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Two Dressage Training Exercises with Sarah Lockman

Try these exercises focusing on counter bend and counter-canter.

Dressage trainer Sarah Lockman shared the following two exercises with riders at a free Pony Club clinic in June 2017. To read the full article by Kim Miller, click here.

Exercise 1: True & Counter Bending on a Spiraling Circle

This exercise teaches riders to feel and establish even rein contact
with their horse’s mouth, as opposed to having a “hollow” rein
on one side and too heavy a rein on the other. 

It helps them feel and
maintain throughness on both sides of the horse’s body. In switching
between bends, the riders can identify where straight is in the middle
and recognize the differences in lateral suppleness or lack thereof on
each side of the horse.

1. Trot on a 20-meter circle going left.

2. Counter bend your horse slightly to the right with slight right rein
pressure.

3. Keep your right leg at the girth to move the horse’s shoulders to the
inside and maintain left rein pressure to help establish rein contact on
both sides.

4. Hold that for a few steps, then switch to true flexion, left bend, while
slightly spiraling out the circle so the horse moves his shoulder back
to the outside.
I recommend this exercise at the canter, too.

Exercise 2: Counter-Canter Introduction through Serpentine

The Spiraling Circle is great preparation for this because the horse
needs to be straight on both reins in order to be balanced in the
counter-canter. This exercise mirrors what is asked for in tests leading
up to holding the counter-canter, first appearing in First Level, Test 3,
as a single loop. It establishes balance, suppleness and bend and helps
build hindquarter strength.

1. Cantering on the left lead, on the long side of the ring, come in
slightly off the rail, not even as far as the quarterline to start, with a
slight left bend.

2. Then return to the rail, maintaining the left bend and using the same
aids as for the left lead: more weight in the left seat bone, the left leg a
bit forward and the right leg a bit back. The strides back to the rail are
strides of counter-canter.

3. Start as a very shallow loop and make it steeper as you and your horse
can maintain your balance and alignment in every stride.

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