Lessons this week

I am really hoping I can finish out the week teaching outside, so rain, STAY AWAY.

This might be the last week we can really do evening lessons outside as the sun is setting so much earlier.

We are working on two things this week: the halt, rein-back & trot transition, and keeping an even rhythm at the jumps

For the halt rein-back & trot, we are first going to make sure all the horses CAN rein-back reasonably well. To ask for the rein-back, first make sure you come to a complete halt. Then tip slightly forward onto the front edge of your seat bones, put your leg back to create energy, but then block that energy with the hands so the horse backs. If you need to, use your voice. To then move forward into a walk or trot, you sit up and give a bit with the hands. When you get it right, it will be that the horse lifts its leg as if to continue back, but you then transfer the motion to forward, and that leg steps forward instead of back.

For finding rhythm at the jumps, we will be doing canter poles, and then cantering jumps with placement poles both in front of and after the jumps. This will help with horses that tend to rush or stall at the jumps.

Karen