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The Second Easy Piece

by Suzanne Drnec as told by Les Vogt

Please review the Introduction: The Five Easy Pieces and The First Easy Piece for best results, then read on about our second exercise...

The Second Easy Piece helps you to isolate and control your horse's shoulders. Whether you decide to have your horse lead with his shoulder on a sweeping arc or a diagonal line is not important, but having him initiate the movement with his shoulders is. He shouldn't meander sideways with his head, ribs, or hip leading, but should deliberately move his shoulder in the direction you indicate with hand and leg cues. Viewed from above, you'd see his spine, from poll to tail, bent in a slight arc, with the shoulder area the point extending farthest towards the direction of travel.

Contain your horse's momentum, or forward energy, with your hands, and generate momentum by asking your horse to move away from your leg. If you want to engage your horse's right shoulder, keep your left hand steady, press with your left calf, and be sure your right leg is completely away from his right side, to create an open doorway to the right for his shoulder to move into.

Keep practicing this Second Easy Piece, then advance to Easy Piece Number Three.

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