In this week’s video, I’m teaching my student Sylvia on Mercurio, and together they are working on shoulder-in and haunches-in. It is only her third time riding him, and she does such a great job handling her new mount! This lesson is a great example of how to ride lateral work on a new or hot horse.
Shoulder-in and haunches-in are great exercises for getting your horse supple and helping to engage your horse’s top line and hind end. In this video, we work up to the pattern from the new 2023 USDF Second Level Test 2.
With a new or hot horse (and any horse, really), it is always important to stay calm, relaxed, and to just breathe through the ride. Really focus on a steady tempo and a steady contact. You will hear me reminding Sylvia of these things throughout the video and she does a great job handling any miscommunications that come up, staying clam, quiet, and consistent.
At the end of her trot work, it is great to see how the suppling exercises (shoulder and haunches-in) really helped Mercurio relax and give Sylvia a nice, expressive medium trot. It can be difficult to get a hot horse like Mercurio on the hind end and relaxed and supple enough to get a nice, expressive trot.
After the medium trot, Sylvia lets Mercurio do some stretchy trot circles. This is important to do at the end of your ride, especially with a hot horse, to test their connection and relaxation. When riding these stretchy circles, really focus on maintaining a steady tempo and contact. Try some changes of direction, and see how far you can lengthen your horse’s frame while maintaining contact and connection.
I hope these exercises help you with your horse! Not only are they beneficial to a hot or sensitive horse, but any horse will benefit from them. It is always important to focus on rhythm, suppleness, and connection will every horse you ride! These elements are the base of the training scale!
Happy Riding!
Amelia
P.S. If you’re working on Second Level, check out my Second Level Course! It has everything you need to get ready for Second Level!
