Transitions

Set Up For Success: set up cones to help you plan transitions
There’s an old saying in horsemanship: “All of training occurs in transitions.” A transition occurs any time you ask your horse to speed up or slow down—it is in the asking and your horse’s compliance that the training occurs. Be precise with your transitions and try to execute them at a specific place. I like to keep markers set up around my arena, using cones or brightly colored duct tape on the fence, marking the mid-point on each side, as well as quarter marks on the long sides. This way, I can execute my upward and downward transitions right on the marks and learn more about my horse’s preparation/response time and how precisely he follows my cues. Remember, practice does not make perfect—only perfect practice makes perfect!