The one exercise everyone should try

[@TheHare-rv3hj]

During Ray Hunt's clinics he used to repeatedly ask us, "How slow can your horse walk?" He would wait for the group to make an improvement, then he would ask, "How fast can your horse walk?" Again, he would wait for group improvement. I like your point about not pushing forward if your horse stops. That's especially helpful for the horse who can be too Type A and doesn't feel comfortable standing still.

[@liveandbreathehorses]

Ooooo I love that, thank you for sharing Susan x

[@loredelore7286]

Love this. Do you think it also helps them know where their feet are and awareness of same?

[@liveandbreathehorses]

Oh yes, I do believe you are right about that. The slowing down and attention to tiny detail by the human definitley help that too ! There is such great power in deceptively simple things and this exercise is definitly one of those. It can be developed infinitley as well into a gracefully elegant school walk Thank you for commenting Susan x

[@loredelore7286]

@@liveandbreathehorses just another thought hope you don't mind. I feel that in modern dtessage that there is an emphasis on the walk should never be shortened and the opposite is the case, pushing the length of it so as not to ruin its tempo and rhythm, but is it not true that a good rider should be able to do both? Lore

[@liveandbreathehorses]

@@loredelore7286 I agree that both are valuable and I think it comes back to the point of it being HOW things are done rather that WHAT is done. A good school walk maitanins full energy which goes in a raised action rathe than extended so it will be full of graceful elegance. I cant imagine wht such a valuable exercise which is the base of so much advanced work would be though inappropriate in any way. Though the competition dressage we see today has little or nothing in common with Classical Eqitation ( dressage ) thank you for engaging Susan. x