Improving the canter with the Diamond pattern. Watch what happens! Part ...

"What if... you could finally feel that you were connected with your horse's canter?  Try the Diamond pattern.  It will not be easy when you first start it,and than....  you will realize you have control over what the front end and back end of the horse is doing in ways that may have seemed impossible before.  You can do this!"

In this session we move into the canter.  This is the most challenging gait for most riders as they may not have realized what they can do to balance their horses better, both mentally and physically"

At first, Trudy finds that riding the Diamond at the canter is very challenging.  But... she continues to work on the process as she has felt what happens in the walk and trot as she focuses on what Ani is doing with her body.  This is part #1 of the canter work.  We have never really asked Ani to stay connected at the canter before this as she was still in "training level" mode.  Now, you can see what happens as Trudy starts to ask Ani to position her body in different ways so that Trudy can slow down the canter and make it more connected.  As you will see, this exercise is not so easy, but is a break through session for both Trudy and Ani.  :)

What did you see happening?  Were you able to see that Trudy and Ani connected at another level?

The Diamond pattern at the Trot. Do you have control of your horses shou...

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"Can you ride the Diamond pattern at the Trot?  Your Riding Challenge for the week"

In this session Trudy is riding the Diamond pattern at the trot for the first time. The Diamond pattern is a wonderful awareness technique that shows a rider how they need to use their riding position to ask the horse to  move  it's shoulders and hind quarters where they would like them to be.Now you can watch how this team works through the pattern and see the changes that came as a result.   Check out the changes in how Ani is moving at the 4.30 time mark. 

What did you see happening? Have you tried the Diamond pattern at the trot yet? Tell us what you are experiencing.

Going back to the baiscs. The Diamond pattern at the walk.

"Would you like to see another rider practice the Diamond pattern at the walk for the first time? It is not as easy as it looks, but makes a huge difference in how the rider is using their aids to connect with their horse"

In this session I introduce the Diamond pattern to Trudy and Ani. Even though it sounds so simple, the Diamond exercise challenges riders as it is very clear to them when the horse is not moving its haunches or shoulders over. Now you can watch the process work at the walk.

Have you tried the Diamond pattern yet? What did you experience?

Going back to the basics. Counter canter. Susan and Beau.

"How is your counter canter doing? Are you able to keep your horse in balance as you ride it?"

This is Susan and Beau. In this session we are focusing on the right balance for Beau at the counter canter. First, we had to get him comfortable just doing it. Now, it is time to balance Beau and get him more relaxed.

How do you know if your counter canter is right? What did you learn about the counter canter after watching this video?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwQ2amdjFhY

Going back to the basics. Trot. More engagement with the Diamond Pattern.

What if...  you could finally understand what it feels like to have your horse engage its back and connect with you at the trot?  There is!  Try riding the Diamond pattern"

In this session we focus more on how Susan is asking Beau to use his haunches with the Diamond pattern. In the past, Beau has had the tendency to slow down his steps when ever he was asked to bring his shoulder or haunches in.  Now we are asking him to stay more connected and you can see how that changes what he is doing.

What happens to your horse in the lateral work?  Does it slow down it's step and lose it's balance?  Are you ready to try the Diamond pattern yet to improve what is happening?

http://youtu.be/tRUjmWR5kRo 

Going back to the basics. Canter. More engagement and connection with t...

"Improving the canter with the Diamond pattern. Would you like to know what you can do to get your horse more comfortable to ride and easier to influence with the canter?  Try this pattern and see what it can do for you and your horse."

The canter can be the most difficult gait of all to be able to balance and canter a horse at. Here you will see how we use the Diamond pattern so that Susan can teach Beau how to use his haunches and shoulders better. When Susan rides him into one of the corners, she asks Beau to bring his haunches over first, than his shoulder. As a result you will see Beau stays more balanced and connected.

Have you tried the Diamond pattern with your horse yet? What kind of results are you getting?

Going back to the basics. Getting more engagement. Warmup Trot. Diamond

"What do you do when you are warming your horse up?  We love using patterns, even in the warm ups as they connect the horses so much faster.   In this session you will see how we are using the Diamond pattern to warm up Beau at the trot"

In this session Susan warms Beau up with the Diamond pattern. Now that Beau is competing in 2nd level it is important that he learns to shift his weight back and the Diamond pattern is perfect for that and for connecting him sooner. We start this warm up with a nice easy trot. It is enough for Beau to bring his haunches over first, followed by his shoulders. At first he is not thrilled about this, but by the time we finish the warm up trot he is allowing Susan to move both his front and back ends.

Can you see how using the Diamond pattern for the warm up can connect a horse faster? Have you tried it yet?