SUPREME SERPENTINES

What if there was an exercise that tested your transitions, your pony’s suppleness and their reactiveness to your aids, all at the same time? Well, guess what? There is! Our serpentine exercise can do all of this and MORE!

Top tip: To ride a serpentine accurately it can be a good idea to set up guide poles or place markers to ride through each time you cross the centre line, so that you know you are making the transition in exactly the right place.

How to ride it

This exercise is a great one for your flatwork sessions, or as a warm-up for your jumping lesson.

1. Begin by riding large around the arena in a forward walk rhythm.

2. Start a three-loop (or four-loop) serpentine at one end of the arena, making a smooth turn towards the centre line.

3. As you cross the centre line, ask your pony to halt using your seat and then your reins. Aim to stop with your body on the centre line.

4. Return to walk and carry on with the rest of the serpentine, making a transition to halt every time you cross the centre line.

5. When you are ready try the exercise in trot, making a walk – or even a halt – transition over the centre line as before. You could even try it in canter, trotting to change leg each time!

Top tip: Focus on riding a super-straight line over the centre line before changing your pony’s bend as you progress into the next turn.

Did you know?

The transitions are a great way to slow your pony down, and get him listening to you so you can change his bend more easily.