Lesley's Corner
Maintaining the Horse's Length of Neck in Transitions
Learn about the ONE very basic exercise that the all of the riders had to do at the USET training sessions down in Ocala, that proved to be very challenging!
Lesley's Corner
My All Time Favorite Suppling Exercise!
There are many great lateral suppling exercises available, but this is my all time favorite! This one builds a solid foundation for ALL of your lateral work.
Lesley's Corner
Different Half Halts For Different Situations
The key to doing any movement well lies in the preparation. Half halts are an important part of preparing for almost every movement or transition. While the essence stays the same, the ingredients and focus may need to adapt to each situation for the best result. Learn all about it here!
Lesley's Corner
Square Exercise # 2 - The Diamond Exercise
The Diamond Exercise is a fabulous way to educate on the lateral aids & how to apply them to forward movement. Once established, the horse responds to bending aids properly, allowing the rider to ride up into the outside rein to successfully improve connection, balance, & carriage. Learn how here!
Lesley's Corner
An Ian Stark Jumping Exercise (For the Very Brave!) That Will Sharpen Up Every Horse!
Lesley's Corner
One Sidedness in Riders
We riders spend a lot of time working on making our horses more ambidextrous. But what about ourselves? How can we ride our horses straight if our own bodies are one sided? It will definitely be much easier for them if we make an attempt to be more even and ambidextrous. Learn how here!
Lesley's Corner
The Horse That Carries Tension in its Back
Tension in the horse's back is very paralyzing to the rest of its body, inhibiting the hind legs from coming underneath to balance itself. It can cause back soreness, spooky, and disobedient behavior. Let's talk about how to tell if your horse is tense in the back and what you can do about it.
Lesley's Corner
Exercises to Improve Your Horse's Suppleness
Lateral suppleness is the horse's ability to bend easily from side to side. Few horses are naturally ambidextrous, so a major goal of dressage is to make the horse more even on both sides & truly straight. Here are specific exercises to improve lateral suppleness, from most basic to most difficult!
Lesley's Corner
Making Related Distances Work For You
With a little planning and forethought, you CAN make related distances work for you. You just have to focus on these key points!
Lesley's Corner
The Responsibility Exercise
Your horse will never truly be in self carriage if you give constant aids. Train him to take responsibility to maintain the gait or movement with minimal input from you. It must become a state of mind, so that he truly understands this responsibility. Learn how to teach this here!
Lesley's Corner
Square Exercise # 3
One of the most common problems riders face when turning is losing control of the horse's outside shoulder. This exercise is a great way to get more control over that outside shoulder to help make more accurate turns - which will help you come out of the turns straight and in better balance.
Lesley's Corner
Introducing the Counter Canter
Counter canter is simply one of the most beneficial exercises you can do for your horse! In addition to building strength, improving balance, & increasing hind leg engagement, it also improves the horse's ability to be straight in the canter. Which will improve all of your canter work.