EXERCISE: 2. SERPENTINES

This exercise builds on the good work the transitions have done. A serpentine can have anything from three to seven loops – start with three or four and build up. Basically, a serpentine is a series of half circles connected with straight lines, therefore, your horse will change bend frequently, teaching himh to listen for the aids, which you need to be quick with to avoid confusion and resistance. It’s important to keep the flow going throughout the serpentine, avoiding the temptation to slow down or speed up. Watch for your horse falling in when changing the bend – he’ll need support from the new outside rein and inside leg. Change diagonal over the centre, which will help to rebalance him. One addition to this exercise is to ride 10m circles when you reach the track and before riding the next loop. Not every time, but once or twice in each serpentine.

At first, Frank shows resistance when asked to circle in the serpentine Frank soon figures out what he should be doing with his serpentines