Pacha - january 30, 2012

I have continued experimenting the work with draw reins only, in the manner described in the last post. It has just confirmed that it can create effective relaxation and calmness with Pacha. I start the session with 10' walk on the snaffles reins, with circles and a few leg yield and shoulder-ins, interspersed with halts with prolonged immobility (1') and a few reining back.Then, I let the snaffles reins looped, resting on the saddle pommel and and  I ride with the draw reins, at walk first. I let Pacha's neck go down, nose in dust, keeping a very light but constant contact. The walk is energetic. Halts are easily obtained by stiffening the small of the back, letting the legs getting even longer, and pressing the fingers on the reins with a fixes hand. Circles and leg yields are obtained by my seat, legs and shoulders. Work at trot is producing an elastic bounce that I do not remember having got so far. Easy transitions to walk and halts. Canter strike-offs are just smooth. Downwards transitions to trot are also excellent and fluid, in a manner not met before.
This lasts for 20'. Then I take the snaffles reins again and resume more classical work. Currently it includes the 'carré de la Guérinière': walk along a square (8m side), with a quarter pirouette at each angle. The bend is slightly inward just before the turn (shoulder fore), and is kept during the turn. The outside rein pushes the forehand into the new direction, while the outside leg controls the quarters. The inside hand is quiet, on a very light contact-may give a few vibrations with the fingers if resistance is felt. The inside leg is at girth, vigilant vs. impulsion. This exercise is done at both hands. It seems to suit Pacha well. It is worth stressing that this change of direction at each corner is described by Baucher in similar words in his chapter about 'doubler'.
 We also work another of la Gueriniere's movement, namely shoulder-in on the large side followed by a half pirouette at the end, and coming back 'croupe au mur'. We do it at walk and start doing it at trot. These two exercises seem to be good for bending Pacha laterally both hands. Lipstick is showing almost every time.
We also begin to work on diagonalisation: starting from a square halt on the large side, four strides rein back followed by four strides forward, halt and again. The whole sequence is repeated two or three times.Straightness and calm are essential here. The aids must be exceedingly smooth, in order to avoid excitement which may show when inverting the movement from forward to backward.
Finally, canter work is focussed on working on circles of small diameter, in a corner, and on spirals.
The programme is thus progressively gaining in substance, and moving into more advanced steps.