Practicing test patterns for fun

Did you ever think of practicing test patterns just for fun? I know not everyone has competitive aspirations but if you are looking for a challenge and variety in your play and practice, test patterns can be a good learning tool and can be used in many creative ways.

Horses like patterns and shapes because they give them and their person intention and a goal. They give the horse a sense of purpose and destination. It is also a great focusing exercise for distracted horses and fearful riders.

Test patterns come in all levels and abilities so don't think you are not ready to try them. They generally start at the walk, trot/jog. You can also walk the whole pattern, trot in canter sections, and modify the patterns to your level. You can gradually work toward doing it exactly in your own time.

Obviously riding patterns is one way to use them. But you can ride them Bitless, Bareback, English, Western, Gaited or any other style you may do.

Did you ever think of just leading your horse around the pattern? You can practice leading from both sides and if you have a young horse, un-rideable horse, or a horse being rehabbed. This is a creative way to use patterns.

Another fun challenge is to do them at Liberty. Can to get your horse to do the patterns mirroring you? Can you get your horse to circle around you? You could put treats along the shape of the patterns and guide your horse to them. Be creative, modify the patterns to your own liking. Make up your own original ones!

If you do compete, these are fresh ways to practice and make it more fun. See the links here with Western Dressage patterns and USDF Patterns and enjoy the video of some patterns I make up.
Western Dressage Tests
USDF Tests
USEF Tests

LLM: Lateral Leg Yielding: Liberty part 1

In case you are wondering what LLM is, It stands for Liberty, Line, Mounted. This next few post will be about using that progression to introduce Lateral work and Leg Yield from the Liberty exercises, to On Line (or In Hand) to Mounted. It's a really fun and flowing way to introduce any new communication to a horse and it make for an often lively conversation! The first video addresses Liberty warm up for this of movement.
http://fdhorsetraining.com/

Training Scale Continued: Relaxation and Suppleness

Working on Suppling in hand...

Sorry I haven't posted in some time, but in case you didn't know I was in St. Vincents doing an amazing Clinic with Stina Herberg. It's on my other Blog if you want to see the highlights.

So I'm sticking to this thought on the Training scale series because I meant to finish it a long time ago so here is the second stage of the Training Scale which varies in interpretation by various schools. It is essentially the same concept though no matter the small differences.

Relaxation and Suppleness are the next step in the scale and some Scales or Pyramids do not include relaxation or it is a foregone assumption that the relaxation is there. I like to include it because it is essential to have relaxation in order to have true Suppleness and Throughness. A horse can be manually suppled by sawing, pulling and kicking but I doubt he will be relaxed! That is forced suppling and we can hardly even call it suppling at that. It is more like jamming the horse into a position.

I like to think about Suppling like a Yoga exercise for a horse. If you go to a Yoga class the instructor does not say to a beginner "ok put your feet behind your ears" on the first day of class. You start with very gentle and basic moves that gradually build strength and flexibility until one day you can do more advanced stretches or poses.

Suppling should be the same with a horse. We have to take into account the age, conformation, fitness level, training level, one sidedness and mind of the horse to gradually improve suppleness. I generally start my Training Scale exercises at Liberty because I want the horse to show me what is comfortable and natural to him without a rider, line, side reins, or head restriction. I can then see how to proceed with specific exercises at Liberty, on line, in hand, and or under saddle. I will choose exercises that will target weaknesses but work within what the horse offers at Liberty.

I can work with all stages of the Training scale (Rhythm, Relaxation, Suppleness, Contact, Straightness, Collection) at Liberty which is a gentle, fun and creative way to learn and work with it and your horse.

Getting back to the mind of the horse being relaxed as well as the body. Say you have a very high strung nervous horse, It would be a priority to relax this horse mentally if you were to have any hope of relaxing and suppling his body. Rhythm and balance exercises are a good place to work on Relaxation and open the door to the horse being able to accept suppling exercises.

I will have some video in the coming weeks showing some examples of me working on the Training Scale and  at Liberty, On line, and under saddle. For this weeks exercise to try, I want you to turn your horse loose in the ring, round pen, or small paddock and work on Rhythm, Relaxation, and Natural Suppleness. Meaning what your horses' baseline is when moving unencumbered or manipulated. It doesn't matter if he goes in a circle or large in the arena. Notice if he prefers one direction or the other, Notice if his natural rhythm is slow, fast or perfect (if he is fresh, wait until he settles in his gaits to evaluate), Once you have established a relaxed, walk, and trot Rhythm, you can try a canter (again don't worry about freshness, just let them play and settle in when they're ready). Notice if your horse travels looking out the circle and how they end up when you are near the end of your session. Does their topline soften? Do they stretch long and low naturally better in one direction once they have relaxed? Do they stay inverted and braced the whole time? Make mental notes and remember them.

As always I'd like to hear your experiences in the comments area. I'll post some patterns and exercises in the coming weeks.

http://fdhorsetraining.com/

Part 1: Another lesson with the Waterhole Rituals

Here is another video that my student was kind enough to share in Carolyn Resnick's Waterhole Rituals. We continue building on the connection and bond.
http://fdhorsetraining.com/

Part one: Waterhole Rituals Session with my student

Part one of a video of a Session on Carolyn Resnick's Waterhole Rituals with a student kind enough to allow me to share her learning.
http://fdhorsetraining.com/