This pair is back for their second ride, and they build on what they worked on during Day 1. Laura reminds us that tension has to be handled through the leg or hand through counter flexion, leg yield, shoulder-in or whatever movement the rider feels necessary to diffuse the tension. Any time ther...

When going from walk to trot, the rider should hold herself (and her horse) accountable for the trot she really wants and expect it right away. In the leg yield, when the horse moves to the side, he should not only move off the leg, but also fill up the outside rein. A few steps of leg yield can ...

Laura asks for a walk canter transition with a should fore position to keep him pushing with the inside hind leg.  They next work on the one loop serpentine at the canter and then the counter canter with him waiting until she asks for the flying change.  Once in a while he jigs in the walk when t...

Laura works with a talented third level horse and rider pair. She feels that they can improve overall by increasing his suppleness in all directions. The horse has to be able to move forward through the suppleness without getting tight. Laura also talks about the horse head and neck carriage in t...

To prepare for half pass, Laura suggests starting with some shoulder-in and haunches-in. On the stiffer side, to have an easy half-pass, you have to be able to ride the body of the horse on the line while being able to bend the horse without changing the line. The neck is separate from the should...

They continue the collected canter work. Laura says that the rider legs need to be loose even while riding the collected canter. Keeping the outside leg in canter position should be enough. If the horse breaks, that on him. Then the moment the horse rhythm goes from canter to trot is the time to ...

When working on a single flying chance, Laura first wants the canter quality to be there before even thinking about the change. In the change, she talks about starting the new lead, but also having to stop the old lead, which many people dont think about. Unlike other movements, the flying change...

They begin to work on a very collected canter. Laura says that the horse is responsible for maintaining the collected canter. The rider shouldnt drive the horse forward. If the horse breaks to trot then the rider needs to make a correction. The rider shouldnt fuss or pick at the horse to keep him...

After they take a break they work on his collected and extended walks.  in the trot Laura reminds her to use the corners and keep the quality trot. They work on transitions within the trot, going from sitting to rising.  The rider pushes him up in the shoulders and out in front of her.  They have...

They work on the horse's stiffer side in canter. It is important that the rider not carry the horse. The horse must maintain the energy herself, and if not then the rider needs to let her know. Laura suggests being stricter with the horse but do less. Instead of doing 15 mediocre flying changes, ...

They move to the trot, and Laura explains that this mare may have a year of going short in the neck while she learns how to seek contact with the bit, but that is a phase in her training.  Laura has her leg yield at the trot from the quarterline to the wall, looking for straightness.  They next w...

To finish the ride, they work on schooling a half pass in trot. As they go on a line, Laura wants the horse bent but with enough energy that the rider feels like the horse is carrying her forward without the rider having to push for it. The movement is difficult because the horse has to go in the...

The trot work begins with shoulder in and haunches in.  In the half pass they go from the wall to centerline, go straight for a few steps and then continue in the half pass, keeping his shoulder in line with his haunches.  Laura helps her with his head tilt and they go over how important the stra...

Laura suggests doing fairly quick changes of direction and lateral movements in different directions to help loosen the horse's back. She wants the horse to be even on both legs and both reins regardless of the tempo and movement.

Laura helps the rider get the quality and tempo of canter she wants before asking for a change. That has to be there first. She warns, however, that when the changes are successful, not to just stop. It is fine to reward the horse, but it is important to finish the canter and ride a down transit...

Laura takes some time to explain how to take the next step in training the piaffe. If you drive the horse in the piaffe, you are basically telling him not to stay on the spot. However, the horse needs to be more active. To make this happen, bring him back in the trot and then ask him to have quic...

Laura suggests building the passage from the trot rather than the walk. She wants the horse to get a big, bouncy trot before asking him to come back. She advises passaging to the hand rather than bringing the horse back to passage. Similarly, she wants the half-steps to come back from a bouncy, f...

They school the beginnings of canter pirouettes. They start with bringing the canter back on the long side and then on a circle. When that feels good, they ask for more of a pirouette turn. They also work on the canter going into and coming out of the movement. Then they practice the pirouette on...

To finish their ride, they work on the trot. Once the trot is regulated, the rider asks for a quick reaction from her inside leg to build the trot power. However, the trot doesn't have to be bigger. It has to be more reactive with greater articulation of the horse's joints.

Laura brings us a horse and rider with Grand Prix experience.  It's interesting to note that both are very tall- he is almost 18-2!  They talk about how they warm him up and how they stretch him before asking for a collected walk to extended walk. Laura emphasizes that after the rider makes a cor...