I believe an explanation is in order about the circle of horsemanship schematic which has recently been added to the student section. If not an explanation, per se, then at least what was going through my mind at the time I developed it and why I chose the words I used (although that will become evident with the definitions provided.)
Being aware not only means being alert and mindful; more importantly, it means having knowledge about something - in this case, horses...
The conversation between rider…and horse is never-ending; always, during every stride, the rider asks little questions...
AXIOMS TO GUIDE YOU IN YOUR JOURNEY TOWARD ACHIEVING HARMONY WITH THE HORSE
SEAT is that quality which permits the rider to remain master of his equilibrium, whatever may be the actions of his horse. The seat of military purposes must be secure in itself, that is independent of other means of security, and must provide ease and comfort for both rider and horse...
This exercise is designed to build strength in the horse, allow him to become more supple by creating bend in its trunk, get him to be aware of where his feet are and need to be, and improve his overall balance with the result that the rider will be able to move those parts of the horse that need to be realigned with more fluidness and lightness...
A horse can have the correct position with his head and neck, i.e., stretching out from the withers in a crescent shape with the poll at the highest point, but if his nose is behind a vertical line dropped down from his forehead, then he is considered to be 'behind-thebit.'
Flying changes are, in reality, canter departs ‘in the air’ performed when the horse is in suspension with all four feet off the ground; asked for and executed in a fraction of a second...
What is the proper position and how do we obtain it? Before we get into the specifics of the rider's position, let it be said that because of each person’s physical build and possibly because of the construction of the saddle that one rides, not everyone will be able to achieve the position described in this article...
A basic question which we must answer regarding ourselves and our horses is: What kind of relationship do we want? Do we want a relationship where the horse is a beast of burden made to do our bidding and we are the master and he is the slave? Or, do we want a relationship which brings us together in a partnership?