We might all be feeling incredibly frustrated with no competitions but oh how lucky a lot of us are not being on the frontline like so many people such as doctors and nurses and how lucky we are to live and work in the country. Having said that we must still follow all the government precautions to stay as safe as possible and protect those close to us.
While keeping our equine friends ticking over let’s be constructive, just a quick exercise that I did this morning with Maybach, just an idea if anyone wants a few ideas. Striking off into canter at A and C nice and forward straight into 20m circle, then collect a little into 10m working canter circle, then collect even more onto an even smaller circle, trying to keep the correct amount of bend, enough impulsion always thinking of self carriage. Hopefully if you have found the exercise successful you will be able to ride deeper into the next corner as you then canter across diagonal to repeat on other rein. I have kept it simple not asking too much but you can gradually ask for more jump and impulsion and make more differences within the canter gears.
Remember REPEAT, REPEAT, REPEAT that’s how the exercise will become easier and better.
Pipx
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Allen & Page Horse Feeds SSG Gloves Sergio Grasso #TheWindrushEquestrianFoundationPosted by Pippa Funnell on Friday, March 20, 2020
The world might be a confusing and heartbreaking place at the moment, but there are so many little positives to keep us going – not least the generosity that we keep seeing manifested in so many different ways. We’ve seen an upsurge in instructional videos and tutelage from some of the world’s best riders – a full round-up to come – as more and more people find their options for education limited. One rider to get involved is Pippa Funnell, who shared this simple and adaptable exercise for improving your horse’s canter and increasing his adjustability. She’s riding through it on four-star horse Maybach, but no matter the level that you and your horse are working at, you can modify the difficulty to suit simply by adjusting the size of the figures you ride.
“We might all be feeling incredibly frustrated with no competitions but oh, how lucky a lot of us are not being on the frontline like so many people such as doctors and nurses, and how lucky we are to live and work in the country,” says Pippa. “Having said that, we must still follow all the government precautions to stay as safe as possible and protect those close to us.
“While keeping our equine friends ticking over, let’s be constructive. [This is] just a quick exercise that I did this morning with Maybach,” she continues, explaining: “Striking off into canter at A and C nice and forward straight into 20m circle, then collect a little into 10m working canter circle, then collect even more onto an even smaller circle, trying to keep the correct amount of bend, enough impulsion always thinking of self carriage. Hopefully if you have found the exercise successful you will be able to ride deeper into the next corner as you then canter across diagonal to repeat on other rein. I have kept it simple not asking too much but you can gradually ask for more jump and impulsion and make more differences within the canter gears.
“Remember REPEAT, REPEAT, REPEAT – that’s how the exercise will become easier and better.”
Trying Pippa’s exercise out this weekend? Drop a video in the comments — let’s learn together.
