[sapphiresrider]

I'm starting to try to get my mare to be straighter when she walks, tidier around corners as a starter of dressage. Would this be considered training or just funwork? Also we've been working on trotting poles, w/ and w/o stirrups. We're improving.

 

[mildot]

It's definitely training. It could be funwork if your horse wants to play ball.

 

[Skyseternalangel]

Teach your horse to leg yield and practice leg yielding on and off the rail.

 

[sapphiresrider]

Thanks. Is there any specific thing I can do to help her not skip corners in the arena? It's very annoying, especially when I'm trying to improve the dressage!

 

[Skyseternalangel]

Thanks. Is there any specific thing I can do to help her not skip corners in the arena? It's very annoying, especially when I'm trying to improve the dressage!

Well I find that if you aim to make a circle in every corner, then the next time you go around, your horse won't cut corners so long as you use that inside leg to outside rein.

Or if you do serpentines and push the horse to the corners with a leg yield cue (this is why it's important to teach your horse the leg yield)

Or you can spiral in and out of a circle, starting with a big one, making it smaller and smaller till it's a 10m circle, then getting bigger and bigger and then continuing on the rail.

Any of these have helped my horse keep in those corners, especially if I link cutting corners = more work, then he tends to behave but it's all about knowing that leg yield.. it is SO helpful, OP!

Good luck

 

[Valentina]

Thanks. Is there any specific thing I can do to help her not skip corners in the arena? It's very annoying, especially when I'm trying to improve the dressage!

A horse tends to follow your weight, so when turning a corner sit more to the outside (weight outside sturrup more) and take the outside rein away from the horses neck about 2 inches or so.....see if that helps. If helps some but not as much as you would like use your inside leg (thigh the most) aligned with the girth and "push/release" with thigh/leg to push horse into outside rein. Do NOT continually push with inside leg or horse will just lean against it.

 

[Skyseternalangel]

A horse tends to follow your weight, so when turning a corner sit more to the outside (weight outside sturrup more) and take the outside rein away from the horses neck about 2 inches or so.....see if that helps. If helps some but not as much as you would like use your inside leg (thigh the most) aligned with the girth and "push/release" with thigh/leg to push horse into outside rein. Do NOT continually push with inside leg or horse will just lean against it.

Agree, with emphasis on the bold.