Half circle pattern

Here is a nice pattern to work on balance, bend and transitions with your horse. Your circle can be from 15-20 meters (45-60ish ft). At each half (use the same spot each time to do the transitions, cones or dressage letters are helpful) you are going to do a transition. A transition can be a halt to walk, walk to trot, trot to canter, to halt, to trot etc. or any combination there of. Your goal is to change in the same spots each time and keep your horses' body on and as close to the shape of the circle. You are also trying to keep your circle as consistent is shape and size as possible. This is good for Energetic and low energy horses alike. If your horse goes way off the circle, leg yield him back to it or if he can't do that yet, guide him back to the circle until he understands the pattern. A nice progression to start with is energetic walk-halt-walk until it's easy. Then trot to walk to trot until easy and so on. If you have a very energetic horse you can use quarter circle transitions. Move on to canter when you feel the others a easy. More advanced riders can do lengthen stride to collected stride or trot or canters to halt. Have fun and let me know how it goes!
http://fdhorsetraining.com/
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How to introduce Lateral movement and why

Some of you may be saying "Lateral what?" and some of you will recognize this Horsemanship vocabulary word. Lateral Movement is simply sideways or sideways and forward movement combined ie. Leg yielding, Turn on the Forehand, Side or Full pass, Turn on the Haunches, Shoulder in and Half pass are all examples of Lateral movement.

Lateral exercises embody and resemble Yoga for horses done correctly and with attention to what is appropriate to the horses level, fitness and ability.
Performed correctly, Lateral movements improve symetrical hind end strength, balance, flexibility, and bending. They are a cornerstone of many more advanced maneuvers.

I introduce it at Liberty first in Eye Contact exercises where there is no actual contact with the horse. The horse, by merely keeping his eye on me will perform a simple Turn on the Forehand. I refine it from there up.  That's the first exercise you can play with if you have good Eye Contact from you horse. This can also be turned into Liberty Roll Backs for you western riders or if you just want to have fun and try different things with your horse. Remember a Roll Back is also a Turn on the Haunches sped up a bit. Reining maneuvers are rooted quite firmly in Dressage fundamentals and are merely performed at higher speeds. There really isn't a Discipline that doesn't utilize Dressage Principles in some way shape or form.

If you want to Introduce Lateral work in hand (Bridle or halter). Follow these steps. As a rule I teach everything on the ground first, Liberty first if possible then In Hand. To introduce the concept (and it is a hard concept for a horse) we are going to differentiate the difference between what one leg and two legs means. On the ground this can be applied in a non touch or direct touch method. I am going to deal with how I introduce the Leg cue and the movement to the horse.

I will stand on the side of my horse with either my hand on the bridge of the nose or on my line or reins. I will touch my horses side with my hand where my leg would go with the feel I would like him to respond to. I will then Cluck. One of a few things will happen. The horse may go forward which you will halt and then ask again. The horse may go backwards which you will wait through until you horse offers even the slightest sideways step and then release. You will always release on a tiny effort to the right idea. The horse may not move at all which is actually and impulsion problem. Ask them to step forward one step and then ask again releasing as soon as they "think" the right thought. One other response is that the horse pushes toward you. Just quietly resist until the horse offers to move the other way and praise them and release. Be generous with verbal praise and scratches. You can build up to bigger movements and more steps from there. Be the boss you'd want to show up to work for. Let me know how it goes in the comments section or if you have any questions.
http://fdhorsetraining.com/
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