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.
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The Final Element of the Training Scale: Collection

The last element of the Training Scale is Collection. So in theory if all your ducks are in a row, Rhythm, Suppleness, Contact, Impulsion, Straightness, then collection can be achieved. 
Lets clarify Collection first. I believe there is some confusion in the term for some people. Connection, Balance and Collection are often mixed up.

First of all, Connection (in the physical sense)  is when the horses hind end is Connected to the front end. Or United. Some people say a horse in Disunited when this is not happening. The horse has the appearance of the hind end trailing behind. The first four elements of the Training Scale foster connection. Some people think this feels like or call this Collection.

Balance is when Connection is present and the horse is NOT on the forehand. This also feels like collection to some because is is pleasant, rhythmic, and comfortable feeling to the rider. The gaits feel consistent, the horse feels light in the reins or self carrying, and in feels easy to sit.

Collection is when the frame of the horse is actually elevated and compressed liked an accordion being pushed in. The actual ground covered each stride is less though the energy in the gait (impulsion) is not diminished. This is a common mistake to let the energy diminish. In fact the energy is what creates the collection. What you do with the energy tells the horse whether he should cover more ground or less (collect).

If you and your horse are working well in the other areas of the Training Scale you can add some natural collecting patterns. An easy one is a diminishing circle from 20 meters down to 15 or 10 depending on how capable your horse is at maintaining his Impulsion on the smaller circles. Once you are on the small circle, leg yield out to the 20 meters and then repeat diminishing and enlarging until it gets fairly consistent and relaxed. So here again is way to use the Scale to problem solve and progress. This pattern can easily be introduced at Liberty and on line to get comfortable with before trying mounted. If you start your Diminishing circle and monitor the Rhythm, Suppleness, Contact, Impulsion, and Straightness, you will notice your horse will tell you when he can no longer maintain any one of these elements and it is up to you to listen and adjust until he can get to 15 or 10 meters without drastically losing anyone element. This is much easier said then done and is the very essence of Dressage at all levels. Also remember Dressage is Yoga and Pilates for your horse so it should always be done with and eye for what they are capable of at the time and gradually increased in difficulty when appropriate. Your Comments and feedback are always welcome!
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Training Scale: Straightness

Straightness comes after Impulsion in the Training Scale and refers to Straightness in the body of the horse and not just going on a Straight line.

Straightness is confusing sometimes because it is about geometry and how the horses' geometry matches the shape you are riding. For example, If you are riding an actual straight line, the horse is literally straight from nose to tail. He is not looking left or right, and his shoulders and hips are parallel. This gets tricky when we want the same thing on a curve, circle or corner. Often on curves, horses shoulders or hips will be to the side of the shape you are riding. Try riding some straight lines and circles and see if you can notice this. A lot of riding is first learning how to feel and notice things and the figuring out how to visualize and ride the right thing.

If you have worked well in the Previous Training Scale elements, You should have a substantially straighter moving horse. Not perfect, but better. Remember as we add elements we continually dance back and forth with all of them until we can get them fairly consistent. There are lots of straightening exercises but as always I like to keep them simple and straight forward (no pun intended!). Riding pefectly straight lines is a great way to practice straightness and then graduate to curves which I think is harder. Best to get a feel for it on the straight line first.

Once you've found a spot to practice straight lines, pick a visual point to focus on like a dressage letter, cone, fence post, tree, husband, friend, etc. Start by riding toward it and just notice how straight or wiggly your horse feels. Keep riding the same line and gradually become aware of the your own body becoming straighter. Your shoulders stay parallel, and your hips stay parallel. Notice some more passes on the lines. What are you observing? As you improve your straightness, add some halts as this is a good way to learn square halts and practice stopping and starting straight on the same line. Here is a video of the exercise with a clip. Let me know how it goes in the comment section : ).
See clip at link below:
http://fdhorsetraining.com/Dressage.html
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Next on the Training Scale is...Impulsion

Impulsion is after Contact in the Training Scale. It is suggesting that the best time to add Impulsion is when the first three Rhythm (Relaxation), Suppleness, Contact are fairly consistent. That said this is merely a guideline and there are times when you need to be outside the box with certain horses. It is always best to listen to your horse when applying any principle or idea to your program.

There are some horses that are so backed up in there energy and movement that forward, high energy exercises may be prioritized before other areas. I find Liberty work especially helpful with these types. It builds the bond and Connection while simultaneously working on the technical aspects of the Training Scale and Natural Impulsion. I find this preferable to using a lot of artificial aids and force which can have the reverse effect of shutting a horse down and sending them introverted. And worse breaking the horses' desire and enjoyment of the interaction of riding.

Impulsion and being in front of the leg also go hand in hand. I want to put my leg on and feel a surge of energy no matter what. I have to feel a change in energy on some kind. If there is a problem here I will work within the Scale on the ground and mounted to help the horse and I overcome it together.

True Connection (the physical kind), Straightness, Roundness, and Collection, cannot be achieved with out a good gas pedal and the understanding of how to balance the energy coming from behind so we are not just pushing the horse faster and faster and more on the forehand. A feel for the horses natural fitness is important also as you can ask for more than they are truly capable of and wind up creating other problems here instead of getting more quality. The photos show two horses moving nicely forward with the first 4 elements of the Scale being applied. Remember breaking each element down will allow you to bring them all together with experimentation and different patterns. The last pattern I posted of circle to straight line of 6 or more strides to another circle and so on is also a suitable pattern for working on impulsion. Sometimes as a horse moves with more Impulsion on a straight away, they lose their balance, rhythm and suppleness. Going back to the circle and staying there will help get those elements (Rhythm, suppleness, contact) back at which point you can go back on the straight line and work on Impulsion. That's where the problem solving value comes in. You keep working on all the pieces until they all come together. Don't hesitate to ask questions or comments below!
FDT
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With Rhythm, Relaxation and Suppleness comes...

See several examples or different outlines at Liberty, Bitted, and Bitless

Contact, The Frame, or a good Outline. So following this line of thinking, Each area needs to be fairly consistent to have the other. So they are all connected to the whole end product or resulting picture.

It is a sometimes back and forth dance in the training scale because as you work with one thing, you can lose another. So here is where the problem solving value of the Training scale is.

If we have Gotten to "Contact" on the Scale, it implies that we have the first 3 elements fairly intact. Rhythm, Relaxation, Suppleness equals Contact in theory. As the Contact gains quality, We can start to add "Impulsion" which is the 5th element on the Training Scale.

The problem solving starts when we lose something when we start asking for more of something else. For Example: As I start to add Impulsion, I lose Suppleness and therefore Contact or Outline. I would go back to working on Suppleness to regain the Contact and then if I felt it appropriate, I would try to add Impulsion again.

Another example of problem solving with the Training Scale would be. I have a good Rhythm, and when I go to Supple further, I lose the Rhythm or the Tempo changes. So I have to go back to settling the Rhythm to where I want it before I go back to Suppling again and trying to work toward Contact.

All of this can take Minutes, days, weeks, or months to achieve consistency so don't just think this will all come together in one ride. You just stick to a program and you'll know when it is appropriate to add the level of difficulty. My rule is, we have to be fairly consistent at each element before going to the next and be prepared to back up the whichever is necessary to maintain the foundation components. Basically that is what the Training Scale is. The foundation of all training and if there are cracks in the foundation, they'll be problems in your training.

What does good Contact look and feel like? Well it is a result of what the horses whole body is doing that produces a good, soft, outline. It is often thought to be fixed at the mouth or poll but this is not really true. The poll plays a small role but it is something that the horse OFFERS when their body and back are relaxed, supple, and moving in a good rhythm. The correct head and neck position are a by product of a good work program. Also this can be achieved at Liberty, Online and under saddle. As always, I like to start a concept at Liberty, Carry it through online, and then under saddle. The transition is so easy for the horse then, that is fun and simple. How training should always be!

Remember, all conformations, fitness levels, and disciplines seek different carriages (Outlines). At Liberty it is easiest to see what the horse is most naturally capable of and then build up from there over time. Some horses will be naturally heavier in the Contact , and some are naturally lighter as well as softer vs. stiffer. Work with what your horses' natural tendencies are and you will see improvement over time. More videos soon!
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Mounted Relaxation and Suppleness exercise examples

In riding and ground training, the best exercises allow for minimal interference from the rider and allow the horse to fully understand, participate offer his interpretation of what you have requested. You then can fine tune the pattern as the horse understands and raise the level of difficulty when it is appropriate. This would be when the horse is pretty consistent and relaxed in the exercise. You can then add the next element of difficulty which could be speed (change of gait), smaller circles, more impulsion etc.

Here are a couple of basic super simple Rhythm, relaxation and suppling patterns to try:

1. A simple Circle of 20 meters (aprox 65 ft): A circle ridden in a reasonably correct shape will naturally encourage the horse to settle into a relaxed, Balanced, and Rhythmic gait. For faster horses trying going 1-5 meters smaller. For less energetic horses, work with a large circle to encourage forwardness (energy). Change directions once you start to feel some consistency or if you have a greener horse who is taking a longer time.

2. When the above exercise is easy, you can add 6 strides straight ahead then circle, then 6 strides straight ahead, then circle and repeat until the whole pattern is as consistent as possible on the horses easy side first. Now go to the harder direction. Again here if you have a forward going horse you can reduce the circle 1-5 meters, And keep it nice and larger for the lower energy guys and even increase the number of straight ahead strides to 8-12. You can also keep switching directions back and forth.

As always, I would like to hear feedback on what you discovered with these exercises, any problems or successes in the comments section.

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.

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Training scale exercise for Rhythm

Some of you may know about the Training Scale and some of you may not. The Training scale is a technical blue print for all training progression in all disciplines. With understanding and application in can be an amazingly helpful guide and problem solving tool. It is a guide because it moves in a logical progression and a problem solving guide because if you have a problem in a certain area, it is easy to look at the scale and say the problem is here.

The Training Scale goes something like this with some variations depending on the school. Rhythm (Balance), Relaxation, Suppleness, Contact (Frame, outline), Impulsion, Straightness, Collection. So generally and I say generally because I prefer not to have fixed ideas anywhere with horses, Just guidelines, Rhythm comes first. Rhythm means you and your horse have a consistent combination of Tempo and Rhythm. I like to figure out what my horses' natural walk, trot, and canter, tendency is and work from there. If my horses tempo is a little on the slow side but has a consistent Rhythm, I may just want to add a bit of energy to the gait to improve the quality. I will only do this if the horses topline is fairly relaxed otherwise you will wind up getting shorter, braced steps instead of longer, energetic, flowing stepsIf my horse has a naturally quick or fast tempo, I may use circles and bending figures to help bring the tempo down and more relaxed. Some horses have great natural rhythm and we just need to get out of their way and let them do their thing!

What I like to do with my horses to get them mentally engaged in training is to make request for them to carry out and then see that they understand and then set about seeing how long they will do it without me having to request again. The horse will quickly learn what their responsibility is in your partnership and you will have to ride less which they will appreciate.

So for example if I ride around an area (doesn't matter if is an arena, trail or field), I will see what walk rhythm my horse wants to take naturally. I will let them settle into this pace and relax a bit as I decide if it's too energetic, not energetic enough, or just right. Once I have decided what adjustments I want to make, I will start making requests for more energy in the too slow horse and use curved figures or various shapes for the fast horse until there is a consistent Rhythm and Tempo. Once I have that, I will start counting how many steps my horse maintained the Rhythm before I had to do something to get it back to where I wanted it. Don't judge if it's only a few strides at first. this is about starting somewhere and building up from there. Even if the next time you try it, it feels like you are starting from square one (believe me I have trained these types too so I understand!). Your goal is to get to a point where the horse will hold your requested Rhythm without much guidance from you for as many laps or the distance you request.

A good change to look for and reward in your horse is when you feel them start to realize what it is you are looking for and they give you that little bit more of their own offer. That is huge and should be rewarded immediately with a rest or a verbal praise and rub. So what that would look like to me would be, I was riding around at a certain gait and the horse may go a bit further then expected or increase from a quarter circle to a half etc. on his own. It is the moment I see the horses mind say "yes I understand the exercise...you want this and I will offer it to you" The next question your horse will have for you is....Was that enough? This is VERY important and is up to the individual to say yes or no I would like a bit more strides or energy etc. Or that is awesome I am so pleased with that effort! I work from a less is more place mostly so I would err on that side.
Below are a couple of videos that talk about and demonstrate Rhythm a bit further. As always any questions and comments on what you found while trying this out are great!

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Stride counting exercise

Here's a simple little exercise which can easily be incorporated into any pattern shape like a circle, serpentine, figure eight or on the rail. It is also applicable to any discipline, English or Western.

I want you to pick 4, 6, or 8 strides to work with and stick with that same number the whole time you do this in both directions. So if you pick 6, use only six. Also use the higher number if your horse is greener and work your way down to the lower ones as you master the exercise at each number. So when you have it good at 8, go down to 6 and so on.

The first stage is to work on walk to halt at the stride number you have selected. So from halt you would count 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8 halt again and repeat on whatever pattern you have chosen to ride. I'm not going to tell you what this will do because I want you to discover it and report back in the comments what you found. All I will say is to do it until it is relaxed and as effortless as possible. Make mental notes of how it feels in the beginning attempts, and then notice changes until it's easy and relaxed. Make sure and stay in the halt on a slack but not loose rein for at least 5 seconds and that the horse will maintain the halt on the slack rein. If he doesn't, remind him of your request patiently until he does.

The number up repetitions is not as important as the moment you get relaxation and the feeling of little or no effort. When you get that, Let the horse stand and relax on a loose rein or free walk on a loose rein for at least 30 seconds before resuming and or changing directions. This can be progressed to trot to walk when it is good in walk to halt. This exercise can also be introduced at liberty and online first and I encourage this whenever introducing a new exercise or pattern before doing it mounted.

Pay attention to little changes good or bad leading up to it being good. If your horse is stopping crooked or sideways from where you planned to halt, Guide them calmly back to the spot you meant to stop. Let me know what you discovered in the comments!

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My Uberstreichen playlist

I just thought I repost this set of videos of me practicing Carolyn Resnick's Uberstreichen exercises on a few very different horses. Some video shows my own variations, modifications and interpretations of these exercises. Exercises 1 through 3 are shown.
http://www.youtube.com/user/FDHorsetraining#grid/user/B77EEB460B164CFB

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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.
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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.
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FD Horsemanship Demo (Natural Horsemanship)

Here's Part one of a recent demo on Integrative Horsemanship and problem solving for common issues. This series covers nervous horses and riders, Calm leadership, and standing and mounting. I'll be posting part 2 and 3 in the following weeks.

Holistic Vet Finder

As a huge proponent and user of Complementary human and Veterinary medicine, I thought it would be helpful to share a Website that helps you find Holistic vets in your region. I get asked about how to locate these vets all the time and this site sorts them by area and specialties. Chiropractic and Acupuncture are two of the my most go to modalities. Homeopathy offers a lot of alternative cures to common ailments that steroids and NSAIDS are used for as well as injuries and trauma. There are also vets that practice herbs, aromatherapy and more. So check out this link to find an AHVMA vet in your area!
Go to American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association Website

New contest: Win a Virtual Coach call with MP3!

I am offering a new contest to win a *Virtual Coach call with MP3 recording to refer to over and over again! I offer this tech teaching method so I can help people all over the world with their horses. This is also for people who may not have access to the type of instruction that they seek locally.
 Enter the contest by posting a comment on my blog about you and your horse and what you need help with. You may also add comments on Facebook to enter if you see the blog post there. Add to your comment that you wish to enter the contest. I will select a winner from all the comments on 9/20/10. We will work out an appointment time then. Don't miss out on this chance to get help with your horsemanship from yours truly!
*Phone charges may apply for call
FDT

Introduce yourselves!

First of all, I want to thank all of the people who subscribe to my blogs and follow me on twitter, FB and all the other online places I have made friend and followers.

For this weeks blog post I have a request. I would like you to introduce yourselves and tell me a little bit about you and your horses and or other animals companions. I know there are a lot people following the blogs so leave a comment so I can get to know you better. Even ask a question or offer a topic idea for a future blog. Even if I know you already, just say hi or give me an update on your equine activities. I can't wait to hear from you!



FDT

NHN Radio show tomorrow the 19th!

Join me and DC tomorrow at 7pm EST for another fun informative show on Bitless bridles and options.

2nd Uberstreichen exercise with Phoenix

This is the 2nd stage of Carolyn Resnick's Uberstreichen exercises. Here we progress to gradually doing the neck release on a circle at the halt.