Not sure if this will make sense, but I like to picture what I'd like to happen in my mind, allow my body to adjust/create that energy which will trickle down to the horse. 

For example, if I'd like to canter I generally "see" in my mind how I'd like to canter, than I allow my body/energy to ask the horse to canter as well, generally it all just flows if I'm in tune with the horse. I think if we are in tune with our horse, and they know our aids than we don't realize how little of aids/energy we actually need to get results. It is like looking where you'd like to ride, your body makes slight changes and the horse picks up on those changes allowing you to end up on your mark -- all just by looking for your mark. 

If your mind knows what to do, your horse will (hopefully) follow any positive/good vibes that you are giving off. 

On a silly note, when I first started riding my friend and I would have to go fetch our ponies out of a 25 acre field where they were pretty merry mingling with other equines. Our coach always told us to go into the field picturing ourselves as carrots and apples and to call the ponies while still imaging ourselves as carrots and apples to "make a sound like a carrot!". The ponies always showed up like magic! I think it all boiled down to the energy that we were giving off, it was positive/happy and the ponies were interested in that energy vs. stomping around in the field with an unsure energy creating panic for the ponies.

Yup, starting to sound a bit crazy now  Interested in everybody else's thoughts, I think it is a neat topic.

Thanks guys! I always try to have that positive energy and I sometimes think my horse is psychic! I just think something and he does it, good boy that he is!

When I posted, I could have been a bit more specific in that I was thinking of the electric, positive energy and sensitivity for the piaffe. I want to create that electric responsiveness and lightness without tension and in a positive way.

I've been experimenting, and collected trot to medium trot and back gets my horse excited in a positive way. Also, collected to medium canter and back. Now I have to get that same positive excitement on his part doing trot-walk-trot in anticipation of the piaffe (and the treats that come with it!).

Any further thoughts or suggestions?

Queenrider wrote:

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More treats!
I laughed to myself the first time my new coach told me to "think trot". But it worked. I changed my seat and started to post and she met me and continued on. So now many years later I think "Canter" and adjust my seat and the horse canters.

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 Lol!

Yes, treats are very big in our neck of the woods. Piaffe, look at Belinda expectantly, get a goody and scratches. Piaffe, look at Belinda expectantly, get a goody and scratches..... that's pretty much our training routine!!

 

 

You asking about develping the piaffe? It is a movement (not a trot per se) which is the essence of going without being allowed to do so. A good way to develop willingness is to use rein back (which IS diagonal) to trot making sure the horse is lifting and placing the hindlegs in reinback (and is flexing w/o dropping). This create ease and willingness and balance. Also think that you sit lighter in reinback with the legs more back, and alternating rein (piaffe and rb share the same longer leg/further back/heels down). The other thing is to think you can quicken the walk steps but not change it to bigger walk, but have very much quicker hh. If the horse offers one or two steps, its enough. Reward/walk off.

I do work in hand to start piaffe, that way I can sculpt it. But at the beginning it is raise whip/walk forward/drop whip/halt. CRISPLY. Then rein back/walk/rein back trot/ all with the lfting or dropping of the whip first. And lots of reward.

Tension is caused/builds when the rider holds the horse too long (hh/demi arrets need RELEASE and REWARDING SELF CARRIAGE) OR the horse is OUT OF BALANCE /pained in the bars. In short that's almost always OUR fault. (LOL)