lateral work: why, how to, and where for
Posted: Tue Jun 11, 2019 6:11 pm
demi had suggested a lateral work thread and I am happy to start one! Lateral work has been a cornerstone of the work I do with my horses for years now. I had of course done lateral work with all of my horses US before I met Mark. Then once I started working with Mark I learned so much more about the details of the work and how to do in hand which IMO is invaluable in my training.
I teach all of my horses on the ground SF, SI, counter SI, renvere, HI, HP, yielding (but with bend) TOH moving TOF at the W and T and some day C. Of course we do other work in hand and US as well. SW, piaffe, RB especially. Cedar does FCs in hand
My two favorite exercises is counter SI and renvere. I find these the most helpful of all the lateral work. They mobilize the shoulders and really encourage the use of the thoracic sling. I use both of these in hand and US most often on bending lines, though renvere also on straight lines. Cedar had me moving both in hand and US from counter SI to renvere to SI to HI so change which you are changing bend and changing which you are mobilizing: shoulders or haunches.
What are your go to lateral exercises? Why and how do you do them?
I teach all of my horses on the ground SF, SI, counter SI, renvere, HI, HP, yielding (but with bend) TOH moving TOF at the W and T and some day C. Of course we do other work in hand and US as well. SW, piaffe, RB especially. Cedar does FCs in hand
My two favorite exercises is counter SI and renvere. I find these the most helpful of all the lateral work. They mobilize the shoulders and really encourage the use of the thoracic sling. I use both of these in hand and US most often on bending lines, though renvere also on straight lines. Cedar had me moving both in hand and US from counter SI to renvere to SI to HI so change which you are changing bend and changing which you are mobilizing: shoulders or haunches.
What are your go to lateral exercises? Why and how do you do them?