Riding Quarters-In

Ziggy_

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Just wondering if anyone can help me with this. My mare has a good understanding of leg yield, shoulder in and walk pirouettes - they aren't perfect and she finds it more difficult on one rein but she understands the basics and is getting there.

I'd like to begin introducing quarters in but I'm struggling to get the penny to drop about what I want her to do. She's a very hot horse and can be quite oversensitive to the leg and when I move my outside leg back she gets wound up and thinks I mean canter. It doesn't help that her walk to canter transitions are excellent and I've spent years asking for canter by moving my outside leg back!

I've tried introducing it on a circle as we rejoin the track but no joy so far. I'm sure when she twigs what I want she'll want to show her new trick off and offer it continually but how do I reach that stage?

Any tips appreciated!!
 
Thanks for the link, interesting website.

Unfortunately the methods it describes are the exact thing I'm having problems with - she just doesn't seem to understand moving her quarters over when I use my outside leg and I'm not sure how to make the penny drop...
 
Have you tried it on the ground / lunge?? You might be able to teach her it by standing by her shoulder and slightly flicking the whip at her quarters to encourage her to move them over that way.

Unless of course I'm thinking of totally different
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But thats what I did with my boy
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If that helps!
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I'd try on the ground too, just with a gentle nudge with your fist to get her to move away from you (where your leg would go). Practice with lots of praise then after a she gets the jist (maybe a couple of weeks) get on (or get someone else on!) and get the person on the floor to do the same job on the floor as before but by pushing the riders leg (if that makes sense!)
 
Thanks guys. I had a little go from the floor this morning and made some progress - only on one rein, but its a start!


Cheers
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