dressage help

[Helena88]

ive just had my test sheets back from dressage at the weekend and was wondering whether you could help me to sort out a few of the problems! or suggest some exercises to help...

1. how can i make the walk 'more four beat', all the other paces were fine in regularity apparently and the free walk was fine but the medium walk on one of the tests wasn't regular enough - altho not commented upon on the other test....?

2. i have a real problem getting him to halt from trot without fighting my hand - he doesnt fight in any other downward transition, and he still halts square

thanks

 

[Peacelily]

possibly you're rushing the walk which will mean it won't be a 4 beat gait - sometimes getting your horse to slow down the speed BUT have more impulsion from his hindquarters to so he's stepping through in the walk more. When you next ride it try and count 1 2 3 4 and see how you find it? try altering the speed and see how it feels - will help to have eyes on the ground with this one giving you feedback.

Halt to trot transition - try plenty of transitions where you use your seat and hips to push him up into the trot with more expression and maintain whatever rein contact you have - hopefully that way he'll be more inclinced to step forward into the contact rather than hollow against you. Think of having more "lift" and offer your hands a fraction (a very small fraction) forward for him to flex up through his top line. Practise plenty of times and keep going past transition attempt number 4, 5 and 6 etc... and hopefully this also help you to relax and not worry about the actual transition - as you anticipating the "bad" transition won't help you ride it - so kinda don't worry about it being perfect each time just keep going - concentrating on what was better each time...

hope this helps - good luck

 

[Helena88]

i think it could definitely have been rushing that ruined the walk... thats really helpful thanks

sorry if i didnt make it clear in the first post but its trot-to-halt transitions im having trouble with! but thanks anyway

 

[UncleJr]

Medium walk. Do lots and lots and lots and lots of free walk for many days. Actually I would say only free walk for many days. This will make him walk naturally; the horse MUST move naturally. Then take a very light contact during free walk, keeping the impulsion and movement. Let the horse get used to that light contact. Later, and once it feels natural, you can slow down and try medium walk.

Trot to halt. Very important are half halts before the transition, thus letting the horse know something is coming, and preparing him for the next movement. Taking the horse by surprise will make him resist. Tell him you are going to do something by gentle half halts. Prepare him.

 

[Goya]

I was given the tip of half halt to prepare the horse for the transition then taking a breath in as you halt. This worked for me.

 

[diggerbez]

go slowly in the walk! obviously you need to be moving forward from hindleg but don't let it out the front... its amazing how many people panic in the walk and think that by kicking on it will lengthen the walk stride when in fact it leads to rushing- if you think about it when you walk faster yourself you actually take shorter strides (think about those silly walking races they do for example at the olympics

)