Equine Working Notebooks

THE SECOND HORSE

You may be asked to show some lateral work with some canter work in between the movements.

Lateral work may include leg yield, demi-pirouette in walk, turn on the forehand, shoulder in.

Canter work could include counter canter, simple change through walk.

You may be asked where and when you would introduce counter-canter.

You may be asked to work towards collection and medium paces.

Again you will be asked to talk about the way the horse has performed for you, his good and not so good points and how you might improve the problem areas. If he has no problems say so!! He may be the perfect horse!

You will then change onto a third horse.

THE THIRD HORSE

The examiners may give you five or six specific movements to put together in a sequence that is appropriate for the stage of training of the horse you are riding.

Be prepared to answer questions on:

• Definitions of collection and extension.
  
• The aids you gave for the lateral movements and how you expected the horse to respond.
  
• How the horse moves.
  
• The build up exercises to each movement.
  
• The paces you would use.

The examiners will be looking at:

• Your position. Are you in balance with the horse?
• Your empathy with the horse.
• Do you ride positively, but sympathetically.
• How you give your aids and whether they are correct.
• Whether you can feel if the horse is going correctly.
• Do you know the reasons why things go wrong.
• Did the horse improve during the time you were riding him.

• Did you correct the problems the horse had as soon as you felt them occuring.