| Learning to feel when your dressage horse is straight | | | | need a mirror or a ground person who can say, |
| is always a challenge. | | | | "That's too much angle. That's not enough angle. That's |
| Probably the best way to learn to feel straightness is | | | | just right." |
| to always riding your horse in what's called First | | | | When you track with the your horse's hollow side on |
| Position. First Position isn't an exercise--it's just a | | | | the inside, you might have to counter-flex (-1) him |
| straight horse that is bending the joints of his inside hind | | | | FIRST before you ask the shoulders to come in. |
| and carrying weight behind. | | | | Otherwise, your horse will just bend his neck in, and his |
| If you think of your horse as being on 3 tracks in | | | | shoulders will still be glued to the rail. |
| shoulder-in, think of First Position as being the "thought" | | | | Ride around in First Position on long and short sides, |
| of shoulder-in or a very slight shoulder-fore. | | | | circles, corners. Then do some upward and downward |
| If you were riding down the long side straight at a | | | | transitions maintaining First Position before, during, and |
| person, that person wouldn't be able to see the outside | | | | after the transitions. |
| hind leg because it would be directly behind the outside | | | | Once you get used to the feel of how much angle |
| front leg. However, she'd see half of a hoof's width | | | | your dressage horse has in First Position, you'll know |
| (about 2 and 1/2 inches) of the inside hind hoof | | | | when he's straight because any extra displacement of |
| stepping to the inside of the inside front leg. | | | | the haunches either in or out will feel weird or wrong to |
| This is a VERY slight displacement of the shoulders | | | | you. |
| toward the inside of the arena so in the beginning you'll | | | | |