♘امیرحسین♞
♘ مدیریت انجمن اسب ایران ♞
One of my favourites is cavaletti. There are so many uses and they are a valuable learning tool for horses. Any inattentivness is fixed smartly. Some horses are worried about them and try to jump over two or three, all at once which can be a tad spectacular. Slow and steady wins the race on this one - start walking over 1 - then 2 and trot 1 then 2 then 3 - the distance must suit the horse. I put the cavaletti at 1.4 metres apart, and then shuffle around - out or in to suit the natural stride.
I ride in two point seat - light three point or rising trot - never sitting especially on a young horse. Sitting makes them go hollow.
I am fussy about the horse maintaining the shape - the frame of the horse is very important. I ride the horse as 'on the bit' as his training allows. I think this is very important. You know most horses go over or approach the cavaletti the same way they canter over jumps. If a horse has a tendancy to poke his nose out cantering to jumps - you can bet over the cavaletti will be the same. Rushing, drifting out, any of the evils they do over jumps can be corrected in your cavaletti work.
With luck comes progress - but don't be too ambitious, no more than four to six - yes you can do more one day but not right now. But don't let them turn into trip/stumble/scatter poles - because then you have one very tense horse about poles and cavaletti. Most horses cope well when the cavaletti is just above the ground but the next height is much more difficult. Some horses cope, some do not. So I just keep the cavaletti low. Most of our Thoroughbred types are watchful and over jump these little poles anyway.
Another advantage of this type of work is that the rider is able to practise upper body position, rein release and leg positions at the same time.
Concentrate on only one part of the body at a time. Think rein release and repeat as many times as you like. Then try - heels down - the mind cannot cope with four different commands at once. "heels down" "hands still" "eyes ahead" and "hey - don't let your horse run away". Sound familiar ? Try one thing at a time.
You can use your cavaletti every day if you wish, or every time you ride schooling type work.
I ride in two point seat - light three point or rising trot - never sitting especially on a young horse. Sitting makes them go hollow.
I am fussy about the horse maintaining the shape - the frame of the horse is very important. I ride the horse as 'on the bit' as his training allows. I think this is very important. You know most horses go over or approach the cavaletti the same way they canter over jumps. If a horse has a tendancy to poke his nose out cantering to jumps - you can bet over the cavaletti will be the same. Rushing, drifting out, any of the evils they do over jumps can be corrected in your cavaletti work.
With luck comes progress - but don't be too ambitious, no more than four to six - yes you can do more one day but not right now. But don't let them turn into trip/stumble/scatter poles - because then you have one very tense horse about poles and cavaletti. Most horses cope well when the cavaletti is just above the ground but the next height is much more difficult. Some horses cope, some do not. So I just keep the cavaletti low. Most of our Thoroughbred types are watchful and over jump these little poles anyway.
Another advantage of this type of work is that the rider is able to practise upper body position, rein release and leg positions at the same time.
Concentrate on only one part of the body at a time. Think rein release and repeat as many times as you like. Then try - heels down - the mind cannot cope with four different commands at once. "heels down" "hands still" "eyes ahead" and "hey - don't let your horse run away". Sound familiar ? Try one thing at a time.
You can use your cavaletti every day if you wish, or every time you ride schooling type work.