1. Equitation- Use of Aids

2. What are aids? Anything you use to communicate with your horse
2 enhance your natural aids
Types of Aids
Natural- what you posses
Voice
Seat (weight)
Leg
Hands
Artificial
Man-made tools to

3. Your Seat
Influences:
The direction of horses motion- forward, back, sideways
The speed of the horses gait (slow, fast, stop)
Want an independent seat- meaning that your seat moves with the horses motion, but is independent of your other aids.

4. Seat and Balance A riders seat is dependent upon the riders balance
Uses core muscles to stay upright
Shoulders back, sit tall, abdominal muscles engaged
Should have a straight line from the shoulder through the hip, to the back of the heel
Maintain position while riding

5. Incorrect Correct Incorrect

6. Seat and Balance As you sit forward= encourages horse to move forward
As you sit back =- encourages horse to slow or stop
As your weight shifts to the side= encourage horse to move in that direction

7. The Legs The major influences are to Create forward movement.
Activate the hindquarters.
Indicate direction.
Influence length bend.

8. Legs Horses natural move away from pressure
Training increases a horses natural sensitivity to pressure
Legs should be used to move forward or change direction

9. Both legs at the same time = encourage forward movement
One leg = change directions
By the girth or slightly behind
Encourages the hind leg on that side to move forward and away from pressure – lateral movement

10. Leg Aids Pressure should not be constant Use if asking for a response
Always start with small amounts of pressure and increase if the horse doesn’t respond
Try not to kick hard or use spurs all the time-, horse becomes desensitized or “dead-sided”
May use artificial aids to encourage response
Spurs, crops, reins

11. 3 Uses of Leg Aids

12. The Hands The major influences are to:
Communicate with horse through the mouth (bit)
Control the speed (the tempo of the gait)
To ask for bend in the neck

13. The hands NOT TO HELP YOU BALANCE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Direct connection to the horses mouth (brain)
Can easily mentally scar a horse for life if rider uses harsh or heavy hands
Hands should be light, soft, and elastic with the horses movement

14. The Hands
Always try to direct the horse first with your legs and seat, then through the reins.

15. Voice Tone of voice Volume of voice
Verbally ask for an action before physically asking (if appropriate)
Sometimes this helps the rider more than the horse

16. Artificial Aids Extension of the riders natural aids
Use with care and caution
Spurs
Whips and crops