This is Part 1 of a three part conversation that was inspired by the coaching sessions that are part of my on-line clinics. We are talking about resets and lateral work. Resets give you do-overs so they are a key element of teaching good balance. If your horse starts to step forward out of balance, instead of letting him continue on so the balance issue just continues and becomes more and more of a mess, you reset him back to the beginning so he can try again.

Resets can become corrections. If the only time you ask for a reset is when things are going wrong, the focus will be on behavior you want to stop. A better way to think of resets is they are part of the dance. You cha cha forward and then you cha cha back. You teach resets so your horse is familiar with the dance steps and has been reinforced well for all the elements of the dance. When resets become dance steps, they become a useful tool for building great balance.