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Post by racaille on Jan 23, 2015 15:38:18 GMT
Just had a great lesson - well it was good after Paco and I had a mutual temper tantrum.  My coach got me doing an exercise which really worked for P who was throwing his weight around when expected to work properly in left canter. She had us do a small volte, then shoulder in up half the side and only then ask for canter, carry on for a 20m circle in canter, then a downward transition 'in the calm' as we say here  It got him really working and not only were the canter circles something approaching a decent collected canter but the transitions were also rather nice and the fathead was carrying himself rather than expecting me to do so. If any of you have a horse who prefers to charge rather than canter, do try this, it worked like magic for us  |
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Post by pboy on Jan 23, 2015 19:44:35 GMT
Sounds great Rac!!
Indio and I are struggling to get good transitions so I'll give this a shot (though I think it's partly lack of strength with him as he's not schooled a lot recently). It sounds like a good 'thinking' exercise for them too!
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Post by brigadier on Jan 24, 2015 9:07:14 GMT
Ive used this exercise Rac- it really gets them under the body and using the legs to carry themselves. Its also often beneficial to work towards asking the horse to do a few steps of shoulder in at canter then straight and then repeat. Even if you dont get it correctly (its quite hard to do) the attempt makes the horse straighter and helps the collection. I could never 'get it' with Basil but the canter always felt better after the attempt.
Another great transition exercise which is slightly easier is to work on a figure eight with the change going across the diagonal rather than two fat circles. As yoou cross X (say to go on the left rein part of the eight then hold the right rein and straighten the horse so it is parallel to the long side and facing the short side and ask with the left leg on the girth for some steps of leg yield (you need a really firm outside rein) then ask for the left canter at the quarter marker to do the loop of the eight- This is a great canter exercise for horses that are sticky into canter. Improves the transition no end.
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haffyfan
Administrator 
is pressing random buttons...sorry guys
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Post by haffyfan on Jan 24, 2015 12:06:14 GMT
What's a volte?
Thanks for the figure 8 exercise Brig.
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Post by racaille on Jan 24, 2015 17:37:55 GMT
What's a volte? Thanks for the figure 8 exercise Brig. Sorry Haff, I assumed it was the same ... it's a small circle. We often do a demi-volte to change direction which is basically a half circle off the side to go back the way you came. |
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haffyfan
Administrator
is pressing random buttons...sorry guys
Posts: 7,391
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Post by haffyfan on Jan 24, 2015 17:52:23 GMT
Thanks Rac, maybe it has just passed me by? I have always done the half circle to change rein but just called it a half 10(or whatever) metre circle.
Your way sounds much posher!
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Post by fimacg on Jan 24, 2015 22:34:53 GMT
Strangely enough I was doing a very similar exercise to help teach Brave his medium strides (I wasn't doing the circle afterwards) but asking for shoulder in on the corner then straight just before the centre markers on the long side then whoomph ... Extension, took Brave 4 or 5 attempts to understand and then, well, he nearly blew me out the back door as he was up and away...l didn't know he had that much extension in him. He only offered that once, but he did start to understand the exercise after that.
After a 45 minute lesson I had one exhausted pony as he really had to use his brain.
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Post by ernieburt on Feb 2, 2015 20:06:07 GMT
Sounds good one to remember you can never have too many tricks.
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It got him really working and not only were the canter circles something approaching a decent collected canter but the transitions were also rather nice and the fathead was carrying himself rather than expecting me to do so.
for so much hard work we thank ye!!
