MODULES**** FOR DEVELOPING THE
NATURAL HORSEMASTERSHIP RIDING SKILLS
The work covered in the BASIC WALK, TROT, and CANTER MODULES is necessary for the dressage and jump-work to be undertaken. Dressage and jump training can be done separately or combined.
**** the name of each module is underlined
WALK: BASIC SKILL DEVELOPMENT
GOALS – to develop rider’s understanding of the walk process; to have horse calm, obedient,
active, consistent, and balanced.
Rider position [Sitting] at halt and walk and Use of
Seat: Goal –
to understand the use of the sitting position in walk-work: how body, legs, hands work in unison to influence the horse in
the walk-work
How to Start walk and Halt from walk: Goal – to understand the basic
principles involved in starting a walk and halting from a walk
How to support horse’s movement in the walk: Goal – to understand the basis
principle of whip-use for supporting a horse’s energy in walk
Turns: Goal –to understand how rider influences the horse to turn
Rider position [Forward Leaning/Standing] at halt and
in walk: Goal
– to understanding the second riding position involved in early training walk-work, and the use of legs, hands, and
body balance in this position
For the walk-work, the modules of Rider position [sitting] at halt and walk and Use of Seat,
How to Start walk and Halt from walk, and How to support horse’s movement in the walk need to be purchased. The modules ofTurns and Rider position [forward leaning/standing] at halt and in walk are added as an understanding of the
earlier modules develops.
TROT: BASIC SKILL DEVELOPMENT
GOALS – to develop rider’s understanding of the trot process; to keep the horse calm, obedient,
active, consistent, and balanced.
Rider position [Rising] in trot: Goal – to understand the use of rising trot in
the early training of trot-work, and how legs, hands, and body balance work to influence the horse in trot
How to Start trot from walk and return to walk: Goal – to understand the basic principle
of starting a trot from a walk and how to influence the horse to a walk from trot
How to support horse’s movement in trot: Goal – to understand the basis
principle of whip-use to support a horse’s energy in trot-work
Rider position [Forward Leaning/Standing] in trot: Goal – to understanding the
second riding position involved in the early training of trot-work, and the use of legs, hands, and body balance in this position
Use of seat in Sitting Trot position: Goal – to understand how body,
legs, and hands work in unison to influence horse in sitting trot
Use of half-halts in sitting trot: Goal – to understand how a
rider’s body, legs, and hands work in unison to influence the horse in a half-halt [this is learnt once rider starts
to master sitting trot-work]
To start trot-work, the modules of Rider position [Rising] in trot, How to Start trot
from walk and return to walk, and How to support horse’s movement in trot need to
be purchased first. Then
the modules of Rider position [Forward
Leaning/Standing] in trot, Use of seat in Sitting Trot position, and Use of half-halts in sitting trot are added as the trot-work becomes
established.
CANTER: BASIC SKILL DEVELOPMENT
GOALS – to develop rider’s understanding of the canter process; to have horse calm, obedient,
active, consistent, and balanced in canter.
How to start canter from trot and return to trot: Goal - to understand how to start
canter from Rising trot, and how to return to the Rising trot
Use of seat in canter: Goal – to understand Sitting position in canter,
and how body, legs, and hands work in unison to influence the canter-work
How to support horse’s movement in canter: Goal – to understand the basis
principle of whip-use for supporting a horse’s energy in canter-work
How to start canter from a Standing trot: Goal – to understand how rider
works the horse in the Forward Leaning position in canter-work [an important basic training position for this stage of the
work]
How to start canter from a Sitting trot: Goal – to understand how start
canter from a Sitting trot, and how to return to a Sitting trot
To start canter-work, the modules of How to start canter from trot and return to trot, Use of seat in canter, and How to support horse’s movement
in canter need to be purchased. Then the modules of How to start canter from a Standing trot and How to start canter from
a Sitting trot are added.
TRAINING PATTERNS/MOVEMENTS - pattern work begins once horse is working calmly and obediently on a circle.
Patterns/Movements taught as part of the modules purchased are:
Circles
Turn changes across centre of circle
Arena Patterns/Movements modules that need to be purchased as training progresses are:
20M circle pattern
Across diagonal
Down centre line and Across centre line
15M circle pattern
Serpentine
Half circle/return to track and loops
Figure of eight – walk and trot
10M circle pattern
Canter Figure of Eight
Canter Serpentine
Counter-canter half-circle
Counter-canter figures of eight
Counter-canter Serpentine
MODULES FOR JUMP-WORK
POLE-WORK
Walk poles on CIRCLES and STRAIGHT LINES
Trot poles on CIRCLES and STRAIGHT LINES
Canter poles on STRAIGHT LINES
LOW JUMP-WORK
on CIRCLES
on SERPENTINES
on CIRCLES
on SERPENTINES
on CIRCLES
on SERPENTINES
HIGHER/WIDER JUMP-WORK
CIRCLES
SERPENTINES
CROSS-COUNTRY over jumps
At TROT
At CANTER
Pole and Low jump-work can be combined with modules that cover Basic Walk, Trot, and
Canter work.
If Jump-Work is the main interest, a selection of modules for Basic Walk, Trot, and Canter need to be worked with
in combination with the jump module.
MODULES FOR GROUND TRAINING:
TYING UP: Goal - basic ground manners
for grooming and tacking up.
Tying up safety – knot to use and length of slack; the use of voice; how
remain safe when working around the horse
LEADING
Basic leading: starting walk, and halting ; safety measures taught; includes
uses of voice and whip
More advanced leading: working horse in trot/canter, back to halt
- BASIC LUNGING for dressage
Basic lunging preparation - includes
- Side rein introduction
- Leading both sides with side reins
in place
Lunging in walk - starting
walk, back to halt; use of ‘safety’ pole
Lunging in trot – starting trot, back to walk; use of lunge whip
Lunging in canter – starting canter, back to trot
Lunging/canter from walk and halt
- ADVANCED LUNGING for dressage
Lunging/pace lengthening
Lunging/canter to walk and halt
Lunging/flying changes
- BASIC LUNGING for jumping
Lunging over poles
Lunging over small jumps
Driving/Basic preparation: to understand how to introduce horse to the driving
reins; how to start walk, and how to halt
Driving/Walk patterns
Driving/trot from walk, trot to walk
Driving/halt to trot, trot to halt
Note: Details of the Advanced Dressage Modules, and the
cost of modules, will be forwarded by email upon request.
