YOUR HORSE'S TRAINING IN ASSOCIATION WITH SCHOOLING SOLUTIONS | COMPETITION PREP
SCHOOLING solutions
WHAT YOU'LL LEARN:
- Howto find straightness through suppleness
- Howa good contact makes collection easier
- Thebest way to fine-tune your aids to differentiate between halt and rein back
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ELISHA HAWORTH AND her 15.2hh Wrangler prove to be an eye-catching duo as they warm up on the flat for their lesson with dressage coach and judge Kim Ratcliffe. While the duo has previously competed up to advanced medium level between the boards, today Kim wants to take them back to basics and really focus on their foundations. Elisha and Wrangler have qualified for the Silver Petplan Winter Championships at elementary and medium level, so the plan over the coming months is to prepare them for this.
As Elisha warms up, Kim runs through what she likes to see during a warm up.
“We want to get the horse to stretch at the start and move with a swing through his back,” she says. “There are two key things to focus on: straightness and suppleness.”
Warming up correctly is the key to a successful session, particularly for an older horse like Wrangler.
“We want straightness to come through suppleness, not stiffness,” says
