11/11/2017
To give a horse the best possible physique to carry a rider, we use gymnastic exercises - exercises which develop a horse symmetrically in body and limbs, such as:
➡️ Circle
➡️ Shoulder-in
➡️ Haunches-in
➡️ Renvers
➡️ Half pass
➡️ Pirouette
The core of the gymnastic exercises consists of the circle, shoulder-in and haunches-in - also called the 'cornerstones'.
All the other exercises are derived from these cornerstones.
*** THE CORNERSTONES ***
🐴 The CIRCLE is used to develop the Lateral bending in the body, the Forward down tendency of the head and neck and the Stepping under the center of mass of the inside hind leg - aka LFS in Straightness Training (ST).
🐴 Once the inside hind leg can step under, this hind leg can also start to take weight. To do so, we use the SHOULDER-IN and counter shoulder-in. These exercises are designed to school the hind leg in function of the inside hind leg. As a result of taking the weight, the horse will bend the inside hind leg more, resulting in a freer outside shoulder.
🐴 Once the horse can bend the hind leg as an inside hind leg, we can also start to school the hind leg as an outside hind leg. To do so, we use first the HAUNCHES-IN (travers).
From there we can start developing the variants:
*** ALL EXERCISES ARE RELATED ***
All exercises relate to one another and differ slightly:
🐎 The difference between shoulder-in and COUNTER SHOULDER-IN is the position of the wall. The counter shoulder-in is often used in the phase, that the power of the pushing hind leg has to be reduced.
🐎 The only difference between haunches-in (travers) and the RENVERS is the position of the wall. In the renvers the horse can lean less against the wall with his shoulder - so it's a bit more difficult than the travers - but as a result, he really supports himself with his hind legs.
🐎 The difference between shoulder-in and renvers is the bending in the body, which is the opposite. In these exercises, the same hind leg has the opposite function ('inside' in shoulder-in, 'outside' in renvers). The same applies to counter shoulder-in and the haunches in.
🐎 The HALF PASS is 'just' a haunches-in over the diagonal, and the PIROUETTE is 'just' a haunches-in on a small circle. Both half-pass and pirouette require the support of both the inside as the outside hind leg. Therefore, in both exercises the shoulders must lead to be able to keep the center of mass in front of the direction of the hind legs - only then both hind legs can support the weight. So both the half pass and pirouette also relate to the shoulder-in.
*** WHAT ABOUT THE NUMBER OF TRACKS? ***
Now all exercises can be done on 3 or 4 tracks, or 2,5 tracks or 3,75 or 3,99 😉 and your horse can have more or less bend in his body.
Now there is no 'perfect' number, and the exact degree doesn't matter.
What matters in ST, is that you choose the number of tracks and degree of bending where your horse can support his body and center of mass best with both hind legs.
And that depends on the conformation of your horse: if he has a long back or a shorter one, if he has long legs, or shorter ones, if he has a long neck or a short one.
So choose the degree of bending and number of tracks where your horse can move with optimal balance and most quality.
*** WHERE TO START, WHAT TO DO NEXT? ***
First start on the circle, to supple the body.
When the horse can bend more evenly to both sides, add the shoulder-in, to supple the inside hind leg.
The moment your horse can do the shoulder-in for 66,6% of quality, start teaching the haunches-in.
When your horse understands how to perform the haunches-in along the wall, you can take this exercise
- on the quarter line
- the center line
- on the opposite track - leading to renvers
- on the diagonal - leading to half-pass
- and on the circle - leading to the pirouette.
First, teach each exercise in walk from the ground - without the additional weight of the rider.
Only when the horse
a. Understands the cues and aids and the behavior he has to do
b. Has a better coordination in body and limbs
c. and can carry his own weight on a particilar hind leg
.. then start adding the extra weight of the rider.
In the teaching phase, you can start in slow-motion to give the horse's brain and nervous system time to digest and to focus on the right technique to create good habits.
Once the teaching phase is over, you can start optimizing the quality in balance, suppleness, shape, tempo, and rhythm.
In walk, trot and canter.
**** HOW TO DEVELOP THE HORSE EQUALLY? ***
To develop a horse equally in body and limbs, all exercises need to be done to the right and to the left- so on the right rein and on the left rein.
When doing these exercises, there will always be an 'easy' side and a 'difficult' side.
So riders tend to ride more often on the 'easy' side, because it's easier. But this makes the horse even more unequal.
Therefore, to develop the horse equally:
1. Do the 'difficult' side a bit more often.
2. Start with the 'difficult' side and end with the 'difficult side'.
The moment the horse starts to feel more equal, switch to train the exercises 50-50.
*** WANNA HEAR AND SEE MORE OF THIS? ***
If you want to hear and see more about this and want to know more about the natural asymmetry and straightness training?
Then make sure to check out the second episode in my FREE mini-course that runs at the moment:
► https://www.straightnesstrainingacademy.com/p/free-course-st-mdj
‼️PLUS ‼️ you can download the 29-page ST Mastery eBook about all these exercises, where you can read more about the purpose, history and other variations of all exercises.
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