ANSWER:
That's a good start. It doesn't matter if you feel the lifting of the hind
leg or the touch down first, since they alternate. When you feel the lift
off in one hind leg, you know that the opposite hind leg is touching down at
the same time.
You apply the driving aid when the hind leg on the same side is starting to
rise.
You apply a half halt when the hind leg on the same side is on the ground
and in front of the vertical, because that's the supporting phase of the
footfall sequence. As soon as the grounded hind leg passes the vertical, it
starts thrusting, and it's too late for half halts.
There are many hints in the horse's movement that tell you where the hind
legs are:
- When the hind leg touches down, you feel a little bump underneath your
seat bone on the same side - provided the weight of your torso is resting on
your seat bones.
- When the hind leg touches down, the hip on the same side rises a little.
- When the hind leg is on the ground behind the vertical, i.e. thrusting,
the rib cage swings towards this same side. When the rib cage reaches the
furthest point of its lateral swing, it is about to lift off. In practice
this means that the horse's rib cage will swing into your calf, triggering
the driving aid itself. All you have to do is feel this impulse and amplify
it if necessary.
- As the hind leg is swinging forward, the horse's hip and back are
dropping a little on that side, because the hip rotates when the horse is in
motion.
- When the hind leg touches down, you feel a slight increase in the rein
contact on the same side. As soon as the hind leg starts to push, the rider
has to have released again already. You should feel each hind leg in your
hand in the form of an ebb and flow in the rhythm of the movement.
- You can glance down at the shoulder, especially at the trot, where the
horse's legs are diagonally synchronized. When the front leg on one side
goes forward, the hind leg on the same side is on the ground, moving
backward.
At first you have to watch and think about it all. Over time, it becomes a
feeling, second nature. As difficult as this is, it's great that you are
beginning to think about the horse's hind legs, since their footfall
sequence dictates the timing of the aids. When you think about the horse's
hind legs, he will start thinking about his hind legs soon, too.
Unfortunately, most trainers don't teach any of this.
Take care, and let me know how things progress.
- Thomas Ritter
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Last Update: January 13, 2007