Half a Half-Step
Groundwork
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3m 6s
The next progression is to eliminate the moment of pause. Michael still just has a hold of the left rein and isnt asking the horse to be on the bit. He just wants her to be straight. It takes time and practice to be able to walk backwards and be ready to quickly and accurately apply pressure to the hind leg in a consistent rhythm.
Up Next in Groundwork
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Every Four Steps
Once the horse stops and picks up the hind leg, the next step is to make it more sophisticated while keeping the rhythmic sequence of picking up the left hind leg and then the right hind leg. He then leads the horse forward four steps, pauses and then asks her to pick up the left hind leg. Clever...
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Performing Half Steps In-Hand
When the horse can perform all the smaller pieces easily, she is ready to try the actual half-steps. In this video, Michael picks up the contact, walks backwards first and then asks for the half-steps. Rewarding for a good attempt is to drop the reins, take the whip away (removing the pressure) a...
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In-Hand Leg Yield
Especially with younger horses, Michael likes to introduce lateral work concepts on the ground before doing them under saddle. In this video, he explains and demonstrates executing a leg yield in-hand. It also gives him the opportunity to get an idea of how the horse feels before he gets on.
