Enhance your Riding Riding helps develop trust, balance and feel.
Basics for Riding
These can all be developed in whatever tack makes you feel most safe, whether that is a Western or English saddle, bridle, martingale etc. When you are ready you can choose to ride in a halter, one rein, bareback ... bridleless!! Seven Essential Elements For Riding Once you can feel the rhythm of your horse's movement, you can learn to manoeuvre him with the lightest of cues from your seat. Sometimes the horse will need more help from you to understand what is needed so it much easier if work in time with your horse and stay balanced on his back. The aim is to look for a conversation between two bodies and minds to create an elegant expression of harmony. Breathing - using your breath to prepare you and your horse for a change in direction or speed can dramatically reduce a natural desire to 'force' a horse to do what we want. Lateral Flexion - a bend throughout the body, starting with the ribs with a relaxed poll (no lateral twist) weight to the outside of the horse and a lift through the thoracic sling. This begins in halt then is put into each gait, through turns and circles and a useful re- balancing halt if the horse has fallen onto the forehand. Indirect Rein/Body - moves the hindquarter. A good indirect is the same body posture as lateral flexion just deepened until the horse needs to moves his inside hind under. This develops further into a rhythmic step under and through, and an engagement of the abdominal muscles and inside hind, and a lift through the back releasing a soft poll to encourage elastic feel through the rein Direct Rein/Body - moves the front end, and teaches the horse to lead with his nose in the turn. It is a simple turn on the haunches with the nose leading, the horse engaged throughout the body, unless turning it into a Western spin. This also helps develop the pirouette when ridden in rhythm and balance with the horse. Support rein - this is simply the above positions using only an outside rein. By teaching it to the horse separately it helps true self-carriage and teaches the horse to follow a feel rather than be pulled onto turns. Back-up - once your horse can move backwards from either your rein or your body, you can recombine them to help your horse to fully engage his body and use his abdominal muscles to create a stronger back and a lighter, more powerful stop. Forwards - teach your horse to carry you so you can accept his kinetic energy and shape it into the above movements instead of trying to make it happen. Remember: legs are not for forwards, they are for engagement and lateral work. |
Dillon offers a lovely flexion without reins
Judy uses her breathing and body dynamics to help Newton stay connected throughout his body in the turn
Caleb learning how to ride with one rein!
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Cara turns from a being rearer to a fantastic all-rounder and champion polo-crosse horse!
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Once you have the essential elements and can ride in rhythm and balance with your horse, the world is your oyster,
High Level Schooling If you want to unfathom the delights of lateral work; leg-yield, half-pass, shoulder-in, quarters-in, they are easy once you can ride using the above! Then we can play with Spanish walk, piaffe, pirouettes, extension, collection..... Have Fun! Ride safely up and down bankings and in round and through objects like trec or western trail classes - or just so it's easy to open a gate whilst hacking.... And more..... x-country, jumping, galloping, polo-crosse, horseball, bareback, bridless..... whatever your goal! |
Malcolm works on shoulder-in
on diagonal
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Contact Martha mob 07791 539458 email thinkhorses@yahoo.com
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