Stepping High

[Moonshai]

I have a rescue saddlebred that I am going to use for high school equestrian team this year. He's learning the basics of saddleseat, but I'd like him to pick his feet up a little more. Being a saddlebred, he has more natural action than a normal horse, but how do you get a horse to pick their feet up (somewhat) high, without expensive shoes?

[Jrchloe]

For a horse to be able to pick up his feet you need to have him collected. He has to be strong enough to be able to place most of his weight on his backend so he can free up his front end. Its not just about putting him "in frame" with his headset only. You want him to work from his back end to his front end instead of vise versa.

What basics are you teaching now? Some more information will be more helpful so we can help you better.

[Moonshai]

I'm mostly working on headset, cantering from the walk, and parking out. And eventually we'll have to work on flying lead changes, even though I've never heard of those being done in saddleseat before, but there is one in the equestrian team pattern.