Comment

Comment by Ellin McGinley Daum on March 27, 2011 at 7:52pm

My method is similar to Jackie's:  without force and with soft aids.  As the horse places you on your outside seat bone in the canter, stay on that seat bone while sitting up very straight, squeezing the outside rein while keeping the inside bend and stopping the following motion of the hips.  As soon as the transition is made, release all the aids.  Some additional thoughts:  I teach this to my horses beginning in the walk to halt transitions and then carry through all the way to the canter to halt eventually; there is some closing of the legs, not in a driving way, but more to steady the upward reach of my body; the release is the reward and should be done promptly.  In addition, I make the rhythm and tempo of every gait, including the canter, with my following hip motion so that the horse is tuned into what my body is asking at all times.  This is not a pushing or sitting against the horse to get the motion, but simply an active following so that the length and tempo of the stride are set by my actions.  Hope you have great success with your horse!

Comment by Jackie Cochran on March 27, 2011 at 6:49pm

This is what I do for downward transitions.  This is NOT what everybody else seems to do.  In detail--remember all the parts of my body are working at the same time.

With my hands, as the horse's head comes up and my hands come back  I apply my hand aid by squeezing my fingers gently.  Right before the horse's head reaches its highest point start I relax my fingers and start moving my hands forward and move them a little bit more forward than usual at the canter.  This gives the horse room to stretch out into a walk.

At the same time I step down in my stirrups, lengthen my legs, raise my chest, "become taller" and sort of relax my seat in the saddle. 

 I might add a LIGHT leg aid with both legs as the horse's head starts going down and my hands mov forward, and I release my leg aid immediately. 

I do not drive my horse into a resisting bit.  I do not oppose any of my horse's movements.  I never use a rein aid when the horse's head is moving forward.  By applying my rein aids as the horse's head is moving up and back I am telling the horse to switch some of its weight back on its rear end.  I apply my leg aids from the time the hind legs land until the cannons become vertical to the ground.  This sort of roots the hind legs into the ground, with the hocks flexing.  This part of the stride lasts only a split second, I apply the aid and release immediately.

Practice this, it may take a while, and you might have to  slow the canter down first and use a slightly harder hand aid to go down to the walk.  Remember to release your aids right after you apply them, both hand and leg. 

Note, I apply my hand aids BEFORE I apply my leg aids.  As I said I do not do this like most riders.

May success come soon.

Comment by Elaine Flintoff on March 27, 2011 at 5:48pm

Okay, I admit it....I need help.  I am trying to teach my horse the canter/walk transition....no luck so far.  I am certain I am giving the right aids for walk and I give half-halts before asking so she knows something is coming, but I still cannot do it.....can someone please elaborate, IN DETAIL, how the aids should be working?  Thanks.  ef

Comment by Cindy Jeffery on March 27, 2011 at 1:12am

That's the key Molly, you remember the old adage "Practice makes perfect" lolol

Comment by Molly Judge on March 26, 2011 at 9:31am

Hi Shirley, I don't know where you live, but google OPRC, Old Peoples Rdiding Club. I know it sounds funny, but this is a geat group of men and women who I have found to be very encouraging and helpful. We all have fears at our age, and most of them are realistic. We break easier than those young people, and we have jobs that we need to be able to function at. I have only been riding for about 6 years, so I have some fears too. I do find that the more time I spend in the saddle, the less fear I have.

Comment by vickie lawson on March 26, 2011 at 2:50am

i had a great lesson in the rain this morning! everyone else at my coach's stable cancelled, so we're good!!! now off to the show tomorrow! one class has an $800 winners pool, so cross your fingers! (delph was so good in the rain, i feel really positive about this)

Comment by Shirley on March 24, 2011 at 1:21pm

I love the idea of an adult pony club. I have been having one of the almost teens at my barn help me when we can get together and she shows me games etc. that she has learned at pony club. I find I loose some of my fear issues when I am really focused on something and my horse soon relaxes then also. I have been riding for a few years now but still feel like a beginner because of this fear factor going up and down. I've had several trainers help me also BUT, I keep finding when I'm regressing and having a harder time, I have to go back to playing with 'things' to get us moving again.

We have an adult club in the area called "Saddle Sisters" but they seem to mostly be experienced casual riders.

This group has gotten pretty active again. Nice!!!

Comment by Devon Meadows on March 24, 2011 at 11:51am

Hi,

We live in Ontario - have 2 donkeys / 2 ponies / 2 nany goats / 2 horses / 2 toy poddles (great farm/watch dogs).........hmmm sounds like the Noahs Ark! We also run a small private boarding barn

Comment by vickie lawson on March 24, 2011 at 2:22am

i really should have ridden tonight! but i was just too tired after work.... hope the rain forcast for tomorrow holds off. i have a show this sunday.

Comment by vickie lawson on March 23, 2011 at 7:53pm

hi molly! quite a group you have to watch over! i have a geriatric greyhound, who unfortunately has been diagnosed with liver cancer. and my 2 hano/tb babies, who are 5 and 3. the 3 yr old was for my daughter, who is 'too busy' to ride, so i am riding both, working full time--- and generally very tired! but i do love them. i recently responded to a friend who breeds and who had a client looking for a shorter wb. so maybe i will be left with one, which will be sad but more manageable.

 

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