transitions – Horse Listening

Spring Into A Horse Riding Exercise

Up here in our neck of the woods, the snow is melting, the blustery wind is less stinging, and the sun feels just warm enough to start thinking about our riding program for the upcoming season. While we've ridden pretty much all winter, we can now lounge longer at the barn in less layers and more comfortable footwear. The sand is softer and spring is in the air!

And the horses know it!

If you've got a rambunctious, hippety-hoppety equine emerging from his shaggy coat and winter paddock, here is a fun and active exercise you can use to allow for movement while while also encouraging focus and calm attention.

Spring Time Exercise

The Pattern

As you can see below, the pattern is fairly simple.

Start on the right rein.
Go up center line.
Turn left.
Left circle at B, 20-meters (or you can make it smaller for more challenge).
Continue to the far corner.
Change directions across the diagonal.

At this point, you can continue down center line or head back to the opposite rail. You can go straight on the rail, or add a shoulder-in or haunches-in if you want to add some lateral work. Or you can come off the rail just past A and leg yield to the rail.

Once you've gone to the right a few times, change direction and go to the left. Start on the B rail and head to center line from there.

But there's more!

The Transitions

Try this pattern in walk or trot at first until you have a good idea where you're going. Then add transitions.

If you like, you can do several walk-trot-walk transitions. Let's say you do the center line at a walk, trot through the corner and do the circle at trot, and then walk the rest and across the diagonal.

You can do trot-walk-trot transitions the same way.

You can add canter into the mix: trot the center line, walk the turn, trot to canter through the corner and canter circle, canter to trot through the next corner, and walk the diagonal line.

You can get creative with the transitions. Keep in mind the needs of your horse as well as yourself. If you need to work in the walk and trot, by all means, do so. Make sure it's a good, active, ahead-of-the-leg walk and a good trot!

At first, you might want to take your time through the transitions and help your horse develop a strong, round, flowing gait before the transition. In this case, you might not be too picky about exactly where the transition takes place. This is how I always start my horses and riders - looking for high quality movement and transitions before we get too much into accuracy.

Eventually, you might want to be more precise. You can decide where you want the transition and get it at exactly that letter. This helps you become more of a team with your horse. Remember to not sacrifice the quality of movement though just to get the transitions. At this point, you and your horse should be able to do the transition at the spot and do it well, with a good gait before and a good gait after.

The Point

This exercise is designed to do two things: give your horse room to move (straight lines and large circle), and require quick response to aids through transitions. Coming out of the winter, it is important to develop a forward-moving, ground covering gait that allows the horse to strengthen again after time off or less consistent riding. However, while you want to encourage movement, you also want to bring your horse's attention to you and work on responsiveness. What better way than through transitions?

I hope you enjoy the exercise. Let me know how it goes in the comments below.

If you like this sort of pattern work, take a look at my Practice Sessions Premium Membership. The Practice Sessions are a complete program beginning with exercises like the one above, designed to improve specific aspects of the horse and rider. All set up and ready to go, all you have to do is watch the video, print off the pattern PDF and head to the barn!

But there's so much more! There's quality of movement exercises, theory "Mini-Classes" on specific aids and figures, a fantastic group of riders who motivate and encourage each other, and so much more! Click here to learn more.

12 Quick Riding Tips – #8: A Transition Exercise To Jazz Up Your Riding Routine

Transitions!

Without them, where would we be?

Well, we'd be trotting the same direction ad infinitum. Cantering until both horse and rider are so out of breath that they have to stop. Posting in a repetitive motion that goes forever more... sure to develop ring sourness and boredom.

Enter transitions!

What are transitions?

change of gait
change of direction
change of pace
change of movements

Maybe that's why I'm crazy about transitions! They're all about change. They make the ride fun, challenging, and fresh. They develop both the horse and rider's balance, coordination, sense of space and communication.

Try this "simple" (but not necessarily "easy") transition exercise just to add a little pizzazz to your normal riding routine. Click the images below to enlarge.

It's all straight lines. Straight lines are actually not easy to maintain, and changing gait within a straight line is even harder. But it's a great way to check your accuracy!

In Part 1, you are riding on the rail to the right in trot. Negotiate each corner, go up the rail and transition to canter at B.
Go through the next corner, then turn down center line headed toward X (still in canter). BEFORE X, transition to walk (or trot if you are riding a young or less experienced horse). Take 3-5 walk strides, then transition back to canter, left lead. Do your best to stay straight through the canter transition and to the end of the ring!
Turn left at the rail, negotiate the corner in canter.
Trot at E.

This is the end of the pattern on this side.

Now you continue your trot around the rail until you go to B, at which point you canter, left lead. Everything will then flip around: you come off the rail at C, simple change through X, turn right at the rail and trot at E. I didn't draw out the flipped pattern to save time.

This is what I call a "running pattern." You can keep going several times through the pattern, and you will end up working on both reins (sides of the horse and rider). It's important to always mirror what you do on one side to the other side, so as to develop equal strength and suppleness on both sides.

If you like this sort of pattern work, join my Practice Sessions Premium Membership. The Practice Sessions are a complete program beginning with exercises like the one above, designed to improve specific aspects of the horse and rider. All set up and ready to go, all you have to do is watch the video, print off the pattern PDF and head to the barn!

Buy the book for many more riding tips! Horse Listening – The Book: Stepping Forward to Effective Riding

From the first book in the Horse Listening Collection: Horse Listening, The Book

"There are many reasons why we enjoy riding horses. Maybe one of the most appealing facets of riding is the sense of freedom: freedom from our own limitations, freedom from gravity, freedom to (literally) roam the Earth. Time stands still while we have the privilege of feeling movement from the back of our four-legged friend. Riding gives us the place to just be.

Of course, there are other purposes too. Some of us revel in the challenge of learning the skills required to becoming a good team member of this unlikely duo. Riding is like no other sport or recreational pursuit simply because of the equine partner that must not only carry us, but also do so effortlessly and gracefully. As we develop our specific skill sets, we also grow as human beings in character, emotional maturity and mental acuity.

But there is one other motivation that drives some of us to persevere in the never-ending learning process that is horseback riding: improving the horse. As your own skills develop, you begin to realize that not only can you meet your own needs through riding, but also that you can even become an instrument of benefit for the horse."

And so begins the book that reflects the most important learning I have had in all of my riding years: that I want to be the best rider I can be for the sake of my horses.

This book is geared toward the rider:

- the rider's motivations

- the essential skills for the rider

- some specific strategies

- solutions to common problems

- and the results: the great horsey moments we get to experience

Along the way, you will find chapters that discuss everything from the seat to the leg aids to the reins, discussions on half-halts, imbalance, halts, straightness and more!

Special in this book are the "In The Ring" sections that give specific suggestions based on the preceding chapters. Take these to the barn to try with your own horse!

Available as an eBook or paperback.

Suppling Fun! An Exercise

Suppleness is one of those more difficult concepts to explain. Because it relates to "feel", it's one of those things in horse riding that takes a long time to learn to identify and then produce regularly.

To recap, suppleness happens in two ways in the horse's body - longitudinally and laterally.

Longitudinal suppleness refers to how loose and round the horse is over his back. It also relates to how "through" his energy is. If he holds his muscles in tight tension, or he blocks forward energy as you ask for more from your legs, he is likely not "through" and soft over the back.

Lateral suppleness refers to the side-to-side dexterity of the horse. It is involved in achieving good balance around turns, and in the horse's ability to bend. I've written a detailed explanation of how to develop suppleness here.

Both types of suppleness are also involved in the establishment of "connection": that ever elusive goal of becoming "one", or riding in harmony, with the horse. No matter what discipline you ride, softness over the back and left and right are basic, fundamental qualities of good (and healthy) movement.

It All Comes Down To You

Here's the thing. Even when I'm explaining what the horse is (or isn't) doing, it's not really about the horse. It's really all about you. The rider has to learn how to achieve the suppleness that is required and desired. Developing suppleness comes from the seat, the legs, the hands, the torso (= core strength) and quick coordination of all those aids. In fact, one could say that the rider needs to be supple enough to develop the horse's suppleness!

Exercise

Here is today's exercise. I like this one because it can help set you up to "find" suppleness just by virtue of riding through the pattern. You have to be sharp on this one - change your aids quickly to help the horse change the bend, go forward to an upward transition and then back to a downward transition.

Do this exercise after you and your horse have had a good chance to warm up. This can be the "lesson" part of your ride, and be sure to listen carefully to your horse in order to not overwork him too long.

It's a fun exercise because it keeps you hopping, and it really feels nice and flowing once you get a hang of it. The energy is forward but you can't let it go all out "the front end" because then you won't be able to navigate the lateral suppleness that is required to complete the pattern. There are several changes of direction and transitions involved. Click on each image to enlarge. I've divided the pattern into three parts just for ease of explanation. They all run consecutively.

Part 1

1. Start on the rail to the left at trot.

2. Come off the rail before the end of the next corner and proceed to do a teardrop to the left. Make the turn fairly large (approx. 15 meters) so your horse has plenty of energy coming out of the turn and into the straight diagonal line. Prepare for change of bend for the corner that is coming up.

Part 2

3. Bend right, turn right through the corner. You can slightly shorten your horse's strides just before the bend to help him control the forward energy coming off the diagonal line.

4. At C: transition to a canter circle, right lead. Make this a smaller circle if your horse is more advanced, otherwise keep it larger and work on maintaining good energy through the whole circle. Transition back to trot before reaching C again.

Part 3

5. Navigate the next corner, preparing for the upcoming loop.

6. Do a loop coming out of the corner. Notice the diagram shows a fairly narrow loop, meaning that you don't have to go all the way to X at the middle. Gauge the depth of the loop based on your horse's riding level.

Start with a right bend, straighten for 2-3 strides over the middle of the loop, bend left to go back to the rail, and bend right again just before heading into the next corner. The loop can be tricky because it requires a bend to a bend to a bend! This is the end of the pattern because now you will be on the right rein, heading into the next corner.

Keep Going!

Now you can start all over in the new direction. Your canter circle will be on A this time. The teardrop and the loop will end up being on the same side of the ring, regardless of the direction you're going in.

This exercise is designed to give you opportunity to focus on your aids - over and over again! As you get better at the pattern, see if you can sort of "dance" through the direction and gait changes. The idea is to subtly navigate the direction and gait changes while staying on the pattern. Keep up your horse's energy level but don't let him go too fast.

You're looking for keeping good balance as you negotiate each part of the pattern. You may find your horse softening over the back, left to right, and becoming bouncier. If he offers to slow his legs slightly but stay strong and forward in his gait, you know you're definitely on the right track! Make sure you do the same.

Let us know if you try this and how it goes for you and your horse in the comments below.

If you like this sort of pattern work, join my Horse Listening Practice Sessions.

The Practice Sessions is a complete program beginning with exercises like the one above, designed to improve specific aspects of the horse and rider. All set up and ready to go, all you have to do is watch the video, print off the pattern PDF and head to the barn!

But there's so much more! There's quality of movement exercises, theory "Mini-Classes" on specific aids and figures, a private Group page with daily tips, and so much more! Click here to learn more.

Horse Listening Book Collection - beautiful paperbacks with all the excellence of the blog - in your hands! Click on the image for more information.

Personally signed books available! Give the best gift for the horse lover in your life (or for yourself!

). Send me a message for more information.

From the first book in the Horse Listening Collection: Horse Listening, The Book

Riding gives us the place to just be.

And so begins the book that reflects the most important learning I have had in all of my riding years: that I want to be the best rider I can be for the sake of my horses.

This book is geared toward the rider:

- the rider's motivations

- the essential skills for the rider

- some specific strategies

- solutions to common problems

- and the results: the great horsey moments we get to experience

Along the way, you will find chapters that discuss everything from the seat to the leg aids to the reins, discussions on half-halts, imbalance, halts, straightness and more!

Special in this book are the "In The Ring" sections that give specific suggestions based on the preceding chapters. Take these to the barn to try with your own horse!

Available in digital or paperback.

The Many Uses Of The Oval (Exercise)

Ride the circle but don't diss the oval!

The oval is rarely talked about in dressage circles (see the pun?) but it can be used quite successfully for many purposes. While a circle is helpful in establishing a bend and encouraging better use of the horse's hind end, the oval offers something that the circle does not: the straight line that occurs in between two turns.

If you want to throw a little line into your circles, the oval is a great option. The horse has to learn to not only bend and adjust the hind end activity for the circle, but then he can use that increased activity to take into a line. The line allows the horse an opportunity to move more forward, increase the stride length and reach ahead. Think expansion after compaction.

Then comes the next turn. Back to engagement of the hind end, bending, and using the inside hind leg deeper under the body.

Exercise

Try this exercise for some challenging balance and transition development.

Transition points are in the middle of each turn section.

- Start with a trot as you come out of the turn into the straight line. Go up the line at trot (probably should use a shoulder-fore to ensure straightness).

- Begin the next turn in trot. Transition to canter in the middle of the turn.

- Finish the next turn and head into the straight line in canter.

- Transition back to trot in the middle of the new turn.

Keep going! Do it a few times, then you can take a walk break and change directions.

If you want to increase difficulty, do walk-canter transitions.

If you think you're ready for it, try canter-counter-canter transitions through walk (as in, canter in the true lead for half the oval, and counter canter in the other half). 🙂

Possible Problems and Corrections

Correct ovals can be difficult to master, considering the various balance shifts and bend changes. If you can be aware of potential problems, you can help support your horse through the oval to help him (and you!) maintain the best balance he can as he goes through the exercises.

I've added several links to further reading, if you need more information.

Crookedness

The oval is a great tool to show you just how straight you and your horse really are. Any drifting, falling in, or shoulder-bulging will become very evident as you negotiate the end of a turn and head into the straight line.

Horse drifts out: Use a strong enough (as much as needed, as little as possible) neck rein to keep your horse's shoulders moving on the turn and not drifting out. You can add outside leg to help keep the hips on the line and a mild open rein on the inside rein to invite the shoulders a bit to the inside (shoulder-fore) if needed.

Horse falls in: Use a direct inside rein combined with an open outside rein to help invite the outside shoulder to stay on the track. Also use your inside leg and seat bone to push the horse outward.

Shoulder-Bulging: By this, I mean that the horse leans (or "falls") on one shoulder or the other. It can happen on the inside shoulder or the outside, depending on the crookedness of the horse, even if the horse still moves in a straight line. In either case, ride with two direct reins (with contact but not pulling), hands in front of the saddle by the withers, and don't let the horse take the reins away from you. Stabilize yourself through strong elbows on your body and tight core, and you can stabilize the horse too.

Add some leg for impulsion and get the horse to straighten thanks to the forward energy.

Speeding Up On The Line

Many horses will have a tendency to speed up after they round the final part of the turn. The extra energy and strength achieved by the turn will prompt them to speed up their legs and head off into the sunset! Beware of that extra tempo, because extra speed invariably means falling to the forehand.

You can't let all the energy just fly out the "front door", so to speak. This is where half-halts are essential in helping to keep the horse balanced and moving uphill as much as possible. Maintain the leg speed by half-halting even as you turn the last corner before the straight line. Then half-halt as needed as you straighten.

Your horse will begin to predict the balance control after you do this a few times. Always remember - you don't want the leg speed to increase. If anything, you want the stride length to increase. Not the speed!

"Sucking Back" on the Turn

The opposite can happen as you come into a turn. Your horse might actually disengage in the hind end - shorten his stride, hollow his back a bit, slow down... think that he leaves his hind end out behind him. You might actually feel like he becomes more comfortable as he moves less and stops swinging through the back.

It's perfectly reasonable for a horse to do this as he enters a turn, because negotiating a turn off a straight line takes work and strength. In this case, you will need to be aware and feel it coming on. Use both legs to encourage your horse forward, and use your reins to prepare for the bend and turn aids.

Again, you're not trying to get your horse to launch off to oblivion, but you are working on maintaining the energy you acquired on the straight line.

Using the Rail For the Turn

This is generally a rider problem. Sure, the horse might want to drift to the rail, but the track the horse takes is always determined by the rider.

Because it's a rider problem, it can be easily fixed! Make sure that you turn off the rail early, not at the end of your ring. Teach your horse that he can come off the rail at any point on the line. Then head to the opposite rail off the end of the ring as well.

You can also work on staying a few feet off the rail itself when you're on the straight line. Practice teaching the horse to move straight on his own, not using the rail for direction. If you have a large ring, this can be easily done. It's harder to do in a small ring, but you can make a point of staying off the rail even in that case.

Well, have fun with this exercise and let us know how it went in the comments below! What did you find success at? What was the challenging part? What do you need to change to improve you and your horse's balance as you negotiate the transitions and bend?

If you’d like a structured, but personal tool to set goals, take a look our Goal Setting for the Equestrian: A Personal Workbook. The pages are designed for you to set and keep track of your progress over the course of a year.

Included in the book:

design your overarching goals
long- and short-term planning,
debrief your special events such as clinics or shows
reflect on, plan and evaluate your goals
sample goals and pages

The Workbook is available for instant digital download so you can print the pages right off your computer. There is also the option of a paperback version if you’d rather have a professionally bound book to hold in your hands.

Click here for more information.

Bold Transitions That Look Effortless And Feel Great

This one is good for the horses that tend to "suck back" before transitions and/or "run out" after the transitions.

There are transitions and then there are Transitions. The good ones are precise, strong and balanced. They are so clear and easily done that it looks like the rider didn't do anything. The horse stays round, energetic and bold. The gait change is matter-of-fact, easy. In fact, good transitions are critical for a seamless, harmonized ride.

The opposite is easily obvious to the onlooker. Poorly executed transitions are sluggish and slow to develop. The horse seems to labor through the transition, the rider has to use obvious aids and still it takes time to get the gait change. The horse hollows his back, falls further to the forehand and maybe stumbles or runs through the rider's aids. The rider might struggle to keep balance through the lurches until the gait change finally happens.

For the purposes of this exercise, the word "transition" can mean several changes:

- upward or downward progressive transitions (walk to trot, canter to trot)

- upward or downward non-progressive transitions (walk to canter, trot to halt)

- change of direction (trot from the left to the right)

- straight line to turn (change of direction across the diagonal to a left turn into the corner)

Exercise

We often talk about it but we often forget to actually do it. Every transition can benefit from it. There is nothing more important for it.

What is it?

Energy. Impulsion. Oomph.

It actually sounds simple. All you need to do is ask for a little more energy before and after the transition. Let's try it with a progressive, upward transition.

Let's say you are trotting to the left and want to pick up a canter after the next corner. This is a good way to encourage a young horse to canter as the horse sees all the space ahead of him as he comes out of the corner.

As you approach the corner, you feel your horse slow down momentarily. This is quite normal, especially if you are riding in an indoor arena - the horse backs off a bit when he's faced with the walls that appear to come at him. A more trained horse understands that he is going to turn through the corner and have the long side ahead.

Your "oomph" moment occurs a few strides before the transition.

Use both your legs for energy and lighten your seat to allow the energy over the back.
Then do a small half-halt before asking for the gait change.
Ask for the canter.
Once the horse is cantering, ask for another energy surge.
Use another half-halt afterward to not allow the horse to just run out from under you.

You see what I mean. It's basically like you are strengthening both your body (in terms of tone and energy) and your horse's movement as you go into and out of the transition.

Done well, there will be no obvious lurch or energy surge. In fact, the remarkable result will be that it looks like nothing happened at all, except a fluidity of movement, a calm, relaxed tempo, lack of conflict and confident, bold movement. Think connection, steady, consistency.

The reason this happens is that the horse won't slow every few strides, won't break stride and have to change gait again and won't have to go through the resultant imbalances. The rider won't kick the horse every few strides, won't wait for the gait change and then have to recover and won't be lurches in the saddle again and again.

At first, it might seem like you're asking for energy many times before and after the transition. You're right - you probably are! It will take time for you and your horse to become accustomed to the amount of energy it takes to move freely through the many changes we require over the course of a ride. After a while, it simply becomes second nature to prepare and complete all changes this way. Once you get used to doing it yourself, your horse will likely be right there with you with no hint of suck back or run out. Because as you know, all riding problems start and end with the rider!

Next time you ride, give this a try. Those five steps above happen very quickly in rapid succession, so prepare ahead of time and know what you're going to do before you go through with it. Maybe have someone on the ground to help be your eyes and tell you how the horse looks to, through and after the transition.

How did it go? Let us know in the comments below.

Stop printing off the articles! Your favorite training articles are compiled in this beautifully bound paperback book. Have everything at your fingertips - this book can be taken to the barn as a quick refresher or leisurely read at home.

From Horse Listening Book 2: Forward And Round To Training Success

"Regardless of discipline, what would be the most significant effect a rider would want to have on her horse?

We all want our horses to improve in their athletic

development, skill acquisition and connectedness. Much of our rider development and training efforts go into working toward our show or personal goals....

But the best riders aspire to do one essential thing each and every day, regardless of goals and lesson plans: they work hard to improve their horse’s way of going.

Because proper balance and weight carriage is essential to a horse’s longevity. Each and every minute of each and every ride has the potential to contribute to your horse’s health and well-being.

Or not."

Just as with all the Horse Listening Collection Books, this book is focused on helping the rider improve for the sake of the horse. But this book goes deeper into the best training articles from the blog - horse-centered theory, strategies and ideas you can try with your own horse.

The book begins with the horse's hind end (!), considers the horse's back, moves on to rider development, and fills it all in with the fundamentals of horse riding so your horse can be:

happier in his body

happier in his "work"

better balanced all-around

Available as an eBook or paperback.

Focus On Transitions – Week 4

This is our fourth and final week of Focus On Transitions. I hope you've been able to try some of the exercises in your daily riding, and have found them to be useful in helping to improve your horse's transitions as well as overall gaits and way of going. I'm in the process of putting together a much more complete course package for those who wanted more. Go to my Practice Sessions page for more details.

If you missed the first three exercises, click on the appropriate link below. Although the exercises have been progressively difficult, you can always mix them up and use them repeatedly over the course of several weeks. It never hurts to go back to the more simple exercises on a day that you might want to keep things easy, or skip one and go to the more challenging exercise. It all depends on you and your horse's needs.

I'd also love to hear your feedback - which ones you tried, how things went, what did they do for you and your horse. Just email me at fwdnrnd@gmail.com

Focus On Transitions - Week One

Focus On Transitions - Week Two

Focus On Transitions - Week Three

I've saved the most interesting exercise for the last one! Enjoy!

Purpose:

This week, we're going to progress into more changes - including changes of bend as well as gaits. We have embedded circles at different gaits, which will require your horse to step deeper under the body and bend more than in previous exercises. We continue with straight line transitions and non-progressive as well as progressive transitions.

You can simplify the exercise by keeping to one gait for both circles. You can make the exercise more difficult by cantering the 10-metre circle and trotting the 20-metre circle.

Goals:

Accurate 20-metre circle which transitions to a 10-metre circle
Straight and balanced canter-walk and walk-canter transitions
Effective use of corners at trot
Adequate bend for 20-metre vs. 10-metre circles
Trot to halt transition on a straight line

Aids:

See the previous articles for the walk-canter and canter-walk, as well as the walk-trot and trot-walk transitions.

Trot-Halt Transition

This is a non-progressive, downward transition that requires more energy and response from the horse than you might think.

1. Trot

As this is the last "movement" of the exercise, you come to the halt from the 20-metre trot circle. Make sure you have a strong, round trot as you come out of the circle. If your horse has a tendency to slow down on a circle, you might need to energize him from the hind end before heading onto the straight line. If your horse tends to rush, use a half-halt or two to help him balance more to the hind end before the straight line.

2. Straight Line

You come out of a mild 20-metre bend to the rail. Be sure to keep your horse's shoulders from "leaking to the outside" and pointing to the rail. Keep the horse straight on the straight line. Half-halt through the last two or three strides in preparation for the halt.

3. Halt

Stop with your seat. Keep your legs on the horse's side, but not active. Keep contact with the reins, but avoid pulling back. Try to get the halt more from your seat than your hands. Ideally, your horse should stop straight (not leaning to one side) and square (front legs parallel and hind legs parallel).

Exercise:

Start at Walk before C, on the left rein.

Transition to canter at C, left lead. 20-metre canter circle.

Transition to trot at C. 10-metre trot circle.

Make sure you increase your horse's bend for this circle. He might want to slow down a bit - you can accept that if you feel that the initial trot was too fast, but make sure you keep his energy up and the stride length long.

Continue at trot through the corner.

Walk at S.

Walk the sharp left turn at E, straight over X, and walk the sharp right turn at B.

Canter transition at P.

20-metre canter circle, right lead, starting at A.

10-metre trot circle at A.

Come out of the trot circle and halt before the corner.

You can walk out of the exercise and start the whole thing over again by walking across the diagonal (maybe in a nice stretchy walk?) and starting again before C. Or you can continue straight along the rail, and start at C going in the opposite direction. Your walk lines will be on the opposite sides of the rails.

Using embedded circles like this helps both you and your horse develop a really good sense of the bend and engagement it takes to transition between small and large circles. Add the gait transitions, and it's not as easy as it looks!

Let me know how you do. You can post in the comments below, or email me directly.

Happy Riding!

Disclaimer: Use this as a guideline but you might need your instructor to respond to your individual needs. By using information on this site, you agree and understand that you are fully responsible for your progress, results and safety. We offer no representations, warranties or guarantees verbally or in writing regarding your improvement or your horse’s response or results of any kind. Always use the information on this site with a view toward safety for both you and your horse. Use your common sense when around horses.

The “Forever” Horseback Riding Student? Yes, You Are!

Getting ready for ride — Getting ready to ride. Photo Credit: NBanaszak Photography

When you're a horseback rider, it helps a whole lot if you are content to be forever students.

You are continually floating around in this perpetual learning curve. Just as you think you've got something down for real, other things pop up - and you find yourself back at square one, even if you're relearning something for the hundredth time.

The catch is that there are so many levels of learning of any one aspect of riding.

Take transitions, for example. First off, you think that a good transition consists of a horse actually changing gait after you use your aids. Then, you realize that a good transition happens at a determined location - so it's no longer good enough to get just the gait change.

After you become more precise, you realize that a good transition happens where you want it and that it should be well-balanced. So you work hard on getting your horse to use his hind end and your half-halts help him stay off his forehand even though he might be doing a downward transition.

After you get your balanced transition at your desired location, you realize that a good transition happens where you want it, in balance and more! Now you've discovered the great feeling of "forward"- the energy should flow freely from the back to the front of the horse!

Then you figure out that a precise, balanced, forward transition happens from the seat. So you work hard at using your core muscles and seat and legs in place of your hands. But later on, your good transition must also include a light use of aids. You spend time on developing even better communication with your horse so that you can soften all your aids and still get the balanced, forward gait change.

And so it goes on and on. Nothing we do in riding has an end to it. I'm sure you can think of other stages of what could be considered as a "good" transition.

This is where being life-long learner comes into play!

The good news is that the more you learn, the more you know coming into a new situation.

The bad news is that every time you learn something new, what you thought you already had mastered changes! Sometimes, the new learning adds to what you have been doing so far. Other times, you might have to rework your whole understanding!

In my experience as a rider and instructor, you can break down pretty much all of our learning into four stages.

Stage 1: Coordination and Aids

The first phase usually takes quite a bit of both physical and mental effort. Everything seems new. You develop "feels" that you haven't known. You find you have to put quite a bit of attention into learning the aids, developing coordination of the aids, and figuring out the timing in relation to the horse's gaits. There is little for you to refer to in terms of background knowledge or experience, so you might not even know what you are looking for!

At first, it seems like you are doing way too much. Hand here, leg there, seat bone here... there are many bits and pieces that go into to creating a successful whole movement and because you are new to the movements, it takes thought and focus to put everything in its place.

Somewhere in the middle, you might feel like there is no way you're going to get it. You think you are doing the right thing, but the horse is not responding the way he should.

You might wonder that your instructor is asking too much of you. There might be confusion, difficulty in understanding the why and the what. You might get frustrated and sometimes even want to give up (this is when it's as healthy for you to quit as it is for your horse) - well, just for that day, of course!

But then at some point, something different happens.

Stage 2: The Time Warp

This happened to me one of the first times that everything seemed to fall together. After getting used to trying, doing, keep on going, never stopping... a light bulb moment happened without any intention on my part. Suddenly, I found all this extra time while everything that was supposed to happen, simply happened on its own! What used to take 5 seconds seemingly happened with little effort in 1.

I call it the "Time Warp" because it almost feels like time stands still. Everything happens together, fluidly, in coordination, and you get to just sit there while it all happens. Has something like this ever happened to you?

I believe that this feeling is the in-between stage of the initial struggle of learning, and the final mastery. So when you hit the Time Warp (or however you want to think of it), you know you've finally put together all the aids in a way that makes sense for your horse.

Stage 3: Mastery

Mastery happens when you can duplicate the skills repeatedly under different circumstances.

Let's use the transition example, at the first level of understanding. If you can get your horse to consistently make a change gaits after you've applied the aids, you're on your way to mastering the first level of transitions. If you can get different horses doing the same thing, you've really mastered that skill!

Mastery is great because you know what to do, when, where and why, and you can reproduce it at will. The effect is almost instantaneous and your horse feels better after you've applied your aids. You've finally arrived!

Stage 4: The Next Level

That is, until you notice that next level. You might become aware of it on your own, or your instructor might give you a push in the direction. In any case, you realize that there is so much more to that one skill.

For example, doing the transition just anywhere suddenly doesn't become good enough for you. Now, you want to do it at a particular spot!

The only catch - you start the learning process all over at Phase 1. Aaaand you go through the rest of the phases, then discover the new next level, and repeat the cycle again and again and again and again....

Do these learning phases sound familiar? What are you learning now, and what phase are you at?

Done With Going Round and Round on the Rail? Try the “10/5 Challenge”!

go and no — Photo Credit: NBanaszak Photography

Do you ever get stuck in the same rut ride after ride? It is true that finding a routine is a good idea because it gives you and your horse a sense of structure that you can build upon over time.

But there are times when you want to spice things up before you pack it up!

Use the 10/5 Challenge when:

- you're both done with that 50th loop around the rail and want to do something completely "off the wall" (pun intended!)

- you feel that everything went right in the ride and there's still more left in you and your horse for a bang-up last effort

- you want to get the kinks out and release tension in you and your horse

- you want to develop hind end engagement and larger hind end strides

- your horse is feeling a little lethargic and "uninspired"

- your horse is too pumped up and needs to put his energy somewhere

- you want to fine-tune your aids and transitions

- you want to play a little with a "last dance" before you're done for the day

In any case, this exercise will help both you and your horse work out of your tightness. It encourages your horse to loosen over the top line, work out his balance and engagement, and in general, become better able to work through any transition.

The 10/5 Challenge

The idea is pretty simple. You want to do 10 strides of one thing and then 5 strides of something else.

For example:

- 10 strides canter/5 strides trot

- 10 strides left and 5 strides right

- 10 strides canter/5 strides walk

- 10 strides leg yield/5 strides shoulder-in

There really are an infinite of variations you can use.

But I love the first one the most, especially for beginner to intermediate horse and riders, so let's break that one down more for an example.

The 10 Strides Canter/5 Strides Trot Challenge

1. Canter

Go into a canter. Make sure you have a "decent" canter to start - encourage your horse onward if at all possible.

2. Count strides.

The idea is to hit the transition on that 10 mark, and be absolutely picky about changing gaits in the 10th stride.

3. Transition to trot.

You might have to really prepare for this transition at first. Chances are, your horse will not be expecting such a downward transition so soon, so be ready to reinforce your asking aids as soon as you can. The idea is to stay in that 10 stride number. So be picky.

4. Transition to canter.

But watch out! Don't "sit" on your laurels! Those 5 strides are over before you know it, and you have got to get back into the canter on the fifth trot stride!

And there is the real challenge. This exercise requires you to be sharp, accurate and physically in sync with your horse. The quickness of the transitions will jolt you into a higher level of accuracy and timing. The physicality of the transitions will have you both huffing and puffing in no time. Just remember to keep breathing! You might solicit a nice body-shaking snort from your horse in the process. That is a good sign.

5. Do it again!

The first time is probably going to be the easiest for a while. The next bunch of tries will really highlight the areas that need to come together for a better transition. As your horse starts to realize that there will be more and more transitions, he may go through some tension and resistance before he can gather up his strength and balance to be able to smoothly make so many transitions.

You might discover a few issues as well! Initially, the transitions come up very quickly. You might feel overwhelmed and thrown off balance a bit. Keep at it. If you find yourself not making the 10 strides, do 12. But aim for 10. Figure out how to adjust your timing for the transitions. You might have to do the "ask" for both the upward and downward several strides before.

Practice. Stick with the program 10, 20 times even if things don't go well. You will get better at it and your horse will become more balanced. Things will start falling together. The next time you try this, you might discover that the horse has an easier time with the transitions and responds more smoothly and efficiently to the aids.

Of all the exercises I've used, (click here if you'd like to see more of these sort of ideas in my first book) I'd recommend this one the most for anyone to try at any level. It works well with an advanced horse/rider combination as well as for the beginner rider or horse. You can make it a very basic exercise of one simple transition or complicate it as much as you would like. If the canter/trot is too simple, move onto something that challenges both you and your horse. Do the transitions while you change directions. Change leads and then break to the trot. The variations are limitless!

If you have tried the 10/5 Challenge, let us know in the comments how it worked for you. What went well? What problems did you run into?

Buy the book for many more riding tips! Horse Listening – The Book: Stepping Forward to Effective Riding

From the first book in the Horse Listening Collection: Horse Listening, The Book

And so begins the book that reflects the most important learning I have had in all of my riding years: that I want to be the best rider I can be for the sake of my horses.

This book is geared toward the rider:

- the rider's motivations

- the essential skills for the rider

- some specific strategies

- solutions to common problems

- and the results: the great horsey moments we get to experience

Along the way, you will find chapters that discuss everything from the seat to the leg aids to the reins, discussions on half-halts, imbalance, halts, straightness and more!

Special in this book are the "In The Ring" sections that give specific suggestions based on the preceding chapters. Take these to the barn to try with your own horse!

Available as an eBook or paperback.

Horses. Riding. Life.

Tag: transitions

Spring Into A Horse Riding Exercise

12 Quick Riding Tips – #8: A Transition Exercise To Jazz Up Your Riding Routine

Buy the book for many more riding tips! Horse Listening – The Book: Stepping Forward to Effective Riding

Suppling Fun! An Exercise

Horse Listening Book Collection - beautiful paperbacks with all the excellence of the blog - in your hands! Click on the image for more information.

The Many Uses Of The Oval (Exercise)

Finally! The Ultimate Rider-Centered Program!

Bold Transitions That Look Effortless And Feel Great

Finally! The Ultimate Rider-Centered Program!

From Horse Listening Book 2: Forward And Round To Training Success

Focus On Transitions – Week 4

Purpose:

Aids:

Exercise:

Buy the book for many more riding tips! Horse Listening – The Book: Stepping Forward to Effective Riding

The “Forever” Horseback Riding Student? Yes, You Are!

Finally! The Ultimate Rider-Centered Program!

Horse Listening – Book 2: Forward and Round to Training Success

Done With Going Round and Round on the Rail? Try the “10/5 Challenge”!

Buy the book for many more riding tips! Horse Listening – The Book: Stepping Forward to Effective Riding