Use this teaching guide for unmounted lessons that help students understand how a horse moves in each gait while correctly identifying faulty movement patterns and signs of equine lameness.
Horses are made to move! Learning some basic biomechanics of horse movement can help students become better riders, trainers, and/or caretakers.
At this Level, we don’t expect a dissertation on horse anatomy in motion, but we do want students to develop an educated eye while watching a horse’s movement.
Blue Level HorseSense is often the point where students advance to leasing a horse, or investing in a horse of their own — which means their ability to recognize unsoundness while working independently could save a horse’s career!
Lessons cover:
- recognizing horse’s footfall pattern in each gait and the phases of each stride.
- recognizing variations in gaits, such as the difference between a collected, working, and extended trot.
- identifying movements within the gaits - including lateral work - along with posting diagonals and leads.
- spotting irregularities in each gait, including early indications of lameness.
Teaching tips include:
- creative ideas for teaching this topic with both private and group lessons.
- suggested Challenge materials (games, worksheets, etc.) and other teaching tools.
- strategies for adapting for your unique teaching situation.
If this is your first time using our unmounted teaching guides, please make sure that you download and read:
HOW TO TEACH HORSESENSE USING OUR TEACHING GUIDES – IMPORTANT INFORMATION
OTHER TEACHING RESOURCES YOU MAY FIND HELPFUL:
- Gaits and Movements flashcards on our online Quizlet Classroom
- On YouTube - our Learning Levels Blue HorseSense video playlist
- Blue Level HorseSense Study Guide
- Teaching Guide - Blue HorseSense - Warning Signs
- Level Up Flashcards - Blue HorseSense - Equine Conformation
- Teaching Guide - Yellow HorseSense - Trot in Hand
- Teaching Guide - Orange HorseSense - Hit Your Stride