To ask the horse to make an upward transition, Robert told the riders to "sit with your body like you're the greatest opera star," take a breath of empowerment (push their stomachs out in front, push their chests up, sit back on their tail bones) and drive with their seats and close their legs, close their inside fist. "When the horse reacts by going forward, it's important to tell him he's a good boy." Then, breathe out and, as the horse surges forward, close the outside fist to regulate how forward he goes and to help him maintain his balance.
To ride a downward transition, "breathe in, squeeze your upper leg, sit against your horse's motion, close your outside hand and sit, sit, sit," Robert said. "See if you can canter on the spot for three strides," then relax.
This adjustability is critical for jumper riders, Robert said, because if they jumped a water jump and then needed to fit in five short strides to a skinny fence, their horses would need to respond to their aids quickly. "Our job is to figure out how much balance and harmony we can create to make them perfectly adjustable. If you have perfect adjustability, you have everything," Robert said. "Great riders, they can add or subtract a stride because their horses are so adjustable."
He concluded by saying, "I hope I've brought you a step closer to being the next Beezie Madden, the next McLain Ward. You see what you need to do. Now it's up to you to say you're just going to do it."
Sandra Oliynyk is the editor of Practical Horseman magazine.
The training session is hosted by Bates Saddles and Equestrian Sport Productions and supported by the U.S. Equestrian Federation. In addition to Bates, supporting organizations include Purina Mills, the U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation, the U.S. Hunter Jumper Association, the Syracuse Invitational Sporthorse Tournament, Nutramax (Cosequin ASU), the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and Practical Horseman.
