Also known as “stretchy” walk and jog. The free walk and jog: what is it? The Western Style Dressage Association of Canada (WSDAC) states that: WSD 2.02 b) Free walk – The free walk is a pace of relaxation in which the horse is allowed complete freedom to lower and stretch out his head and neck. The horse should maintain the same rhythm and tempo as the working walk, but is asked to stretch forward, down and into the contact. The poll should be lower than the withers with the

If you’ve been following us over the past year, we’ve been covering the movements of Western dressage as well as training exercises to help improve your horse. In a past blog post you have already learned how to do the spiral exercise, which is the beginning of a leg yield. In thispost, we are looking at how to properly execute a leg yield. The leg yield is a basic lateral exercise, in which the horse travels both forward and sideways at the same time. Just as the name of the

The spiralling circle is a wonderful exercise that can be done by any level of horse or rider. It is a very effective way to get a horse laterally supple and to teach a horse to leg yield. It will also help the horse learn to balance himself. The exercise can be done at any gait, but should be practiced at the walk first to establish correct bend, as well as to help your horse become connected to both the outside turning aids and the inside bending aids. You may use cones for