Simple changes and extended walk

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CSYMolly

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Finding simple changes a little difficult as she comes back too abruptly and leans on my hands a bit. Ideas please.
Also extended walk, do I just push my hands slightly forward still with a contact and just open her walk up a bit?
Thanks guys

Clare
 
in the extended walk you let the rein slip a little, but so the horses stretches more forwards through its neck and covers more ground.

The reason shes is falling and leaning in the canter/walk transition is because it sounds like shes not through from behind, so is useing you to balance on. For canter to walk transitions the horse needs to be light on the forehand and really engaged behind.

Make sure you can really work within the pace on your different canters - so you should be able to go from medium to collected with ease, so she stays light infront and engaged behind. Doing shoulder fore in canter will help engage the hindleg.

i do lots of work on a 20m circle just playing with the pace and the position of the head so i know Archie is soft, engaged and listening to me. A lot of balance is needed for the canter/walk transition and if you dont have this and engagement then the horse will fall on its nose.

Hope that sort of explained it - i know what i mean but im not sure its come out correctly!!
 
Yeah you are exactly right she isn't very engaged in the canter, I struggle to get her really back and sitting on her quarters, do play with the pace so will keep at it. Do you think its better to be more progressive for now then, make sure the transition to trot is good before I bring her to walk or just keep at the canter walk? Also should I get her a bit deeper just before the transition?

Never done extended walk in a test before so wasn't 100% sure but I had it right thank goodness and she does have a good walk so ONE thing in my favour!

Thanks for the tips
 
if anything id get her more up infront before the transition, so shes taking more weight behind. If shes anything like Bloss was then if you ride deaper the more downwards the canter becomes. I really had to ride bloss up and into my hand in the canter/walk transitions as she sounds like Molly in that she'd fall into walk and lean on my hand as her canter was never that through from behind due to her conformation.
 
Ok I'm with you makes sense. Such a shame as her trot work is lovely now but the canter still needs so much work, she has a lovely bouncy canter when she's jumping and excited so it can be done!
 
The quality of the transition to walk will only be as good as the quality of the canter. So you need to work on engagement and prepare by bringing the canter back, so it is bouncy and balanced before you ask of the walk transition.

For the Ext walk , lengthen reins and encourage the horse to take the rein forward stretch over back and so cover more ground.
 
Thanks going to keep on working on getting her canter more engaged, will get there if it kills me!
How much do I lengthen reins, just a few cms? Somewhere inbetween med walk and free walk? Sorry for being thick but I have just never had to do it in a test situation so don't want to lose silly marks. Will ask instructor but not got a lesson for 2 weeks so wanna practise before.
 
I'm praying I will be in the same situation as she has a lovely walk but is far too nosey to stretch right down. I always get 'clear rhythm but could stretch down more' - fingers crossed!
 
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