Green Horse: Developing Quality in Movement

 I may be able to get the horse to canter before he is prepared properly, but the canter will not be of good quality. The departure won’t be smooth, he may scare himself because he is off balance, and I won’t be able to steer or stop him, all because I overlooked the development of the confidence and skills he needed to canter. The horse will also develop tension and anxiety while being ridden because he was not prepared for what happened.

With the horse on the longe line, I evaluate the quality of movement in preparation for an increase in movement. In the early lessons I taught the horse to longe in a basic way. The introduction of side-reins and the concept of contact and straightness make the longing more difficult. I encourage mechanical correctness as much as possible, and evaluate the comfort in the movement more than the quality. If the transition from walk to trot is comfortable, and he is comfortable maintaining the trot, then I will ask for canter.

If things fall apart and he starts to race or bulge out or drop in excessively on the circle, then the canter needs some work. I think to myself, “Would that canter feel comfortable to ride?”

If my answer is no, I will not ask him when we are riding to do something he cannot do when on the longe line.       

Each ride should build on the last, and lead to the next. I may work on the trot on the longe line for a couple of weeks before I ask for it under saddle. I should be able to give a specific aid and get a consistent response. Then, when under saddle, I know what to expect from the horse and am more likely to get a comfortable departure with a calm, relaxed trot. It is much more important to have that consistence when going to canter