Level up your lateral work

Do you know what lateral work is? You might associate it with leg-yield – and you’re right! But there’s much more to it than just that. Did you know that lateral work means moving your pony in a direction other than straight forwards? In the first part of our lateral work series, we’re focusing on how to teach your pony to move backwards!

Rein-back

Ever heard of rein-back? Well, it’s the only move that requires your pony to walk backwards. Just picture him moonwalking! Rein-back isn’t introduced into dressage tests until Novice level, but it’s an excellent move to teach your pony because it has loads of benefits, including…

• encouraging him to engage his hindquarters
• testing whether he understands your aids
• activating his core muscles

Rein-back has a two-beat rhythm where both diagonal pairs move alternately and, in a dressage test, you’re usually asked to show 3–4 steps. Don’t worry, though – when you’re training you can build things up more gradually!

From the ground up

Teaching your pony to rein-back while you’re on the ground is the best way to start. Here’s how…

1. Stand your pony next to a fence to keep him as straight as possible. Try to make sure he’s standing square.
2. Position yourself in front of his head and take a step towards him. The aim is for him to take a step back, away from you. If he does, reward him. If he doesn’t, apply gentle pressure with your fingers on his chest until he gets the idea.
3. Repeat this a few times and choose a noise, such as clicking your tongue, to encourage him to step backwards.

Having a go at this in-hand first means that when you come to asking him under saddle, he’ll already associate the noise with stepping backwards.

Find out more top tips for getting started with lateral work in January PONY – on sale now!