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It really is! Thanks for watching and your appreciation of the process, Giovanna! :)

You're so welcome! You will get there. Your mare is fortunate to have you steward her so consciously.

I'm so glad my videos are helpful to you and your mare! That means a lot.

Thank you so much, Beth, you're too kind!

You’re welcome, Regina! So happy you find my video helpful. 😊

Yes indeed! Thank you for noticing her progress! It’s a slow journey but so rewarding.

Thank you so much, Beth! Sable's progress is slow but steady, and she is such a trouper to be game after everything she's gone through. Hugs to you, too.

Thank you so much, Giovanna! So nice of you to acknowledge Sable's progress. Your mare is blessed to have you take care of her with such a varied training schedule. So much of working with these highly sensitive horses has to do with keeping them mentally and physically balanced.

Thank you so much for your kind comments and for sharing your experience with your horse here! I’m so glad my videos are helpful to you. Your enthusiasm and positive feedback mean the world to me. Thank you again!

Thank you so much for your kind comment! I’m so glad my video is helpful to you! And I agree, riding half-halts with a younger horse makes us break down the aids into smaller pieces which helps us stay focused on the details on the more mature horses. Always lovely to connect with like-minded riders! 💕

You're welcome, and thank you for your kind comment! So glad it's helpful. :)

Thank you so much for your kind comment, Regina! It means the world to me that you find my videos helpful. :)

Thank you so much for your kind comment and for sharing a bit about your journey with your heart horse here. I'm so glad that you find my videos helpful, that means a lot. And I love that you both have found gentle Dressage as a way to create a meaningful connection in motion with one another. Cheering you on! :)

Thank you so much for your kind comment! Sable is a treasure! :)

Thank you so much, Giovanna!

I'm so glad! Thanks for your kind comment! :)

Thank you so much, Giovanna! :)

Thank you for your comment and suggestion. At the time of this video Sable had been checked top to toe and didn't seem to have any pain-related issues.

You are so right, Jill! Thank you for your kind comment and for being part of Sable's journey's witnesses! :)

Hello to you in Australia, You're welcome and thank you for writing about your horse with similar issues. It's good to hear that these horses can thrive when they find a patient, competent rider. :)

You’re welcome! I’m glad it’s helpful! 😊🐴

Thank you so much for your kind comment, that means a lot!

Thank you for your kind comment and great question! Before starting my work with Sable she was vet-checked top to toe for any health issues and nothing came up in regards to her hind legs. That doesn't mean that there couldn't be something that hadn't been found yet but at the time of the video she was cleared for regular Dressage work. There are a number of reasons for this type of movement though and some horses are just moving like that due to their conformation. Here is a link with information you may find interesting: horsesidevetguide.com/drv/Observation/1091/hind-limb-and-or-hoof-swings-outward-at-walk-or-trot/#:~:text=Summary,fine%20while%20moving%20this%20way.

Thank you so much for your kind comment! She is a remarkable horse and teacher... :)

You are welcome! Thank you so much for your kind feedback! 😊

Thank you so much for watching! Hope you like it! 😊

Thank you so much for your kind comment! So glad you found it helpful. :)

Thank you for your kind feedback, Elizabeth! Great idea to start with the leg-yielding on the ground before trying it under saddle. And you're so right, all of this is in service of creating a more balanced, supple horse and therefore a lighter feel for the rider as well. So nice to see that these things came across. Thank you again! :)

Exactly, thank you so much for acknowledging the unspectacular but tremendously rewarding journey one takes when building a solid foundation with a horse! :)

Thank you so much for your kind comment, Connie! I'm so glad you and your horse are making good use of this exercise. And yes, in principle the same weight aids (sitting a bit more on your outside seat bone), leg aids (inside leg is predominately driving) and rein aids (inside leg against outside rein feel) work for this exercise in the trot. My next/upcoming video will show this in the context of trot-canter transitions which I think you'll find helpful. :)

Thank you so much for your sweet comment, Milka! So lovely to have you witness and appreciate Sable's progress. :)

Thank you so much, Giovanna! I think so, too. So nice to have you acknowledge Sable's improvement. :)

Hi Connie! So nice to have you here! Thanks for watching! :)

Hello to you in Australia! Thanks for joining us here! :)

Thank you so much for your kind comment, Elizabeth! And thank you for verbalizing what you're noticing in such detail. It helps me in turn to know what I'm doing and how to communicate it when I teach. Great mental picture of the horse balancing on a wall, very nice. And I agree, lungeing is a skill and a conscious application of tactile and energetic exchanges between horse and handler that grows with practice, patience and openness to learn new things. So fascinating! :)

Das freut mich sehr! Danke schoen! :)

Thank you so much for your comment! I love to hear that you're incorporating regular Dressage work with your jumper. And so happy you find this exercise helpful. It's one of my favorites and also really useful for walk-canter departs. :)

Since you are flexing your horse's head slightly inward when you're holding the inside rein you should definitely watch and see when your horse releases his jaw so you can immediately give forward with both hands right afterward. Later when you and your horse are able to use this technique in a more finely tuned manner you may be able to feel the 'chew' but it's always ok to look and make sure your horse will really release in order to get the benefit of this movement.

Thank you! Understood!

@@mamad3170 Thank you! I’m glad you’re asking such good questions! 😊

Glad it was helpful! Thank you so much for your positive feedback! :)

Thank you so much, Jill! She is such a treasure and it's lovely have her progress be witnessed by like-minded horse people like yourself. :)

Thank you so much, Milka! I'm so happy the slow and steady work we do resonates with you! It's so much fun and so much better than trying to rush things. And Sable is such a good example for the happy vibes we can enjoy with our horses. :)

Hi Connie! Yes, in principle they are the same, but riding the movements in the two-beat of the trot is slightly different. You may find this video helpful: th-cam.com/video/RuNTekZJiu8/w-d-xo.html. :)

You're welcome, and thank you for watching and your question! I'd say start by focussing on riding your youngster more from the seat than with your hands. There are a number of videos that may give you some ideas on how to approach this goal. First have a look at the other videos in this series (and there will be more to come): Inviting My Horse To Be ON THE BIT (1) ‘The Circle Of Aids’ & Riding In ‘Shoulder-To-Shoulder Mode’ - th-cam.com/video/OlR7tP29Bn8/w-d-xo.html Inviting My Horse To Be ON THE BIT (2) Understanding And Building A Vocabulary With My Horse - th-cam.com/video/x_EaRcTcfCw/w-d-xo.html Inviting My Horse To Be ON THE BIT (3) Introducing Counter Flexion On Curved Lines In The Walk - th-cam.com/video/_u__gf8n3l4/w-d-xo.html Inviting My Horse To Be ON THE BIT (4) Walk-Trot Transitions On Curved Lines - th-cam.com/video/VlCXF6eERcU/w-d-xo.html Inviting My Horse To Be ON THE BIT (5) Walk-Trot Transitions On Straight Lines - th-cam.com/video/dJ_KAd1zHRI/w-d-xo.html And also, have a look at the ones in my playlists called 'Exercises For 'Hot, Run-Away Horses,' 'Dressage Seat & Aids' and 'Dressage Basics.' I love that you're so thoughtful in your approach with your mare. Let me know how it goes! :)

Thank you so much for noticing Sable's joyfulness during our session here! She really likes the open, two-way interactions. So nice to know you're watching! :)

Thank you so much, Jayne! Coming from you who knows the complicated background of this lovely mare it means a lot. :)

Thank you so much for acknowledging Sable's work without the side reins at this stage. It's an ongoing conversation about what may make sense on each given day. :)

Thank you so much, Milka! I'm so happy to know you enjoy the videos. Sable is such a special horse, and it's wonderful to have her progress be witnessed by like-minded people like yourself. :)

Glad it was helpful! And yes, a long rein walk warm-up is always part of the work. We can find out so much about the horse's (and our own) form of the day in those first few minutes.

Thank you so much, Elizabeth! Always such a pleasure to read your thoughtful comments! Yes, most people know that the building blocks for harmonious riding start on the ground, but few seem to have the time, patience or insight to follow that idea. I'm just offering glimpses. And I don't know that there is a proper term in the English language for 'übertreten lassen.' Maybe someone reading this can help? I think I refer to it as 'letting the horse's hindlegs cross.' Thank you again! :)