I meant to write this post a few weeks ago when I was test riding in the Berney, but it got pushed to the wayside. Life has been hectic to say the least. Emily set up this exercise in prep for the last HT and hopefully we'll do something similar tonight. The only difference this time is that she's going to jump him first and then I'll hop on. I actually rode really well through this series, though I have discovered that my position is much better with my stirrups up another 2 holes! And lo and behold, I am actually releasing in these photos... let's see if I can keep this up.
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| Lots of fun options |
So, the basic exercise is a placing pole to a one stride (started as just poles on the ground and worked up to 2'3" verticals). Once that rhythm was established the next addition was a bending line to a jump three strides away (again we started this as just a pole on the ground and worked it up to a vertical). After that, and the horse thought he had it all figured out, we headed into the one stride, two strides
left to a jump on a bending line. One we got that all sorted out we could do either variation and if all went smoothly canter back around to the other vertical (not sure if that makes sense -- I lost the video!) This exercise was terrific for us because Riley has a habit of thinking he's done after the jump even if we canter away. This forced him to keep focused and listen to my aids as I funneled him through each question. We finished the day with the one stride four strides to an oxer. This was trickier than it sounds since the one stride compresses the stride and it forced you to land, think GO and get the four. It actually rode really nicely.
Of course, some photos (I'll look for the video when I get my ipad back!):
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| the vertical three strides right |
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| Oxer after in and out to four strides |
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| Riley not approving of me changing the game up (I think this was the first time we went left after the in and out) |
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| Cantering back around to the vertical (I stuffed in another stride) |
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| As you can see in this horrible photo! |
I highly suggest trying this exercise! Best of all it only take 5 jumps!
Cool exercise!
ReplyDeletevery cool - i like that you can practically see the gears turning in his head as he figures it out. we've done something similar in my hunters lessons, and bending lines have been the name of the game for the past month.
ReplyDeleteI love this exercise! It makes Bobby's brain explode which makes my brain actually have to work which is obvi a good thing.
ReplyDeleteMe too. I was like there's a thing, and another thing, and another thing...agh!
DeleteLooks like a fab exercise ☺
ReplyDeleteYou guys are rocking it!!!
♡♡♡♡
its good for them to add a stride (or leave one out) and not get in a huff about it =)
ReplyDeleteI dig,its totally a book I want (making a note to buy it before winter.)
ReplyDeleteThe old version is just as good as the new one so you can probably find it cheap. It's just spread out a little differently.
DeleteSounds like a fun exercise! You guys are really coming along!
ReplyDeleteill have to try this one
ReplyDeletegoing to try this with my student!
ReplyDeleteYour student will love/hate you for it, but it's a great exercise for a greenish horse (and even an experienced one). I think as I get better at this it would be fund for my trainer to call out "left" or "right" or "oxer" as I went through the in and out!
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