28/ JULY 2020 THE RIDER


slightly in the direct they are moving. Her outside aids, the left leg and left rein, are used as her turning aids. She does not turn using the in- side rein! As he turns, if horse


Palm Partnership Training™ Building A Partnership With Your Horse


“Training Figure 8 Pattern for Practice Bending and Turning Aids”


By Lynn Palm I’m going to give you


an exercise to practice that uses both the turning and bending aids. The pattern for this exercise is what I call a “training figure 8.” It is important to understand the difference between this training pattern, as opposed to what could be called a “show ring” or “competition figure 8” pattern. The best way I can de-


scribe the training figure 8 pattern we will use is that it simulates the form of how the number “8” is written. Doing this pattern, the rider tracks across the diagonal to a half circle. After complet- ing the half circle, she tracks across the opposite diagonal to complete the second half


circle, which brings her back to the point where she started. This exercise re- quires the rider to use her aids from a bending turn to a straight line and a straight line to a bending turn in the opposite direction. Contrast this to a true


show ring or competition figure 8 pattern. When doing a show ring figure 8 pattern, the rider follows a vertical line to a half circle, completes the half circle coming back and returns to the vertical line. She fol- lows the vertical line to the second half circle and com- pletes that in the opposite direction. This pattern is a turn to a straight line, to a turn, back to a straight line. We will not use this pattern. Let’s get back to our


training figure 8 pattern. The horse must be in proper body position on both the straight lines and turns of the pattern. This puts the horse on his best balance. The key is keeping the horse straight between the rider’s leg and hand aids. The rap- port between these aids is critical! The rider should start


the pattern at the walk to get the coordination of aids, and give herself more time to do the figure and feel the horse’s reactions in response to the aids. Once perfected at the walk, the exercise should be practiced at the trot. This figure is also great to advance to canter using a simple change of lead in the middle of the straight line. In this example, the


rider will start by bringing her horse on the pattern’s first half circle to the right. For the horse to bend prop- erly to the right, the rider uses her inside or right leg. She brings her horse to the outside or left rein to keep his shoulder from moving out. Her left leg is slightly behind the girth to keep his hips inward. All her right rein does is to keep the horse’s nose and neck bent


goes too far to the right (falling in), she uses her right leg and open light left rein to bring him to bring him back to the left. Com- pleting the right half circle and coming on to the diago- nal straight line, she uses her right leg and light left rein to bring her horse off the bend- ing turn on to the straight line. Once on the diagonal, her aids are only used if the horse starts to lose straight- ness. For example, if he fades to the left, she uses her left leg and right rein to straighten him. Before she turns on to


the next half-circle to the left, she applies the bending aids of left leg to the right rein. She keeps the right rein against the horse’s neck so his shoulder does go out. Her right leg is slightly fur- ther back to keep her horse’s hips inward. Her left rein


lightly positions the horse’s head and neck in the direc- tion in which they are trav- eling. If the horse falls in too far to the left, she’ll use her left leg and right rein to cor- rect him. Then she’ll main- tain the straightness with her right leg and left rein. If he goes too far to the right, she’ll use her right leg and left rein to correct him. As she leaves the left


half-circle, she straightens her horse using her left leg and right rein. She main- tains this straightness by evenly applying her left and right leg and hand aids.


Your Next Step… Over the past several


articles, we have discussed in detail the role of the bending and turning aids. Here is a thumbnail review of the aids sequence used when going from a straight line to a turn and returning to the straight line, as is practiced in the training fig- ure 8 pattern:


1. Start the figure on one of the pattern’s straight lines


Equine Guelph Supports Ontario Equestrian’s ‘For the Herd’ with Learning Community


Guelph, ON June 18, 2020 - In two short months, just over 30% of the $500,000 fundraising goal has been raised to help school horses that lost their jobs in March. In April, Ontario Equestrian launched For the Herd, an emergency fundraising ini- tiative to support lesson horses and riding school fa- cilities in Ontario, many of whom are facing the harsh realities of little to zero in- come and some very grim decisions. The need is still great


as many facilities on the verge of bankruptcy attempt to recover in a slow re-open- ing of industry. COVID-19 restrictions are just starting to be lifted but most lesson programs, summer camps and events are still not oper- ational. Facilities that have re-opened are not back to pre-pandemic income levels due to size restrictions on gatherings, loss of clients that are still recouping from their own income loss and other challenges. School horses are one


of the most undervalued contributors to the horse in- dustry both in the present


and for the future. They are the wonderfully tolerant and patient horses that introduce new riders to the joys of rid- ing and help them progress their skills as riders — they are as important to our in- dustry as the “farm league” teams for the Blue Jays! Ontario Equestrian


continues to campaign For the Herd, an evolution of the ‘Helping the Schoolies’ ini- tiative, started by farm owner, Jen Sweet to help connect sponsors with sta- bles struggling amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then many individuals and equine industry supporters have joined the community effort, bringing funds, serv- ices, products including much needed feed and edu- cational resources to help barn owners stay afloat and navigate the rough waters still ahead.


Equine Guelph For the Herd Learning Commu- nity on The Horse Portal Equine Guelph,


in


partnership with Ontario Equestrian, has developed a unique learning community now open only to applicants


of the For the Herd funding program at no cost. TheHorsePortal.ca ex- community,


clusive


launched in early June, houses helpful information, interviews and resources. Expert guest speakers help connect businesses to the in- formation that could prove vital to their recovery. Top- ics include nutrition, health care, farrier, pasture man- agement, safety and preven- tion,


risk management,


financial management, fu- ture development and more. Participants are encouraged to ask questions and identify their information needs so that responses can be devel- oped to help by our volun- teers.


A private discussion


area is also available to help the riding school operators work together and support each other and share ideas. Dr. Katrina Merkies and several of her Bachelor of Bio-Resource Management (BBRM) degree program students have also con- tributed resources and are assisting in moderating the discussion boards. For the Herd funding applicants can


gain access to these special- ized resources by contacting Ontario Equestrian for di- rections.


COVID-19 information from the Equine Informa- tion Source The Equine Informa-


tion Source is a team of stu- dents in the Bachelor of Bio-Resource Management (BBRM) degree program majoring in Equine Man- agement who are working to provide information for equine communities dealing with COVID-19, including the Equine Guelph For the Herd Learning Community. Click here to learn more about the BBRM students involved in this project: Amanda St Onge, Elizabeth Crouchman,


Caleigh


Copelin, and instructor Dr. Merkies. The students have


compiled resources to high- light specific risk factors in the spread of COVID-19 in barns, creating infographics and signage that can be printed and displayed in barns,


and conducting


videos and interviews with industry experts on topics that will assist horse owners and facility managers during the COVID-19 pandemic. This information was pre- sented


in Equestrian


Canada’s June 2020 Na- tional Equine Disease and Welfare Surveillance Call and can also be found on the Equestrian Canada website under their COVID-19 re- sources.


tion,


About Equine Guelph For further informa- visit


www.equineguelph.ca.


Story by: Jackie Bellamy- Zions, Equine Guelph


using even leg aids and rein aids to keep the horse straight.


2. BEFORE the turn, use the bending aids (the inside leg, and open inside rein) supporting the bend with the outside leg and outside indi- rect rein against the neck.


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


4. BEFORE going straight again, use the straightening 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 as to keep the horse forward and straight.


The process starts over again before the next turn.


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