The question is - In the equitation when they ask for a lead change, how do you feel about that,
is a simple lead acceptable? - of course it's legal if they don't expound to you that they want a flying lead change.
But, from the hunter point of view there is no trotting on course. Trotting on course puts you in to the
40's. So out of 100 if you trot on course that is just right above the refusal.
So, their not going to look very highly on you if you do a simple lead change.
Probably even more in the horsemanship you need to have a flying lead change on your horse.
One of the biggest criticisms is in the patterns that the people are not moving their horses forward.
They don't want to see a horse loping they want them moving forward and they want you showing
the horse at what they would consider a 12 foot stride.
If you think about a trail horse loping their a 6 foot stride, a pleasure horse probably is a 6 foot stride.
So that's just how much more pace you have.
So, we're going to test these guys and I'm going to put them at a canter and we'll put up two
cones here and I'm going to set it at 3 strides and we will see how fast they actually have to go
to be at a 12 foot stride.
And, if a judge, and I did this and they all had a big ole uproar, if a judge sets markers out and
on their pattern they say, from marker A to marker B or marker B to marker C, it's 48 feet
their telling you they want you to see the strides, ok?
So, I'm going to set up a little pattern that I saw. Here was the start cone, right here, and we had a
diagonal line, and the diagonal line was set at 48 feet. So divided by 12, 4 strides.
And some of the little guys, they have to run like crazy.
okay, so what I am going to have you guys do is we're going to test your strides and everyone in
the audience can count to 4, I'm sure probably better than me. But if I can have you start down
here by the big water bucket and I want you to do a sitting trot to the marker, canter left lead
to the outside, come down the line on the left lead and then just go up and around by that van and halt.
We won't do a lead change but keeping in mind here that we're going to count your strides and there
should probably be 4 canter steps in here. They'll probably give you 5 but not 6.
Yes, yeah it's just like a hunter hack course all you're going to do is just trot to the marker and
then take your left lead and go toward the yellow water truck and then come down here and you
have to have enough pace that we're going to count how many canter steps you have in
between these two cones. And then you can just canter down and halt.
I'll add a lead change in, I'm not sure, [Well, Bailey you don't have a lead change do you?]
[we can do a simple lead change] okay. So, here's like a new little trend in equitation patterns.
[Who's going first? Very easy. Okay.] And it doesn't say two point it just says trot, canter
and actually there's a lead change in it and a halt over here, it's a hunter hack course without the fences.
[No, not to begin with, all I'm concerned about is this line down here.So you guys can feel how
fast you have to get your horses going.]
[Okay? Then I will actually turn it into a pattern.]
So, she's now giving us opportunity to build to the speed where she can get four strides knocked
out right there. So, as she begins to pass we'll count. 1 2 3 4 5 6, okay she's 2 strides long.
So, that's how much they want you to send your horse forward.
[And did you feel like you were moving him out, okay. So you gotta get a lot more canter and this
is just for you guys to see how much canter you have to have 1 2 3 4 5. So, that would probably
be acceptable because there is no fence but 6 is not .
It would be nice if she could drive that forward a little bit, okay.
[So, now you guys need to canter around down here and make them actually drive up to their
face and we're going to try to get you to get one stride less. Good, step her up their Bailey. Hands forward,
longer arms shorter rein, longer arms shorter rein, longer arm toward her ears.] 1 2 3 4 5
About 5 and a half. [Here comes Bucky, go.] And you want to, instead of kay-aying them and
kicking them, that horse needs to go forward. This is all about you driving them so make him get up there.
[And you want a longer arm and a shorter rein, canter up there, stronger, strong, now go, go, drive him
push him forward and drive him. Good, drive him till he gets to a 12 foot stride. Around the corner.
Look towards the corner down here. Drive him hands forward. 1 2 3 4 5, ok you shortened it up by one stride.]
[I think the buckskin can do it. Longer arm, shorter rein.] So that just gives you all an idea
of the pace. They actually want to canter around at about a 6 foot stride. Good. 1 2 3 4, was about 4 1/2
[Okay, let's try Bailey one more time.] I think you're going to see this pattern a lot.
And what it's done is it's made the straight horsemanship riders come to the party and step them up,
it's really not much to this pattern except for, can you get your horse in front of your leg and
get them to a 12 foot stride, that's the whole test here. Can you get to a 12 foot stride? Because
if you do hunters, you will have to be able to do a 12 foot stride. So, this is an event that is making our riders
come to the party, and giving the hunter riders a little shot. 1 2 3 4 5 6.