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.

Steffen’s overall goal for a horse is that he is supple enough to yield forwards and sideways to each leg and each rein. The horse needs to relax and understand why the bit is there, and the rider always has to check in to see how the horse feels on each rein. That suppleness should then be match...

After Steffen rides, the owner gets back on her horse and tries to replicate Steffen's work. He stresses that the rider must make a point, but then can be passive when the horse is good. The rider needs to guide the horse into a frame where he can relax and use himself correctly.This allows the h...

The work continues in canter. The horse first needs to have an active, supple collected walk before asking for canter. When the rider holds with the leg, the horse gets tight, tense and actually loses energy. When that happens, the rider needs to go back to making a point with the leg and then re...

This particular horse likes to go long and low, which he can use against the rider so Steffen wants the rider to focus on collecting the canter. He reminds her not to try to keep the horse cantering. If the horse makes a mistake, that’s okay. She can fix it. A travers canter on the circle does a ...

Finally, they finish the session with half steps to train for piaffe and passage.

When the horse becomes strong in the changes, Steffen asks for a pirouette canter before asking for the changes.

Steffen gives the rider an exercise to improve the crossover behind in the pirouette at the walk.

Steffen has her work on entering the pirouette from a straight line after collecting him instead of using the turn into the pirouette to collect him. He helps the rider guide the horse to drop his neck in the movement. They ride a schooling pirouette while changing the flexion from the inside to ...

Next, Steffen has them work on their passage and talks about how to train to improve the piaffe and passage.