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AUGUST 2011 THE RIDER /47


speed of the trot will challenge you to apply your aids properly. Ask your horse to pick up a trot and start with a turn to the right. Begin turning to the right using your left leg and left rein. Use your inside right leg to keep the horse’s forward movement at the trot, while the right hand lightly positions his head so he is looking to the right as he is bending and turning in that direction. As you approach the middle of the Figure 8, prepare to change direction to a circle to the left. Straighten the horse as you cross the middle, and then apply the bending aids to the left. Apply the left leg to keep the forward momentum, lightly position his head in the new direction, and use the right rein and right leg to turn.


Building A Partnership


with Your Horse Communicating with Your Aids - Keys to Success, Part 8


By Lynn Palm


In the last article, I discussed the seat and the turning aids. Before going on to the bending aids, I want to give you a good exercise to practice your turning aids.


Figure 8 Circles with Change of Direction at the Walk


The goal of this exercise is to complete two equal, medium-sized circles at the walk in a Figure 8 pattern. Start by asking the horse to walk for- ward. Begin turning him on the first circle to the left. To follow the circle, turn the horse using the right rein against his neck, holding the right leg slightly behind the girth. The inside leg is active


and keeps him moving forward as he bends around it. “Turn the key,” and slightly open the left inside rein to lightly position the horse’s head so he is looking in the direction he is turning.


As you complete the circle to the left, prepare to reverse direction across the middle of the imagi- nary Figure 8. Straighten the horse for a few steps while crossing the middle of the Figure 8. Prepare to change the horse’s body position to ready him for a circle to the right. Start the turn by applying the left leg and left rein while keeping him for- ward using the right leg. Lightly position his head to the right using the inside (right) rein. Practice this exercise, and then add some challenge by asking the horse to make tighter cir- cles within the Figure 8 pattern. Remember the same principles apply—outside rein-outside leg to turn. Maintain the inside leg to keep him forward (so he does not stall in the tighter turn), and lightly position his head with the inside rein to keep him looking in the direction he is turning.


Once you feel that you are solid on under- standing the role of the turning aids, pick up the pace and try this exercise at the trot. The increased


Coming Events


ANCASTER SADDLE CLUB 2011 Show Dates: August 28, September 11 Raindate: September 18


For details and directions go to: www.ancastersaddleclub.com


BIG CREEK SADDLE CLUB Sun. September 11, 9 am


All shows held at the John Green Valley Rings, Paris Fairgrounds, Paris, ON For more info: bcscnews@yahoo.ca November 19th, Banquet and awards night


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


AUGUST 2011 Aug 21 - TCCA Pleasure Drive, Westfield Heritage Village, Sue Nicolas, (519) 848- 6288


Aug 28 - OCDA Cones & Marathon, Glencameron Farm, Limehouse, ON, Marion Hawley, 519 856-4605 SEPTEMBER 2011 Sept 18 - TCCA, Traditional Day of Driv- ing, 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 OCTOBER 2011 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 NOVEMBER 2011 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


GREYS ON GRASS EQUINE EDUCATION CENTRE EVENTS


Aug 27 - 2nd PBO Ontario-bred & Open Pony Show with RAWF Sportpony Quali- fying classes


@ Beaverwood Farm, Hillsburgh ON. Contact: www.ponybreedersofontario.weebly.com Sept 10 - Welsh, Mountain & Moorland, Open/Sportpony Show with RAWF Sport- pony Qualifying classes at Arthur Fall Fair, Arthur ON Contact:www.pony- breedersofontario.weebly.com


MINIATURE EVENTS


Sun. Aug 21st. - Hanover Fair AMHR Sanctioned Mini Show. Meas. 7:30 am, show starts 9 am


Judges: Lawrence Thurber & another TBA


Contact: Kelly Doherty kelly_elaine_doherty@hotmail.com Manager: Sheila at sklerks@hotmail.com


MISCELLANEOUS EVENTS Charity Ride.


Lope For Hope Trail ride Sat. Sept 24th


Raising money for Heart & Stroke + Can- cer Society


Ride 1.5 or 3 hrs in Ganaraska Park Minimum sponsorship required. For more information, call Penny at 705- 277-9279


(Please note that all shows are tentative until marked Confirmed)


ONTARIO REINING HORSE ASSO- CIATION


Aug 27-28 - Knowlton Ridge, Powassan, Ont. **Affiliate Qualifier Sunday Aug 28 Sept 12-15 - OBBO, Western Fair Agriplex, London, Ont. Contact Harvey Sevens 705-639-5767 reinersrus@sympa- tico.ca


Sept 23-25 - NRHA Affiliate Finals, Blainville, QC Oct 1-2 - Grand Finale & Sired Stakes Futurity, Western Fair Agriplex, Lon- don, 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 Aug. 21st - Tottenham Equestrian, A. Pimbert, 519-942-1748 Sept. 26-28th - Caledon Dressage, knahiriak@sympatico.ca Sept. 10th-11th - Dodge Rodeo, rmil- lar@xplornet.com Sept. 17th-18th - Upper Canada Breeders, Brenda@canadianhorses.com Sept. 25th - Central Ontario Driving,


NORTH EAST TRILLIUM KREC - August 13-14


Championships - September 8-10


SOUTHWEST THJA SHOWS (TENT) August 20-21 - Railside View Equestrian Centre, Melissa Hillis, (519) 871-7592 August 27-28 - Railside View Equestrian Centre, Melissa Hillis, (519) 871-7592


TURN N BURN WESTERN SPEED EVENTS CLUB


Shows held Saturday mornings, 10:00 at the Sutton Fairgrounds, 98 Snooks Rd, Georgina, ON. August 27, Sept 24.


Erica Dale, erica@harleywood.ca, 905- 852-7491 www.turn-n-burn.ca


OAK RIDGES EQUESTRIAN CEN- TRE


HUNTER SCHOOLING SHOW SERIES 2011


Phone: 905-442-OREC (6732) Fax : 905-983-6466 E-Mail : oakridges@rogers.com www.oakridgesequestriancentre.com Aug. 28, 2011 - 9:00 a.m. sharp 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.


Jerry McCallum, 416-896-6882 Sept. 25th - Tottenham Equestrian, A. Pimbert, 519-942-1748 Oct. 8th-9th - Field Stone Farm, Field- stonefarm@sympatico.ca


TRILLIUM EVENTS


CENTRAL WEST TRILLIUM


Twinholm - June 24-26 Camberwell - July 9-10 Red Ribbon - July 22-24 Parishridge - August 5-7


Vanbrook @ Iron Horse - August 20-21 Iron Horse - August 26-28


Trillium Championships - September 7-11


CENTRAL EAST TRILLIUM


Aug 19-21 - RCRA Trillium 2, RCRA :: Cedar Valley, ON Aug 26-28 - Zone Classic at Palgrave | Christine Reupke 905-713-6737, Caledon Equestrian Park :: Palgrave, ON Sept 8-11 - Trillium Hunter/Jumper Asso- ciation Championships


DAVIS FEED & FARM


SUPPLY LTD. 15770 Mountainview Road, Caledon


Livestock Feed • Custom Horse Mixes • Shavings Pet Foods • Water Softener Salt • Grass Seed (Bus.) 905-584-2880 (Res.) 905-584-2118 www.davisfeed.ca


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


Understanding the Difference between the Turning Aids and the Bending Aids To review, the turning aids are the outside leg and outside indirect rein, supported by the inside leg and inside rein.


to keep the horse in proper position on a curve and on a straight line. It uses an elongated Fig- ure 8 pattern made up of two half-circles on each end connected by long, diagonal straight lines. We will start with the aids sequence used when going from a straight line to a turn and returning to the straight line:


2. before the turn, use the bending aids (the inside leg, and open inside rein) supporting the bend with the outside leg and outside indirect rein against the neck,


1. start the figure on one of the pattern’s straight lines using even leg aids and rein aids to keep the horse straight,


3. as you get to the turn, use the turning aids (the outside leg and outside indirect rein) to direct the horse through the turn,


Bending is when the horse arcs his body, from the poll (top of the head), through his spine, to the dock (top of the tail). The bending aids are inside leg and inside open rein, sup- ported by the outside leg and outside rein. The inside leg is the bending aid curving the spine from the withers to the dock. The open rein flexes the head inward and curves the spine from the poll to the withers.


4. before going straight again, use the straight- ening aids (the inside leg to stop the bending and bring the horse to your outside open rein), 5. as you get back to the point of going on a straight line again, evenly apply both leg aids and rein aids to keep the horse forward and straight.


next turn.


It is very important for the horse to have the correct body position on straight lines and curves. This allows the horse to achieve his best balance. The rider keeps the horse straight between her/his leg and hand aids. The rapport between her leg and hand aids is critical!


Aids Sequence for Bending: 1. the inside leg just behind the girth, 2. inside open rein (An open rein is applied by turning your hand as if you are turning a key to open a door or start a car. Then the hand is moved forward and sideways. Your fingernails should point to the sky, as an exaggerated posi- tion to get this correct. Later you will not need to exaggerate this as much.),


3. the outside leg to support the horse’s hips from swinging out, and 4. the outside rein to control the head and neck from bending or flexing too far and to keep the shoulder in line of the bend.


Here is an exercise to help you practice using the bending aids


The process starts over again before the


Do this exercise at the walk to get the coordination of the aids. At the walk, you also have more time to do the figure and feel the horse’s reactions in response to your aids. When you perfect the exercise at the walk, repeat it at the trot. As you progress, this figure will lend itself to the canter with a simple change of lead in the middle of the straight line. My five-part series, Dressage Principles for the Western and English Horse and Rider will enhance this series on Aids Communica- tion. For more information on this and other Palm Partnership Training ™ products, or infor- mation on clinics, go to www.lynnpalm.com or call us at 800-503-2824.


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