ESDCTA Forum, Young Horse, Janet Foy & Steffen Peters

ESDCTA Forum, Young Horse, Janet Foy & Steffen Peters

Steffen has the rider remount, and they work on her position, use of aids and responsiveness in the search for true self carriage.

Steffen schools her horse, but has taken his microphone off. What a great opportunity to watch an Olympian work on half halts!

U.S. Olympian Steffen Peters helps this pair with riding half halts to create more self-carriage. If you have a strong, forward-thinking horse, this is the video for you!

With improved half halts Steffen now moves on to the twos.

They ride transitions with particular attention to how many steps it takes to collect and ride the trot“walk transition.

1st Level, Training Thru the Levels - Janet Foy & Steffen Peters

1st Level, Training Thru the Levels - Janet Foy & Steffen Peters

1st Level, Training Thru the Levels - Janet Foy & Steffen Peters

1st Level, Training Thru the Levels - Janet Foy & Steffen Peters

They move on to canter work from a forward trot. Jackie stresses that the rider should feel enough energy in the trot to ask for canter. That doesn’t mean rushing the horse in trot to then rush into canter. It should feel more like the horse is carrying the rider in trot so that when the rider as...

They work on forward and back in the trot as well as walk-trot transitions. Jackie says that the horse needs to develop the strength of the legs on the ground. Those are his “stabilizers” and what will help develop the carrying and pushing power of the hind legs. This will also improve the horse’...

They finish the ride with trot work. Steffen wants to make sure the basic rideability of the horse is the priority. This is the case regardless of what they are doing – half pass, half steps, trot lengthening, halt, etc. Steffen wants the rider to slow down and take her time to make sure the ride...

They end with working on the turn on the haunches.

They ride a figure 8 pattern with leg yielding to control the spooking. When this works they move on to using the whole arena.

They continue to work on yielding from the leg and bending as tools to use when he spooks.

Steffen offers excellent advice on how to deal with a spooky horse.

Following a brief warm-up in walk and trot, they move on to walk pirouettes. In the walk pirouette, it is extremely common for horses to slow down and to want to push the haunches to the outside. Those are two important issues for the rider to be aware of. When training the walk pirouette, Steffe...

When the horse spooks, Steffen has them do walk halt transitions, and explains why they can be an useful tool for nervous horses. They continue the warm up in the canter including transitions within the gaits.

Steffen helps the rider bend the horse effectively.

Steffen has them work in the trot remembering to be sure he gives and moves away from the leg before releasing the pressure.

Steffen Peters first talks about the use of counter canter in teaching the flying changes. He watches her warm up at the walk and trot.