covid challenge #7

1- 10 minute walk on long rein.
2- Trot and canter warm up with light contact.
3- Flat exercise for Thursday - Rollback to Fence. This is one of my favorite flatwork exercises from my western riding days. I use it a lot, I attribute my horse's excellent rideability to this exercise. Rollbacks are the easiest way to start teaching your horse to move his front end, work off his hindquarters, and collect himself.
When you're ready to begin, hold the reins with steady contact, with your hands comfortably out in front of you (short reins). Ride your horse at a forward trot. Now, begin making a large circle adjacent to one of the long sides of the ring. Every time you come around to the fence, you should be near enough that you could reach out and touch it with your hand. Complete at least two circles, or as many as needed to get your horse to relax. When he does, as you come around to the fence, approach it at a 45-degree angle. This will create a "pocket" for your horse to roll back into. As your horse comes up to the fence at a 45-degree angle, sit back in the saddle, say whoa (why that exercises was on Wednesday)a direct rein closest to the fence to tip his nose slightly toward the fence. Remember: You're not physically trying to stop your horse. You're simply redirecting his energy toward the fence and letting the fence stop him. At the same time, press with your outside leg near the girth to ask your horse to turn into the open pocket you've just created. He should rock his weight back on his haunches and jump his shoulders through the pocket. As you're turning, look over your shoulder into the turn. This will put your body in the same position as your horse's body, making it easier for him to come through the turn. You want to ride the rollback as you want him slow to come around for balance but then you want to power out of the rollback for push off. Once you feel like you have a feel at the trot, then move to the canter. Sometimes, you will not want to move to canter in the same session. So, if this is new to you just work the trot. If you have done this before then do both.
I have attached a video that demonstrates riding the circles to the fence and how that should look. At first you will want to get pretty close to the fence to halt and then turn. Let the fence teach them to rock back. Of course we do not want the sliding stop as in the western reining but it is a great demonstration video for you to get the idea.
4- Repeat your pattern from Wednesday a couple times.
5-Cavaletti: I will set two poles to ridden on a circle. Trot the circle both directions four or five times. Work on stepping over the center of each pole, pay attention to the shape of your circles. Remember circles do not have straight lines or corners. Keep the shape of the horse consistent with the track shape of the circle.
5- 3 minute long trot.
6- Finish with walk around yard.