Today I will pick one lateral movement that will encourage engagement because it is early in the week. Later in the week I will combine lateral movements into one exercise to make it more complicated.
Shoulder-in or variations of shoulder-in; shoulder-fore and position-in, are the exercise that I'm picking (Use the book Advanced Techniques of Dressage page 46-54 as a reference). I am going to work on shoulder-in before I do transitions between trot and canter to improve the engagement and carrying power throughout the transitions.
I am going to use simple school figures at the trot and canter to finish my work out-Cool down. This will give the horse a chance to enjoy the new balance and athleticism that they have gained during the work out phase without being challenged by complicated figures. The idea is that the horse should never struggle through the cool down period. They should find the cool down easy and then it will build confidence in the horse. We all like to do things well and ending the work out while the horse is enjoying the new found balance is a good way to promote a happy athlete!!
Let me know what you decide to do today!!!
Write a comment or a note even if it is not Tues for you!!
Friday, February 27, 2009
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Monday Idea! SPURS
My horses had yesterday off or they had a really easy day with their owners so today is all about suppleness. Our work today will consist of bending lines like circles, serpentines and figures of 8. On those figures we will do transitions to make our horses obedient to the aids. Most of the horses will do leg yields to stretch the long muscles of the body. The youngsters will not do leg yields they will focus on 1/4 lines instead.
We will focus on our rider's position so that we are giving very accurate aids and helping our horses find their balance.
You should walk your horse for 10 minutes.
The warm up should take 10 minutes.
2 minute break
The work out should take 18 minutes.
The cool down should take 5 minutes.
Let me know what figures that you do and how it worked for your horse. Did the time limits help your efficiency?
We will focus on our rider's position so that we are giving very accurate aids and helping our horses find their balance.
You should walk your horse for 10 minutes.
The warm up should take 10 minutes.
2 minute break
The work out should take 18 minutes.
The cool down should take 5 minutes.
Let me know what figures that you do and how it worked for your horse. Did the time limits help your efficiency?
Thursday, January 29, 2009
What I'm up to....
Well we are getting ready for the Equine Affaire!! Erin Vallarino and I are getting the horses and trailer ready to go. We are going to be demo riders for our good friend James Shaw. We can bee seen at the outdoor arena on Friday at 6:00pm and Saturday at 4:30pm. I am hoping that everyone can come and watch us ride.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
SPURS Thought for the day 8
SPURS Thought for the day 8
Rhythm and regularity
Each of the horse’s gaits has a particular number of beats to the footfalls. This is the horse’s rhythm. The walk has 4 beats, Trot- 2, canter-3 and the gallop has 4. The beats are counted when the feet hit the ground.
Let’s just think of the paces of the horse are different songs. The walk is Mary had a little lamb, the trot is Row, row, row your boat and the canter is Itsy bitsy spider. I chose those songs only because most people know them and I’m not a musical genius! How fast you sing the song is the tempo.
The gaits are considered irregular when the footfalls are not consistent or the tempo is not steady. The relaxation of the horse can directly affect the rhythm and regularity of the horse’s gaits. (Read SPURS- Thought of the day 7)
For today we are riding the 20-15-10 circles. Place 4 cones as circle points on the circle. Count your horse’s steps on each of the ¼ers of the circle. The number of steps should be the same. If the tempo is irregular or the horse lacks the balance to maintain a round circle, the number of steps will vary. Document the average number of steps your horse takes on each size circle at each gait. Keep track of this as you develop the horse’s gaits over the years. It will be interesting!
Next exercise is to count your breaths on the circles. Breath through your belly like a singer or like in yoga class. Your horse can’t be expected to have more regularity than you do!
Rhythm and regularity
Each of the horse’s gaits has a particular number of beats to the footfalls. This is the horse’s rhythm. The walk has 4 beats, Trot- 2, canter-3 and the gallop has 4. The beats are counted when the feet hit the ground.
Let’s just think of the paces of the horse are different songs. The walk is Mary had a little lamb, the trot is Row, row, row your boat and the canter is Itsy bitsy spider. I chose those songs only because most people know them and I’m not a musical genius! How fast you sing the song is the tempo.
The gaits are considered irregular when the footfalls are not consistent or the tempo is not steady. The relaxation of the horse can directly affect the rhythm and regularity of the horse’s gaits. (Read SPURS- Thought of the day 7)
For today we are riding the 20-15-10 circles. Place 4 cones as circle points on the circle. Count your horse’s steps on each of the ¼ers of the circle. The number of steps should be the same. If the tempo is irregular or the horse lacks the balance to maintain a round circle, the number of steps will vary. Document the average number of steps your horse takes on each size circle at each gait. Keep track of this as you develop the horse’s gaits over the years. It will be interesting!
Next exercise is to count your breaths on the circles. Breath through your belly like a singer or like in yoga class. Your horse can’t be expected to have more regularity than you do!
SPURS thought of the day 7
SPURS
Thought of the day 7
Relaxation
The thought of riding a relaxed horse is appealing to most of us. In fact, anyone who has ridden a horse that is both relaxed and energetic will understand the point of good dressage.
Let’s concentrate on encouraging our horses to develop relaxation while we work. We can do this by designing our lesson for today around a few simple principals.
1. We all like to do things that we are good at.
Start your ride with simple exercise that your horse can perform easily. Execute this exercise 5 times each direction.
2. When we are bored with our work we do not perform to our best ability.
Introduce a more difficult version of your exercise and execute it 4 times each direction. Take a short break and let the horse walk. Repeat the exercise one time each direction and expand the exercise a little bit more and repeat 3 times each direction. You should finish your work with a simple cool down that includes walking on a loose rein.
3. We all get anxious when we are required to do something that we are unclear about.
If your horse gets anxious at any time during the work, go back to a simpler version of the exercise until they are relaxed about the work.
Your homework is to write back to me about your lesson plans including the figures or exercises used. Tell me how things went and what you will change in the future.
Feel free to e-mail me directly at dressagepeacock@gmail.com.
Thought of the day 7
Relaxation
The thought of riding a relaxed horse is appealing to most of us. In fact, anyone who has ridden a horse that is both relaxed and energetic will understand the point of good dressage.
Let’s concentrate on encouraging our horses to develop relaxation while we work. We can do this by designing our lesson for today around a few simple principals.
1. We all like to do things that we are good at.
Start your ride with simple exercise that your horse can perform easily. Execute this exercise 5 times each direction.
2. When we are bored with our work we do not perform to our best ability.
Introduce a more difficult version of your exercise and execute it 4 times each direction. Take a short break and let the horse walk. Repeat the exercise one time each direction and expand the exercise a little bit more and repeat 3 times each direction. You should finish your work with a simple cool down that includes walking on a loose rein.
3. We all get anxious when we are required to do something that we are unclear about.
If your horse gets anxious at any time during the work, go back to a simpler version of the exercise until they are relaxed about the work.
Your homework is to write back to me about your lesson plans including the figures or exercises used. Tell me how things went and what you will change in the future.
Feel free to e-mail me directly at dressagepeacock@gmail.com.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
SPURS Thought for the Day 6
SPURS 6-Thought for the day
We have been doing a lot of suppling work so we should be ready for engagement. Shoulder-in is the first lateral movement that engages the inside hind leg. Look in the book Advanced Techniques of Riding; the German hand book on page 46 for the aids for the movement.
Your warm up needs to include straight lines, the bend of a 10 meter circle and moving the horse away from the inside leg. These are the prerequisites or the components for the shoulder-in. I like to warm up first by doing the usual 20 meter circles and straight lines and then becoming more specific. I execute 10m voltes at A or C. Then I proceed on quarter line. I leg yield to the track. I do this in both directions.
For the work out phase I execute the 10 meter volte in the corner and proceed down the track in shoulder in. I only do the shoulder-in ½ way down the long side and then I ride across the short diagonal ending with a 10 meter volte in the corner. This volte should be used to rebalance the horse. The first few times that I ride the exercise I ride the diagonal in collected trot. Then I ride the exercise and proceed across the diagonal in medium trot. If you ride the diagonal in medium trot on the diagonal every time, the horse will learn to run or quicken the trot across the diagonal.
You can add asset of canter after you have done the exercise 3 times each direction. The canter work should be simple as it is not the difficult part of the work out. I would suggest riding one 20 meter circle at B or E. Then immediately ride a 15 meter circle. Then ride a 10 meter volte. I end it by making a transition on the 10meter volte before coming back to the track.
You can do this exercise on young horses by making it a bit more simple. The circles can be bigger. The shoulder-in can be done as shoulder-fore or position in. The medium trot can be simplified to lengthening in the trot. The canter can be executed only on the 20 meter circle.
If you are training a really young horse you should omit the shoulder-in and simply ride on the track flexing the youngster to the inside a little more than usual while maintaining the contact on the outside rein.
We have been doing a lot of suppling work so we should be ready for engagement. Shoulder-in is the first lateral movement that engages the inside hind leg. Look in the book Advanced Techniques of Riding; the German hand book on page 46 for the aids for the movement.
Your warm up needs to include straight lines, the bend of a 10 meter circle and moving the horse away from the inside leg. These are the prerequisites or the components for the shoulder-in. I like to warm up first by doing the usual 20 meter circles and straight lines and then becoming more specific. I execute 10m voltes at A or C. Then I proceed on quarter line. I leg yield to the track. I do this in both directions.
For the work out phase I execute the 10 meter volte in the corner and proceed down the track in shoulder in. I only do the shoulder-in ½ way down the long side and then I ride across the short diagonal ending with a 10 meter volte in the corner. This volte should be used to rebalance the horse. The first few times that I ride the exercise I ride the diagonal in collected trot. Then I ride the exercise and proceed across the diagonal in medium trot. If you ride the diagonal in medium trot on the diagonal every time, the horse will learn to run or quicken the trot across the diagonal.
You can add asset of canter after you have done the exercise 3 times each direction. The canter work should be simple as it is not the difficult part of the work out. I would suggest riding one 20 meter circle at B or E. Then immediately ride a 15 meter circle. Then ride a 10 meter volte. I end it by making a transition on the 10meter volte before coming back to the track.
You can do this exercise on young horses by making it a bit more simple. The circles can be bigger. The shoulder-in can be done as shoulder-fore or position in. The medium trot can be simplified to lengthening in the trot. The canter can be executed only on the 20 meter circle.
If you are training a really young horse you should omit the shoulder-in and simply ride on the track flexing the youngster to the inside a little more than usual while maintaining the contact on the outside rein.
SPURS 5-Thought of the day
SPURS-Thought of the day-5
Today we are focusing on the contact with the outside rein.
The out side rein is known as the controlling rein. I t gives the horse help with balance and gives them support. The contact with the outside rein is established by pressing the horse at the girth with the inside leg in a diagonal push towards the steady outside rein. The inside rein is used to lightly massages the inside corner of the mouth to encourage softness.
Let’s ride on a 20 meter circle to start and progress to a figure of 8 then a 3 loop serpentine then a 4 loop serpentine and finally a 5 loop serpentine.
On the 20 meter circle establish the contact on the outside rein by alternating between true flexion and counter flexion. When you counter flex the horse be sure to only flex one inch to the outside so that you don’t encourage the horse to collapse on the inside shoulder.
Once you can maintain the even contact on the outside rein one direction, change direction and establish the new outside rein. Now you can start alternating between the figures from above. It is very important to maintain even contact on both reins during the change of bend then establishing the outside rein contact a little stronger while on the bent lines.
While on the serpentines, ride transitions between the gaits. Always maintain the outside rein during the transition.
Today we are focusing on the contact with the outside rein.
The out side rein is known as the controlling rein. I t gives the horse help with balance and gives them support. The contact with the outside rein is established by pressing the horse at the girth with the inside leg in a diagonal push towards the steady outside rein. The inside rein is used to lightly massages the inside corner of the mouth to encourage softness.
Let’s ride on a 20 meter circle to start and progress to a figure of 8 then a 3 loop serpentine then a 4 loop serpentine and finally a 5 loop serpentine.
On the 20 meter circle establish the contact on the outside rein by alternating between true flexion and counter flexion. When you counter flex the horse be sure to only flex one inch to the outside so that you don’t encourage the horse to collapse on the inside shoulder.
Once you can maintain the even contact on the outside rein one direction, change direction and establish the new outside rein. Now you can start alternating between the figures from above. It is very important to maintain even contact on both reins during the change of bend then establishing the outside rein contact a little stronger while on the bent lines.
While on the serpentines, ride transitions between the gaits. Always maintain the outside rein during the transition.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
