When you ask your horse for a
canter to trot transition does he tip his head up? Tuck his chin into his
chest? Poke his nose? Tank off? Have you
ever stopped to ask yourself why?
The easy answer is because he’s
resisting your hand but surely there’s more to it than that? Why does he choose
to resist your contact at that particular time? Could it be the instant you
think about trotting you stop riding?
Riders have an uncanny knack of
taking their legs off at the very moment they need them! You may be trying to
stop your horse rushing off into trot by sitting as still as possible but
that’s exactly why he can. Keep your
body moving through your transitions and you’ll find his will too.
Establish canter on a 20m circle at
E/B. It’s the best place to use as your horse won’t have the fence to guide him
and you won’t be able to rely on it. Avoid using unnecessary aids and turn your
body in line with the curve you want him to follow. He’ll copy what you do with
your body. When his shoulders and hips are turned to the inside his body will
bend round the circle.
Stay in canter for at least three
circles. Think of the number of circles you’d do in trot without thinking and
start to use your canter in the same way. It’s just a pace. Use it as such and
you’ll find problems with transitions disappear as your horse starts to think
canter is (depending on his temperament) less exciting or less exhausting.
The trick to this exercise is
positive riding – and thinking. You have to believe your horse can do it. He
can, of course, as long as you ride him forward – which is exactly what you
haven’t been doing before. Your position is vital to keep his weight back on
his hocks. Pull up through your body to get yourself as balanced as possible.
When your canter is settled the
idea is to ask for trot as you cross the ¼ line (still on the 20m circle) and whatever
happens change the rein onto a 10m circle as you cross the centre line.
Sound impossible? It isn’t if you get your legs on! With a young horse just
make the circle slightly bigger but keep the change of rein in.
Ask your horse to trot by closing
your fingers around both reins to create a restrictive contact. Think of
yourself as a clothes peg and press into the saddle with your thighs and knees
to restrict his shoulder muscles. (Check this out to see how http://schoolyourhorse.blogspot.com/2010/12/other-way-of-stopping.html ) As you feel him trot hold the pressure until
you’re happy with the speed. Releasing him too quickly allows him to rush,
making him unbalanced, which is why he tightens his back, lifts his head or pokes
his nose and tanks.
Never take your lower leg off
because you’re slowing down. Push harder to keep your horse’s hocks under his
body. When he steps under his body with his hind legs he stretches his back
muscles (so he can’t tense or hollow) and he’s in a much better position to
stay balanced.
As you approach the centre line be
quick to turn your body towards the new rein. Turn your head so you’re looking
at least half a circle ahead. Your horse will pick up this change in your body
and copy you. Keep your contact even in both hands. But DON’T lift your inside
hand! Do that and it won’t stop him falling in on the circle – it will only
make him tip his nose to the inside. Support him with a strong inside leg and draw
him away from the 20m circle with your outside leg.
Using a small circle to steady a
horse isn’t a new idea but it can make matters worse if it’s on the same rein.
Riders often get hung up on the inside bend and unwittingly start to draw their
inside hand back - especially in canter. That draws their hand towards their
hip and they curl their body to the inside. Their horse does the same.
If you’ve got this problem turning
onto a small circle on the same rein just accentuates it. The smaller the
circle the tighter you both curl up. This puts your horse out of balance and
he’ll get faster and faster. (This is why when your instructor tells you to sit
up it works. You sit up and straighten out your body and your horse instantly
relaxes his.)
The change of rein stops horse or
rider fixing on the inside simply because the inside suddenly becomes the
outside. Even if you should make a grab for the new inside rein you’ll just balance
out the pressure and your horse will go straight – and be balanced.
Ride the 10m circle for as long as
it takes to settle your horse. The first few are likely to come as a bit of a
shock to you both but he’ll settle quicker the more you do. In time you’ll be
able to ride one circle and rejoin the 20m circle immediately. Ask for canter
again and ride at least three circles before repeating.
With a more advanced horse you can
move this exercise to the centre line. Canter down the centre line, trot after
D/G and change the rein onto a 10m circle at X. Rejoin the centre line and ask
for canter before the turn at the end. Put your horse to the test by varying
the lead you ask for.
Having to ride the instant change
of rein will really make you realise how little you usually do as you trot. This
exercise is all about your faults not
your horse’s. It’s one thing admitting that his problems are caused by you but
how often do you really try to find out why?
Good luck and enjoy your schooling.
