Advanced Western Riding by Kara L Stewart

Author:Kara L Stewart
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Lumina Media
Published: 2010-03-18T04:00:00+00:00

The side-pass can be taught by first linking hindquarter and forehand turns. This is a full step of a side-pass.

Counter canter doesn’t simply refer to being on the “wrong” lead, however. In a good counter canter, your horse is slightly bent in the direction of the leading leg. So, if you’re circling to the right on the counter canter left lead, he will still need to bend slightly to the left. If he’s bent to the right, he is on the wrong lead for the circle, which won’t help him develop physically the way a proper counter canter will. This is advanced work, however, so don’t expect your horse to be able to stay on the counter canter lead and bend slightly toward the leading leg when you first start asking for the counter canter.

There are several ways to ask for the counter canter, and you can increase the difficulty as your horse becomes more balanced and experienced. This movement also asks your horse to listen to your cues rather than picking up the lead dictated by the direction he’s traveling in an arena. When you’re first starting out, you’ll need to help your horse understand that he’s not wrong when he picks up the “wrong” lead you ask for. It’s also best not to do small circles of counter canter early on. Initially, it is a difficult maneuver, and he may want to switch to the “correct” lead to maintain his balance on the circle.

Perhaps the easiest way to start a counter canter is to jog the short side of the arena, round the corner, and then ask for the counter canter for a few strides on the long side of the arena, praising your horse as he does so. Then, before you reach the next corner, return to the jog. Do this a few times so your horse understands he should take the lead you ask for.

Next, try maintaining the same counter-canter lead on a very shallow serpentine, down the long side of the arena. Before you head into the corner on the short side, pick up the correct lead. Then, keep this lead as you make another shallow serpentine down the long side. As you get to the next corner, stay in the lead and continue on.

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