by Dream_Merchant » Mon Sep 05, 2005 10:14 am
#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#
<font color=royalblue><i><b>Horse; you are truly a creature without equal - for you fly without wings, and conquer without a sword
NCAS Level One Coach</i></b></font>