Teaching Lateral

[HappilyEverAfter]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#Hey#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#My pony and I are just starting our dressage careers and we are now looking to start learning lateral movements. Beauty essentially knows how to do the basics (leg yeild, turn on the forehand, turn on the haunchs and a bit of shoulder fore) but I want to make sure that they are all correct and accurate, making them easy to perform by the time show season comes around!#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#Can anyone suggest exercises or ways to help school these movements??#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#Thanks!#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[*rickie*]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#FONT face=Tahoma color=#c080ff size=4#ed_cl#Just wanted to be the 1st to welcome you to the board!! It's great, you'll learn lots of wonderful stuff!  #ed_op#IMG src="http://forums.equestrianconnection.com/richedit/smileys/Word_Greetings/2.gif"#ed_cl##ed_op#/FONT#ed_cl##ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#FONT face=Tahoma color=#c080ff size=4#ed_cl##ed_op#/FONT#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#FONT face=Tahoma color=#c080ff size=4#ed_cl#As for your question, I really like leg yeilding on the wall, because you really have to ask for it 100% properly in order to get it *right*, where as I find going from center /quarter line, over to the track people tend to do a *rein-yeild* (I'm guilty of this every so often too #ed_op#IMG src="http://forums.equestrianconnection.com/richedit/smileys//smiley9.gif"#ed_cl#)#ed_op#/FONT#ed_cl##ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#FONT face=Tahoma color=#c080ff size=4#ed_cl##ed_op#/FONT#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#FONT face=Tahoma color=#c080ff size=4#ed_cl#Other than that, I find doing a 10m circle in the corners, and then doing into shoulder-in down the long side, alot of help. Great for getting started, and teaching it to the horse and rider.#ed_op#/FONT#ed_cl##ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#FONT face=Tahoma color=#c080ff size=4#ed_cl##ed_op#/FONT#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#FONT face=Tahoma color=#c080ff size=4#ed_cl#Hope this helps....feel free to jump right into any convo here, we're all friendly and generally, as a rule of thumb don't bite! #ed_op#IMG src="http://forums.equestrianconnection.com/richedit/smileys/Happy/3.gif"#ed_cl##ed_op#/FONT#ed_cl##ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[Piaffing]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#The best way is to have your coach tell you when it is being done correctly. The use of mirrors is a great way of seeing how the movement looks.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[Dream_Merchant]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#STRONG#ed_cl##ed_op#EM#ed_cl##ed_op#FONT face=Verdana color=#0060bf size=2#ed_cl#Basically what your looking for is how many tracks your horse is working on, and the amount of flexion and bend through the neck and body you have.#ed_op#BR#ed_cl##ed_op#BR#ed_cl#Half pass -- You want to be on 3 tracks, and remember, the shoulders must lead the hindquarters, not vice versa, that is one thing you will marked down heavily. Going onto 4 tracks isn't a disaster, but you don't want to over do it. You also want to make sure your not pulling your horse's head around too much and creating too much flexion and bend towards the direction of travel; you should only see the eye and nostril of the face in the direction your travelling.#ed_op#BR#ed_cl##ed_op#BR#ed_cl#Shoulder-in -- Again, 3 tracks is better than 4, and once again, flexion and bend are another important issue you need to watch. You only need to see the eye and nostril again, and you want to make sure your not just coiled the horses entire body around your leg and over doing the bend in the neck. If your finding your horse is doing this, you need to soften your inside rein, and ask for more straightness through the body with the outside rein and outside leg.#ed_op#BR#ed_cl##ed_op#BR#ed_cl#Travers -- Same thing applies here  than with the Shoulder-in, but it's all vice versa to suit the movement; usually people tend to just ask with the inside rein, when you should be keeping the straightness with the outside rein and asking the hindquarters to come in with your outside leg, and holding the shoulders on the track with your inside leg.#ed_op#BR#ed_cl##ed_op#BR#ed_cl#The best way to start these movements off, is to do a 10m circle before you begin -- this gives you the bend and flexion you will need to begin the lateral work before you actually ask for the specific movement, and makes the understanding of it so much easier.#ed_op#BR#ed_cl##ed_op#BR#ed_cl#As other's have said, mirrors make for great training aids, as does a set of eyes on the ground to pick up the finer points and help you to "feel" what is happening beneath you so you can correct it.#ed_op#BR#ed_cl##ed_op#BR#ed_cl#Good luck with your training and competitions, I hope that has helped you out!!#ed_op#/FONT#ed_cl##ed_op#/EM#ed_cl##ed_op#/STRONG#ed_cl##ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[xena_n_joss]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#Actually I like starting leg yeilds from a circle. Start off doing a 20m circle and slowly "wind" in. When you have a proper, say, 10m circle you can ask for a simple leg yeild out back to your 20m circle. #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#The muscles involved in doing a leg yeild or any movement for that matter have to deveolpe. You cant force a horse to do it perfectly at first. In riding essentially a large wb type horse I have found this out. I tried doing leg yeild down the wall but it just stressed her out way too much. And thats really not what you want to do. #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#After the circle leg yeilds I find that doing a circle and then when you get to the quarter line, ask for the leg yeild to the wall. This works well too. Because your not really asking for anything really different then the circle leg yeild. Then you can move on to doing center line leg yeilds when your horse is strong enough and going well off your seat properly. #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[Adpaga]

don't forget the most important:#ed_op#br#ed_cl#
Ask often, be happy with little, and reward a lot (even if it's just an attempt of doing what you ask).#ed_op#br#ed_cl#
#ed_op#br#ed_cl#
Keep in mind that while focusing on lateral movements, you don't loose
the rythm and impulsion of your gaits, else you will only be pushing a
wet rope uphill. So refresh the gaits between each exercise with some
longitudinal exercises (transitions, lengthening, etc..) to keep your
horse happy.#ed_op#br#ed_cl#
#ed_op#br#ed_cl#
Welcome on board!#ed_op#br#ed_cl#

[Ruth]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#Some horses find it easier if you introduce the concept in walk first.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[HappilyEverAfter]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#Thanks Guys!!#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#Those are some great suggestions that we'll definitley try out soon!#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#