When you combine cavaletti and jumps skillfully, you have a fail-proof system for horse and rider to get together and be a great team.
The cavaletti are set at the right distance for the horse to navigate them at the right stride length, either set for the trot or the canter. The jumps are set usually at the end of the line so that the horse just has one more “cavaletti” to clear and he is done with that line. It becomes no big deal for the horse.
The rider can go over the cavaletti in increasing numbers so that she is able to maintain good form over each of the obstacles. When she can do it well consistently, a jump is thrown in at the end. The line becomes a little more complex as the horse and rider demonstrate their ease of navigating and jumping the obstacles successfully.
Eventually some turns are put in the flow. The horse and rider continue to be calm and collected over this slightly more complicated path.
Success at each level of difficulty yields success at the higher level of difficulty.
Although Anya has forgotten to put on her helmet, the concept is here. Whitey has developed confidence and the skill to go over this first cavaletti and others will be added to his line so that it becomes routine for him and Anya.
The rider develops great form. The horse develops the ability and confidence to take each obstacle correctly and without panic or hesitation.
Although Anya has her helmet on this time, we didn’t practice a line of cavaletti this day. If we had three or four or five in a row, with a jump at the end, that would create a grid that would make jumping almost fool proof. Can it be that easy? Let’s try to make it easy to be successful.
PeaceHorse wants to make sure each student has experienced a “Programmed learning” technique for success. Where else can that method be applied in the other disciplines of riding and horsemanship?