Classical riding clinic - report

Wheels

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I said on the German vs French methods thread that I'd write a report so here it is :)

This is my second clinic with this particular trainer and I feel things are going very well. We get improvements during the sessions themselves but have also improved between the two clinics. This was a 2 day clinic with one lunge / in hand session and one ridden session each day. We got through a lot so I've picked some of the highlights

Lunging
At the last clinic our lunging was pretty good, nice rhythm in all paces with good size and shaped circles and squares but the bend, posture and stretch just weren't quite there. We have been working hard to improve this and it's paid off, we can work in a nice posture now both with a good neck extension and a little more collected and round position. To achieve the neck extension I ask the shoulders to move out on the circle and ask the nose to come in, once the bend is correct then this prompts a good stretch.

In hand
We worked on flexions at a standstill, ensuring good even bend and light contact. Then moved on to the in hand work in movement. After an initial warm up we looked at the shoulder in, he is doing quite well but doesn't quite have the confidence to step right under his midline with his inside hind so we used 2 exercises to help this, shoulder in on a circle and asked for slightly more movement through the hindquarters than normal and also counter shoulder in on the circle to help him understand the footfalls required. We also had a try at renvers on a circle, this is an exercise for the future that once the SI is really good we can move onto but the trainer wanted to show me the process so I could have a go in a few weeks time.

Ridden
Much the same as the in hand work but with more work on SI on a straight line. Using a 10m circle to prep, ensuring good inside bend then ask for SI on the 2nd half of the circle and then go along the wall. This really helped to get the inside hind into the correct place. We also did some counter SI on a circle in walk and trot, which again should help.

Then onto the canter. Our 20m circles are going pretty well, the rhythm is good and I can position his head and neck in various positions and he carries himself well. Today we looked at beginning to ask for canter on a straight line. To do this we turned up the 3/4 line, shoulder in to the track, making sure we have good bend and then ask for canter when we hit the track. Over time we will decrease the SI and bend.

Homework for the ridden work is to carry on improving the shoulder in and canter work including adding in some counter canter and walk to canter. Once the counter shoulder in is good on a circle then we can start on the renvers on a circle.

All in all a very good clinic with some improvements from the last one and some exercises to work on for the next time. M now gets a very well earned few days off
 

Wheels

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thanks wheels, do the think the in hand flexions a re a good thing?

In this particular system I think they are essential. You use them on the ground at a standstill first but you use the same actions on the bit during in hand, at a standstill ridden and in movement. From the ground it is the first opportunity to assess the horse in terms of preferred head carriage, is their mouth relaxed? Do they lean? Are they afraid of the contact? Do they bend equally each way? Are the stiff through the poll? Likely to overflex? And then you can use the various flexions to begin to correct some of these issues
 

Mule

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Interesting. I like that you focussed on lunging and in hand.
Mine overflexes (laterally) really easily. I have to be very careful flexion doesn't turn in to a neck bend. I don't know if it's because he has a lot of neck in front and it's set low like a tb or if he's just wiggly there.
 

Wheels

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Lunging and in hand are very important tools imho

(If done well) They really help to teach the horse to carry themselves
 

DabDab

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Sounds fantastic - thanks for doing a report

For the in hand stuff were you using long lines or just normal reins?
 

Wheels

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Sounds fantastic - thanks for doing a report

For the in hand stuff were you using long lines or just normal reins?

Just normal reins, for the inside rein I hold the bit (top of the bit ring just with 1 finger) and the outside rein comes over the base of the neck
 

Ceriann

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I’ve realised recently that I’ve not been lunging enough - I really like it to see how she’s going and carrying herself. I’m not a gadget fan - do you use any for any of your lunging sessions.

Thanks for the report too - sounds like a useful couple of days.
 

Wheels

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I’ve realised recently that I’ve not been lunging enough - I really like it to see how she’s going and carrying herself. I’m not a gadget fan - do you use any for any of your lunging sessions.

I use a lunge cavesson, lunge line, lunge whip and that's it. Lunging is done on the move, using the full arena, small circles, large circles, squares, rectangles, going large, changing the rein on the move through a circle, serpentines, shoulder in

I lunge about once a week
 

Ceriann

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I use a lunge cavesson, lunge line, lunge whip and that's it. Lunging is done on the move, using the full arena, small circles, large circles, squares, rectangles, going large, changing the rein on the move through a circle, serpentines, shoulder in

I lunge about once a week

Thanks - we do a lot of this, I’m usually knackered doing a lunge session! I’ve not tried serpentines or shoulder in though - how do you set up SI on the lunge? I can see the benefit if you can get it right.
 

Wheels

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Thanks - we do a lot of this, I’m usually knackered doing a lunge session! I’ve not tried serpentines or shoulder in though - how do you set up SI on the lunge? I can see the benefit if you can get it right.

I'm not sure I can explain it very well, it's a lot to do with body positioning of the handler. The basics are that you ensure you have good bend, take a step back to encourage the shoulders in and at the same time use the whip towards the quarters to ensure they stay out.

If you can work it out in hand / at close range then gradually get further away
 

Rowreach

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I use a lunge cavesson, lunge line, lunge whip and that's it. Lunging is done on the move, using the full arena, small circles, large circles, squares, rectangles, going large, changing the rein on the move through a circle, serpentines, shoulder in

I lunge about once a week

Hugely beneficial, although not many people have (or are taught) these skills. I like being able to see and teach progression from the ground, as well as assessing it ridden. I don't use any gadgets either.

Fab report, thanks.
 

Farma

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How interesting, I have started having lessons in hand with a classical trainer, I have done a lot on my own after going to a lot of lectures and demos but the lesson was brilliant for me. My biggest battle was getting my horse to accept a whip being anywhere near her, its still a work in progress but she is so worried about she over tries everything and locks her jaw onto the bit, as soon as the whip is gone she is better but I do need it for lots of parts of the in hand work so I hope in time she will let go and realise its nothing to worry about!
Your homework of wtc and counter canter will really help the canter progress!
Good luck :)
 

Wheels

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How interesting, I have started having lessons in hand with a classical trainer, I have done a lot on my own after going to a lot of lectures and demos but the lesson was brilliant for me. My biggest battle was getting my horse to accept a whip being anywhere near her, its still a work in progress but she is so worried about she over tries everything and locks her jaw onto the bit, as soon as the whip is gone she is better but I do need it for lots of parts of the in hand work so I hope in time she will let go and realise its nothing to worry about!
Your homework of wtc and counter canter will really help the canter progress!
Good luck :)

That's very interesting Farma. M isn't a fan of the whip either but slowly he is starting to accept it. I've had him for just over a year and at first couldn't carry a whip at all but he is getting used to it now. This was another thing we touched on last weekend because I was using the whip in the ridden work just to ask the quarters over a little more in shoulder in and he just sped up. During the in hand work all I had to do was raise the whip to horizontal and he would move his quarters so on the second day we worked on me using the whip to rhythmically tap his quarters to ask for exaggerated quarters out so that he got the idea to move the quarters and not speed up. That instantly made a difference to the ridden work.

He was a little more stressed at first with the in hand work but he started to settle after a few times so we will continue with that until he accepts it more happily. You really do need to be able to use a whip with the in hand classical work so I have to persist before we can move on to half pass etc.
 
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