This week in lessons

This week in lessons is Equitation week! This means a course similar to last week's Handy Hunter course, only this week you will be asked  to take more challenging and bold approaches. We will also work on sitting trot, and cantering from a sitting trot, as well as positional fixes and fine tuning. Be prepared to work! For some of you, this will involve no stirrup work too...

Equitation classes are judged on the rider. These still means you need to find a good distance to each jump, and do the correct leads and striding, but it means a horse that is less talented can still be competitive, while a rider that is typically a passenger on their packer horse will struggle. The horse does still need to be obedient though, as the horse's obedience is a reflection of the skill of the rider.

A typical equitation course is set up to allow a rider to be bold. The entrance is often the rider coming in at sitting trot, picking up a good canter, and then heading directly to the first fence. Diagonal lines and tricky distances give the rider the option to leave strides out, and to carry a forward, but not rushed, pace. The rider should look for places they can do inside turns, or more direct lines, while still looking composed and "huntery". Position is important, but being effective is more important than "sitting pretty". A rider that LOOKS like they are confident will impress the judge and score higher than one that looks uncertain, or too much like a passenger on their horse.

A key element of looking confident is looking up and where you are going, and always focusing on what is next. Another is to have a good and effective contact with your horse, and a hand that does not interfere anymore than needed. The judge wants to see a rider that only does as much as needed, and otherwise remains effectively quiet. They don't want to see a rider who is quiet to the point of being ineffective though, so a tap with a stick, or a cluck, is much better than letting the horse poke around, as would be a strong half halt be better than let a horse get progressively quicker.

As always, it will be fun!

Karen