“Have a plan of what you want to work on before every ride. Think about what you want to do, and if your horse was good, don’t continue with the next exercise or movement. Keep the horse fresh and motivated to go.”
Helen Langehanenberg working with Sara McDonald and Rocaille
Training the pirouette
“Start with haunches-in. Ask for less collection, make it less difficult, explain to her how to use her body. The inside hind leg is jumping a little sidewards now, but later on, for the pirouette, it can jump easily under the centre of gravity. We don’t want the horse to lean to one side as they jump sideways. We want our horses to be round and around our inside leg, in an active collected, or even a working canter.Don’t try to make the first attempt perfect, it’s about explaining the movement to the horse. Stay soft and give the inside rein, but remain in the flexion and bend and give the aid until the horse is ready to do the movement and has understood what the rider wants. It might not be perfect, but you have to feel that the horse tries.”
Helen and the recently retired Damsey demonstrate what the rider is aiming for
“What I like as well, is keeping the contact and working the horse like a young horse in between, let her stretch forward, keep it easy for her, so she has an active break from canter.” Helen and Silberaster demonstrate…