Training Pillars Of Straightness Training

To be able to school your horse, you can use five training pillars of Straightness Training which are:

This video gives you an overview of the exercises we use within theses 5 training pillars:

Now you have an idea of which training pillars and exercises you and your horse are going to practice in Straightness Training, let's have a look at what STeps to take.

The Training Pillars or Straightness Training

Step 1: Start from the ground

Straightness Training starts with liberty, groundwork and longeing.

When it’s young horse we take at least half a year to develop these training components, so the horse learns to communicate with a human, and learns to bend to both sides and walk on a circle.
But also with older horses that have already been ridden, we go back to basics and we start from the ground, so the rider can observe the natural asymmetry and can help to get the horse in balance without the additional extra weight of the rider.
Also senior horses and arthritic horses will benefit a lot from the work on the ground.

Liberty training you can use in the beginning of your horse’s education or rehabilitation, but also at the end, and in between;

In the beginning, you use it to create a good relationship, understanding, and motivation.
Later on, when you have reached the higher levels in groundwork and work in hand, you and your horse can also start to do the lateral movements and collection at liberty, just to practice the concept of ‘less is more’ and to refine your guidance by using less and less technical aids.

Step 2: Work in hand

In work in hand, you can take it a step further.

In hand, you practice all lateral movements to address all six keys of Straightness Training without the additional weight of the rider.
In hand work will improve agility, flexibility, strength and coordination, and prepares your horse for riding.

Step 3: Riding

Once your horse has become stronger and more supple by doing groundwork, longeing and work in hand, you can start to prepare your horse for riding.

With a young horse this will be done on the longe with a helper from the ground. Once the young horse has got accustomed to the rider and the aids, the horse can move freely around the arena.
With an older horse you can get back on track with the riding, and experience how the work from the ground has improved his balance, suppleness and coordination.

Step 4: Follow the logical system of progressive exercises

Once your horse is able to carry you in a healthy way, a training period of years will start to improve and develop your horse gradually in body, mind, heart and soul.

All training pillars will still be practiced, because the whole will be greater than the sum of its parts.

Every trainng pillar will add a different dimension to an exercise and all training components strengthen each other.

For example, on the picture you see the half pass done in the training pillars work in hand, riding, groundwork and liberty.

You will be amazed to experience the benefits all training components give to each other, while ending up with lovely harmony between you and your horse.

Click HERE to read more about the Logical System of Progressive Exercises »