Marina Krasilshchikova is our Russian clinic coordinator, who also translated the Home Study Course Straightness Training into Russian. In September, Marina was on a holiday in Europe, and she also visited The Netherlands for a few days.
Of course, a Straightness Training lesson with Professor Romanesque was part of the programm.
With Romanesque I have been working with Straightness Training at liberty lately (see the below video), and he is starting to offer the piaffe and the terre à terre:
I started Straightness Training without longe line recently. In the video Romanesque, El Blanco, Prince Elmelund and Toronto are really forthcoming, and while they are in total liberty they are trying their best. On the circle I am looking for lateral bending, a forward down tendency, and stepping under with the inside hindleg. It is just work in progress, but the beginning is there:
You don’t always need tools or physical aids to get the horse to do what you want. Your inner picture, energy and body language are very effective, and they are your most important means of communication. The whip can be seen as a tool to lengthen your arm and your energy, and not as a physical aid where you actually touch the horse.
With your inner picture, feeling and body language you can control all four legs of the horse!
Your horse is constantly observing you, and he can read your mind, feel your energy and see your body language at any time. Therefore, they are very effective and important means of communication.