Steps towards lateral work – Part one

Developing your horse’s ability to move laterally will help maintain and improve his/her flexibility, self-carriage and way of going.  This in turn creates less concussion to the joints.  Every horse can move sideways.  It is a matter of patient progressive teaching in increments that he/she understands and is physically able to perform. 

A good guide to whether your horse is ready for a certain movement is the relaxation and regularity of the rhythm within the movement and the quality of the pace on completion.  Early lateral work can be done under-impulsionised (think where impulsion comes in the training scales) to ensure getting the correct angle and consistent rhythm.  Don’t rush through your lateral work have fun, develop your feel and enjoy it.      

1. THE FOUNDATION

There is a logical progression when warming-up for any training session flat or jumping.  The training scales apply to working with a young horse, re-training a horse, re-habilitating a horse after an injury or time off or maintaining the older horse.

The training scales
Relaxation – Mental and physical relaxation
Rhythm – Speed and regularity of the rhythm.
Contact – Take a contact and then he takes a contact from you Impulsion – Move with power while maintaining self-carriage.       Straightness – Even bend throughout the body
Collection – Increased angle at the hocks, lower hind quarters

Progressive Transitions                                                                          Transitions are initially progressive allowing the horse to step forward into the new pace while staying connected through his hind legs and body.  Upward are easier than downward transitions.  In the downward transitions allow the horse to keep stepping forwards.  Notice the way he steps with the hind leg as he makes the transition and the quality of the first step of the new pace.  By repeating numerous good progressive transitions the horse will gradually lower his hindquarters and shift his center of balance back as he becomes more flexible.
Fault:  If the transitions are abrupt the horse may be obedient but will not improve his self-carriage. 

Transitions within the pace                                                                               Developing transitions within the pace follow the same quality checks as progressive transitions.  Once you have a rhythm and your horse is working forward into a contact with power and straightness ask for some shortening of the stride.  Maintain the rhythm and ask for some longer strides.  Start by using the corner to help maintain the inside hind leg connection.    Start with some lengthened strides and remember the downward transition to the end of the lengthened strides.                                       Fault:  If the horse gets quicker in his rhythm the stride has shortened.

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2. SUPPLYING EXERCISES

The horse needs to become more flexible to the left and right before being about to bring the hind leg more under the body and lift the rib cage and shoulders (collection).  The bend should be even through out the body. It is easier for the horse to create a false bend through the head and neck only as there are only seven vertebrae in the neck.      

Leg Yielding                                                                                                           Can be done at the walk or trot.  Trot may be easier as you can feel the rhythm and the horse has a moment of suspension.  Start with leg yielding towards the wall/fence on the horse’s softer side.  He will naturally want to go towards the wall.  Stay square and keep the horse as straight as possible in order to step out rather than fall out.  The horse steps from the inside leg in to the outside rein.  Leg yielding can also be performed spiralling out on the circle or stepping away from the track. 

Once the horse is able to leg yield at the walk and trot, progress to leg yielding at the walk at 45% angle to the wall with the quarters to the inside.                                      Fault:  Too much sideways and not enough forwards.

Counter Canter                                                                                                 Counter canter is a supplying exercise for the shoulders.  The canter sequence helps loosen the horse’s back.  Start by riding down the inside track and using the whole length of the long side to get out to the track.  Do some transitions to canter left and right on the long sides.  Develop small loops on the long sides. Next ride large half-circles to change the rein.  Hold the bend into and perhaps through the corner.             Fault:  Keeping the canter despite the fact that the horse has lost his balance.  Use a transition before the horse has fallen out of balance.  Use the transition to ask for something else.     

Turn-on-the-forehand                                                                                         The turn-on-the-forehand helps the horse to bring the inside hind more under the body and lift the rib cage and shoulders.  It is done after some good transitions across the center of the arena from an active halt where the horse halts square with a slight flexion in the direction of the turn.  The inside hind should step in front of the outside hind.  Take a step or two and then ride forward out of the exercise.  Feel how with the inside hind under the horse pushes forward with an increased hock flexion.             Fault:  An inactive halt and hand aids creates a poor turn which puts on the horse on the forehand.       

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3. COLLECTING EXERCISES

Once the horse has developed sufficient suppleness and flexibility he/she will be able to develop a degree of collection.  This is when the hind leg steps more under the body and joints are more flexed.  Transitions help develop this connection and push.   

Shoulder-out                                                                                                      After riding the corner, change the aids, bend and diagonal (if rising) before asking the horse to move down the track with a bend to the outside.  The wall/fence helps prevent the horse having too much inside bend and gives the rider a good feel of the hind leg stepping under the body to collect.  Ride a change of aids, bend and diagonal before the corner and make a good corner with increased impulsion.                                     Fault: Not enough connection onto the new outside rein, creating neck bend only and therefore no collection.  

Shoulder-in                                                                                                     Once you feel you really have the horse on the outside rein, make a good corner and continue into shoulder-in.  Four track maintaining the rhythm is of more value than three track with a loss of connection with the inside hind.  If the horse has too much neck bend, straighten onto the track and re-establish the outside contact.  It the horse comes in off the track, ride a circle.
Fault: Too much inside position with the horse creating leg yield.

Traver  (Quarters-in)                                                                                        Take the corner on a more acute angle.  As the forehand reaches the track maintain the inside bend and ask the horse to step down the track with the quarters to the inside.  Develop traver across the diagonal to change the rein.  Hold the bend until ready to ride the change. 
Fault:  Too much bend and a loss of rhythm.

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• Sitting trot will come naturally as the horse’s back becomes more supple.   Fault:  Trying to hard will block your body’s ability to move with the horse and consequently the horse will stiffen his back. 

• Putting movements together progressively is the hardest thing for any rider to learn.  Everything is in the preparation.  Feel what your horse is doing in the moment.  Use one exercise or movement to create the next movement.

• Have fun and enjoy incorporating some lateral work in your program.  If you have questions please do not hesitate to contact me at jane@janearmour.com