Walk
Many riders — especially young riders — fail to appreciate the importance of the walk. They feel that "real" riding is done at the faster gaits. How a person rides the walk, however, has much to do with how he will ride the trot and the canter or lope.
The slower pace of the walk allows the rider to think about what is happening. The smoothness of the walk makes it easier for the rider to relax and allow his body to move with the horse. The more a rider practices moving with the horse at the walk, the easier he will find it to move with the horse in the other gaits.
However, since one seldom falls off while a horse is walking, many people fail to sit properly at the walk. Sitting properly with head over hips over heels is the key to moving with the horse. As in all aspects of riding, balance and relaxation are key to riding well.
A well-balanced, relaxed rider should have no trouble feeling how the movement of the horse moves his body. Emphasizing or retarding this movement can, conversely, affect the movement of the horse. One effect is to control the length the horse's stride.
I like to teach my students to be aware of where their horses' feet are. Learning this can best be done at a walk. The pace is slower, and the student has time to sense the difference in movement as the horse lifts or puts weight on one foot or another. Being aware of the position of his horse's feet allows the rider more precision in timing his cues. The more precise the cue, the more timely the response.
The walk is also a good time to learn how one's breathing can affect a horse's movement. Often, a rider can help calm a nervous horse by taking slow, deep breaths while walking. Again, because of the slower pace, the rider tends to be more relaxed. This enables him to both follow my instructions and sense the results.
One should always begin a riding session by walking his horse. This allows the horse to loosen up his joints and muscles before the more strenuous work begins. Walking the horse at the end of a session allows the horse to cool down slowly, reducing the heart rate while using the muscles to help pump blood to the horse's muscles bringing them oxygen and carrying away waste. The rider should not be lazy while doing this. He should use this time to atune his body to the movements of his horse.
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