Aims for Horsemanship Clinic

IAN'S AIMS FOR A HORSEMANSHIP CLINIC In a horsemanship clinic Ian concentrates on building a foundation for your horse or advancing on from the foundation you have on your horse.In talking about foundation training, we are simply trying to provide a basis from which to firstly consolidate and then advance a horse’s education. My goals are to have my horse understand how to; 1. Flex his head and neck left and right in response to rein and leg cues 2. Flex his neck vertically..., breaking at the poll, throat, withers and lower jaw 3. To travel at a walk, trot and lope in both directions, body arced in the direction of travel 4. Walk, trot and lope both directions with body in reverse arc 5. To speed up and slow down in response to body and rein cues 6. To stop straight 7. To back up 8. To turn both left and right and 9. To side pass both directions.

There are three other areas that I try to be diligent about: (1) Give to pressure – I pull he should give, I press he should go (2) I try to always travel on the correct lead – I see no benefit in being careless about this and (3) To be aware at all times about form to function – i.e. to be conscious of the body shape a horse needs to be in to perform the gait or manouver he is attempting at an acceptable level.