Typical Training Day

 

I thought I’d do a little recap of a typical training day using the RS Riding system.  Cruise usually gets turned out first thing from 7-11 in the morning.  Sometimes it’s more like 7-10 as he will start running if he gets full, bored, or is being hassled in the least bit by bugs.  I’d like him to be turned out longer, but 3-4 hours seems to be his sweet spot right now.  Sigh.  Anyway, after I clean stalls I bring him in, give him a chance to pee, and get a drink of water.  After a quick groom and tack up, we are out to the dressage court.  Also, if he seems particularly wild or it is really cold out, when I initially catch him I do some TRT leading and yields in the dressage court with his blanket on.  This seems to be the best way for him to deal with colder weather.  Just a few minutes of ground work in his blanket leads to a much more settled ride.

It’s been so nice this fall I haven’t even been doing ground work, just hopping on, but I’m sure that will change when it gets in the 20’s!  

Using the RS riding structure currently our training days look something like this:

Forward walk on a light following contact, 1-2 loops each way.

Forward trot on a light following contact 1-2 loops each way.

Leg yield nose to wall at walk, change direction forward walk across short diagonal, LY nose to wall other leg, forward walk around end, and repeat in an X pattern.

Leg yield nose to wall at walk then down centerline and then LY off the same leg, both ways.

Walk shoulder fore/in from long side corner each way with free walk in between.

Working trot mixed exercises each day with shoulder fore down the long side to a serpentine through x to after the corner shoulder fore on the quarter line to a leg yield to the rail being a favorite.  Also, many variations on 20m circles and serpentines.

After a free walk, trot on a 20m circle posting and then sitting in a cycle until the trots match and then asking for canter when sitting.  Right now we’re at 1-2 circles of canter, back to the trot cycle and canter again 1-2 circles and then part way down the long side to trot.  Repeat other side.

We usually end on a trot figure we haven’t done that day, a stretchy trot circle, and a few minutes walk out on a longer rein.

I typically, in the summer/fall, will untack after the ride and turn him out again for more grazing time.  I also try to do some TRT hand walking, tricks, or some other attention most afternoons for 15-20 minutes.  He typically has grass hay (the horror!) in front of him at all times, a rolling treat ball to savage, a triple size stall, and Jet to mutually groom with over the low divider separating them from each other.

I’ve found the RS Riding to be super useful so far.  By starting everything from the place of a very light following contact, forward, and loose and maintaining it through the whole ride Cruise is so much more willing to go forward.  By getting that first on big turns and then doing leg yields nose to wall, the ability to have him move over from my inside leg on a very slight aid has gotten better and better.  Every ride he feels easier to straighten.  He is seeking my hand, but politely, and the cycle of energy is getting better and better.  The canter is starting to feel sit able and like something I can direct.  It’s amazing to me how by following this simple system he has gotten so much more obedient, balanced, and stronger in just 2-3 weeks.  I think this is my first real understanding of classical dressage, the Northern European version.  First the horse is in his natural balance but forward in a seeking the hand contact.  Then you try to get the horse off  his forehand into a horizontal balance and start to straighten him with lateral work, transitions, and half halts but the seeking contact and forward must still be there.  Then comes collected balance which still has to have the same characteristics.  Lots to learn but enjoying the process!