TOP TIP
Our expert
TOP TIP
TOP TIP
TOP TIP
It’s important to remember throughout your training that patience is a virtue. Spending that initial time building the foundations in walk will pay off as you progress to trot and canter.
It’s important that you take away the aid once your horse is doing what you’re asking, even if he’s only giving you a moment or two. This will help him understand which response you’d like, and he’ll learn by association.
Horses lack a natural sense of proprioception – an awareness of how their body’s moving. This is why it’s important to build things up slowly, until you can position your horse where you’d like him to be.
If your horse does something well, it’s tempting to milk it and keep riding because it feels like he’s ‘got it’. However, try to keep things short and sweet until his muscles have developed enough to hold the position for longer. That way, he’s less likely to struggle physically and gets the break as a reward.