Akademiskridkonst Frihetsdressyr

Balance riding

Do you dream about, riding your horse in collection and balance without equipment on? Then, this might be your path. Here you will learn to ride your horse in dressage movements and do gymnastic exercises even though you don't use a bridle or halter.

Balance riding step 1

Equipment:

No bridle/halter.

Use a neckrope/cordeo, and 1-2 sticks or dressage whips.
Introduction part:
- Walk on a figure eight, your inside hand relaxing behind your leg.
- Trot on a figure eight. Your inside hand relaxing behind your leg.
- Stop - back up - stay and relax. Your horse looks relaxed and comfortable even though you pat him on the neck and hind quarter.

Exercises part 1:

Walk forward down. Your inside hand activating inside hindleg for longer steps and more swung in the back of you horse.
Increase the circle (make circle bigger). Use inside hand on inside shoulder for better guidance from you seat.
Change direction, use inside hand close to your inside leg, to create more bending and understanding of the direction.
Trot forward down. Same as in walk.
Increase the circle with a soft inside, same as in walk.
Change direction in trot, same as above in walk. Hand behind your leg.
Figure eight, without using your sticks. Only turning from your seat aid. Stick/Whip in neutral position pointing up och behind you.

Balance riding step 2

Equipment:

No bridle/halter.

Use a neckrope/cordeo, and 1-2 sticks or dressage whips.
Introduction part:
- Walk on a figure eight, your inside hand relaxing behind your leg.
- Trot on a figure eight. Your inside hand relaxing behind your leg.
- Stop - back up - stay and relax. Your horse looks relaxed and comfortable even though you pat him on the neck and hind quarter.

.
Exercises part 2:

Move shoulder one or two steps in both direction in stanting still, with maintained bending in the direction.
Vinkel circle, (small circle ) where your horse gives you a half halt feeling while moving shoulder in the direction.
The wave in trot, 3 cones, 1,5 m from the wall, 10 m between.
Fullpass/leg yield in walk from the center line. Shoulder infront of hindleg.
Should in a few steps on the center line.
Trot on the centerline and change bending from one side to the other without loosing balance och rytm.

Balance riding part 3

Equipment:

No bridle/halter.

Use a neckrope/cordeo, and 1-2 sticks or dressage whips.
Introduction part: - Important! on this level, confirm evertytime your horse offering the roundness and get soft. Stop, praise and confirm.

- Walk on a figure eight, your inside hand relaxing behind your leg.
- Trot on a figure eight. Your inside hand relaxing behind your leg.
- Stop - back up - stay and relax. Your horse looks relaxed and comfortable even though you pat him on the neck and hind quarter.

Exercices part 3:

Leg yield ( full pass) into diagonal shoulder in with roundness from the centerline in trot.
Figure eight, counter bending on one circle in walk.
Shoulder in on straight line in trot. Optional to follow the wall or ride on the center line.
Shoulder in on circle with roundness a couple of steps. Walk or trot.
Vinkel cicle in trot, horse shows clear half halt and turn.
Haunches in along the wall.
Finger eight in trot without using the sticks. (Sticks pointing up or behind you.

Balance riding step 4

Utrustning:

Equipment:

No bridle/halter.

Use a neckrope/cordeo, and 1-2 sticks or dressage whips.
Introduction part: - Horse shows roundness in all exercises.
- Walk on a figure eight, your inside hand relaxing behind your leg.
- Trot on a figure eight. Your inside hand relaxing behind your leg.
- Stop - back up - stay and relax. Your horse looks relaxed and comfortable even though you pat him on the neck and hind quarter.

Exercises part 4:

Transitions shoulder in - haunches is on the circle. Walk or trot.
Transitions roundness into forward down and back to roundness again on the circle in trot.
Balanced shoulder in on the center line in trot.
Half pass ( traversal) in trot with good balance.
Figure eight with counter bending one circle in trot.
Leg yield (fullpass) into shoulder in on the diagonal in trot.

Balance riding step 5

Equipment:

No bridle/halter.

Use a neckrope/cordeo, and 1-2 sticks or dressage whips.
Introduction part: Horse have roundness and balance in all exercises.
- Walk on a figure eight, your inside hand relaxing behind your leg.
- Trot on a figure eight. Your inside hand relaxing behind your leg.
- Stop - back up - stay and relax. Your horse looks relaxed and comfortable even though you pat him on the neck and hind quarter.

Exercises part 5:

Figure eight in collected trot, horse stays in good bending/balance when changing circle.
Balanced canter in roundness one lap on circle.
Canter forward all the way around the arena along the wall/fence. No roundness or collection.
The wave exercise in canter, 3 cones placed 1 m from the wall, 15 m between. Stay in one and the same bending through the pattern. (Roundess is not necessary)
Shoulder in on the centerline in trot. Change from one bending to the other without loosing the balance.
Haunches in on the centerline from one bending to the other in trot without loosing balance.
2-3 Passage steps, from walk or trot, transition from the Vinkel circle.