Q: What are the different types of stirrups? A: There are MANY types of stirrup iron on the market, but to answer your question we’ll group these into the main types available as a starting point for making your decision: Types of stirrup irons Fillis stirrup irons Fillis stirrup irons are a tradition choice for many…
Haunches in, or, more formally, travers, is when the horse is asked to move his hindquarters to the inside line on which he is travelling, while keeping his shoulders on an outside line. Throughout the movement, he needs to maintain an inside bend through his poll, neck and body. Haunches in is an excellent exercise to…
We have featured both The Spiral and The Stairs so now, we are going to combine the two... So, how do you execute the spiral with a leg yield out? You will spiral in like usual until you are on your new, smaller circle. Now that you are on your smaller circle, you will prepare your…
Yesterday, we looked at the walk-to-canter transition, and today, we add to that by combining it into a simple change. A simple change is a change of canter lead with a few steps of walk between periods of canter. The simple change is the beginning of teaching your horse to do a correct flying change; this…
The walk to canter is more challenging to teach your horse than the trot to canter, but once learnt, it is easier for your horse to execute. This is due to the sequence in which your horse's legs move. The walk is a four-beat gait where all legs move individually. In the trot, the legs…
'The Countdown' is excellent for improving your horse's reaction to your aids, ensuring they are in front of your leg, and getting them to engage with their hind end before you start to attempt more complex exercises. How to ride the countdown Like many of the exercises we have spoken about, the countdown is centred around…
In essence, this exercise asks that you 'push' forward on the long side of the arena and 'collect' on the short side of the arena i.e. on the long side of the arena, you extend the gait and on the short side, you collect it. This exercise is excellent for developing strength, balance, and reactivity to…
You can complete this exercise in either walk, trot, or canter. But like with most of these exercises, starting at the walk or trot is best. One would usually begin with a 20m circle and spiral into a 10m circle, but you can adjust this as needed. If spiralling to a 10m circle is too…
Text: Amelia Campbell-Horne Photography: Merlynn Trichardt Photography This year has been exciting for Equitation in South Africa, with the sport growing nationally and some exceptional riders rising to the top across South Africa. One such rider who has had a flawless year in the Open classes is young Katie Franck, who for possibly the first time in…
On the 27th of July 2021, Simone Biles sent shockwaves through the sporting world, announcing that she would not be competing in the artistic gymnastics women’s team final. Battling with her mental health, Simone cited the sheer pressure put on her as one of the reasons she withdrew from the competition. Almost instantaneously, and before…
