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SEPTEMBER 2011 THE RIDER /45


horse gives to the rein pressure and flexes his head inward. His neck slightly bends, and the shoulder slightly moves to the outside. This curves the spine from the poll to the withers. Now you can see why they are called the bend- ing aids!


Building A Partnership


with Your Horse Communicating with Your Aids - Keys to Success, Part 9


Bending & Turning Aids By Lynn Palm


In this article, we will continue our discussion of the bending and turning aids. The goal for both the bending and turning aids is to control the horse’s body position and balance. I have received many requests to describe in detail the role of these aids, and so I want to review the nuts and bolts of this very important issue in riding.


I will start by explaining how the bending


aids work to control the horse’s body. Besides being used for speed control, the leg aids (along with the seat) control two-thirds of the horse, from the withers to the dock. The right leg aids are the right calf muscle and lower part of the right leg. They control the right side of the barrel, right hip, and right hind leg. The left leg aids control left side of the barrel, left hip, and left hind leg. The rein aids control the remaining one-third of the horse from the poll to the withers. The right rein controls the right side of the horse’s head and neck, right shoulder and right front leg. The left rein controls the corresponding parts on the oppo- site side of the horse’s body.


We call the inside leg the “bending aid.” On a curve, the rider applies inside leg aid pressure slightly behind the girth. The horse, through his training and instinct, moves away from the pres- sure of the aid. This “curves” the barrel by com- pressing the muscles on that side as the spine curves in the direction of the turn, giving what we call “bend.” When the rein aids are applied, the


Coming Events


BIG CREEK SADDLE CLUB November 19th, Banquet and awards night


- For more info: bcscnews@yahoo.ca DRIVING EVENTS


Event Schedule 2011 Acronyms:-


COPDA = Central Ontario Pleasure Driv- ing Association


EOPDS = Eastern Ontario Pleasure Driv- ing Society


OCDA = Ontario Combined Driving Association


TCCA = Tri-County Carriage Driving Association


Sept 18 - TCCA, Traditional Day of Driving, Ancaster Fair Grounds, Sue Nicolas, (519) 848-6288 Sept 24-25 - Ohio CDE, Sullivan, OH Sept 25 ? - COPDA, Fun Day, TBA, Mary Gregoris, (905) 878-1739 Oct 2 - TCCA Pleasure Drive, Wit- taveen’s, Sue Nicolas, (519) 848-6288 Oct 9 ? - Rockton Derby, Rockton, ON Oct 14 & 15 - Martin’s Fall Auction, New Holland, PA, Martin Auctioneers, (717) 354-6671 Oct - OEF Conference, www.horse.on.ca Nov 10-13 ?, Royal Agricultural Winter Fair - Welsh Classes, Exhibition Place, Toronto, ON, (416) 263-3400 Nov 19 ? - OCDA/COPDA AGM & Ban- quet, Terra Cotta Inn, Janis Promaine, (519) 942-4318


OAK RIDGES EQUESTRIAN CENTRE


HUNTER SCHOOLING SHOW SERIES 2011


Phone: 905-442-OREC (6732) Fax : 905-983-6466 E-Mail : oakridges@rogers.com www.oakridgesequestriancentre.com Sept.25, 2011 - 9:00 a.m. sharp Ribbons to 6th place in each division. Champion and Reserve of each division. Accumulated Points for all Five Shows. Trophies Awarded for Accumulated Points in Each Division at the Sept. Show.


MISCELLANEOUS EVENTS


Charity Ride - Lope For Hope Trail ride - Sat. Sept 24th. Raising money for Heart & Stroke + Cancer Society Ride 1.5 or 3 hrs in Ganaraska Park. Minimum sponsorship required. For more informa- tion, call Penny at 705-277-9279. (Please note that all shows are tentative until marked Confirmed)


Sun. Sept. 25 - First Time Ever held in Canada - The American Competitive Trail Horse Assoc. "Competitive Trail Challenge" 6 miles, 6 obstacles, 6 judges! English and western riders - Everybody welcome. Held at Greys on Grass Equine Education Centre, Hwy 10 between Markdale & Flesherton Hosted by Reuben McCallum 519-924-3031 (reubmcc1990@gmail.com) & Tricia Sybersma,


More info at


www.ACTHA.us or check out "Greys on Grass" on facebook!


Sat. Oct. 1st, 9 am - 5 pm - Heaven Can Wait Fundraiser, 6823 - 7th Line, Beeton, ON (West of Tottenham Rd.) - Tack sale, Tim Fortune demos, Equine Massage, miniature horse petting, pony rides, BBQ + picnic, bake sale, raffle, other great stuff. http://beetonequinefundraiser.wee- bly.com/index.html


Sun. Oct 2, 10 am - 3 pm. - Greys On Grass 4th annual Tack/Horse Equipment Sale. 774684 Hwy 10, Between Markdale + Flesherton. New and Used items, $10 for unlimited vendor space. Free admis- sion. Ample parking. Food booth. Look for "Greys On Grass" on facebook. 519- 924-3031, greys.on.grass@sympatico.ca


Sat. Oct. 22nd, 9 am - 4 pm The non- profit group, Greyhound Lovers Of Hamilton-Wentworth (GLOHW) is hold- ing a fundraising event "It's A Greyhound Life" at Binbrook Fairgrounds, Highway 56, Binbrook, On. (near Hamilton) A day of fun and fundraising to support the ongoing work of finding forever homes for retired racing greyhounds. The day includes Blessing of the Hounds, silent


auction and raffle, vendors, The Greyt Cafe & BBQ, information sessions and fun events for the hounds and their fami- lies. If you've always wondered about these spectacular athletes, this is the per- fect opportunity to meet them, learn about them, and fall in love with them. Free admission.


p.cramp@yahoo.ca


Pam 905-547-4850, or


glohw@glohw.com www.glohw.com,


ONTARIO REINING HORSE ASSOCIATION


Sept 23-25 - NRHA Affiliate Finals, Blainville, QC Oct 1-2 - Grand Finale & Sired Stakes Futurity, Western Fair Agriplex, London, Ont. Contact Mike Munroe 519-938- 0620 mmunroe@rjburnside.com Oct 7-30 - American Quarter Horse Congress, Columbus, Ohio


ORANGEVILLE


AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY EVENTS


Events/ Contact/ Date Sept. 17th-18th - Upper Canada Breed- ers, Brenda@canadianhorses.com Sept. 25th - Central Ontario Driving, Jerry McCallum, 416-896-6882 Sept. 25th - Tottenham Equestrian, A. Pimbert, 519-942-1748 Oct. 8th-9th - Field Stone Farm, Field- stonefarm@sympatico.ca


TURN N BURN WESTERN SPEED EVENTS CLUB


Shows held Saturday mornings, 10:00 at the Sutton Fairgrounds, 98 Snooks Rd, Georgina, ON. Sept 24 - Erica Dale, erica@harley- wood.ca, 905-852-7491 www.turn-n- burn.ca


The outside leg and rein aids are also important to support the bend. In order for the bend to be balanced, the horse moves his body toward the outside aids. There has to be a slight pressure with the outside leg, slightly further back from the girth than the inside leg. This supports the horse so his hips do not swing out- ward, but rather stay slightly in. This keep his spine curved on the bend through the hip to the top of the tail. The outside rein is against the neck. It has three functions—to support the head so it does not flex too far inward, to help keep the neck from bending too much, and to make sure the shoulder does not go out. Now we will look more closely at the turn- ing aids and how they control the horse’s body. Instinctively, most riders (including me) want to turn the horse with the inside rein. Many rid- ers do just that and pull their horse’s head toward the direction they want to turn. If a horse is turned only with the inside rein, how- ever, it puts all of his weight onto the inside front leg. His hips will swing out and away from the direction of the turn. This method of turning only leads to getting poor responses from the horse. Typically, a horse that is turned this way will begin pulling back against the inside rein, resisting by putting his head up, and not turning or turning too sharply to the inside, or turning with an excessive amount of bend in his neck. None of these scenarios represents a horse in balance. To turn correctly, you must get the horse bending correctly first. The turning aids always start with the leg


because it controls more of the horse. Pressure from the outside leg aid is applied behind the girth. This causes the horse to move away from the pressure to turn. The outside rein is used against the neck (called “neck” or “indirect” rein) and acts as the horse moves away from the pressure of the rein. Apply this rein aid by “turning the key” with the outside rein (neck/indirect) so it touches the entire neck. Avoid crossing the rein over the neck when applying this aid. Use a pulsating pressure with the hand that is turning the key according to the gait that you are in.


As you begin a turn, the turn must be sup- ported with the bending aids:


1. the inside leg gives a light supporting pres- sure right behind the girth, and


2. the inside rein supports so that the horse’s head and neck stay flexed slightly inward. As you look at the horse’s head on the side you will be turning, you just want to see his eye. The inside rein stays open to keep the head and neck flexed.


If you are using your aids correctly, the inside rein should be the lightest and least prominent aid given while turning. However, if you turn with the inside rein, you will feel the horse heavy and resistant.


In the next article, we will discuss how to correct some common faults in bending and turning. In the meantime, my five-part series, Dressage Principles for the Western and English Horse and Rider will enhance this series on Communicating with Your Aids. For more information on this and other Palm Part- nership Training™ products, or information on clinics, go to www.lynnpalm.com or call us at 800-503-2824.


Dressage Canada


Announces Resignation of High Performance Chair


Ottawa, ON — The Dres- sage Canada Board would like to announce the regret- ful resignation of Lorraine Stubbs as chair of the Dres- sage Canada High Perfor- mance Committee, for rea- sons unrelated to team selection for the Pan Amer- ican Games. The Board further announces that Liz Steacie has been named the interim chair of the High Performance Committee until a formal election for the position can be held following the Pan Ameri- can Games.


The Dressage Canada Board along with the mem- bers of the 2011 Pan Amer- ican Games team are very motivated and positive moving towards to the Games in Guadalajara, Mexico. The team training camp will begin September 25th in Gardiner, NY, with


the team horses flying to Mexico from Newburgh, NY on October 11, 2011 with the United States Dressage Team. Dressage Canada would encourage all members to offer their support to the team as they head to these very impor- tant games for Canada. For specific times, competition details and results for the 2011 Pan American Games, please consult the organizing committee website www.guadalajara2011.org. mx.


About Dressage Canada Dressage Canada, as a committee of Equine Canada, is the national governing body for dres- sage in Canada. Dressage Canada’s objective is to foster the growth of dres- sage and the pursuit of


excellence in the sport at the local, national and international levels. Dres- sage Canada provides sup- port and guidance to both amateur and professional through the following pro- grams: coaching education and programs, officials’ education and programs, rules and qualifying crite- ria, sport development, and publications and awards. For more information about Dressage Canada, please visit the Dressage section of the Equine Cana- da site or connect with us on Twitter at www.twit- ter.com/dressagecanada or Facebook at http://tinyurl.com/lp8cnd.


About Equine Canada For more information about Equine Canada, please visit www.equinecanada.ca.


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Visit Our Showroom HOURS: Monday - Friday 8:00 am - 5:30 pm


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