Tip/Quote of the Day!

When walking your cross country course, always take note of any markings on the ground that might distract your horse from the fence - such as patches of dead grass, or areas where artificial footing has been added. Some horses don't care about those kind of things at all, but many do! Be ready to ride a bit more strongly if necessary, with your own focus and intent clearly on the fence you are approaching. 

When working on jumping gymnastic lines, don't always just set up the typical cross rail, one stride to a vertical, one stride to an oxer. That may be the ideal introductory grid for a greenie, but the more advanced horse needs to be challenged much more than that.

The horse's energy flowing through a turn is similar to water flowing through a tunnel. Just as the outside wall of the tunnel is paramount, a good connection on the outside rein is crucial to a successful turn.

Horses naturally lean into pressure. We have to train them to yield to it instead. Make sure you do not skip this step in the training of the young horse!

Try to remind yourself regularly when schooling that the release of the aid is what teaches the horse that his response was correct.

It is best to always carry a whip when you ride. The whip is such a important tool to reinforce your leg aid. It is far better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it. 

A supple horse gives the rider a nice comfortable place to sit.

"Dressage experts spend much time talking about the physical issues of correct riding: which of the rider’s legs goes where, how the horse’s back moves, what the horse’s hind leg does and so on. It’s true we need to know these details about the physical aspects of riding, but we must not forget that dressage is all about the horse understanding what the rider wants him to do. I think the quality of any performance is determined 50 percent by the horse’s fitness and 50 percent by the rider’s degree of success in helping his horse mentally understand what to do from a light physical aid." ~ Steffen Peters

Keep your horse's back UP as you ride into the halt by riding each step from the hind legs from behind up into your receiving hand.

When a rider (even if unintentionally) offers to help support the weight of their horse's head and neck, the horse will usually simply oblige, and lean on the rider's hands.

"Dressage is all about using the minimal aids to gain the highest result. If the rider sets his standards high enough and gives the horse a light aid that the horse understands, that is the sport ideal." ~ Steffen Peters

The more you can guide your horse through turns and circles with your eyes and your body position, the less hand and leg you will need to use. Which usually means more harmony and self carriage.

Always keep in mind that truly good Dressage produces a horse that is a happy athlete. If the horse does not look happy in his work, that work is probably not correct.

Try not to let your horse learn to do things that you do not actually want him to do. They will quickly become a habit if you are not careful. 

A horse can only be truly straight when they are equally laterally supple on both sides of their body.

"I once had an instructor describe a half halt as a call to attention. When riding a laid back horse who sees forward as a waste of energy, thinking of a half halt this way will convince you that you need lots and lots of them." ~ Liz Chilcott

Your goal when jumping should always be to see how early on in the approach you can get your horse to focus clearly on the fence you want to jump. 

"Riding: The dialogue between two bodies and two souls aimed at establishing perfect harmony between them." ~ Waldemar Seunig

A really good rider is a master at self control.

"I'd rather start with a horse that is careful and looking after himself than one that is reckless and out of control because the careful one will take care of you and can learn to overcome his fears." ~ Blythe Tait

The less you can see a rider do, the better. When you see the rider doing very little, it means they are communicating with the horse quietly, and the horse is attentive and responsive. 

A careful and judicious lunging program is a great way to help a young or green horse build up the muscles in their body for riding. And it also helps them to develop a work ethic. 

"Many people, especially people who learned the wrong way, simply do not want to invest the time and energy to go back and learn the basics correctly. It’s even harder than learning the basics correctly the first time." ~ Elaine Hayes

When a horse collects, his shoulders will come up naturally. Don’t try to lift them in front!

A truly good halt is square because it was a balanced, straight, and well ridden halt. Not because the rider has taught it the trick of squaring up after an unbalanced halt.

"The lower leg I liken to a seat belt. You hop in a car, the first thing you put on is a seat belt for safety. Keep your lower leg forward, cover the girth when you are jumping, I don’t want to see that girth, it can act like a seat belt – you can brace against it. If something goes wrong, then as long as you are not in front of that lower leg, as long as your upper body is back behind that leg, then you can brace against being thrown forward." ~ Matt Ryan

"For many horses, the flying change can be one of the hardest things to learn. Regardless of the age of the horse, it is important to wait with the training until he is relaxed and trusts the rider." ~ Steffen Peters

If you ride with strong aids, you will always need strong aids. Your horse will never hear the quiet ones.

Transitioning back and forth between "work time" and "break time" when schooling is every bit as important as any other transition - best done gradually and smoothly.