Ever questioned methods to take your test-riding up a notch, to realize these precious further marks? Carl Hester shares some golden nuggets of coaching recommendation that may assist each rider pull in some further factors within the ring…
1. Focus by yourself place
“Sitting in the midst of the horse is essential for steadiness, in the identical manner standing upright is crucial for steadiness whenever you’re on the bottom,” says the Olympic gold medallist. “Your heel, hip and shoulder ought to all be in line. Bear in mind, it ought to be the mixture that appears elegant in dressage, not one or the opposite.”
2. Don’t neglect lateral work from home
Whether or not it’s required in your exams or not, incorporating some lateral work into your education will assist develop suppleness.
“You possibly can spot a horse that’s supple as a result of after they transfer sideways the rhythm doesn’t change,” factors out Carl, who recommends coaching leg yielding at residence in trot and canter. “Canter leg yield doesn’t seem in exams however it may be very helpful for instructing a horse to develop freedom by the shoulder.”
3. Educate your horse to halt sq. each time
“The fundamentals are for everybody — all forms of horse and all forms of rider,” says Carl, emphasising that any horse may be taught to halt sq. to select up precious marks at each degree. He advises enlisting the assistance of somebody on the bottom that can assist you alter your halts, and to journey each one correctly so your horse learns to halt squarely each time.
“All corrections ought to be made by transferring ahead,” he provides. “Shifting the horse backwards to right the halt is inaccurate.”
4. Be taught to journey higher corners
“All the pieces in a take a look at begins from a nook, and individuals who journey good corners are very telling,” says Carl, who recommends the next train at residence that can assist you and your horse be taught to journey into corners correctly. Canter up the lengthy aspect on the left rein and halt up in opposition to the sting of the sector within the nook. Set up the halt, the flip the horse proper, into the nook, earlier than using ahead again down the lengthy aspect.
5. Use your head to turn out to be as correct as potential
“The distinction between a great rider and a mean rider is not only how they sit however how they assume,” says Carl. “Depend the variety of canter strides your horse places in on the brief aspect of the sector, in order that when using a serpentine with modifications on the centre line, you possibly can rely your strides and know precisely when you find yourself crossing the centre line with out wanting,” he suggests.
6. Give-and-retake the reins typically
“In case your horse is in self-carriage you need to have the ability to give and retake the reins with out him shedding steadiness, however how many individuals ever truly do that at residence?” says Carl. “Incorporating it at residence even for 3 strides at a time will aid you see the place you’re together with your coaching. It additionally permits your horse to chill out in his mouth, serving to encourage him to chew the bit and turn out to be softer.”
7. Each transition issues
“You possibly can’t anticipate good transitions in a take a look at should you don’t consider getting them proper each time at residence,” Carl factors out. “Each single transition ought to be ridden correctly, even when it’s proper on the finish of your session or coming all the way down to stroll to present your horse a break.”
8. All the time end any journey on a great word
“Even you probably have a horrible journey within the ring — and everybody has them — take your horse again into the warm-up and simply do 5 minutes on an extended rein, so that you at all times end on a optimistic,” advises Carl.
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