A time honored tradition; Separation of the Aids; legs without hands and hands without legs.

Objective: to apply the aids with intention in such a way that brings the horse and rider into balance in motion. 

Plan: to separate the use of the aids in such a way that gives the horse the illusion of freedom under the guidance of a well balanced rider. Establishing forward. 

How to begin; groundwork is always first to maintain our awareness and the horse’s calm

I begin this exercise on the ground with a snaffle bit. First I take a position in front of the horse and gently rest my thumb on the snaffle bit. I will gently pull the snaffle up and off of the bars of the horse (careful not to lift it too high, just forward) and cluck so that he associates the lightening of the bit with stepping forward and under. When I let go of the bit and allow it to rest on the bars again I use the aid for halt (with my horses they all halt when I breath out. If you are doing these exercises I am assuming you have a lot of basic concepts and abilities already). I will do this a couple of times and it is especially important with horses who have had a negative history with the bit (having a reputation for being heavy, use of draw reins, gaping the mouth from memories of pain). I will also do some gentle movements with the bit while standing to induce chewing. See my article on jaw flexions for this part.

Under saddle; now that you are mounted (I assume you have a good seat at this point and can ride on the longe a variety of horses at walk trot and canter with no hands and no stirrups and maintain effectiveness over the gaits) we will begin to separate the aids for an up transition and down transition. In order to do this you must have an understanding of the aids and their many uses. See my article on Natural and Artifical Aids. 

The sequence of aids for an upward transition (including the use of the whip if necessary)

1.       Move the hand slightly forward in anticipation of the movement in the head and neck during the transition.

2.       Stretch upward through your ribcage and spinal muscles which in turn lifts your seat slightly

3.       Open your thighs (take the knee off the saddle people!)

4.       Close the lower leg (DO NOT squeeze, see my article on Positive and Negative Tension in the Horse and Rider. I rotate my leg from the knee down laterally just slightly)

5.       Cluck and apply the whip behind the leg if necessary. The horse should readily depart from these aids. Eventually you may never use your leg because he anticipates all of the other subtleties. This is one of the advantages of perfecting the separation of the aids.

The Sequence of aids for a downward transition

1.       Push your heel slightly down and back to lengthen your leg.

2.       Close your thigh (this will NEVER grip or hold on, it breathes with the horse even if the intensity changes)

3.       Stretch upward through your ribcage and spinal muscles, while breathing out, (chin up!) and engage your core root (you yogis know it as Mula Bandha) to slightly resist the motion in the horse (this will give the sensation of slowing the footfalls and swing of the back)

4.       Close your fingers on the reins (also a pressure that is used only for a moment in time (as quick as a footfall!)) See my article on Timing and Application of the Aids.

Eventually the horse will begin to slow his footfalls and bring his hind legs closer to his front before you touch the rein, this is ideal.

Now that you have the background to begin the exercise we begin at the halt. Welcome to French Equitation! 

Separation of the aids at halt

1.       At the halt, with a relaxed rider, apply a soft pressure on one or both reins until you hear the mouth open (chew…not gape…but you will hear the lips smack as the vacuum seal in the mouth is broken and the horse begins chewing). This is an example of a jaw flexion.

2.       Simultaneously (timing is everything!) as the horse begins chewing you must give the reins completely. Now all aids are neutral.

3.       Repeat this at the halt until the horse begins to chew on the bit and you feel a light connection with the mouth. Flexion at the poll will come later. See my article on Teaching Flexions. If the horse begins to take a step forward when you release the reins that is ok for now! Do not discourage forward thinking!

Once the contact is alive and the horse is mentally engaged at the halt you may use the aids for an up transition immediately following the instructions for obtaining a jaw flexion as above. It is important that you follow the sequence of aids exactly and focus on accuracy and timing, not just the response of the horse!

Separation of the aids in motion

1.       Once you and your horse have begun to master to separation of the aids at halt/walk as above (if your horse trots or canters off when you apply the aids for the up transition praise him like a king and go with the flow for a minutes before asking for a down transition) you can begin to change your expectations and move up the gaits/transitions. Do not hesitate at any time, in every ride, to go back to “elementary school” and repeat this exercise at the halt and walk. If the foundation is not there you cannot build the house. The house is collection. Now, before you move on from performing this exercise at the halt or walk and try it in trot; you are looking for the following qualities;

-The horse is beginning to anticipate your aids and is responding lightly to the sequence of aids in upward or downward transitions. He may even begin to show signs of ramener.

-The foundation qualities of the training tree are fulfilled: rhythm, relaxation, freedom of gait, contact (chewing on the bit).

2. Once the halt to walk, walk to halt, Walk to trot transitions have been established I work on halt to trot and transitions within the trot. Now you apply the theory of “Legs without hands, hands without legs” to the trot. This is where you begin to develop to lengthening and collecting work in the horse. Next article will be on; beginning lengthening’s and collected work.

3. Once the transitions within trot are developed and you have a crisp relaxed halt to trot I begin to teach reinback to trot (which is preparation for Piaffe!). Often by the time I have reached this point this horse is offering light and balanced transitions into canter, and at that point you may begin balanced work in the canter; the most difficult of all the gaits to influence due to speed and asymmetry. When your horse offers you forward don’t choke him out! Go with the flow, praise him like a king, and then ask for a down transition.