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Training Transitions – This Vital Exercise Should be Part of Every Training Session

Extended trot results from many transitions from working trot to a extended and back again.

As a young and serious rider my teacher would often tell me, “You need to work on your transitions more.” I’d do as I was told, but I never really understood why. I didn’t find them easy or fun, and neither did my horse. Now I’m wearing the instructor’s hat, …

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Move those Hips! How to Train the Turn-on-the-Forehand

The turn-on-the-forehand mobilizes the hips, supples the muscles of the horse’s back, hind legs, and haunches, and teaches the horse to yield to the inside leg. Photo by Kim Roe

One of the most basic lateral movements, the turn-on-the-forehand, maneuvers the horse’s hips around his forehand. This exercise teaches the horse to move away from the pressure of the rider’s leg, aids in control, and makes the horse more agile and supple. The mobilization of the hips and the consequential …

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