horse balance, lynn palm, lynn palm trainer, lynn palm training, natural-balance exercise, natural balance exercise, balance exercise, horse balance exercise
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Suppleness Exercise
When your horse’s
muscles are supple and
his joints are flexible,
he’ll be better able to
maintain his natural
balance. Working on a
circle supples him, as
it compresses the inner
muscles and stretches the
outer muscles. Note: Work
twice as long on his less supple
side to develop evenness.
Step 1B. Warm up. Warm up
your horse’s muscles for 20
minutes at the walk.
Step 2B. Ask for the trot. Ask
your horse to trot on a large
circle. Perform several transitions
within the trot. Guide the
correct bend. Look for signs of
relaxation and balance as described
in Step 2A.
Step 3B. Keep it short. Perform
suppling exercises in short seg-
ments. Your horse may be able
to hold the slower speed only for
a short distance before speeding
up again to find his balance.
Change direction often through
the center of the circle, and perform
no more than two circles
before changing direction. Do
something else, then come back
to your circle work.
Step 4B. Go straight. When
your horse can hold the gait
at the slower speed for longer
periods, take him off the circle,
Horse.com • state line tack HorseLink Magazine
9
Issue 5 2009
Watch the
video to learn
how to perform
a natural-balance
exercise from
world champion
trainer
Lynn Palm.
and let him carry himself
on a straight line.
Step 5B. Ask for a walk.
Ask for a walk, and perform
walk transitions,
following the previous
steps. Change directions
in the circle often, and
perform the figure only for a
short period.
Lynn Palm is the founder of Palm
Partnership Training. She’s shown
more than 34 Quarter Horse world
and reserve world champions, competing
in both English and Western
disciplines. She’s won a record four
American Quarter Horse Association
Superhorse titles and was the first
rider to win the prestigious Superhorse
title twice on the same horse,
Rugged Lark.
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