The Complete Training of Horse and Rider by Alois Podhajsky

Author:Alois Podhajsky [Podhajsky, Alois]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-0-307-83054-8
Publisher: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
Published: 2013-04-10T04:00:00+00:00

Turn on the haunches

If the turn on the haunches is asked from the halt the horse must make the movement in the action of the walk and again come to a halt on the completion of the movement. From the walk, his position will be changed when he arrives on the other rein and the forward movement will be in the same pace and rhythm on a straight line.

In some dressage tests there is an exercise called the turn on the haunches at the trot or canter. In this case the horse is taken into a walk before the turn is made and as soon as the turn is completed, strikes off immediately into the trot or canter. This is an excellent exercise during the early preparation for the pirouette, and as a remedy if the horse is inclined to anticipate the movement.

If, by means of the above mentioned exercises, the horse has made sufficient progress in his ability and in the development of his joints and muscles, he is ready to be taught the rein-back. This can be the case only if the three joints of his hind legs have become sufficiently supple and if the action of the reins goes well through his body.

When reining back the horse must not oppose the action of the reins or move back with reluctance, dragging his feet along the ground. The diagonal legs must be seen to be lifted from the ground as a pair and moved back in a straight line, step by step, without faltering in the movement and without the hindquarters deviating to either side.

The rein-back will usually begin from the halt. After the rein-back the horse can be brought to a halt or be made to move off in any of the three paces. As a correct rein-back demands a strong bending of all three joints of the hind legs, the movement should not be practised for too long at a time. When teaching this exercise the rider must be content at first if the horse, on the action of the reins, steps back one or two paces.

Before reining back, the horse should stand correctly on all four legs; the rider then demands the walk with both legs on the girth, the reins being only slightly given. At the moment the horse is about to move, he will be made to step back by the increased action of the reins. The action of the rider’s legs should be decreased at this moment, but not discontinued because this action must not only maintain the collection but also be increased if the horse shows signs of creeping back instead of stepping back. The rein-back will be the proof of the degree of the suppleness of the horse, of the action of the rein going through the body, and above all, of his obedience. It may also be used as a punishment for naughtiness or inattention. Above all, it will be proof of the correct bending of the joints of

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.