Now with the winter riding and snow on the ground more work is done in walk, particularly with young horses. Trying to improvise and create variety in my work I came up with fun exercise I decided to call Christmas Tree :). It is done mostly in walk, trot version is possible for medium trained horses and advanced horses can do it in canter.

Prerequisites
A horse must walk calmly and regularly accepting contact or being on a bit. A horse must yield to leg aid and be familiar with leg-yield and walking turn on the forehand (a turn without stopping). A rider must know what makes a good leg-yield and turn on the forehand. I consider these two movements cornerstones in creation of more suppleness and obedience in a horse.

This exercises is best done in the open field where you will not have restrictions of walls. However, doing it in the ring is quite possible. You just need to plan ahead.

• Start by doing a leg-yield at a approximately 45 degree angle for about 10-15 meters. At the end start a turn on the forehand from the same leg that was asking for the leg-yield. The leg-yield is a "branch" and the turn is an "ornament" of a Christmas tree.
• At the end of a full 360 degree turn on the forehand start a leg-yield other way, also at approximately 45 degree. However, make it shorter 8-12 meters, perform a turn on the forehand from the same leg that asked for the leg-yield.
• Start a third leg-yield, same direction as the first one, but make it shorter - 6-10 meters. Perform full turn on the forehand at the end.
• Continue this way left and right until you run out of "branches" and your turn on the forehand end up being a top "ornament" :)
• To make a bigger tree and have more "branches" start with a longer first leg-yield - 20-30 meters. This will work well with a schooled more advanced horse and can be a great way to warm him up.

If you are in a field keep an eye on general direction. Pick a point at the end of the field to know where your "tree" is "growing". Do your best to keep everything rhythmical and fluid. Flow from movement to movement, from one direction to another. Make corrections but do not get stuck and pull your horse around. Keep convincing him to do the job! Keep him in front of your leg. He must step sideways himself not because you are leaning that way or pulling him over. Keep him straight through the body and base of the neck. Your "ornaments" can be bigger or smaller. However, it is important that your horse does not stop to perform a turn. He must keep walking all the time!
If you are doing the exercise in a snow your horse will get tired and feel the burn of pushing legs through the snow. Especially, if he is not regularly exercised in it. You can keep your "tree" small at first and develop a plan to build more strength into your horse by working in the snow once or twice a week. At first doing mostly walk.

Variations for medium/advanced horses: In trot - a leg-yield or a half pass with a small volte. In canter - a half pass with a canter pirouette and change of lead.

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