British group dressage medallist Michael Eilberg stocks the leading edge techniques he makes use of poles to assist increase younger horses’ early coaching, from corners and circles to counter canter and lateral paintings
1. Organize poles round your area as in keeping with the diagram, beneath
“I exploit a 3 determine way with my younger horses: circles, to test the pony is unfastened and supple; immediately traces, to test you’ll regulate the bend, that you simply don’t need to have it in case you don’t need it; and corners, to constitute extra regulate and the advent of assortment,” says Michael. “The entirety you do in an area is made up of 4 immediately line and 4 corners, so that they at all times need to be just right.”
2. Use the poles across the edge that will help you trip higher corners
“Journey across the pole to assist push your horse into the nook so that you don’t need to do an excessive amount of together with your aids,” advises Michael. “Then flip around the college between B and E and trip via parallel poles to offer the pony course and stay him immediately so that you don’t need to be too sturdy together with your aids.”
3. Journey circles of various sizes across the poles in canter, to assist increase power and the primary steps in opposition to educating assortment
“The canter within the smaller circle would possibly get a bit of extra laboured as the pony has to paintings tougher, so you want a extra lively help to stay the power within the canter,” says Michael. “The larger circle then provides extra aid, the place you’ll ship him ahead.”
4. Now make circles in between two of your nook poles, moderately than round them
“This works them a bit of tougher, they usually might get worrying. Although your horse will get sturdy, attempt to let move — don’t be sturdy again,” says Michael, who advises taking the pony onto a larger circle, or down the immediately line after a few smaller circles, to permit him to chill out.
“The minute you get the chance to melt, you should melt — it’s important to make the primary transfer your self on occasion.”
5. Use this association of poles to start out educating counter canter
To start out counter canter, trip a small half of circle across the pole popping out of the nook, then a loop again in opposition to the observe at B or E. On the center marker, trip again in opposition to the centre line and make a half of circle around the pole on the different finish.
“Don’t panic if you’ll’t get the entire strategy to the observe in the beginning,” says Michael. “Paintings on difficult the pony’s stability and getting nearer. You have to be black and white together with your corrections; say, ‘Now not like this, like this’.
“If the rhythm will get too speedy within the loop, look forward to the circle on the finish to catch the rate — you don’t have to tug.”
6. In between workouts, give your horse a possibility to stretch, and take a look at he’s at ease
“Whilst you’re stretching a horse, the entire identical issues nonetheless subject,” issues out Michael. “You continue to need him to be rhythmic and balanced, simply with an extended neck. You don’t need him to fall at the flooring along with his nostril.”
7. Rearrange your poles as in keeping with the second one diagram, beneath, to make use of them to assist introduce younger horses to the early phases of lateral paintings
“When beginning lateral paintings, don’t omit that it needs to be forwards and sideways, no longer simply sideways,” says Michael. “The use of poles is helping give course, they usually give the pony self assurance as a result of he is aware of the place he’s going.”
8. The primary lateral motion Michael teaches his younger horses is the leg yield
Make a half of circle in trot and trip down the out of doors of the diagonal line of poles, again in opposition to the observe to start out the leg yield.
“Push the quarters clear of the poles — the pony must know how to be extra reactive off the leg.”
In between, upload some transitions to test the pony is staying reactive for your aids, and to care for a top quality trot.
“The pony should discover ways to perceive going sideways with out dropping a just right trot. You’re at all times taking a look not to need to paintings too arduous,” says Michael.
9. Development to the usage of the poles to assist train a horse to half-pass, the usage of travers
“The toughest factor about half-pass is positioning the pony accurately — the quarters are ceaselessly main or there isn’t sufficient bend,” issues out Michael. “Through using travers down the out of doors of the diagonal pole line you might be already more-or-less doing half-pass. The wonderful thing about it’s that each and every time you trip it you’re getting the similar half-pass and it begins to really feel acquainted. The poles assist stay the pony in place and rhythm and you’ll trip undoubtedly ahead as you understand the place your line is.”
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