Working Out

Are you lucky enough to have free access to a ménage whenever you need one? If you are June’s post on hacking out - http://schoolyourhorse.blogspot.com/2011/06/on-bit-or-on-buckle.html - will apply to you. Whenever you’re out of the school you should allow your horse some time out. Get off his case and just enjoying riding him.

If you have to pay or travel every time you want to school your horse you probably do more schooling when you’re out for a hack. It’s unavoidable but it’s still important that your horse gets time without pressure.

Allocate one ride to schooling. Use that ride and that ride only. When you go that way your horse will know it’s time to work. If you only have one ride to use then school on it in one direction and play in the other! Don’t let excuses get in your way.

There are loads of things you can work on without the need for a school. Check out http://schoolyourhorse.blogspot.com/2010/12/other-way-of-stopping.html to see how you can use your knee and thigh to slow, collect or stop your horse. This is one of the best things any rider can learn. And one of the easiest. It eliminates the need to use your reins to slow down or stop. The result? Your horse is softer in your hands.

Sharpen your horse up to your leg aids. There is no reason why any horse should have to be kicked every stride just to put one foot in front of the other. Check out http://schoolyourhorse.blogspot.com/2010/12/lazy-rider.html to find out how to liven your horse up to your leg. Instead of using school markers you’ll need some of your own. Anything - cat’s eyes, lamp posts, clumps of cow parsley – will do.

Riding uphill can improve your sitting trot. Don’t take your stirrups away but let them down a couple of holes. Sitting trot is uncomfortable if your horse hollows his back. Up a hill he’ll have to push harder with his hocks. He’ll be rounder in his back and easier for you to sit on.

Every curve in the road is an opportunity to bend your horse. If you’re trotting change your diagonal to match the bend. One diagonal is often more comfortable than the other. On a hack it’s easy to opt for the comfortable one but that will only increase his stiffness. Use them equally. You’ll be surprised how quickly his schooling improves.

Practise your canter transitions. (http://schoolyourhorse.blogspot.com/2011/01/riding-perfect-canter-transition.html) Never allow your horse to take three strides to get into canter. Put your outside leg back and use your inside leg to tell him to go. When you use it he must strike off. If he doesn’t, trot and ask again.

Can you tell which canter lead you’re on? Find a long stretch to canter on and look down at your horse’s shoulders. One will be reaching further forward than the other. That’s your leading leg. If the right is reaching further forward you’re in right canter.

Ask for a specific canter lead. And make sure you get it! If you ask your horse clearly he should give you the correct leg. If he doesn’t don’t lean forward, hang off to one side or kick in a panic. Trot, get him steady again and use clear aids. The aim of schooling is to strive for perfection. You’re not expecting it every time.

Are you close to the saddle on all three beats of your canter? Many riders lift up out of the saddle on the third. This gives you less control. It affects the canter and your transitions. If your horse gets stronger and stronger the further you canter this could be why. Listen to the canter and push down into the saddle for all three beats.

On quiet lanes play with moving your horse’s quarters and shoulders. Teach him the theory of moving forward with his shoulders or quarters in a different alignment.

To move your horse’s shoulders in turn your body and hands to the right. Keep your hips facing forward. Your left hand should be in front of your right hip. If your horse moves his shoulders - not just his head - to the right your contact should stay even in both hands. If he just turns his head you’ll lose the contact in your right rein.

Look in the direction you want to go NOT in the direction your horse is looking. Push him where you’re looking with your right leg. When you feel him step across ‘catch him’ on your left leg to keep his body in line with his shoulders.

When you ask your horse to move his quarters your body and hands should stay facing forward. This keeps his head, neck and shoulders straight. Your legs control his quarters. To move them in put your outside (left) leg back and push your calf against his side. He’ll swing his quarters round until he feels your inside leg. Use your inside heel to nudge him forward and he’ll walk in the direction he’s looking with his quarters in.

Schooling out hacking can be beneficial if you keep your horse’s attention. Problems arise when your horse gets bored. He’ll come up with ways to amuse himself. Use your imagination and you’ll stop him using his!

Good luck and enjoy your schooling.

Quarters In - Travers or Canter?

(Suggested posts – It’s in Your Hands, Get Straight to the Point, There’s More to Legs than Kicking, How to Ride the Perfect Canter Transition)

Most riders understand the term quarters-in. Of course it should mean travers - or at least the start of it - but most often it’s a term used to describe canter.

If your canter is crooked it’s true that your horse may have back trouble. His saddle may be too wide or perhaps it’s pinching him. But before you panic and reach for the phone book stop and think for a second. Do you ever see him cantering in the field with his quarters in? If you’re cantering on a hack, off his back, are his quarters in? Is he crooked in walk or trot? You know where this is going, right?

The majority of crooked horses are caused by crooked riders. Are you so sure you’re not to blame? Look on the bright side. If it is you it’s cheaper and quicker than booking an appointment with your local saddler or chiropractor.

The first thing to check is your outside leg position. Once you’re in canter what do you do with it? You should move it back to its usual place near the girth. If you don’t you’re unintentionally pushing your horse’s quarters in off the track.

Your hips have a huge influence on the position of your horse’s quarters. If they face the front so will your horse’s. But when your outside leg goes back your outside hip probably goes with it. Your inside hip is then further forward than your outside. Your horse will copy you. If his inside hip comes forward his quarters come in. That’s great. If you’re asking for travers …

The trick is to relax your hips to allow your outside leg to move forward or back without taking your hip with it. Root your seat bones to the saddle and let everything above or below move independently. It sounds simple but it takes practice. And time. Don’t worry if you can’t do it immediately. The main thing to do is put your leg straight back to its original position as soon as your horse strikes off into canter.

On a circle your horse’s body should turn to the inside. This puts his inside hip further back than his outside. Your body must do the same. If your hips are stiff they’ll stay straight instead of turning with the circle. Your inside hip will be further forward than the outside. Again your horse will copy you. Result? Quarters in.

When you come to correct your horse remember you use your leg by the girth to control his body but a few inches back to control his quarters. Use short, sharp nudges with your inside leg back to return his quarters to the track. Don’t be tempted to push. He’ll just push against you. Using your leg in short movements keeps your hips relaxed. Constant pushing can make you twist and tighten up in the saddle which only adds to the problem. (Worth remembering if you have trouble with lateral work)

Sometimes, although your canter is crooked, it’s not the quarters that are in. Just to confuse things sometimes the outside shoulder is out! This is easily solved.

Whatever you do with your hands will affect your horse’s shoulders. If your outside hand is too wide or lower than your inside hand he’ll drop his outside shoulder and fall out. Seen from the front his quarters may appear to be in but look where his feet are landing. His outside fore will be hitting the sand on the outer edge of the track.

Falling out in canter is often caused by a rider lifting their inside hand up on a tight turn or circle because they think it will help their horse stay upright. This is a misguided belief. If your inside hand is higher than the outside he won’t lift his shoulder up he’ll drop the other one down! Keep your hands level and your horse will do the same. His balance comes from his hocks not his shoulders.

(Many of you may be thinking “My instructor tells me to lift my inside hand!” They probably do but because it’s lower than the outside. If in doubt even up your hands.)

A crooked canter is one of the most common faults. It will have taken months to develop and won’t be cured overnight but with patience and attention to your own position you can make a real difference. And look on the bright side. When you come to start lateral work at last you’ll know your horse understands the aids!

Good luck and enjoy your schooling.