This video shows how you can use Liberty work to "Ride" from the ground. Using a blend of body languages that are natural to the horse, you can prompt natural responses to Find Rhythm, Become more Supple, offer a Natural outline, and offer Natural Collection. We even touch on High School concepts. This is just the early stages. Mercury is young and offers a lot so we "play" with it in a fun way that is interesting to both of us.
Last post was talking about Relaxation and Suppleness in the Training Scale. In this video you see me working Long and low in walk and trot to stretch the Topline. As we get more into the circles for Rhythm and Suppleness, you will see me start to request more Lateral movements of Shoulder Fore and Shoulder In. I also use different sizes of circles to work with more Collection or more Engagement. I am in the beginning stages of working with Mercury on Liberty Half Steps and Piaffe/Passage. You can see the seeds being planted here as well. This work is by far the most fun and is a fantastic warm up of riding. Especially if you have a fresh horse it is far more connecting and bonding then mindless Lunging or Pen work. Anyone been trying this out with their horses? I want to hear about it!
http://fdhorsetraining.com/
Did you use some sort of head-down body cue that Mercury recognizes (I didn't catch it if you did) that caused him to lower his head after he'd already started walking/trotting to get long and low or was there something you did to get him to start off at a walk or a trot WITH a lowered head? At liberty, I can get Dodger to lower his head while standing, and could probably get it after he's already walking but I'm thinking since he almost requires a hand grenade to move up into a trot (not all days, but most) if I asked for a head down at the trot, he'd slow down to a walk instantly. I'm eager to learn body moves that work and really eager to learn how to get the shoulder fore/in action! Thanks, Farah!
ReplyDeleteThat is a very good question and I have two ideas about that. One is: Mercury offers me this posture when he is bending and relaxed and in a good rhythm so you are correct that I am not cueing him with any head down language, but that said, it is the result of what I am doing with his body in the Liberty that causes him to take that posture on his own.
ReplyDeleteThe second idea is Uberstreichen exercises which do teach the horse to follow your body language down which would carry over off line eventually.
For me I usually get this as a natural response to the work when the horse is soft and responsive.
Have you been able to get to "Go Trot" with Dodger yet? Has you worked much with the Uberstreichens?
This is fantastic! I love how you are starting to get him to almost trot in place. I've been doing lots of liberty with Axel, Tel and Beau as you know. I think I will try some of this with Axel as he is the most connected.
ReplyDeleteIt is so much fun! We will work on this more with your guys. Axel will love it!
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