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Lateral Work - Travers
Travers is a lateral exercise in which the horse moves on a straight line with the quarters on an inner track.
Benefits To The Horse
The horse has to stay attentive to the riders aids whilst riding Travers which will also help to improve lateral bending of the horse and overall suppleness. Engagement of the hindquarters occurs due to the horses outside leg having to cross over encouraging the engagement horses inside leg at the same time. Travers is also used to help prepare a horse who is already riding Shoulder In and who is ready to move on to Half Pass.
How To Ask For Travers
- Ensure that your horse is actively walking on with a free and fluent movement, remembering that this should not be impaired when the Travers begins but instead maintained with impulsion from the riders inside leg.
- Use the corners of the school to help you set your horse up or alternatively ride a small 10 to 15 m circle.
- If you are starting on the left rein then as your horse's shoulder just comes out of the circle or corner ask for the Travers.
- Ensure that you and your horse are looking forwards into the direction that you are about to move in.
- Move your outside leg ( If on the left rein this will be your right leg) back slightly behind the girth to ask the horses hindquarters to move inwards to an approximate 30 degree angle.
- Keep your inside leg on the girth in order to maintain impulsion and maintain a small amount of bend or flexion to the inside.
- Your outside (right) rein will balance the horse, control the bend, keep the horse traveling in a straight line and support the riders leg.
- While your inside ( left) rein will maintain a soft inside bend to the left.
- When you have ridden a few steps and you wish to end the Travers bring the horses shoulder in line with the quarters and ride away.
- Start off with a few strides and then gradually build them up until you can maintain Travers up the long side of the school.
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Travers Exercises
- To begin with ask the horse to ride a circle as this will help to maintain bend and impulsion then proceed with a few steps of Travers before finishing off the Travers and riding another circle.
- Once you become proficient at riding Travers try riding it in trot and canter.
- Another exercise is to ride Travers up the centre line. This will require a great amount of accurate riding in order not to end up drifting across the school.
- You can also try riding a half 10 m circle that returns to either E or B and then ride a few strides of Travers.
- Another excellent exercise is to ride Shoulder In for approximately 10 to 15 strides and then Travers for 10 to 15 strides. By mixing the two together your horse will remain attentive, supple and fully engaged with their hindquarters. Once you are well practiced doing this on the long side try it up the centre line.
Common Faults
- Rider looking behind at the horses quarters.
- Rider collapsing their inside hip.
- Rider going crooked with their upper body.
- Riders outside lower leg swinging too far back.
- Riders not maintaining impulsion.
- Too much angle being produced.
- Resistance to the Travers either due to incorrect rider position or physical discomfort.
- Horse not looking to the inside.
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