Thanks to Caitlin Steimle who took notes at the Joe Fargis Emerging Athletes Clinic, we have some notes to share. Joe Fargis EAP Clinic 2103 Riding Theory Q & A Stirrups- Two lengths Flat is longer (2 holes longer than flat minimum), creates more effective leg Jumping is shorter to aid in balance (2 point position) Stirrup Position- The outside branch should be ahead of the inside branch with the foot against inside branch. This helps create more calf contact. Weight should be even across entire ball of foot. Riding on your toes makes it too easy to lose your stirrups. Note: George Morris teaches foot against the outside branch of the stirrup Crop- ALWAYS have a crop. If the horse has learned to fear the crop, continue to carry it to show the horse it has no reason to fear it. USE WISELY. Spurs- Spurs should run parallel to the heel, not braced upward or down on the base of the boot. • ALWAYS ride with spurs and a whip. Never feel the regret of not being prepared. Artificial Aids- No draw reins. Try better hands or a better bit. Try a standing martingale to encourage good head carriage. Dropped Nosebands- They can affect breathing and hurt. A figure- 8 is preferred. Aids- Must be clear. Be careful that aids are not clashing and sending conflicting signals. Example: Getting left back punishes the horse for jumping. Flat- If you can’t get it done in an hour, save it for another day, build. 15 minutes of walking to warm- up, 45 minutes of flatting with walk breaks, 15 minutes of walking to cool out. *Straight, Sensitive, and Forward *ALWAYS check footing Grand Prix Level- Horses work 6x/ week, jump 2-3x/week very low Open Water- ALWAYS respect the water jump. Start low. Build a triple bar to teach the horse to jump high and across. Limit the number of times jumped once the horse has confidence to help prevent a “foot in the water”. If a horse is fearful, trot and canter folded liverpools even on flat days followed by big rewards (praise). Naughty comes from fear. Build confidence by keeping the experiences pleasant. Correction must be thoughtful and clear. This is one of the hardest things to correct. Carefulness- It is hard to improve a horse’s carefulness (willingness to not hit jumps). Instead of gimmicks, make the horse more prepared by having better balance by trotting jumps, gymnastics, and good flat work. Stiff horses- To improve a stiff or “concrete” mouthed horse, you should work on transitions and lateral work. Allow the exercises to work through the stiffness. Lunging- Show lunging tends to be cruel. Lunging should be a tool, not a method. • Lunging 1x/ every other week to 1x/ week • Focus on balance, obedience, and transitions • Never allow speed, always have control Tongue Hangers- If you can’t ignore tongue hanging, try different bits and see if it improves. Careful not to fall for tricks as performance could suffer. Leg Protection- • Flat- Usually, nothing (no preference). • Jumping- Less protection over smaller jumps, more protection as the jumps get bigger. • Lunging- Maximum protection all around. Bits- The stronger the bit, the more talented your hand is. Talent and feel are how you fix and solve problems. Hot Horses- DO NOT REMOVE CONTACT. Teach the horse to be patient and tolerant of the leg. Seats- A rider must have range. Good position will enable you to be well-rounded. Release- In the perfect world, the automatic release is preferred. Pads- Pads must fit under the ENITIRE saddle. Ill fitted tack can affect performance. Cooling Out- Even after a round, go back to the schooling area. Reorganize to 100% ridablility. *ALWAYS consider the horse first. Recommended Reading- Riding and Jumping by William Steinkraus Quotes from Joe Fargis: “Create good habits on the small exercises and they will stick with you forever.” “The last moment is the horse’s moment.” – in reference to taking off at the jump “Softly follow the mouth over every jump. It takes more coordination the higher the jumps get.” “When you finally jump this course, I want it to be just as peaceful as it is at the walk.” “Horses should be like water running through a hose. They should flow with no kinks in them.” “Keep it plain. Keep it simple.” “A lot of stuff goes wrong. Recover quickly.” “Don’t look back. Whatever happened behind you is history.” “Stay straight to the jump, over the jump, and away from the jump.” “Pay attention to detail.” “If you follow the horse’s mouth to the fence, you will land in control.” “Finish with flatwork. Don’t put a period at the end of that sentence. Don’t ride off into the sunset.” “Your hands should be part of the horse’s mouth.” “It takes two to pull. It takes two to fight.” “Never show a horse something it can’t do.” “Proper planning prevents poor performance.” –Anne Thornbury, Stable Manager Day 1: Riding Flat Warm- up: Trot at steady speed, loose rein • Stretch • Find balance • Rhythm • Independence Transitions at intervals focusing on soft following hand. Serpentines- A great exercise for jumpers. 3,4, and 5 loop serpentines (depending on amount of balance and collection desired). • Turn- rebalance • Forward out of turn • Rhythm Spiral Circles- Compression circles through leg yielding. Riding without Stirrups- Achieve balance and a deeper seat , not strength. Pole Exercise: Straightness ____ ____ ____ x x ____ ____ ____ ^ ^ Transition Transition • Transitions through poles to focus on straightness of the transitions. • Practices “distances” on the flat by choosing specific places to execute transitions. • Everything (position, hands, transitions, horse) should be fluid and soft.
Posted on: Mon, 19 Aug 2013 23:41:41 +0000
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