It's OKAY to leave the track : |
| I'll admit, the rail is a very comfortable place to be. It's easy to get in the habit of getting into the track and staying there. But if all you do is coast along the rail, you're probably not really riding your horse. Try riding a straight line a few meters away from the wall - it's not as easy as you might think. So I'm challenging you to try riding off the rail more! You can ride: |
- 5m from the rail
- the quarter lines
- 20m circles at B & E
- 15m & 10m circles in random places
- short & long diagonals
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- figure 8s (full 20m or smaller 15m - 10m)
- serpentines (2, 3, 4 loops, etc.)
- leg yield
- 20m squares
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- lateral movements on the quarterlines, centerline and diagonals
And anything else you can think of!! It's okay to be creative! |
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| Why do these exercises? Well, primarily you'll gain more control of you horse and keep his/her interest and attention. You'll also pay more attention to your own riding and the cues you're giving your horse. And if you only show in pleasure classes and you need a little more incentive, working off the rail and relaxing on the rail will help your horse see the rail as a "happy place" and keep him/her from becoming dull and lazy. After all, everyone's goal should be a horse that is happy and willing to work. |
