The priority of this exercise, is the fineness of the aids. The goal is to obtain results with a minimum of hand aid and a horse who comprehends the request correctly.
To get there, it implies that riders are able to stay centred in their position and to use their legs independently from one another. This exercise is about releasing the right side of the rider then the left side and so on…. It will be easy to realise that any stiffness, especially in the shoulders and arms, will jeopardize the success of the exercise. Therefore, being able to use the aids independently is as decisive as being able to use the legs without deteriorating the position.
The exercise is to be done at the 3 gaits knowing that it is critical to get the horse to understand the exercise and to create good reflexes at the slower gaits. This exercise can be practised at a canter which can also be challenging. It’s important to take the time to do it properly and not hesitate to divide this training over several sessions.
This exercise is linked to the sheet A6 of the Training program 1
