Spurs 4-Thought for the Day

SPURS-Thought for the day- 4

We have had some bad weather so our horses need to get back in the swing of things. That means we are going to do a suppling day.

Suppling exercises are bending lines, straight lines and leg yields. Shoulder-in, Ranvers, Travers and Half pass are NOT suppling exercises they are engagement exercises. Transitions can be both type of exercises because you can do them before, during and after movements.

I don’t feel very creative today… Let’s do decreasing and increasing circles also called the Target. The old stand by. One of the best exercises ever.

Do this both directions the same number of times.

Start on a 20 meter circle Let the horse establish the balance of that circle before you make the circle smaller. Once you have the best balance that your horse can do on a 20m. circle then make it smaller by turning the horse towards the middle of the circle and riding to a 15m. circle. Repeat and make the circle a 10m. circle. Be careful not to stay on the 10 meter circle too long as it is difficult for the horse to do many rotations at that size.

Now you need to leg yield out to the 20 meter circle. The best way is to pause on the 15m. circle for a full rotation of the circle then continue to the 20m. circle.

After you do this exercise 4 times at the trot; add a canter transition after you leg yield out to the 20m. circle. Lower level horses just canter around the 20m. circle a few times.

The first part of this exercise can be your warm up to supple the horse when you are going to have an engagement day the higher schooled horses. You can spiral in at the half pass and out in leg yield. You can also do this at the canter. Horses that are 3rd level and above can spiral down to an 8m. Volte/ small circle. Horses that are schooled to PSG and above can canter the 8m volte in haunches in as a working pirouette.

Make sure that you let the horse stretch on the 20m.circle both directions at the trot ( Like in the first level tests) and if your horse is capable at the canter. You do this to release the lactic acid build up in the muscles. It’s very important!