunging is a super aid to begin both building a bond with your horse and achieve that goal of relaxation.

Use the time on the lunge to train your horse to your voice. Simple commands such as Walk, Trot, Canter, Steady and Whoa, will go a long way to helping him understand your new seat and leg aids when you do mount up on him.

Lunging also helps divide his past life and his new life. It works as a transitioning tool from one to the other and allows your horse to ‘let down’ and realize that life is now very different, as is the work expected of him.

Once your horse has a good grasp of the voice commands, you can begin to incorporate some loose schooling into his training program as well, particularly if he will be going forward to a jumping career (whether pleasure or competitive). Beginning over poles on the ground and building up smaller fences as his confidence grows will allow him to perform the all important task of figuring things out for himself.

Transitioning to a New Career Can be Difficult!

When you do begin to work your OTTB under the saddle, use a general purpose or jumping saddle initially, not a dressage saddle. Your horse is used to having his rider do most work in a 2 point seat, not the deep seat that a dressage saddle encourages.

Begin with being very mindful about what you are asking and how you are going about asking for it. Remember your horse was asked to ‘go’ and ‘stop’ very differently in his past career and it will take time and consistent aids applied with patience and kindness to show him what you want when you apply your aids.

Consistency is the key to retraining your OTTB and building a strong bond forged in trust will ensure you have a willing partner with whom to have wonderful adventures for many years to come.

Another piece of information to bear in mind is that while your retired racehorse may rush and want to run on initially, this may not so much be caused by him being unbalanced, more that he just doesn’t understand what is being asked of him and old habits, as we can all attest to when put in stressful situations, die-hard! This is a horse who has possibly years of training in him and who knows how to do a job… Just not the job you want!

Establishing Halt

Focus on asking for halt first, using all the correct aids and not worrying about anything else, just the fact that the horse ceased moving, if only for a second or two initially. Your horse may not initially understand what you are asking, as using the seat and legs is probably a whole new experience for him, but with patient repetition and having your voice aids back up your seat, leg and rein aids, you will slowly begin to convey what the aids to Halt are.

Make sure you reward every small step forward. Thoroughbreds are often sensitive by nature and telling him that he is doing well, no matter how small the progress is, will go a long way to keeping him relaxed and happy in his job, rather than anxious and nervous. As with all horses, as soon as he stops or yields to your aids, release the pressure and reward with your voice as well, so he begins to understand the reward system.

You may find that initially he might jog and crab sideways, step backwards, shake his head, paw the ground and just behave like an impatient, overly wound up ball of tension; Ignore these behaviors and continue to ask for him to stop and when he does, no matter how far from where you initially asked, reward him.

Once you have established the ‘rules’ for asking him to stop, you can then begin polishing and disciplining the stop a little more so it begins to resemble a halt in the true sense of the word.

Moving Forward From Your Leg

Same principles applies when training your horse to move forward from your leg. Ask with your voice and leg initially (this is where the work on the lunge is a huge aid) and keep in mind that he does not know what your legs are, or what they are for; let alone that he must move forward from them.

Be gentle with your legs and offer no resistance with your hand. Don’t worry about how straight he walks, or even if he trots, just reward the fact that he moved forward and slowly begin to place more emphasis on the leg and less on your voice. It will take time to establish this and, again, patience and consistency coupled with compassion and lots of rewarding will get you both there eventually.

What is also important to note here is that once he moves forward from your leg, he must also accept your leg being there as he is going forward. Don’t take your leg off if he ‘shoots’ forward, rather let him learn that your leg is something that will be a constant part of his new career, so best he gets used to it from the beginning.

Thoroughbreds like a contact and I have found it can often settle them, so don’t have your reins loose, maintain a contact, but make sure you are soft enough through your hands and arms to allow his forward movement.

Continue to work through the halt and forward aids until they become fluid and the desired response is achieved all the time and make sure you implement them both outside the arena as well as inside.

Teaching Your OTTB to Straightness

Once your horse as a pretty good understanding of what is expected when you apply the aids to halt and then again, to move forward, you can begin tidying things up by asking more questions and expecting better results with regards to where he is putting his legs.

Place two poles paralleled on the ground about 3 meters apart, I suggest on the quarter line, and begin asking for the halt between the poles. As he becomes more responsive to standing ‘straight’ and responding to your leg to maintain straightness in the halt, you can begin moving the poles closer together.

It is important to remember that while he may be getting used to your legs when asked to go forward, he initially most probably won’t understand your legs in moving laterally or sideways. However he may understand rein aids, including neck reining, to move over and so you can use this to your advantage when introducing him to moving over.

To introduce him to your legs in relation to being straight, begin in the stable with ground work done while grooming or cleaning. Place your hand where your leg will be and asking for a very clearly spoken ‘OVER’ while applying pressure with your hand. When he moves away, again release the pressure and reward using your voice and softening of the ‘rein’ or whatever you are using to control him in the stable. Over time, he will begin to understand that pressure in that area, coupled with the ‘OVER’ means just that and you can begin using your leg from the saddle, instead of your hand from the ground, to achieve similar results while riding.

You can also place a second pair of parallel poles further up the quarter line and as you move forward from the halt, begin encouraging him to stay ‘straight’ between the poles. You can alternate between halting between the poles and just continuing straight between the pole. AS he becomes more accurate with where he places his feet, you can roll the poles closer together, leaving him less space to play with in terms of stepping and jiggling.

As always, do all exercises first from walk and then from trot. You may find in trot that he drifts over, particularly to the outside and again, you can use your ‘neck reining’ aid to back up your outside leg in communicating with him where you would prefer him to go

Rome wasn’t built in a day and often when he may begin to get frustrated, old habits may revert. By changing what is being asked and not allowing his schooling sessions to become boring for his sharp mind, you will probably find it is enough to nip any bad habits in the bud, and when you return to the ‘problem area’ again, either another day or later in the schooling session, he will willingly oblige you.

In finishing, I just want to stress that patience is essential when working with this quick and finely tuned animal, however it is well worth the time invested and you will soon have a wonderful horse who really wants to please you and is ready to turn his hoof to almost anything as well!

Happy Riding
Lorna

Have you joined in the FREE 30 Day Rider Fitness Challenge yet? Condition yourself better, so you can be the best for your horse that you can be. Click below to join us today…

This topic makes up one of over 100 full weeks of audio horse riding lessons inside of Daily Strides Premium. In this specific group of lessons we are focusing on working with your OTTB to retrain and re-school him for his new career as you’re riding horse. There is also a lessons on halting & moving forward from your leg and another on exercises you can do to start polishing his movements and begin asking for more accurate responses. The final lesson of the group is focused on bending correctly, with the foundation being straight through the bend. You can find out more about Daily Strides Premium HERE >>

April 29, 2015
Using Ground Poles in Schooling

Have you used ground poles in your schooling before? Do you perhaps think ground poles are only really useful for jumpers or competition horses?

Ground poles are a fantastic tool for horses of all disciplines. They help to improve self-control, balance, focus, suppleness, elasticity, coordination (including hoof / eye) and strength in both the horse and the rider.

Another added benefit of working over ground poles, is that your horse will use his back more correctly. The poles will also encourage greater flexibility or bend in his joints and, over time, the poles can be used as exercises when shortening and lengthening strides in different gaits.

Ground poles can also be used also as a training aid, which you can regularly return to when loosening up older stiffer horses. They can also, if used correctly, encourage a horse with a shorter stride to gradually, inch by inch, lengthen or stretch their strides without rushing and losing their balance.

Jumpers will often incorporate days of schooling over ground poles rather than jumping as it saves the horses joints while keeping them fit, ready and tuned up for show ring. Use of the ground poles encourages the horse to push more off their hind quarters, instead of pulling with shoulders & front end and also helps develop confidence over distances and an awareness of the legs and feet.

The beauty of the ground poles is that basically no jumping is performed. However the horse and rider both still receive the benefits…

Poles can be used to get your horse to begin balancing themselves using their hind quarter more, instead of total reliance on using the head & neck to maintain balance.

As I mentioned, ground poles can be used with horses of all disciplines, whether it be dressage for greater ability to balance, lengthen and shorten, or jumping. They are equally as beneficial for trail horses as they can help develop ‘sure footedness’ in a horse due to increased coordination.

Both Horse & Rider Must Work Over the Poles

So, we have discussed just a few of the numerous benefits for the horse, however it is worth remembering that all this can be undone if the rider does not do their job efficiently!

If you don’t focus on where you are going… You’re probably going to find yourself some place else!

In other words, look up when going over the ground poles, not down. Plan your route or line and then as you approach the pole itself, look up and on to either the next pole or wherever it is you are continuing on to.

Ground poles are excellent for teaching you, the rider, to maintain a steady rhythm and tempo in walk, trot & canter. They also teach patience, with riders learning to wait.

A big part of using ground poles successful in your schooling is allowing your horse to think for himself and figure things out… Which will in time make him a much safer mount in difficult situations.

It is important that before you start each session, you have a clear goal in mind and also an end point. Working over poles can be tiring for your horse, so make sure you are not hammering on and on as tiredness leads to mistakes and bad habits.

Also keep in mind that although the poles are on the ground it makes good horse sense to ensure your horse is dressed for jumping, whether that means extra leg protection or different tack etc, as sometimes horses can get exuberant over the poles and may knock themselves or injure themselves.

Start with Single Ground Pole

So, to start I suggest beginning to work in walk over a single pole. Try to use this exercise to firstly build your horses confidence and introduce him to poles, but then also to begin ‘training’ your body how to respond to the different feeling as your horse navigates the pole.

Too often riders do not put the appropriate time in to doing the simpler exercises, and this almost always leaves the door open for problems further down the line in a horses education or career.

Once you are both comfortable navigating the pole in walk, begin to trot back and forth over the pole. When riding this, try to keep posting, adjusting your body to accommodate the different feeling over the single pole.

Remaining balanced in the Saddle over the Poles

Ground poles will test your balance and independence of seat, whether it is over true ‘ground’ poles, or over raised poles later.

Remaining balanced while your horse navigates the pole is often easier said than done, particularly if it is the first time you are riding over a pole. This is because your horse is using himself, particularly his back-end, more. His hind legs have to lift more up and under him in order to successfully clear the pole.

It is vital that you make sure your knees and ankles are free to absorb this extra bounce and movement… Any excess tension or ‘fixed’ positions will cause you to become stiff and rigid. This is what leads to you becoming the proverbial ‘sack of potatoes’ on your poor horse’s back.

I initially make my riders get off the horse’s back into a light seat all the way through. I have a detailed descriptions of how to correctly do this HERE and HERE

The reason I suggest the light seat is due to the increased suspension or bounce as the horse navigates the poles. Novice riders in particular struggle with this and it can often result in them getting left behind and become heavy and burdensome on the horse’s back.

This will enviably result in the horse hollowing his back instead of rounding and using his back-end. However if you feel you are balanced enough to absorb the added energy, post through it, and use the posting to help maintain the tempo of the trot.

The Poles Must be Adjusted; Not the Horses Stride

Finally, it is important to remember that your horse is an individual. The suggested distances of the poles, when you begin to work over more than one pole at a time, are just that – suggestions.

The poles must be adjusted to your horse’s stride, and not vice versa. You can use the suggested distance to build the initial exercise, however once you see how your horse handles it, it is vitally important that you adjust the poles to suit your horses stride.

Your horse will not have the strength, the confidence or the ability to adjust his stride at the beginning stages of working over poles.

In order for ground poles to be an effective schooling aid, your horse must have confidence in what he is doing… And allowing him to feel comfortable going over them is the key to creating this.

Small increments rather than huge changes are what will bring you success when working with ground poles.

This is the first of two blog posts on this topic. The second blog post contains actual exercises using ground poles which you can use when riding your horse. You can read Part 2 HERE

Happy Riding
Lorna

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April 22, 2015