Cueing Steps for Riding, On Line and Liberty

Cueing Riding:

Backing—

1. Life up--go slow so it can register—attenshun —(visualize for me so Try can read my intention)
2. Back in my body--again slow, distinct step—the direction Try is backward
3. The time to begin is now: Porcupine touch with one leg and release, again slow and clear
4. Repeat with other leg
5. repeat legs
6. if she wants to go forward instead of backing--lift the rein--do not pull back to cue a backup
7. Day 2—reviewed and she had it from the first leg touch and then from my seat.

Forward—

1.     Life up—tenshun—(visualize for me so Try can read my intention)
2.     Seat says forward without closing my hip angle (thank you Kathy!!) And it says only that the direction is forward?
3.     Touch says now it’s time to move
4.     This was even easier than backing
5.     We progressed this to use seat/1/2 halt to slow up the walk. In the future we can play with this to both slow and speed the walk. (I did not take the time to go through the steps slowly and carefully in my mind and body and it didn’t go as well.)

Laterals/Turning—match and mirror

1.     Straight on the circle/turn
a.      This is what I have been doing with Kathy—
b.     we do NOT need reins and I do need some leg to say what shape and size of the circle ONLY because I am not careful to teach in my body the amount of straight turn determines the circle.

2.     Bend in my body
a.      (not turn in my body with straight torso)
b.     Modern dance spiral
c.      Had to keep correcting myself
d.     Yes Try would respond and turn
e.      I wasn’t really paying attention to the difference in Try’s body
f.      By really sitting deep using leg/lifting rein and holding rein we got some nicepivots on the HQ

walk to trot	life up, cluck cluck, bounce legs lightly two/three times
trot to canter	life up, sit back, kiss and or touch leg behind girth
canter to trot	sit deeper, life down a bit, steady pressure two legs
trot to walk	sit, stick my stomach out
walk to halt	say "ho"--also taking my legs out of the stirrups LOL--steady pr legs
leg yield	inside leg to outside rein, outside leg to go forward and remain straight

Cueing On Line and Liberty

Friendly

1. energy down

2. attitude of "I love you"

3. whatever

Porcupine

1. life up

2. steady pressure of intention

3. steady physical pressure of increasing phases

Driving

1. life up

2. the look--raise eyebrows

3. twirl stick

4. tag

Yoyo

1. Find my focus

2. life up

3. intention from energy in my body

4. lean slightly forward with facial expression or slightly back with friendly expression

5. lift finger to back, gesture with fingers or slight feel on rope to draw

Circling

1. life up

2. point index finger and focus for walk

3.lift rope and stick slightly for trot

Sideways away

1. life up and focus

2. pendulum motion to indicate away

Sideways towards

1. from zone 3 lean back and use draw intention

2. lift stick up

Bring yer butt

1. lean back slightly and focus on her derriere and say briiiing yer butt

Squeeze

1. life up, drive as above

Stick to me

life up, indicate forward or back in my body and wait for her--walk

trot or canter--I change gait to cue

halt--vocal cue "and" immediate halt in my body

Touch it

1. point and wait

Straddle the pole

Like touch it, but low-key wait for her to figure it out--if she asks focus on body part she needs to fix and little motion of stick.