1. Training
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2. Training Overview Riding Different Gaits Transitions Flexion and Bend
Working Long and Low
On the Forehand
Crookedness
No matter what discipline or recreation you choose to pursue with your horse it will probably require some sort of training. Even the weekend trail riding horse can benefit from some basic flatwork or dressage training. Basic training can assist in the communication between horse and rider, improve balance, suppleness and develop the horse’s understanding of the rider’s aids which in turn will improve the relationship horse and rider partnerships.

3. Riding Different Gaits
Within dressage there are different defined variations of the three basic gaits walk, trot and canter. These variations are based on the level of training of the horse and the degree of collection required at that level. However no matter what variation being ridden the gaits’ regularity, rhythm and purity should be maintained with the strides and steps being of equal length and duration.
There are three variations of the walk medium walk, collected walk and extended walk. The last two are required in later stages of training. All three variations still maintain the 4 beats and have no moment of suspension, therefore a walk can have activity but no impulsion.
No matter which walk ridden the hind hoof should step into or in front of the hoof prints of the front hooves.
To maintain a medium walk to rider needs to ‘give’ or follow the horse’s head and neck movement (remember the head and neck will bob up and down in time with the walk) with the hands by allowing the shoulders and elbows to work in a slight ‘forward-back-forward-back’ motion with the horse. The rider’s hands should give forward as the horse’s head and neck bobs down, then the hands show come back into their original position as the head and neck come up (the rider is not pulling the horse’s head up but simply springing back into a neutral hand position). In medium walk the horse moves energetically but relaxed with even steps.
The rider’s legs will remain in soft contact with the horse’s sides, not squeezing or gripping but ready to give an aid. Exaggerating these aids by pushing excessively with the leg or using the hands strongly will affect the rhythm and regularity of the walk.
A common problem is what is called a lateral walk where the hooves are moved forward and put down in lateral pairs (i.e. left hind and left front move almost simultaneously followed by the right hind and fore). This type of walk can be very difficult to correct.
Lateral walk

4. Riding Different Gaits (cont.)
Extended trot
Working trot
There are 4 variations of the trot- working trot, medium trot, extended trot, collected trot. The last 3 are required at a more advanced level, all types maintain the 2 beats and the moment of suspension. The rider’s seat should follow the movements of the horse. Decreasing and increasing the stride length in trot can be done in preparation for starting medium trot. However to perform these transitions the horse needs to accept both the driving and restraining aids (let the aids through or through-ness).
In the medium and extended trot the stride is lengthened and the moment of suspension slightly increased so the horse takes a longer step whilst pushing off the ground with impulsion. A common fault with lengthening the strides is that the tempo is increased rather than the strides getting longer. Tempo relates to the speed at which the horse travels or covers the ground in a gait.
In collected trot the hind-legs are brought forward further towards the centre of gravity which approximately where the rider sits. The steps in collected trot should become shorter but more expressive and not slow and hovering.
In the working trot the horse should remain balanced and 'on the bit' whilst going forward with even, elastic steps.
Some common faults seen in the trot are when the fore hooves hit the ground before the diagonal hind leg (e.g. the left front hoof touches the ground before the right hind), because of this it is possible to hear 2 separate hoof beats for the stride (as opposed to 1 when the diagonal pairs of legs touches the ground correctly, together). These horses carry more weight of their own and the rider on their shoulders. The opposite to this is when the hind hoof touches the ground before the diagonal front hoof, 2 hoof beats will be heard instead of one simultaneous beat. These horses do not bend their joints properly and instead drag their hind hooves along the ground.
‘Hind hasty’

5. Different Gaits (cont.)
Disunited canter
Like the trot there are 4 different types of canter- working canter, medium canter, extended canter and collected canter. Again the last 3 variations are required at advanced levels and lengthening and decreasing the stride length can be used as preparation and an introduction to medium and extended canter.
In a working canter the horse should display balance and remain eht no'bit', going forward with light, active and regular strides.
When riding in the arena the horse is usually asked to canter with the inside foreleg leading, that is if the horse is travelling to the right it canters on the right lead, this is described as cantering true.
However describing the canter as having the ‘inside foreleg leading’ can be misguiding because it suggests that each canter stride begins with the inside front leg when it actually begins with the outside hind.
When the inside foreleg ‘leads’ it will appear as if it is taking a longer stride than the outside front leg.
Counter-canter is when the horse is cantering on the opposite lead to the direction it is travelling i.e. left canter lead whilst travelling to the right. This is also described as having the ‘outside foreleg leading’.
Because the canter has a different sequence of legs for left and right it is possible to perform transitions from one lead to the other without returning to trot or walk. These are known as flying changes. Flying changes are when the horse changes from the left lead canter to the right (or vice versa) during the moment of suspension. To perform this transition the horse requires increased cadence in the canter. Flying changes are required a an advanced level and some horses show a natural ability for them.
The sequence of steps should be maintained in all variations. A common fault is the canter developing a fourth beat from the hind leg placing down before its diagonal front leg (2nd pair of legs in the canter sequence). This occurs from the canter loosing impulsion and becoming too slow or incorrectly collected meaning that the canter doesn’t have sufficient elevation. A four beat canter is a bad fault as the horse has lost the purity of the gait and does not execute correct ‘bounds’ in the canter and instead ‘hobbles’ along. The exception to this is the canter during a pirouette.
Another fault of the canter is the horse becoming disunited. This is most common with young or green horses which may be undeveloped muscularly or in balance. A disunited canter is when the horse canters with the hind legs in position for a left lead canter and the front legs in position for right lead canter (and vice versa) i.e. the sequence of legs for a disunited canter would be right hind- the left hind- then left front- then right front. It will often feel quite uncomfortable to the rider.

6. Elevation in the canter
Transitions
Elevation in the canter
Transitions are when the horse moves from one gait to another or from one variation of a gait into another variation i.e. collected trot to medium trot. Transitions which are ridden and prepared for correctly will encourage the horse to use the hind legs more actively.
Riding sudden transitions can cause the horse to loose balance and increase tension. Transitions like halt to canter, canter to walk and flying changes from one canter lead to another require a high degree of balance and collection from the horse and preparation and co-ordination from the rider.

7. Transitions

8. Flexion and Bend Left flexion
A horse is flexed when the head is turned sideways from the poll. Flexion is always from the poll and can be positioned left or right i.e. left flexion, right flexion. If the horse is relaxed and flexing correctly the crest of neck should be seen to ‘flip over’ when the flexion is changed from one side to the other. That is, if the horse is moved into right flexion the crest of the neck should flip to the right. When a horse is in flexion there should only be slight bend through the neck towards the direction of the flexion.
This side to which the horse is flexed is referred to as the ‘inside’ the other side is the ‘outside’. From flexion the horse will learn to go ‘into’ the outside rein, to yield to the inside aids and learn the sideways action element of the rein aids.
To obtain flexion:-
the rider’s weight is equally distributed over both seat bones
the outside rein is yielded slightly but without the rein being ‘thrown away’ and becoming loose
the tension on the inside rein is increased by the same amount the outside rein is yielded. If the inside hand comes back towards the rider it may be necessary to shorten the rein.
It may be easier to introduce this to the horse at a halt to start with. Remember the rider’s leg should stay close to the horse’s sides, when performed whilst moving the horse should not loose rhythm or the forward motion when flexion is asked for.
Common faults (and their results) in obtaining flexion are:-
pulling on the inside rein (prevents the inside hind leg coming forward and under the horse, constricts the neck)
not yielding the outside rein enough to allow the flexion (the horse tilts the head crookedly with one ear lower than the other)
lengthening the outside rein too much (the head becomes pulled around to the inside)

9. Flexion and Bend (cont.)
Right bend
Bend occurs through the length of the spine. The horse’s body should bend to the degree of the line being ridden. The degree of bend will not be uniform throughout the whole body because of differences in the vertebra. Bend will help to improve the horse’s suppleness, straightness and flexibility.
To obtain bend:-
the rider places more weight into the inside seat bone
the inside leg is used by the girth to ask horse to bring the inside hind leg forwards
the outside leg is used behind the girth in a guarding position to prevent the horse from swinging out the hindquarters
the inside rein maintains flexion. It can also indicate direction through a turn
the outside rein prevents excessive bend in the neck and guards against the shoulder falling out but it should yield enough to allow flexion
There can be no bend without flexion however there can be flexion without bend, for example when leg-yielding (This is covered in R d Lateral Work).
True flexion is when the horse is flexed in the direction of travel e.g. travelling right and flexed right.
Counter flexion is when the horse is flexed away from the direction of travel e.g. travelling right and flexed left.
When a horse is flexed the rider should be able to see the corner of the horses inside eye and nostril.

10. Working Long and Low Long & low but with nose behind the vertical
Also referred to as ‘taking the rein forward and down’ it is a good way of checking whether the horse is correctly on the aids. It is a test of rhythm, looseness and correct contact. It is also a useful exercise for gaining the horse’s confidence with the rider’s hand and the bit and can also help in developing balance.
The exercise involves lengthening the reins gradually to as far as the horse will stretch whilst maintaining a contact. The hindquarters should stay active with no loss of rhythm as the horse stretches forwards and down. The horse’s nose should stay on or in front of the vertical and at the least should stretch until its nose is level with its elbow however not so far that the horse looses balance.
This exercise can be performed at any gait and preferably on a circle.
Long & low but with nose behind the vertical
Long & low stretch out into the contact

11. Downhill conformation
On the Forehand
This is when the front end of the horse or the front hooves are heavier than the hind, this may be indicated by the front hoof prints being deeper than the hind ones. A horse which isn’t ‘on the forehand’ or ‘heavy on the forehand’ will be engaged, meaning they will be bending the joints in the hind legs and swinging them forward towards the centre of gravity.
A horse naturally carries 60-65% of its weight on the front legs and due to conformation some horses can be naturally ‘downhill’ which contributes further to the horse being on the forehand. ‘Downhill’ is a term used to describe horses which are higher in the croup than the wither. This conformation places more weight on the front end and makes it structurally difficult to lighten the forehand. Though young horses tend to develop this way with age they usually grow out of it.
Horses which are built downhill tend to position the rider in a more forwards seat.
Downhill conformation

12. On the Forehand (cont.) Above the contact & on the forehand
To simplify a horse which is on the forehand will have the shoulders lower than the hindquarters. If watching it may also appear that the front legs are moving quicker than the hind legs or that the front legs are pulling the horse along rather than the hind legs pushing.
The causes of a horse being heavy on the forehand can be:-
poor balance & co-ordination
some training and disciplines
weakness in the hindquarters and/or back from conformation, illness, injury, long term work of going incorrectly
rider position
a loss of engagement
a loss of impulsion
Exercises which encourage engagement and impulsion such as riding transitions can help to lighten a horse which is on the forehand.
Above the contact & on the forehand
In the contact & on the forehand

13. On the Forehand Video

14. This image shows crookedness in the rider
A crooked horse is not a straight horse and straightness is required for the body to be equally supple on both sides. Horses are usually naturally crooked, very simular to how humans are left handed or right handed. Because a horses’ shoulders are narrower than the hindquarters it further encourages crookedness.
Some examples of crookedness are:-
tilting at the poll so that one ear is lower/higher than the other
shoulders in- the shoulders are to the inside of the line being ridden i.e. if travelling on a circle to the right the shoulders would be coming in onto a smaller circle
shoulders out- the shoulders are to the outside of the line being ridden i.e. travelling on a right circle the shoulders would be to the outside on a slightly bigger circle
quarters in- the hindquarters are travelling to the inside of the line or movement being ridden
quarters out- the hindquarters are travelling to the outside of the line or movement being ridden
Crookedness can relate to stiff and hollow sides of the horse. The ‘stiff side’ of a horse means the muscles are tense, stiff and unyielding. The ‘hollow side’ of a horse may be easier to bend and yield however the horse will usually swing the hindquarters out on this side rather than bringing the hind legs forward under the body.

15. After the Video Tutorial
View the Power Point Presentation and see if you can discuss each slide
View the Video Tutorial again, if necessary
Read the Workbook
Do the Homework/Extension Lesson
Complete the Online Quizzes
Complete the Practical Assessments
Join Phone Tutorials if available
Listen to Phone Tutorial Recordings

16. References Publication:- Author:- Websites:-
The Principles of Riding German National Equestrian Federation
The Complete Training of the Horse
and Rider Alois Podhajsky
Riding Essentials Debby Sly
Websites:-

17. References (cont.) Images:-
nicholnl.wcp.muohio.edu/.../BioMechGaits.html
commonsenserider.wordpress.com/.../
bscrittersitter.blogspot.com/2008/08/extended...