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Camo H asked in PetsHorses · 1 decade ago

tips on riding a smooth demivolte (half circle, incline to track) at canter?

My instructor has started teaching me to ride a demivolte, but I am struggling to get my horse to maintain a steady canter rhythm through the half circle part as well as make it a smooth circle. He keeps breaking to trot at the turn and I need some tips on how to ride this properly and smoothly before my next lesson so I can work on it and hopefully get it better. Thanks for any help!

3 Answers

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  • 1 decade ago
    Favourite answer

    First and foremost, remember to ride both sides of your horse. Keep an even canter, and as Jumper said, start with a larger turn to practice, then gradually bring it in smaller. As you go into the turn, you should be shaping your horse by pulsing the inside rein and holding your inside leg at the girth. Then hold your outside rein against the horse's neck and use pressure from your outside leg behind the girth to push your horse around the turn. The most common mistake people make when doing smaller turns like this is to ride them by pulling the horse around with the inside rein. Horses are push animals, not pull animals - they turn like wheelbarrows. As long as you think about always pushing him from his back end to his front end, even around the turns, and then think about turning by pushing around the outside of the turn, things will smooth out. Sit deep in the saddle and keep his hind end tracking up underneath himself. And remember to turn your head to continue looking down the track!

    Another thing that always helps me with smaller turns (I use mine in the jumpers) is to imagine a set of train tracks running around the turn - make your horse's nose and body all follow one track. Then think about a concrete wall running around the turn just outside of the train tracks - that's actually made up by your outside leg and rein. It will help keep your horse from drifting to the outside or swinging his hips out off the track. Hope this helps; good luck!

  • 1 decade ago

    half halt, half halt, half halt!!! They are your best friend. Ensure your horse is balanced and listening and going at a steady unrushed pace. make sure you are asking for the right amount of bend and that your horse is giving it to you. Keep your inside leg on at all times, and even count the one two three one two three rhythm of the canter in your head in order to maintain that steady rhythm, as then you will be able to tell when the rhythm is slowing or speeding up. When turning the corner make sure your head and even your shoulders are looking towards where you want to go. Be prepared for your horse breaking to trot and feel the signs of it happening so you can encourage him forward when you feel him hesitating.

    Instead of immediately trying to ride it at a 6meter half circle, start at a fifteen meter half circle, and when you are doing that well ride it at twelve meters and work your way down to the smaller half circle. Make sure your horse understands exactly what you are asking him.

    Good luck

  • ?
    Lv 4
    5 years ago

    How normally have you ever ridden and what are you requested to do while you do experience? If you have got been deciding to buy courses for months or years then you definitely will have to be cantering by means of now. There plenty of academics to be able to simply maintain you going sluggish and no longer relatively letting you be trained so they are able to maintain you deciding to buy extra years. If you get too well too quickly you might usually get well and wish of a horse of your possess and no longer wish any longer coaching. I gave courses for a long time and I felt I used to be no longer giving them the moneys valued at in the event that they weren't galloping and doing plenty with my horses in three months. (my horses have been very will knowledgeable and might transfer off right into a inclined quiet sluggish canter with only a kiss)

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