FIRC Spring Out of Mothballs Riding Clinic

Goals: What do I want to do with my horse?

Balance• Why does it matter? For everyday? For advanced

skills and competition?

Balance

The Unbalanced Horse

• Leans on the bit• Rushes• Can be tense• No light, even, elastic and “living” contact with

rein because horse leans on the bit• Forging because horse’s toe hits ground before

heal• stumbling

On the Forehand

Embedded deeply in the horse’s psyche and muscles.

Exercises and GaitsTrotCavaletti or PolesCorrect Canter DepartRiding UphillJumping

Putting forward & down into practice: stretching the topline

• Warm-up and Cool Down• Alternating collection and stretching

What goes wrong?

The Bridge to Balance

From this

To This

Engagement, Mission

• A ______________|______ B

• A ________|_____________B

Building the Back of the Bridge

• Riding Curved Lines

3 tracks 4 tracks not shoulder-in

Riding Curved Lines

Shoulder-fore Shoulder-in three tracks

What Can go Wrong?

• Natural Crookedness of the Horse

HollowShortStiffStrongContractedconcave

HollowShortStiffStrongContractedconcave

RoundLongSoftWeakElongatedConvex

Naturally crooked to leftNaturally crooked to right

So What?

• Natural Crookedness of the Horse

Easy to the leftDifficult to the rightStiff, resistant to rightToo much bend to leftTend to fall out of left circleTend to fall into right circleRider and saddle shift rightLeft stirrup feels shorter

Easy to the rightDifficult to the leftStiff, resistant to leftToo much bend to rightTend to fall out of right circleTend to fall into left circleRider and saddle shift leftright stirrup feels shorter

Irregular rhythmShort stridedLeaningStiffLazyDefective gaitsBack problemsTongue over bitCrooked in neckNervousnessDisunited canterRushingPanicbolting

Naturally crooked to left Naturally crooked to right

Riding Curved Lines

Exercises for straightness and to strengthen the carrying ability behind.

• Serpentines• Circles• Lateral Exercises• Crossing over exercises (Magnus)