Cross training with your horse is a really great way of using one discipline to help another.
For instance in this video Solly and I are working on our canter simple lead changes through a serpentine shape in a 20×40 dressage sized arena.This is helping us to find lighter, smoother transitions, self carriage and engagement of the hindquarters and more accuracy in our curves and straight lines.
All of the above is also preparing us for cantering jump courses and it’s fun to work on one thing knowing it will benefit somewhere else.
Carrying on from my last post about Cross Training, today Solly and I took the serpentine ‘Simple Lead Changes’ to the jumping area. Keeping to the pattern we did some nice trot to canter changes between the jumps.
The main things I was looking for was for me to do less with my reins and body, more with my focus and energy and for the little pieces of the SLC’s to become easier, smoother, lighter and quicker.
Taking time over the small, individual parts of the ‘whole’ pattern really does help to create a better foundation for that pattern.
- Shelley – HorseSavvy
