31/03/2020
🐴‼️ No2 EXERCISE FOR WEEK 2 🐴‼️
🌟 THE FAN EXERCISE 🌟
This is a super fun, beneficial exercise that has been around for years..... BUT I have put my own twist on it to make the layout a lot MORE modern.
I have no personal pictures of this layout of yet, but stay around as I will layout and demonstrate by the end of this week.
I have done drawings to show the layouts instead for now.
🐴 It’s called the “ fan “ as you arrange poles in a fan like shape.
The original “ fan “ exercise is named after your standard electrical bedroom fan ...... MY exercise gets the name “ fan “ from the structure of an original hand fan.
🐴 The original exercise has always consisted of 3 - 5 poles only or a circle of poles, being a ( human ) walking distance of 3 between each ( middle to middle ).
I have made my own creation up for the Fan exercise as firstly 4 of our walking strides between each pole is 1 horse stride, 3 of our strides is for a pony ..... the ( fan affect ) is to get you to not only use the middle but also the insides and the outsides.
The inside line would be ridiculously to SHORT to ever be able to canter between on a nice working canter, and the outside line would just basically be a “ normal “ canter stride.
SO ..... MY version ..... is to walk 4 human strides in the middle of each pole, making sure you walk a GENEROUS 4 lengths.... walking the middle a little longer means the inside shorter distance isn’t such a short stride ....... the AIM of this exercise is to be able to canter through the middle, inside and outside lines making sure to keep the same track line between each but for each line to ALSO be a REACHABLE goal ....... with my distances between each for the fan exercise it will be unlike the original.......
Your middle line will be a normal working canter, the inside line will be a collected canter, and your outside line will be a gear up from your middle line working canter.
🐴 Distances for pony riders -
Up to 12hh - walk 3 of your steps, making them a little shorter than usual.
12.2 - 13.2 - walk 3 strides of your steps, walking normal lengths.
14hh - 14.2hh walk 3 strides of your steps, being generous between each... 10 inches - 16 inches added to a normal 3 strides .... or just under half a foot.
‼️🐴‼️ SERPENTINE FAN ——- In the drawing you will see 2 x fan trot poles and 1 line through the middle of arena.
Again stick with striding said above for fan and then for middle distance start normal 3 if pony 4 if horse .... if you find the poles are a long reach catapulting you out the saddle, you basically have a flat, motionless boring canter to put it blunt.
You need to find your happy medium working canter, adding more leg next time around.
With this exercise you can change things around for example once you are getting rhythmic strides between each pole ( middle of serpentine ) you can then either lengthen this distance so you are aiming for middle of inside line of FAN .... to then start to push the canter forwards for a longer middle distance, to then shorten again for your next FAN.
OR you can shorten strides between each pole ( middle of serpentine ) you can then aim for the outside line of the FAN, starting on a very forward canter ... to then shorten for your middle distance, to then lengthen again for your next FAN.
🐴 My last picture is just adding another pole to FAN exercise.... if you have room in arena, sticking to same distances.
Ive added a pic of what your strides should be 😊
Enjoy people!!!!