Tip/Quote of the Day!

The horse's loin area (behind the saddle) is loosened and suppled with each good lateral step behind. Just one reason of many why lateral steps are a very important part of training horses. 

Make sure your inside leg is quietly on the horse before you begin a turn. Even though your outside aids actually turn your horse, your inside leg is the post that he needs to bend around. Many riders are caught out with their inside leg completely off, and only put it on when they find their horse is falling in through the turn. By that time, it is much harder to correct.

The rider that helps the horse to carry himself in the best balance in the canter is poised and still in the upper body, while remaining supple and following in their hips and elbows.

Collapse in a heap at the end of your transition, and you train your horse to do so as well.

If you attempt to teach your horse to jump, to go through water, or to jump over a ditch when the horse is not first trained to go instantly forward from the leg, you are not setting yourself up for success.

Horses will usually add a stride when jumping on an uphill slope. Make sure you wait for it, while still revving those hind legs if necessary.

Don't forget that the way the distance rides between two jumps changes as the fence height changes. The horse will land further into a line or combination when the jumps are larger, which makes the distance effectively shorter.

Imagine an open ditch as a triple bar, so that you come close to the edge on the takeoff, and ride forward across the back edge. Doing so will make the jumping effort easier for the horse, and give him confidence.

"Lightness, whose characteristic lies in the elastic and springy flexibility of all joints and muscles, can only be acquired after all resistances have completely disappeared, that is, with the disappearance of all inopportune contractions." ~ Alexis François L’Hotte

From Facebook fan Gabby Ballin: "Some rides are going to be perfect. Some rides are going to have you wondering why you don't quit riding. When that happens, take a deep breath and go back to something you know you and your horse can do easily."

Don't copy successful riders' bad habits. Instead, look at what they do WELL. Just because they can pull off success with quirky form doesn't mean you can.

Take your time when riding transitions. Many riders seem to rush through them just to get them done. Be conscious of preparing for each one, and feeling all of the details while you are making the transition - being ready to abort the transition if things start to go wrong.

When riders stiffen their shoulders it can cause them to also have tense, tight arms and hands. To relax your shoulders, take a deep breath in, and exhale fully... looking for the feeling that your shoulders and elbows drop and become supple.

Those riding a strong horse on cross country should generally ride with their stirrups on the short side. The increased angles give the rider more strength to deal with a puller. 

"Dressage is the passionate pursuit of perfection by the obsessively imperfect."

Ride TO the bit with your seat and leg, and do not use the reins to lower your horse's head!

The horse's back is like a bridge that connects its front and hind legs. It is the rider's job to keep that bridge stable and consistently level, or even better slightly lifted into an "UP" position like an arched bridge. When the horse's back is regularly allowed to remain in a hollow position with a rider's weight on board, the horse's back will be damaged... eventually. 

"The first step to getting our horses in self-carriage is getting ourselves in self-carriage. Core strength is a big part of that." ~ Carl Hester

Always use both reins together to steer, especially when jumping. Using one rein only turns the horse's nose - leaving the rest of his body to derail. While using both reins together turn the horse at the shoulders, meaning his body will more accurately follow your chosen line.

An exercise to check if you are sitting straight and putting your weight equally down into both stirrups is to stand straight up for a few strides, and notice which stirrup you have to consciously put more weight into to keep yourself balanced.

"It is not our horse's job to understand our language. It is our job to understand theirs." ~ Reiner Klimke

The opening rein acts like a vacuum, moving the horse's shoulders easily as desired, especially when supported by the opposite leg and rein.

"Adopt a classical position, resist all fads and gadgets, and ride the horse quietly and softly between the two straight lines of the stirrup leather and the elbow to the horse's mouth. It's simple. It's just not easy." ~ Jimmy Wofford

While it is important to have a plan when riding, you should be ready to adapt that plan as necessary. Ultimately, you ride the horse and not the plan!

If there is a jump on your cross country course that you are worried about, you certainly don't want to have to face it twice! So ride it like you are mad at it, and "get 'er done"! 

"When your horse has reached its potential, leave it. It's such a nice feeling when you and your horses are still friends." ~ Reiner Klimke

From Facebook fan Mary Apfel-Vandeyacht ~ "Riding is a lot like driving a manual transmission... You may be able to make it go (when learning how to ride), but you're going to break it and look like a schmuck unless you learn to do it right."

"We all experience struggles, but your attitude is what makes you a winner, not the trophies or ribbons." ~ Mellisa Davis Warden

"In the half halt that creates carrying power, we are asking the horse to slow down and carry more weight when his hind leg joints are closed and his hind foot is on the ground. The levade, in which the horse sits on his hindquarters, is the ultimate example of this kind of closing of the joints while carrying the weight." ~ George Williams

The use of "half steps" in your training can be very beneficial, as it can help the horse to understand the idea of engagement without increasing speed.