The corner is your friend.

What does it mean ‘ the corner is your friend’? When I was a teenager and riding in the jumpers my coach always said: “The corner is your friend” He meant that it was my chance to look ahead and get my horse prepared for whatever was coming next.

Today I watched Lynsey Rowan have a lesson on my horse Biasini. Belinda told her she wanted to work on the corners! There can be so many details in each corner.

Lynsey warmed Biasini up with a stretching trot.

Then she and Belinda talked about what they would work on that day. Riding the corners was what Belinda wanted to see Lynsey work on. They started with some canter work.

Here is a video of Lynsey cantering a corner.

A corner may seem like a simple thing but listen to Belinda telling Lynsey what she must do in the corner and on the short side. And how small she can make the aids. They are just between her and the horse not for anyone to see.

Then they moved on to working on the start of the Intermediare 2 dressage test. Lynsey will be competing in this test with the other horse she rides later this summer. Here is a video of the entrance , a nice square halt and left turn to extended trot across the diagonal. Then centerline and half pass.

Once again I was not riding but there was much for me to learn . I know that corners are very important and just as my jumper coach said they can be my “friend” where I can get my horse together and prepare for what is coming next. It is also a pleasure to see riders like Belinda and Lynsey ride my horse. Just FYI Lynsey had Biasini out to the forest yesterday and where there were some tree trunks down on the trails….she just asked Biasini to canter or trot on and he jumped them easily! He is a multi purpose dressage horse.

Comments

9 responses to “The corner is your friend.”

  1. David Avatar

    They certainly are the best of friends. Trish has taught the daughters how to look ahead from any point on a jumper course. That way you can keep your riding line or you can adjust it, but it means trusting your horse unconditionally to clear the jump in front of you while you’re lining yourself up 2-3-4 fences ahead in the course. It’s akin to driving or walking with eyes up. On a horse, that’s looking much farther past their ears.

    Isn’t that right, Biasini?🐎🐎🐴🐴🐎🐎

    1. David Avatar

      Forgot to add, I saw Willie Walker in the video. When will it be his turn on canter and trot??? (LOL) 🙂

      1. anne leueen Avatar

        Haha! I will ask the surgeon tomorrow.

    2. anne leueen Avatar

      Yes David Human it is.🐴

  2. Alli Farkas Avatar

    I love riding my horse into the corners, and getting the job done in only 3 strides. This happens occasionally, because unless she is set up perfectly ahead of time, she will cut all available corners. This is especially true where there are some of the vaulting horses (they look like big blue barrels lying on their sides) stacked by one corner in particular. They can’t move, being steel barrels of course, but she is convinced they will jump out and bite her. Even after seeing them for months…🙄

    1. anne leueen Avatar

      Haha I understand about the barrels. I do ride right into the corners now because if I don’t Belinda will be on my case . Thanks for commenting Alli.

  3. J.W.S. Avatar

    Left turn…right turn…and pivots depend on team work for me.

    1. anne leueen Avatar

      Indeed! A good rider can make look easy when it is far from it

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