Reach for the stars

The movements watched in awe by spectators at the Olympic Games last year are what dreams are made of – but there’s no reason why those dreams can’t become a reality. There are plenty of ways you can level up your schooling by incorporating the principles represented at Grand Prix and practising exercises that will help lay the foundations needed to achieve moves such as piaffe and passage later on.

On a practical level, there are three things you and your horse need to learn in canter if you want to reach Grand Prix – half-pass, flying changes and pirouettes. The exercises you’ll ride to learn these will form the foundations you’ll rely on as you build up to achieving more, so start perfecting them today.

Exercise 1: Sideways motion

Half-pass is the first lateral movement I teach in canter. This movement is required at Medium level and above and it’s important to get it right because, as you progress, it will form the basis for many of the movements seen at top level. Half-pass is also excellent for improving balance, suppleness and engagement generally. But before you attempt it, your horse needs to already have a good basis from which to work.

How to ride it

1. Start by picking up an active canter large around the arena.
2. As you ride around the short side, ask your horse for shoulder-in.
3. Then, as you turn the corner, slowly ride towards the centre line, keeping your horse’s body parallel to the long side while maintaining bend. To do this, look and shift your weight towards the direction of movement. Meanwhile, press against the girth with your outside leg to create the sideways motion and use your inside leg to maintain the forward motion. Your inside hand should remain soft throughout while keeping the bend. The easier a horse is in the shaping aid the more sideways you can go.

Did you know?

If your horse starts to find half-pass physically difficult due to weakness, he’ll try to hide by dropping behind the contact. If this happens, ride forward again and try once more with less angle.

 Read more of Gareth’s canter exercises to improve your horse’s performance in April Horse&Rider – pick up your copy today!