Nearly every training road block you run into with your horse is really just a gap in communication.
In order to get past the road block, we need to fill in the gap!
Communication, when it comes to horses, can be broken down into four basic categories:
Whoa
Go
Move Left
Move Right
It's your job to figure out where your horse's gap is.
For example:
Asking for medium canter down the long side but you keep getting comments from the judges that the transition back to collected canter isn't clear enough?
You have a gap in your horse's understanding of "Whoa".
To fix, we need to help the horse understand the downward transition better. Yes, a downward transition within the canter!
Go back to one step easier. Review your canter-walk transitions... or canter-trot. Are those smooth and balanced? How are you using your aids for that downward transition? What can you transfer to your medium-collected transition?
Another example:
When leading your horse, he crowds you and you can't get him to step away from you and out of your space.
You have a gap in your horse's understanding of "Move right."
To fix, let's head to the round pen! Let's review basic ground work exercises, including yielding the hind quarters. This exercise is here on the blog (with videos!). Click HERE!
Diagnosing the communication gap is the first step to filling in the hole!
What road blocks are you and your horse running into right now?
How can you simplify it and "find the gap?"
Tell me in the comments!
Want more hands on help?
Let's work together!
In person or online!
Shoot me a message so I can tell you more!
Happy riding!
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