After talking about the ins and outs of mastering the perfect circle, we can then further our circle education by applying the same principles on the serpentine, where our ability to maintain an even connection on both reins is put to the test.
“Serpentine in walk or trot: obtain the loops of the serpentine by the advancement of the outside shoulder, not because we mess with (pull on) the inside rein” said my hero Nuno Olivera.
It is so much easier for us to get half way across the short side, and then pull our horse across to the other side to begin the second loop, but the purpose of the serpentine is to help us establish straightness and balance and also to test our ability to control the outside shoulder of our horse without the use of our reins.
“It is the shoulders that give the direction. We turn the horse by the torso not by the hand, and the horse turns around the inside leg," said Nuno.
Still to this day if I forget myself, I will begin the serpentine at A and go deep into the corner out of habit… wrong! First a serpentine is a set of three half circles, and so one should make a curved line from A to just after K and then begin across the short side, then making the horse straight as you cross the centreline you change the bend of the horse without changing the balance and then begin the new curved line in the same cadence and rhythm as before the change was made.
Sounds simple but to ride a serpentine without any change in the speed, cadence, balance, or impulsion is very difficult and unless the rider has an even contact and a horse in front of the leg, they will be forced to use their lifeline (reins) to pull the horse around! The key lies in having the horse balanced underneath your centre and also having your legs long and relaxed enough that they can guide the horse around the arena by shifting the weight of the upper body.
“The inside leg must be close to the girth during the curve. We must prepare this curve and not surprise the horse," said Oliveira.
I realised the serpentine was difficult for me because I was not able to bend my horse without making any change to the line I was on. First, I began testing this on the three quarter line, trotting in a straight line I used my torso to bend my horse to the left, and then after 8 strides I would bend him to the right, trying to keep my horse horse straight on the three quarter line. The easy way is to pull the horses head from side to side, which does nothing in helping the rider establish a connection between their upper body and the line of the horse.
Of course when changing the bend a rider must change the angle of their hands, but this must be done keeping an even connection on both reins, and when we see a rider pull the horse's head to one side, they immediately lose that even contact and the horse, of course, falls out and comes off the line.
Once I could effectively change the bend without altering the line, balance, tempo, or engagement of the trot, I began again working the serpentine, keeping in mind what I had learnt from my time perfecting the circle. Keeping the horse engaged and forward into an even connection on both reins, I made the short side, and was able to change the bend first, setting him up for a balanced and flowing change of direction. Then, when we are confident that we can maintain the balance and contact and impulsion in the serpentine, we can use this during the beginning of each lesson. Why? Just like every good exercise, the key in training is not just to do the exercise well, but to get the information we need from the exercise to help us improve ourselves and our horses. Because the serpentine using both reins, we can use it as a test of both horse, and rider strength, and determine whether we are more or less capable on the left than on the right.
“The serpentine is a precious exercise for the study of the feelings that the horse gives to the rider. We must feel that there is no more resistance on the left loop than on the right loop,” said Oliveira.
During the serpentine you can decide by feeling which side is easier for your horse? Which side is easier for you? Do you fall a little to the inside on the left? Is it more difficult for you to guide your horse around a solid left leg, than a strong right leg? For example, I have the tendency to pull my right leg up, so it was much easier for my to guide my horse around my left leg, but when I tried to turn my torso around my right leg I really needed to focus on putting more weight onto the ball of my right foot.
Some rider lean a little to one side, and the serpentine can be a good test of where their weight is being unevenly distributed. Don’t rush the exercise, but think before during and after the serpentine, and use the learnings to help you determine what needs work.
Remember, the serpentine should be executed with seat and leg, not rein, and if you find yourself pulling one rein and letting the other one slacken off, you will not learn about the balance of you and your horse, because you are balancing yourself on two pieces of leather!
“In short, we do the serpentine by the advancement of the outside shoulder and support of the inside leg, and not by the movements of the hands," Oliveira concluded.
by Sarah Warne for Eurodressage - Photo © Astrid Appels
Read all of Sarah's Classical Training Articles here.