Shallow loop in canter - aids help?

Casey76

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I think that's what they're called in English (I'm used to them being a "ligne brisé" ou "ligne courbe")

Anyway, my mare and I started doing this last week in our lesson, and what I want to do naturally is completely wrong (I think) so I need to work out the correct aids (my instructor is a hoot, she'll tell me to do something to see what I do naturally, then introduce the correct aids the following time).

Basically we're coming straight down the long side and I ask her over with my outside leg, then it all falls apart, as I naturally want to tell her to go back over by inside leg back and over - it worked, because we'd just been doing leg yielding. However that can't be right, as I thought that was how you asked for a lead change in canter *scratches head* I don't want to make us more confused than we already are! ;)

help???

coffee and cookies available for help :P
 
your aids for flying change will be different to sideways - they have to be, otherwise how could you do any kind of lateral work in canter :wink3:

I don't think I've ever asked a horse to move sideways in order to do shallow loops - isn't it more about riding a curving line off and back to the track, so introducing work towards counter canter, rather than lateral steps? or have I misunderstood your question?
 
You've confused me with your description!!

It almost sounds like you are over thinking it / making it more complicated than it should be.

A shallow canter loop shouldn't involve 'pushing quarters over' or 'leg yielding'

You should just be riding the shallow loop shape, no sideways involved.
The head/neck slight flexion over the leading leg - so true canter as you leave the track and once you are heading back to track it is a slight counter canter position.

Make sense?
 
You've confused me with your description!!

It almost sounds like you are over thinking it / making it more complicated than it should be.

A shallow canter loop shouldn't involve 'pushing quarters over' or 'leg yielding'

You should just be riding the shallow loop shape, no sideways involved.
The head/neck slight flexion over the leading leg - so true canter as you leave the track and once you are heading back to track it is a slight counter canter position.

Make sense?

You're probably right :D No wonder I was finding it difficult to get 2 loops in *head desk*
 
The aids stay the same as for true canter. Don't go switching legs back and forth otherwise you will get in a pickle!!

Come through the corner to start the long side and think about turning onto a line from the corner marker, say K (on the right rein) and head towards C. Ride straight for a handful of strides and then think very gradually curve back towards H. The widest part of the loop should be opposite the middle marker and to start with only come about 2 or 3m from the track. Make it easy to start with as it is better to keep the rhythm and flow and make the loop deeper later.
 
I think that's what they're called in English (I'm used to them being a "ligne brisé" ou "ligne courbe")

Anyway, my mare and I started doing this last week in our lesson, and what I want to do naturally is completely wrong (I think) so I need to work out the correct aids (my instructor is a hoot, she'll tell me to do something to see what I do naturally, then introduce the correct aids the following time).

Basically we're coming straight down the long side and I ask her over with my outside leg, then it all falls apart, as I naturally want to tell her to go back over by inside leg back and over - it worked, because we'd just been doing leg yielding. However that can't be right, as I thought that was how you asked for a lead change in canter *scratches head* I don't want to make us more confused than we already are! ;)

help???

coffee and cookies available for help :P

No wonder it all seems confusing, this description sounds more aimed at half pass then a change of canter lead back to the track!

Decide roughly what size your shallow loop is, if 5mtr from track come off the corner and just ride towards a or c (depending on which rein your on) then just turn your upper body back towards the track while your legs still ask for the same lead of canter (no sideways or opposite aids!)
 
Well the whole thing seems much easier now if I'm just steering ;)

For the French dressage, the apex of the loop has to be on the 1/4 line if in a 20x40 and to X if in a 20x60.

I think I got confused as we've spent the past three lessons focusing on being completely straight... then again it really doesn't take much to confuse me AT ALL!!! ;P
 
I did this in a lesson recently and found it incredibly difficult to just steer even though I knew that was what I was supposed to be doing. It did make me wonder how the h I manage to jump a fence when there's a loop / curve / dog leg involved when I found this so tricky :o
 
Sorry to hijack OP, but say you did want to leg yield back to the track - aren't the aids then pretty much the same as for a flying change? How does the horse know to move away from the inside leg (which is now behind the girth) rather than change?
 
Sorry to hijack OP, but say you did want to leg yield back to the track - aren't the aids then pretty much the same as for a flying change? How does the horse know to move away from the inside leg (which is now behind the girth) rather than change?

Your seat aid and direction of flexion would be different
 
Your seat aid and direction of flexion would be different

Thanks. I can see how the flexion would be different, but not how the seat would be different? Say you were in right canter and leg yielding away from inside leg (ie. towards left), then you have your weight on the outside (left) seat bone. If you were asking for a change from right to left canter wouldn't you shift your weight onto the left seat bone as you ask for the change (as you need more on your inside seat bone in the new lead)?

Sorry for stupid questions - I just want to improve my own understanding!
 
Don't move your leg to get back to the track as you will get a flying change. Move both hands over together to 'neck rein' (probably not the correct term!) back to the track.
 
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