Following on from the last "The Walk" blog where we talked about how to ride it effectively and in sync with your horse. If you haven't read that one yet, you can find it here!
This week, we are back on the topic of the walk and how beneficial it is and how it can be made fun for those that don't like to spend much time in walk!
The School Walk
The school walk is a lovely precise "slow" walk. Almost like a cat walk. It tests your horses balance and encourages them to lift the shoulders. It is a fantastic exercise for all horses but especially horses that get heavy in the hand or lean. It sets them to learn to self carry which makes it all the more enjoyable for both parties! You want to ask your horse through your seat rather than your reins. Closing the seat (by squeezing your bum!) will encourage the horse to slow and take more delicate steps. At the start you may need some half halts through the rein to encourage a slower pace, but be careful not to hang on to them, or pull on their mouth, just a gentle squeeze of the fingers! This may not seem like any fun but now you can change up your walk work by incorporating some School walk, along the short sides, across the middle, when you change the rein, wherever, to keep your horse on the aids and off the forehand!
Lateral Work
As I've briefly touch on before, people often ignore lateral work as it doesn't come in to competition until Elementary level. But there is many more benefits to lateral work than just doing it for a test! We teach all of ours the lateral work firstly in walk and often from the ground first. As part of their education during backing they are introduced to lateral work in-hand and often learn the principles of leg yield and shoulder in before they are backed. All lateral work increases balance, flexibility and suppleness. It's also a great tool for warming up. Start dabbling in some lateral work to spice up your walk work and warm up. Don't rush it, take it slowly to get the most benefit for your horse!
Poles
Everyone is obsessed with pole work at the moment, and that's not a bad thing but they are often ridden in trot and canter! Pole work can be just as fun at walk, and is just (if not more) beneficial ! Make a pole corridor that you have to carefully navigate! You can put your lateral work skills to the test with this too, turn on the haunches for tighter turns etc! Leg yield over poles at walk or use them to guide you in the lateral work from one side to the other, let them set the steepness. Cavalettis in walk are also massively beneficial, each leg has to work individually and really lift. Of course you can do all this on the ground as well as under-saddle, so great for youngsters too!
Refine Your Seat
The walk is generally a "safe" pace, so its great for refining your aids. Specifically your seat! Will your horse stop through closing your seat and no rein pressure, can you turn your horse left or right using only your seat and no reins? See how much your horse listens to and understands your aids by seeing how little you can do. If you're wondering how to do this, then look out for our next blog about refining your aids !
The walk has so many benefits for us and our horses, so find a way to enjoy it and use it as much as you can!