FEBRUARY 2011 THE RIDER /41
the large circle, prepare to make a transition to an extended walk. Do this by putting more weight in your seat, following the movement with the hips while lightly squeezing with the legs and opening the fingers to let the horse increase his gait. Continue the extended walk on the large circle.
Building A Partnership
with Your Horse Communicating with Your Aids - Keys to Success, Part 5
By Lynn Palm
Here’s simple exercise to help you com- municate more clearly with your aids. You will need a large area to ride in and a horse that already has basic understanding of the rider’s seat, leg, and hand aids.
Circles-Within-A-Circle Exercise The pattern for this exercise uses a large circle and two smaller ones done within the large circle. If you think of the large circle as a clock face, then the smaller circles we will do within it will be done at the three and nine o’clock positions. During the exercise, keep the horse’s body positioned straight on these circles. This means that his body is slightly bent or arced to follow the circular track. (A diagram of this pattern is shown in my “Dres- sage Principles for the Western and English Horse and Rider, Aids Communications,” available at my website listed at the end of this article.)
When you arrive at the nine o’clock position on the large circle, prepare for a downward transition to a slower walk. Turn- ing the horse onto the smaller circle will nat- urally tend to slow his speed. Ask for a downward transition by decreasing the weight in your seat and decreasing the move- ment of your hips following the horse’s movement and by decreasing and relaxing your leg aids. If necessary, slightly close the fingers on the reins. The horse should slow his gait in reaction to this communication. As you complete the small circle and approach the large circle again, ask your horse for an upward transition to a jog or trot. Time the communication so that your horse will be jogging or trotting as he comes back onto the large circle. The aids communica- tions for this upward transition is the same as for the transition from slow to extended walk: seat-legs-hands. While placing more weight in your seat, move your hips forward to fol- low the horse’s movement as you lightly apply leg pressure. Open the fingers to allow the horse the freedom to move forward. If you do not get a response, continue on a larg- er turn and repeat the aids sequence to ask for the upward transition.
Add Some Challenge
As you enter the small circle at three o’clock, prepare for a downward transition to a walk. Keep your seat working lighter, leg lighter in response, and let the horse come back to his natural walk within the small circle. This time, before returning to the large circle, ask for an upward transi- tion within the small circle. Remember the aids sequence: 1) increase weight in the seat, follow with the hips, 2) lightly squeeze with the legs, and 3) open the fin- gers to allow forward movement. Time your aids communication so that you are jogging or trotting by the time you are back on the large circle.
Jog/trot one entire large circle to the left. Gradually make a large, wide figure “8” turn so that you are tracking to the right. On the large circle, prepare to extend the jog by applying more weight in your seat. Continue following the motion with your hips. Be prepared because the increased speed will make this gait more bouncy. The legs still stay on contact with a light squeeze to support forward move- ment. Make at least one large circle at the extended jog/trot.
Use one of the smaller circles to ask for a downward transition to the walk. Reverse directions and repeat this part of
2007 Filly, Spring Fever
Start by asking the horse to walk forward on a large circle to the right. Communicate your request by using the aids together in the proper sequence. The first aid used is the seat. The rider’s shoulders are positioned slightly back so that her seat puts more weight in the saddle as her hips follow the horse’s movement. The leg aids follow with a light pressure to ask the horse to move for- ward. Finally, the hands encourage forward movement as the fingers open slightly on the reins to allow the horse the freedom of move- ment. The sequence is: seat-legs-hands. Once you establish a walk, continue on the large circle. At the three o’clock position, make a smaller circle to the right within the large circle. We will use this smaller circle to prepare for a transition (a change from one gait to another or speed within a gait). As you complete the smaller circle and come back to
Keep the horse jogging or trotting on the large circle. Change directions to track left. We will use this direction to work on down- ward transition. Continue the jog/trot around the circle until you arrive at the three o’clock position. Once again follow the smaller circle and prepare for a downward transition to the walk. As you start to close the smaller circle, apply more weight in your seat, decrease hip movement, keep legs on contact but not squeezing, and lightly close your fingers on the reins. The horse should respond by giving you a downward transition to a walk. Continue walking on the large circle. As you approach the nine o’clock position, enter the smaller circle at the walk. As you begin to close the circle, ask for an upward transition to an extended walk by applying more weight with the seat, following with the hips, squeez- ing lightly with the legs, and opening the fin- gers. When you are on the larger circle again, continue an extended walk to the three o’clock position.
the exercise.
The seat and leg aids do most of the communicating for this exercise. The reins should become your most passive aids for all riding.
Circles are great for training the horse and the rider. The smaller circles help the horse with downward transitions because he will naturally slow down on them. Mov- ing onto the larger circle encourages for- ward movement. The circles also give the rider some markers to help time the upward and downward transitions. If the horse does not respond to a light leg squeeze, first try moving the leg back slightly and reapply the aid, and then give the horse a little bump with the leg to get his attention if necessary. When you get a response to a leg aid from the horse, keep the legs on contact with the horse to main- tain the request for forward movement. Always strive to use the lightest of aids! If you need more response to a request for an upward transition, add your voice by giv- ing a cluck.
Training™ by going to
www.lynnpalm.com or calling 800-503- 2824.
Pandoerava Dutch Harness Horse
Pandoerava is Arabian Breeder's Sweepstakes Nominated and a Renai Foundation Sire.
Perfect cross for all breeds. Add style, substance and motion to any discipline.
Standing at
Reflection Arabian Farms in Brantford, Ontario.
Stud Fee $750.00 Transported Semen Available
Shari Robbins (519) 442-7243 - home (519) 865-7244 - cell
Contact: 2007 Filly, Cotton Candy
Email:
DreamOnAnOn@aol.com www.reflectionfarms.com
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