Gymnastic excercise 2

oliveira · 2009 , December 31

Warming Up – Part 3, at the Trot.

Now that you have stretched your horse laterally, from side to side, it is time to ask for some stretch longitudinally. This exercise over trotting poles is wonderful for teaching your horse to reach over his back and stretch into your hand.

Spiraling Out from 10m circle to 13m Circle.

Spiraling Out from 10m to 13m

In the working trot rising on the left rein, make a 10m circle in the purple cone corner by K. We will call this the small size circle.
Now make the circle larger, about 12-13m is good, spiraling outward from the purple cone corner riding fairly close to the trotting pole grid and then around the orange cones and back to the purple cone corner. We will call this the medium size circle.
Now spiral in to make the circle smaller to the small size, and then spiral out in a Leg Yield to make it larger to the medium size circle.
When you can feel the horse relax into the circles, and the transition from spiraling in and out, then you are ready to move on to the next part of this exercise.

oliveira · 2009 , December 31

Trot / Canter / Trot Transitions.

The transition between canter and trot and back to canter is developed using the trotting poles to regulate the rhythym and to articulate the joints. This is a great way to improve the “jump” in the Canter departure and to help the horse lift and use its back during the downward transitin from Canter to Trot.

Spiraling Out from 13m circle to 15m circle using Trotting Poles for Longitudinal Stretch.

From the medium size circle make the circle larger again by spiraling out to a 15 meter circle through the Leg Yield, so that your new size circle passes through the trotting pole grid.
We will call this the “trotting pole size” circle.

Spiraling out and over trot poles

Keep the bend and trot over the poles, rising, and then staying on this size circle returning to the purple cone corner.
Now make the circle smaller to the medium size and then smaller again to the small size.
From the small circle spiral out again through the Leg Yield to the medium size circle and then again spiral out through the Leg Yield to the trotting pole size circle.
Once you feel that the horse is starting to lift his back over the poles and reach forward and down ask for a canter departure as you leave the trotting poles.
Stay in canter on the trotting pole size circle until about A and ask for a trot transition a couple strides before the trotting pole grid.
As you progress on this exercise you can ask for the trot transition closer and closer to the poles.
Repeat 2 or 3 times, however, be careful, I find the horses start to anticipate the canter transition as they exit the grid so don’t overdo it.
You can change things up by staying in the trot after going through the poles. Keep your horse listening to you!

oliveira · 2009 , December 31

Riding the 10 meter Canter circle.

For a good balanced 10m Canter circle it is imperative to have the hind quarters engaged. Without this engagement the horse will not be balanced enough to complete this circle. By using the trotting pole grid to encourage articulation of the hind quarters your horse will develop the flexibility and strength to remain balanced and collected.

Spiraling Out to a 20m circle iand back in to a 10m circle in Canter.

Now make the circle larger yet at the Canter, riding a 20m circle after going through the trotting pole grid.

Spiraling In, Spiraling Out

Next make the circle smaller by spiraling in to the medium size circle in Canter.
If your horse feels balanced enough, sit up and ride the 10m “small size” circle in the purple cone corner. The grid work should have helped to articulate the joints in the hind quarters making the 10m Canter circle easier.
Then, at the canter make the circle larger to the medium size circle.
Then larger again to the trotting pole size, trot over the poles and stay trot.
Change rein on the long diagonal from F to H through X and then repeat the exercise on the right rein.
Your horse should now be well warmed up, reaching over the topline, bending left and right. If all goes well you should have about 10 minutes or so to get down to some real work.

oliveira · 2010 , January 21

Counter pattern, change of rein into the corner.

Counter pattern, change of rein into the corner.

Counter Patterns are exercises ridden in a fashion that is counter (or opposite) to the norm. Examples include “counter” bending, “counter” canter, “counter” change of hand and the focus of this article, “counter” change of rein into the corner. This is a rather simple exercise and a rather short article, however, the athletic developmental value of this movement is very high!
By riding your change of rein into the corner you accomplish several things. First, the benefit of riding a 10m demi-circle, increased engagement of the quarters, secondly the benefit of riding a change of rein, suppleness, thirdly by riding it as a counter pattern, that is from the center line back to the track, your 10m demi-circle will be much more accurate utilizing the walls to aid in developing inside leg to outside rein. Why will it be more accurate? Well for starters if you ride the 10m demi-circle from the track out to the center line, your probability of missing the centerline is much higher. Most will miss the centerline large, falling out the shoulder or worst yet the horse will lean in on the inside aids cutting the turn short and disengaging the inside hind. By riding it as a counter pattern, from the center line back to the track, you can develop more engagement of the inside hind without fear of overshooting the pattern as the wall will guide you with your outside aids.

Go large tracking left, at E half halt and leave the track riding a straight diagonal line aiming at a point on the center line approximately 7m from A, or just aim slightly to the left of the center of the trotting pole lying on the center line in front of A. As you cross the quarter line half halt right outside rein and leg, change your posting diagonal and bend and half halt on the new outside rein and leg joining up with the 10m circle in the corner by K. Use your inside leg to make the circle as large as you can, maintaining a soft feel on the outside rein. Just before K half halt left rein and leg thereby straightening your horse and carrying on large tracking right.
Although this pattern is ideal for engaging the quarters of horses schooling up to 1st level, horses schooling even FEI level can also benefit from this pattern perhaps carrying on into half pass right towards X.

Some variations to try;

Try riding this pattern, changing rein into each corner.
Try riding a 20m circle left at E and then change rein into the corner from E to A to K
Try riding a 1/2 20m circle left at E and then change rein into the corner from B to C to M and then back onto the 20m 1/2 circle right at B and change rein into the corner from E to C to H.
Try riding this pattern and add a leg yield left as you cross the quarter line and then as you approach the center line and the trotting pole ride a shoulder fore right or shoulder in right through the corner toward K. Halt at K at a 30 degree angle to the track and then turn on the forehand push the haunches over to the wall and trot off.
Try riding this pattern as above but at K go half pass right and then ride the quarter line shoulder in right a few strides and then back to half pass right towards X, etc.

oliveira · 2010 , January 21

Developing the Canter through Counter Canter.

Developing the Canter through Counter Canter.

Since one of the secrets to a great canter is through “balance” it should come as no surprise that the best way to improve your canter is through the counter canter. One can’t just start riding 20m counter canter circles though, and expect their horse to stay balanced, rhythmic etc. The counter canter needs to be systematically developed through a series of gymnastic exercises.
There are many counter canter exercises out there and every trainer will have a preference as to which ones they use, and which horses to use each one on.
I prefer to use counter pattern exercises whenever possible. I find that riding school patterns in a counter fashion allows me to utilize the natural barrier boundaries of the school better thereby enabling the rider to use less hand and more seat and leg for steering.
So how do you ride a counter counter canter pattern? That is a mouthful on its own! And isn’t counter counter redundant? Semantics aside, here is a great exercise that you can use in a counter fashion that systematically develops counter canter from a simple loop to a 20m circle.
Start with the simple counter canter loop in a counter pattern.
The counter canter loop is first found in 1st level tests. We are going to ride it in a counter pattern though, that is instead of from the track to X and back to the track, we are going to ride it on the right rein from the centerline to E and back to the centerline as shown in the illustration below.

Counter Canter Loop

Starting on the right lead in the corner by H make a 10m demi circle right and ride back to the track towards E and then ride back towards a point on the center line approximately 5m in front of A and make a 10m demi circle in the corner by K. Go large to H and repeat.
Try it on the left lead now, starting in the corner by M, make a 10m demi circle left and ride back to the track towards B, then ride towards a point on the centerline approx. 5m in front of A and make a 10m demi circle in the corner by F, At F go large to M and repeat.
Once you have this counter counter canter loop nicely balanced, it is time to up the difficulty a little.

oliveira · 2010 , January 21

Modified counter canter loop in a counter pattern.

In order to improve your horse athletically, we must always ask our horse to perform at a higher level, without going past his limits physically, mentally or emotionally. For to do so would only result in pain, fear, loss of trust, and perhaps most importantly, loss of confidence in himself, the rider, and the work. With this in mind, since our ends goal is a 20m circle at the counter canter that is relaxed, rhythmic, balanced and cadenced, somehow we need to go from a simple loop to that 20m circle in stages.

Modified Loop

Assuming that you were able to ride the counter canter simple loop counter pattern, the next step is to add a few more counter canter strides to the pattern. Prepare by riding a counter canter simple loop in counter pattern on the right lead to refresh both horse and rider. Now, when it is good, and it should only take one or maybe two loops to feel “good”. If it takes more than two or three, then you are not ready to move on yet! from the simple loop ride across the short side at C and make a 10m circle in the corner by M. Now ride straight across the quarter school in counter canter from the 1/4 line to the 3/4 line and continue your counter canter to E and then back into the corner by K (as you did the simple loop earlier) as illustrated.
At first it may not feel wonderful but that is okay. Remember how the simple loop felt at first? You can always ride the simple loop after this “modified” loop to refresh your horse, and you, on how easy that is. Soon enough, this will become “easy” as well.
Try it on the other rein.
Once you have this modified counter counter canter loop nicely balanced, as before, it is time to up the difficulty a little.

oliveira · 2010 , February 5

20m demi circle in counter canter.

Assuming that you have the modified simple loop balanced and feeling “good” we can take it one step further and ask for a few more strides at the counter canter and complete half a 20m circle.

A larger loop

As before, start with a simple counter canter loop in counter pattern on the right lead from H, C, to E and then A, K. Ride large to H and link this to a modified counter canter loop from C, M, to E and then A, K, going large to H. When these feel good, simply extend the counter canter a few strides more as in the illustration. From C ride a 10m circle in the corner by M and then ride across the quarter school in counter canter to the center line. Now ride a 20m demi circle in counter canter all the way back to the centerline before riding a 10m circle in the corner by F.
Try it on the other rein.
As before, the next step is to add one more segment.

oliveira · 2010 , February 5

Let’s add another segment to our 20m counter canter circle.

Adding segments to the loop.

By now you should be riding a 20m demi circle in counter canter with good balance. You should notice that your true canter is improving, your horse should have better “jump” at the canter lifting the wither every stride and that your 10m canter circles are becoming straighter and easier to ride. Straighter as in the shoulder is straighter up and down, or perpindicular to the ground. You should feel like the horse is sitting down more on his haunches and carrying you better. All good signs of an excellent collected canter!
Start as always with the simple loop, adding the extra strides until you get a good 20m demi circle in counter canter.
When ready, as in the illustration, ride to B in counter canter and then to the centerline approx. 5m in front of C and a 10m true canter circle in the corner by M.
One more segment and we have a 20m counter canter circle.

oliveira · 2010 , February 5

The 20m counter canter circle.

Congratulations! If you have followed the steps in this exercise then you have systematically and athletically developed your horse in preparation for the counter canter 20m circle. Your horse should now be physically, mentally, and emotionally ready to succeed on the 20m circle.
String together some simple loops, add a few strides and skip a corner before riding the 10m true canter circle (modified loop exercise) , add a few more strides of counter canter and skip 2 corners before riding a 10m circle in true canter (demi circle exercise). When it is good and balanced, then you are ready for the next step.

20m counter canter circle.

Let’s start in the corner by M on the right lead, ride a 10m circle, now join up onto the 20m circle around X in the counter canter and ride it past 4 corners and then ride a 10m true canter circle into the corner near H. This should be really easy for your horse because you have taken the time to gradually build up to the full circle. You have set your horse and yourself up for success!
Now, play with linking these 10m true canter circles up with segments of 20m counter canter circles, gradually increasing the time spent in counter canter on the 20m circle. Be sure to add some straight large work . Try and ride large in counter canter. It should be easier than you think at first and the true canter should be improving noticeably!