Who doesn't need a new mind bending pole exercise to sweeten their flatwork through the dog days of summer? No seriously, hydrate! It's been hot out there lately. Choose your workouts carefully. That's one of the reasons I like this simple Arrow Exercise so much.
This one is courtesy of Lina Zacha & Barbro Lagergren. Their book "Creative Riding in the Arena" is a wealth of exercises designed to sharpen our horses and our riding skills. This exercise can be found on page 96 of the spiral bound version.
Exercise 112- Straight Track Through the Arrows
Keep the poles on the ground or elevate with low cavaletti blocks. Ride the center line through the arrow points. In this direction you will have a welcoming pole formation but you will need to keep the horse between the aids during the exercise. To successfully ride the horse over the arrow points, keep the horse in front of your leg.
Exercise 113- Increase Difficulty
In this direction it will be even more difficult to ride over the arrow point. The poles don't hep to keep the horse straight. The horse will need to listen to your commands to stay in a straight line. To successfully ride the horse over the arrow points, keep the horse in front of your leg and between your aids.