Here's an uncomfortable truth: most transitions happen somewhere in the vague vicinity of the letter. And most of the time, we blame the horse.

But a late transition, a scrambled transition, a transition that sort of happens and sort of doesn't — those aren't attitude problems. They're communication problems. Either the horse doesn't have a reliable response to your go or stop cue, or the timing of the ask is off, or both. Which means riding him harder at the letter isn't going to fix it.

The good news is that when transitions are built properly — when the horse has a clear, consistent response to a light cue, and you know when and how to apply it — accurate transitions start feeling almost effortless. Not because you're asking more, but because you're asking clearly.

In this session we're looking at what actually needs to be in place for a transition to land where you want it — and what to do when it doesn't.

You'll leave with better timing, cleaner transitions, and a much more useful way of thinking about what preparation actually means.

Sat 25 July | Ohariu Valley exact location tbc | $55pp + arena fee

To grab your spot text Susan 020 415 99 111

Weekend Breakdowns are small group lessons for local riders who just enjoy riding and want to do more of it. Each session picks one topic and digs into it properly — the kind of thing that makes your next solo schooling session suddenly make a lot more sense. Bring a horse who's mostly civilised and ready to work.