Shaping the horse with the legs and aids is the key to bringing the horse into correct contact and balance. If a horse was tilted, pushing a shoulder too deep or two downhill he would ask the rider to do a lateral work that was most appropriate to improving it. He would remind riders to do correctly bent shoulder in, to use the outside leg, he encouraged lots of shoulder in on the center line to half pass, he would changed his input based on how the horse was responding. a horse that was too haunches leading in the half pass, the rider would be reminded that if the shoulder is not leading the horse cannot activate its hind. he would have the rider begin the half pass as a diagonal, and then begin to become more parallel to finish the half pass. If the horse tended to get to strong he would recommend changing bend through the body using the legs for a stride or two before returning to half pass.
He gave riders the most important seat changed they needed to accomplish their goal, keep the inside leg on, or put your weight to the inside of the horse, or turn your toes inside and keep the heel long in lateral work. One main point the rider could change to improve the horse, and then one main piece of advice to improve the achievement of the exercise.
Each exercise was to encourage straightness, connection, balance, and gait. He addressed takt, for horses that were too slow or too rushing, he paused in canter work to do walk pirouettes to encourage engagement, he had riders, do many transitions if the horse was too downhill and rushy, and he had riders do more medium work inbetween lateral work if the horse lost its takt in the laterals.
i rode with him three times, the first ride was very valuable, but the second ride was horrible, Kimba had lots of resistance, and was not appreciating the transitions, however we finished well, by the third ride, Kimba and I were both more with the program, and I was able to feel major improvement and bring home lots of positive directives.
The thing that was most apparent from my photos is that i put my mouth into all kinds of awful positions when i am riding. sigh. I had very few photos, my friends were not very helpful in that regard, here is one where i quite like Kimba but i look like an oompah loompah.
Thanks for sharing.
