16/05/2022
Worth a read
TRANSITIONS for success
1- within a gait (simply changing speeds in the chosen gait)
2- within a range of gaits (walk to trot & trot to walk, walk to canter, halt to canter and so on, and so forth, upwards & downwards)
WHY?
1- build fitness faster (interval training introduction)
2- builds confidence for the horse and his moving posture
3- helps balance the rider with the horse
4- builds strength, power, cardio fitness, & stamina
BUT... not only this...
often when i start work with your horses whether foundation training or as part of a rehab plan, the second stage (usually) in the fitness process (NOTE fitness process NOT training scale!) is to incorporate TRANSITIONS. So simple yet so over looked especially once we realise the benefits it can bring!
allowing / encouraging the horse to keep the correct chosen frame is of high importance in any change of gait! This may mean in extension for instance your frame may lengthen through the neck, this is still the correct chosen frame, otherwise you may get a fast stride but not a true extended one.
So transitions really are a science to them selves in my mind. Not only do they encourage the horse to think forward .... for instance in trot - it's forward to walk - or up to walk - or canter to halt for another instance it's UP to halt, or forward to halt! downward transitions should never be thought of as DOWN? they're always up!!
i use transitions to not only assess the horses balance yet also the horses demeanour, is he happy to pop forward at any given moment or does he think 'backward' is his expression of self, does he seem 'stuffy' or any degree of unwilling...?
importantly is he strong enough to hold the frame YET, does he need some rein back, or some turn on the forehand for instance to help engage well enough for these clean transitions?
HOW OFTEN DO YOU PLAY WITH TRANSITIONS?
and don't think it's just for the arena, play with them when out hacking too, ask the horse forward to the down transition and within the first few strides if he's falling out of frame ask again for the faster gait.
and don't think it's done when it's done, noo repeat, for fun... to take the time and patience in it, let's take the trot to walk and walk to trot as in the first instance (this is a good true transition te horse can truly understand and recognise) we're trotting along, we know exactly what we want from the horse at any given moment, (note, we haven't been round the arena twice aimlessly wondering what shall we do next) every moment must have its intention and we are engaged physically mentally emotionally spiritually with our horse, from trot we come up to walk, we have a good walk, the horse didn't pull or lose his balance, and after a few nice strides of walk we arrive at, foreword to trot and after we have a good few strides of forward balanced trot we come forward to walk and so on!! make sense? Don't confuse the horse, praise the instant praise is due! although once he FEELS it he will want more!
another benefit of this with young horses is not only to engage brain WITH body but it keeps them guessing and alive in said mind and body as well as, as said above, increases all components fitness, cardiovascular, strength, power, muscular, stamina and even aids suppleness when down correctly.
often when i train a horse and / or rider, it is the allowing of suppleness throughout the body that allows the mind to stay relaxed for the results to really come through! Allowing the horse to find its own rhythm (especially, sadly in rehab this has OFTEN been lost!) and once they feel their own rhythm we can then start to see their elevation as the hocks engage, as working over the back becomes easier and then, and only then can we really start to play with true cadence!
TRANSITIONS, TRANSITIONS, TRANSITIONS
