Lateral and Longitudinal Exercises in Hunt Seat in Horseback Riding

In every discipline of riding, there are two different kinds of flexion in the horse. The first kind is longitudinal bend, which is the bending or flexion of the horse's body from head to tail. When the horse is ridden without contact, there is a loose rein and a long frame. The frame of the horse is the length of the horse's body and how they carry themselves. When the horse is ridden with contact, the rider pushes the hind legs up and under the horse and the frame shortens. As more is asked from behind, which is known as collection, the horse's frame grows shorter until the horse is on the bit. Collection is where the carrying power of the hind legs has increased, the joints bending more in the hip and stifle, hocks and fetlocks allowing the hind legs to come underneath the horse, and the center of gravity had shifted back. This creates an arching of the horse's neck; how great the lowering of the hindquarters is will determine how much the neck will be arched. The second kind is lateral bend, which is the bend in the horse's body from side to side, bending left or bending right. Straightness is when the horse is delivering impulsion from both hind legs equally into both reins; the undulations in the spine and the movement of the legs is symmetrical. Straightness is achieved by flexion, bringing the left side muscles into a flexed position and stretching the right side muscles or vice versa. To be considered straight, the horse must be equally elastic on both sides or to both reins.

Longitudinal movement involves the transition of pace or any collected-extended exercises on a straight line. The horse is being suppled and more aware of the rider's demands from front to back and back to front. In hunt seat, there are ten main exercises that can be used to work on longitudinal movement. The first is pace control, which is necessary regardless of the level or kind of riding. The rider should be able to slow down, speed up, stop and start the horse. It falls under the category of basic control and the most subtle influence on performance, and is the prime determinants of victory and defeat in every level of equestrian sports. Pace control is important in all phases of riding, and is part of the beginner rider's safety. By establishing habits of smoothness and invisibility, therefore creating characteristics of polish and form, control in pure form will result.

The second is increase in pace as well as decrease in pace. For the horse to move forward, he has to have freedom of his head and neck. This freedom is considered a "release", relaxing and giving slightly with the hands. Once the horse is released, he will be willing to move forward in response to the squeeze by the rider's legs. In decreasing pace, the hands and fingers will close slightly to bring the horse down a level. The rider also sinks down in the saddle, using his weight as an aid. The rider resists the temptation to pull and waits for the horse to decrease or stop.

The third longitudinal movement is the halt. It is the most often performed, but is rarely executed well enough. The basic, fundamental difficulty inherent to the halt is the lack of motion. Disobedience to the halt show up in four ways: not stopping and standing still, not remaining straight, not being square and evenly balanced on all four legs, and not taking the bit. The rider will close his fingers around the reins, fixing his hand and stopping further forward movement. As the rider decreases his pace, the rider sinks down into the saddle and opens up his body. The transition should be smooth and invisible. When the horse does the halt correctly, the rider will relax their hands and seat very slightly. Beginner students tend to pull, which is hard on the horse because it tugs on their mouth a lot.

The fourth longitudinal movement is backing. Backing should resemble walking in reverse and should be like normal walking in straightness, promptness, animated cadence, stable head carriage, and then later, backing with a certain number of steps in mind. After backing, the horse should move forward without any hesitation. Stopping after backing will cause the horse to learn to get behind the bit and behind the leg. To back a horse, there are two different ways. The first way is with hands alone and the second is with legs against hands. When the rider uses just his hand, he just does not relax his hands after stopping. Backing with just hands is a good disciplinary and corrective exercise. Using the hands against legs approach to backing, it prohibits the forward movement which requires the same closed hand as for decrease of pace. The horse is forced to walk backward in an attempt to escape the pressure by the hands and legs. Then the horse is allowed to move forward by releasing the hands. Backing is helpful to lightness and collection, and acts as a gathering force.

The fifth longitudinal movement is the canter depart. The departure into the canter is best learned from the slow sitting trot. The posting trot encourages a running transition rather than one from the walk. If the canter is to be required while the rider is at a posting trot, he should decrease to a slow, sitting trot and then apply the aids for the depart. The simplest way to arrive at the canter is using the outside rein and leg. The horse is bent to the outside, and is forced onto the inside lead by weight displacement. The drawback is that the horse is not straight. The second way is using the diagonal aids of inside rein and outside leg. A fair degree of straightness results from this way. The third way is having the horse on both legs and both reins, applying a slight indirect rein with the inside hand and supports with the outside hand while the outside leg remains passive behind the girth and the inside leg is active at the girth. The transition is usually very clean and quick, and it is straighter.

The sixth longitudinal movement is from the canter to a slower gait. With this movement, the rider strives to make the break as smooth as possible. The rider must not be sloppy or slack in their wishes. The rider collects his horse's canter by closing his hands, bracing his back and holding with his legs. He asks for the break into the ordinary trot by another half-halt with his hands. The rider will insure that proper rhythm, pace and impulsion by being on guard with their hands and legs.

The seventh longitudinal movement is the gallop and stop. The rider will put his horse into a canter, and then moves out into a controlled hand gallop. The rider then will apply the pulley rein several strides before the halting point and applies the rein aids. When the horse understand the pulley rein and fully acquainted with the stop, a direct rein may replace it. The eighth longitudinal movement is the strong trot. It evokes a forward response and lengthening of stride. The stronger, faster gaits tend to loosen and relax the horse. Once the horse is trotting, the rider encourages the horse forward with his legs and slightly relaxing the feel on the bit. The hands balance and steady the trot while the legs maintain the forward drive. The ninth longitudinal movement is the strong canter. It is preparation for the extending canter, whose characteristics are thrust, pace increase, and lengthening of stride. The rider drives their horse out into extension along the long sides of the area. This canter is ridden with a deep, full seat and not in a light half-seat.

The tenth, and final, longitudinal movement is the simple change. The change should be straight, smooth, and prompt. The horse canters diagonally to the center of the arena, and at the canter, drops down to a trot for a few steps. The opposite canter lead is then picked up. It is important for the horse to feel the change in his own legs. Straightness results from the cooperation between both legs and both reins. Promptness is a follow-up to obedient response. The finished performance should be smooth and the aids available.

Lateral movement is any exercise that involves turning, bending, or moving sideways from the rider's leg or hand. The directional response, either right or left, categorizes it as a lateral movement. Some examples include bending around corners, a circle, shoulder-in, and a flying change. There are twelve main lateral movements that can be used in hunt seat. The first lateral movement is bending in the corners. It is necessary in this exercise to encourage the horse to understand by applying the two rein aids and an inside leg. By applying an opening outside rein, it inhibits the horse from cutting the corner. The rider applies the inside rein next to bending the horse in the direction of the movement. The reins combined with an inside leg, bending the length of the horse's body and pushing him into the corner.

The second lateral movement is circling. This exercise follows the bend in the corner. The circle presents the foundation for all the other training exercises. It solidifies eye work and instills discipline, both for rider and horse. The rider steadies the pace in preparation for the circle. The inside leg and rein keep the horse bent to the inside while the outside rein holds the horse's pace and the outside leg guards against the horse going outside the track. The smaller the circle, the more bend in the horse. Circling is also a great collecting, balancing exercise, and its value in schooling horses that hurry and rush.

The third lateral movement is the figure eight. This exercise sophisticates the simple circle by having to change direction continually and bending the horse alternately from right to left. The horse must remain straight before being asked to bend in the opposite direction. The fourth lateral movement is the volte. This a very small circle, about six meters. It requires the maximum bending abilities of the horse, especially when done at the slow trot or canter. The rider's aids need to be at hand - a deep seat, an alert, active leg, and a secure support by the outside rein and leg.

The fifth lateral movement is the serpentine. This is a series of loops bisected by an imaginary center line, the ends of which serve as both as starting and finishing points for the exercise. It is a challenge to a rider by having the alternate bend to the left and right. The loops should be identical in size, and pace control with proper bending of the horse is necessary. The serpentine is a measure of progress for the rider. The sixth lateral movement is the broken line. This exercise serves as a lateral softener. The horse is constantly on a rolling path to and from the main track, being bent first left and then right. The movement is like zigzags without any sharp angles. The rider bends his horse at a forty-five degree angle towards the center of the ring for fiver or six strides, straightens shortly, and then turns the horse back to the outside trace. This will help the horse become soft from side to side. The primary object of this exercise is to cultivate suppleness and response to the inside rein and leg, causing the horse to bend in the direction of movement .

The seventh lateral movement is the half-turn and half-turn in reverse .The half-turn is a circle away from the side of the ring, returning to the side on a diagonal line and continuing around the track in the opposite direction. The rider changes his diagonal or lead upon returning to the track. The half-turn in reverse is the exact opposite of the half-turn. The rider goes away from the wall on a diagonal line, effecting his change of direction by turning back into the wall or track, changing his diagonal or lead just before the turn back in. The turns provide an opportunity for collection and straight lines allow for extension of gait.

The eighth lateral movement is the turn on the forehand.This exercise means that the horse's haunches move in a circular track around the forehand, which acts as a pivot. This movement can be accomplished by both diagonal and lateral aids. The first way is by using outside rein and leg. The horse's head is turned, bent by an outside indirect rein toward the wall, and the rider's outside leg is displaced back. The horse then moves around, using one of his front feet as a pivot. The other way is by using diagonal aids. The horse is bent towards the direction he is moving, and an inside indirect rein predominates while being supported by an inside leg.

The ninth lateral movement is the turn on the haunches. This is a collection movement, as the weight displacement is in the rear and the front is light and more mobile. A proper haunch turn is executed by diagonal aids. The inside hand and outside leg are prominent while the other aids are merely just support. The inside rein is the guiding force while the outside rein holds the horse from escaping forward out of the turn. The tenth lateral movement is change through the circle. It is an "S" with the circumference of an ordinary circle. The eleventh lateral movement is the flying change. The flying change of lead is the change of legs at the canter or gallop in the air. There is no interruption of stride nor any obvious change in pace, though collection and balance must be in evidence if thorough change is to occur. The horse must be straight in order for this to occur, and happens when the rider changes their leg positions. The two most important characteristics of the flying change is straightness and pace maintenance. This is often difficult because horses learning this movement tend to try to run away from the rider's leg rather than shift laterally to the other lead.

The twelfth lateral movement is the counter canter. This exercise is useful in testing the horse's recognition of aids and obedience to canter on the false lead. The rider must be acutely aware of all his aids, their positioning and function. The outside rein is used for full support and a deep, full seat is vital to balance. The outside leg holds and maintains straightness throughout the exercise. The inside rein first acts as a guide and then later serves to bend the horse toward his inside lead, while the inside leg is positioned at the back edge of the girth.

Both lateral and longitudinal exercises must be worked in equal amounts and in logical sequence in order to insure the horse's well-rounded development and suppleness. Horses do not maintain riding levels on their own, and vacillation, decision, and ignorance create mediocre or poor riding and bad horses. The rider who knows how to improve his form, aware of the correct aid application, coordination, and sequence for various results, and who had a variety of schooling exercises to do will do things well. A comprehensive study of the sport has its rewards, whether safety, performance, or both.