An Interesting Take on the Half-Halt

 

This is a really interesting take on the half-halt.  I’ve been using it the past couple of weeks with great success for better downward transitions, walk pirouettes, and even more engaged full halts.  Not a long video, see it HERE, you won’t regret it.

Mid Summer Update

 

I haven’t been posting a lot this spring/summer but we’ve been busy.  I’m typically riding Cruise 5-6 days a week, doing in hand lateral work before riding, and usually lunging with side reins at least once a week.  Also we’ve been hauling out to a local boarding barn every Sunday morning and plan to continue doing so through fall.

He’s going really well under saddle.  The in hand lateral exercises and also the flexions have helped his forward, suppleness, and balance a lot.  I’ve also figured out a better seat to hand connection and a more clear half halt.  The in hand stuff has weirdly helped me understand inside leg to outside rein better and also how much the outside rein is my friend.

We’ve been practicing First Level Test 1 and even though the canter work can still be a little sketchy I’m planning on filming Saturday for Dressage Show Online.  Then there’s a show again in two weeks and if we can squeak a 60+ in both shows we’ll be qualified for the championship show two weeks after that.  I think it’s about 50/50 whether we make it but it will push us forward a bit, so either way I think it’s a win.

The last haul out he was finally pretty chill and after lunging with side reins I got on him and he was very good.  We show up at feeding/bring in time, so sometimes the atmosphere can be challenging but I think I’ve figured out some effective ground exercises and now it’s just repetition and habituation.  Over and over.  I was encouraged when I went to catch him last Sunday and his attitude was, “Oh it’s Camelot day, blah blah blah” and he was pretty much the same when we got there.  Baby steps.

Jet is loving the in hand lateral stuff.  His back has come up and his topline looks great.  He also loves the attention.  He’s such a sweet old man. I really enjoy spending time grooming him and doing impromptu liberty work when the moment strikes. 

In continuing education efforts I queried about doing a clinic in the fall with Pippa Callanan, a French Classical trainer, maybe in hand , maybe under saddle, and we’ll see if we get in.  She’s got a great reputation and I think it might be really fun.

That’s about it-STAY COOL OUT THERE!

Helios Harmony Online Courses

 

I alluded to trying some new online courses a few posts ago and after about 6 weeks I feel ready to give a review.  In a word, fabulous.  The Helios Harmony online courses hosted on longridehome.com are different from any other course I’ve done.  The premise is that there is a (mostly) forgotten system of training for dressage that most people don’t know about and therefore don’t utilize.  This is the system the Cadre Noire and The Spanish Riding School, among others, use to train their horses.  All based on the work of the old master La  Gueriniere.

The courses go into theory in a light hearted way, but have tons of practical examples and are very understandable.  Cruise and I have been working our way through a couple of them and we both really like the content.  The in-hand work has been especially beneficial.  Interestingly, Cruise has gone from toeing out behind to being almost straight in six weeks.  His chest has broadened, his balance has shifted back, his canter is much more sitting, and his ability to do flexions has improved so much.  We’ve been lunging 1-2 times per week, doing the in-hand lateral exercises for 5-10 minutes 5-6 days a week, and doing a combination field ride/5-10 minutes of countdowns at the walk, trot, and canter in the ring 5-6 days a week.  Nothing stressful but the muscle building and balance improvements have been kind of crazy.

Anyway, if you’re interested in learning more and getting more details, check out the free introductory course HERE which explains everything much better than I can.  Enjoy!

Field Tripping

 

No media because busy hands, but we went on our first field trip in 7 months yesterday.  There was some tension.  There was some excitement.  Especially when a horse was being lunged in the ring next to us or when a cute mare passed close by.  BUT I was able to get his focus back to me consistently.  He handled the barn owner doing various loud repairs behind the arena walls with ease.  I got some really nice ground work in the end and we quit on a relaxed note.  Also he quietly loaded and unloaded both ways with only a short prep the week before.

So what’s the plan you ask?  Much more of this.  Pretty much every weekend through fall.  I’m taking my saddle, side reins, and bridle from now on and we will progress through lunging, in hand bridle work, and under saddle as indicated.  The nice thing is the barn is pretty deserted on early Sunday mornings but as he  gains confidence we can go later and later to expose him to more and more.

I’m sort of doing a three prong approach.  Hauling out once a week to the boarding barn is one.  Field riding on a looser rein using Warwick Schiller’s bend to a stop is the second.  A traditional classical dressage program of lunging with side reins at least twice a week, in hand lateral exercises in the bridle before riding, and under saddle work that uses more lateral work at the walk and countdowns for balance is the third.

More on the riding program soon!