This course that alternates straight lines and successive turns, is an excellent gymnastic to break down a course and prepare each part of it. Despite the difficulty of this exercise, it is safe and it will become fun for the horse and rider.
Too often, riders wander in the ring with no specific requirement. The horse drifts one meter to the right or to the left, and the rider doesn’t take any action in response to it. This lack of commitment is a vice leading to setbacks in competitions. Therefore, it is important to become aware of it when schooling via some specific exercises as the one Michel introduces in today’s lesson.
The challenge of this exercise lies in staying on a precise marked track. The rider has to be accurate and has to stay balanced in order to follow the track. At the same time, the rider can test his capability to have a large angle view, to keep the same rhythm, to prepare his actions, and follow the movement between the straight line and the curve where the horse has to change lead. A very interesting exercise for the rider to practise a range of possible movements.
