Serpentine Indirect to Direct
July 10, 2014
Written by: Keith Hosman
Written by: Keith Hosman
Here's what to do if your horse begins cutting corners, dipping its shoulders through turns - or anytime you're simply looking to advance or change things up. It also improves the rider's timing and "rein-handling" skills.
Prerequisite: The ability to independently move your horse's shoulders left or right using both direct and indirect reins. The following exercise will teach your horse to stay "upright" through his travels and help put an end to leaning. In the previously-described version of the serpentine exercise, you simply turned the horse using a direct rein (that is, to turn left, you placed pressure on the left rein), traveled forward a beat or two, then direct-reined the opposite direction. Now try the following: At a trot, use an indirect rein to bring your horse's shoulders over a step, pause a beat, then change your thoughts (and the angle/pressure on the same rein) to use that same rein as a "direct rein" to turn the horse in the opposite direction - that is, a single rein asks for left then right or vice-versa. Example: Move off and pick up the left rein and ask the shoulders to step directly to the right. Lessen the pressure on the rein when you believe the horse is about to step to the right to signal "correct" - but one beat later use that same rein to ask the horse to step to the left.
Tip: Don't over-think the direction at which you should hold the rein at any point. The horse doesn't really care from which direction the pressure comes from - the horse only wants you out of his mouth. What your horse will react to are the small changes you unconsciously make in your body when you move your focus. "When you think different, you carry yourself differently." Changing your focal point from "turn left" to "turn right" will cause you to reflexively change the tilt of your pelvis, the weight carried in one stirrup or the other, the pressure and direction you place on the reins, etc. Don't think "I hold the rein THIS WAY to cause the shoulders to move" think "I hold the rein UNTIL the shoulders move."
Common pitfall: With this exercise you will necessarily "wander all over the place." Do not try to direct your horse beyond what is prescribed. If you find yourself drifting toward the gate, then so be it; practice at the gate. If you find yourself carried near a buddy horse, fine, practice near that buddy horse. The horse will soon learn that this is the last place he wants to be. Stay proactive and objective by concentrating intensely on the "dance pattern" as outlined and you win. Lose your focus and muck about - and your horse wins. Also, the pause in between movements is critical. It rewards the horse and clearly defines the beginning and end of your requests. Should you find your horse becoming confused, ask yourself if you're not skipping that brief and necessary pause. The following exercise will teach your horse to stay "upright" through his travels and help put an end to leaning. Tip: Teach almost anything to your horse with the "Clock Work Exercise." That's a chapter in the basic training book "What I'd Teach Your Horse" - and you can hear the whole section right now for FREE on audio when you click here.
Here's what to do if your horse begins cutting corners, dipping its shoulders through turns - or anytime you're simply looking to advance or change things up. It also improves the rider's timing and "rein-handling" skills.
Prerequisite: The ability to independently move your horse's shoulders left or right using both direct and indirect reins. In the previously-described version of the serpentine exercise, you simply turned the horse using a direct rein (that is, to turn left, you placed pressure on the left rein), traveled forward a beat or two, then direct-reined the opposite direction. Now try the following: At a trot, use an indirect rein to bring your horse's shoulders over a step, pause a beat, then change your thoughts (and the angle/pressure on the same rein) to use that same rein as a "direct rein" to turn the horse in the opposite direction - that is, a single rein asks for left then right or vice-versa. Example: Move off and pick up the left rein and ask the shoulders to step directly to the right. Lessen the pressure on the rein when you believe the horse is about to step to the right to signal "correct" - but one beat later use that same rein to ask the horse to step to the left. Tip: Don't over-think the direction at which you should hold the rein at any point. The horse doesn't really care from which direction the pressure comes from - the horse only wants you out of his mouth. What your horse will react to are the small changes you unconsciously make in your body when you move your focus. "When you think different, you carry yourself differently." Changing your focal point from "turn left" to "turn right" will cause you to reflexively change the tilt of your pelvis, the weight carried in one stirrup or the other, the pressure and direction you place on the reins, etc. Don't think "I hold the rein THIS WAY to cause the shoulders to move" think "I hold the rein UNTIL the shoulders move." Get your horse to stop now, not later. If it takes 2 seconds to go from a walk to a stop - multiply that by 8 when he's excited. Click here to read the "Hip-Shoulder-Shoulder" 3-part series of article - and get that stop the easy way!
Common pitfall: With this exercise you will necessarily "wander all over the place." Do not try to direct your horse beyond what is prescribed. If you find yourself drifting toward the gate, then so be it; practice at the gate. If you find yourself carried near a buddy horse, fine, practice near that buddy horse. The horse will soon learn that this is the last place he wants to be. Stay proactive and objective by concentrating intensely on the "dance pattern" as outlined and you win. Lose your focus and muck about - and your horse wins. Also, the pause in between movements is critical. It rewards the horse and clearly defines the beginning and end of your requests. Should you find your horse becoming confused, ask yourself if you're not skipping that brief and necessary pause. Wanna teach your horse to drop its head and stay relaxed? When you're finished with this article, click here to read about the "Classic Serpentine."
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