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As quick as possible (and it's quick with the
clicker)
I make a connection between the horse's balance/posture
and my solar plexus/center/ribcage
Even at the halt, I am always thinking "up".
Meaning, I want the forehand up.
So my body is always asking the forehand to come up and
the horse to carry himself.
This is where you need a very good sense
of your own position, alignment, whatever you want to call
it,
that you never ever give away, no matter what the horse is
doing.
If your upper body is correct,
everything below your hip will feel weightless and relaxed,
and you can practise this in your normal everyday life.
Your upper body is what draws the
hindquarters under the horse,
and consequently gives you forward.
That way your leg is a support or an organizing factor for
the horse,
and you don't need it to ask for "go",
only for "more" or "now".
(I.e., you don't need to ask the horse to go,
because he's already at the point of mobilization –
you only need to say "when".
And this is when the horse is ahead of your
leg.
I suspect you are finding a bit of this
in your canter departs, but aren't conscious of it yet).
One thing you will notice about the riders
you admire, is that their
upper body is impeccable, and consequently, so is their
seat.
You hear people say "put your shoulders where
you want the horse's shoulders,
and your hips where you want the horse's hips".
But you also suggest to the horse that his forehand be
where your "forehand" is - and that is "up".
So one of the very first things I teach a
horse
is that a change in my forehand (solar plexus/rib cage up)
means that a change in his forehand
(from pushing the forehand forward to *carrying* the
forehand forward –
and suddenly the horse's steps will become very deliberate
and expressive,
that is, you've got control of the feet) is a clickable
moment.
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