Understanding how a trot works helps us ride it better! A trot is a two-beat gait, meaning the horse’s hooves hit the ground at two distinct points. In this video, I break it down so you can see these different phases of the trot. Many English riders “post” a trot. Posting means rising up out of the saddle for one beat of the trot and sitting for the next. You can see me does this movement with Noah in the video. A “diagonal,” something that confuses many beginners, simply refers to which front leg of the horse you are following. For example, if you are posting on the right diagonal, you will come out of the saddle when the horse’s front right leg is moving forward. On the left, you rise with the left front leg. The “correct” diagonal is to rise and fall with the leg on the wall!
Watch the video to see in detail everything I’m talking about here. Enjoy!
Aids are how we communicate a riding request to our horses. This video introduces the basic concept, and the first fundamental aids.
In this video, I show you how to properly lunge a horse. Lunging is a great way to exercise a horse, as well as work on communication.
Equipment needed:
- lunge line
- bridle
- watch for timing workout
- saddle if desired
- side reins if desired
- make sure you’re properly dressed too!
Remember, small circles can be tough on a horse’s joints, so you really shouldn’t lunge for more that about 30 minutes.
Reins aids aren’t just a matter of pulling–HOW you pull is very important. The goal is to apply pressure straight back on the bit, rather than push down or yank up. By keeping the bit, your wrists and elbows all in a straight line, you maintain the most control over your rein aid and also engage the biggest and strongest muscles (your back muscles) rather than trying to rely on your biceps/arm muscles.
I’ve had a lot of questions on how to correctly do a half-halt; this video shows you how to properly so all rein aids, including half halts.
Now, don’t be afraid to practice this motion a lot in the mirror to begin with, or have someone video you practicing in the saddle. Seeing myself in this video and where I get my arms or back out of alignment is really helping me improve ;)
Happy trails!
When riding with English tack, often you need to adjust the length of the reins mid-ride! How do you do that without totally dropping your reins? Well, this video shows you how. Enjoy ;)
Wahoo!! This post makes two weeks in a row that I’m posting on my now-official post day, Monday. It’s a good start ;)
Anyway, this video shows you how to adjust your stirrup length without ever getting out of the saddle. Enjoy!
It’s important that you know how to safely approach a horse in a paddock or field, and how to halter him and lead him. This video shows you how to do that!
Once you get off your horse, it’s really important that you “run” up your stirrups. All this means is that you push your stirrup irons up the stirrup leather so they are safely out of the way. In this video, I’ll show you how!
The good news about sitting a canter is that it’s a whole lot less bumpy than the trot. The complicating part is that it’s also a whole lot faster (If you’re anything like me, that’s the fun part).
The canter is a three-beat gait. There are six phases, but you can only feel three of them. This is because the horse’s different legs hit the ground at three distinct points. Look at the diagram. At step one of a right-lead canter (we’ll talk about leads in a second), the horse’s left hind foot is touching the ground. This is beat one. At step two, his right hind and left front feet (known as the “diagonals” because they are diagonally opposite each other) both hit the ground at the same time. This is beat two. Then in step three, his left hind foot leaves the ground, but because there is no impact (no new foot is hitting the ground) there is no beat. You don’t really feel this step. In step four, the horse’s right front foot hits the ground. This is the third beat. In step five, his diagonals (the right hind foot and the left front foot) leave the ground, but again you don’t feel this and it doesn’t count as a beat. In step six, all of his feet leave the ground. This full suspension in mid-air prepares him to put his left hind foot down again to start a new stride, with a new beat one.
Phases of the canter
