Schooling ideas

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fairhill

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I'm schooling Chloe this week whilst my mum is sunning herself abroad, and have reached a bit of a stalemate with what I'm doing with her, so am after some fresh ideas of what to teach her, or do to improve our flatwork for the rest of the week.

She is established in walk and trot, can collect and extend in trot, and I've taught her walk pirouette, leg yield and shoulder-in in walk and trot... so what could be the next thing to attempt with her for the lateral work?

Her cantering is a bit lumbering, but she's a cart-horse so it's to be expected, and my mum never canters her, so I'm reluctant to do too much in canter, but exercises to sharpen her up a bit would be useful. We do some counter-canter, but it's not the best
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Finally, exercises for me! I do lots of work without stirrups on her anyway, and thought it might be a good opportunity to work on my position.
So, are there any mounted exercises to loosen my hips, strengthen my left leg, and sit straighter, given my tendency to collapse to the left?

Sorry for all the questions
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I was thinking of half-pass but am not sure of the aids - help me!!!

Walk to canter is a good idea, but I don't think we'll be trying rein back, as she's got arthritic hocks, and I don't want to lame her again!
 
If you could get longed, that would be excellent. But not if you're alone! Whilst you're walking, take both legs right out away from the saddle for a few seconds, then place them far back, then lower back to the horse. Swing the lower leg, and rotate the ankles (you prob know all this)

Touch the opposite toe with your hand.

With the horse, how about "travers"? You are on the outside track, you get the horse to go with it front legs straight but the hind quarters in half a horse off the track so the hind legs are side stepping. Pushing the horse along with your outside leg, horse bent inwards, head goes whre its going, looking straight ahead.

I may have got these two exercises mixed up by the way, in name!

Or "renvers", horse is bent outwards, but its a shoulder out so a reverse shoulder in. Take the head and shoulders to the outside, horse is bent outwards, you are pushing the horse along with your OLD outside leg but it is acting as a temporary inside leg. Quarters should be going as straight but may be half a horse in from the track, forelegs are going sideways.
 
Half pass, make as if to go up the centre line, lets say you are going to move to the right. So, you do a stride of shoulder in bent to the right, to establish the shape and the angle; then start to push the horse across to the right with your outside (left leg) (back a little) maintaining the bend all the time and insisting that the horse leads slightly with the head and shoulder, but it has to step sideways with all limbs. That's it really.

Trial and error!
 
half-pass is basically leg-yielding but with true bend not contrabend. do some work in contrabend in walk, then turn onto the third track (about 3m from fence of arena if you have one!) and use your outside leg (outside in relation to horse's bend, not arena!) behind the girth, inside leg on the girth to engage, and think of using the natural pull of the fence and tendency of horse to go towards it, to help you until she gets the idea. turn your shoulders where you want to go and she should get the idea.
another good one in leg-yield is to do little leg-yield zig-zags in walk and then trot down the long side (or on a straight line in a field), changing bend at the end of every pass and then bringing across the other way for a few strides, changing bend, repeat. increases response to aids etc, and supples horse.
 
Fantastic, thanks very much AleeDee, and Kerilli, I'll give them a go tonight.

I can't be lunged on Chloe - she doesn't understand it, but is very safe to try the rider exercises on anyway. I was riding her round with my back flat on her back yesterday to stretch it, and freaked out the YO who thought I was broken!
 
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What about schooling bareback? I do it occasionally and it really teaches you where your bum is and how to relax your seat. start off with walk and then add other things as you get more confident.

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Thanks, I actually ride her bareback once a fortnight when I haven't got time to do a full schooling session, she's got a lovely flat back so it's very comfy, until we canter
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