"Since the criteria of a correct seat are the same as the criteria of good posture in general, being constantly attentive to one’s bearing when standing or walking is excellent training. A correct vertical posture of the head and the trunk on horseback is not a special posture applicable only to riding." ~ Kurt Albrecht
Secure your reins by keeping your bent thumbs pinched on top, but keep the rest of your fingers only lightly closed. Gripping the reins too firmly with all of your fingers will tend to tighten your forearms.
"Allow your horse to make a mistake, and then correct him once he makes the mistake. If you prevent him from making mistakes, you're preventing him from learning." ~ Jan Brons
Throwing the reins away to the point that they are so loose that there are loops in them is not the answer to solving your problem of being too strong/tense/rigid in the hands and arms. You must be able to keep a connection, and learn how to be elastic within that connection. That is the only way to advance in your riding.
If your instructor is the type that teaches you the reasons WHY behind each aid or exercise used in each specific circumstance, you will become a more educated rider with a greater ability to be productive on your own time. So many instructors do not. And if you have the type of instructor who does not, you are much less likely to become an independent rider.
From Facebook fan Laura Klecker ~ "I’ve been having riders glance at the brim of their helmets when they half halt. The change in their upper body position is remarkable."
Many horses have a tendency to stiffen and hollow their backs when riders raise their hands up even slightly above that ideal position that involves having a straight line from the rider’s elbow to the bit.
Riding your lateral work in a forward rising trot can be a great way to add more reach and expression to the horse's gait. This is best attempted only after the horse is at least fairly solid in each of the exercises while ridden in a sitting trot. Shoulder fore, shoulder in, haunches in, renvers, and half pass can all benefit.
doing a shoulder in in a posting trot is a great way to add more expression and stride length.
If your trainer is not truly supportive.... find a better one! I am always baffled at how many riders stick with trainers who belittle them, and very often don't even really have their best interests at heart. Some trainers don't teach because they love teaching, but because they love to stroke their own ego!
To successfully maintain the often elusive "forward feeling hands", try imagining that you are pushing a shopping cart as you ride forward into the bit.
Make sure you don't fall into the trap of treating your horse like he is a baby, long after he is no longer a baby. This is a common problem when a rider has brought a young horse along from scratch.
By and large judges don’t like to give low scores. Most of us are equally unhappy at giving undeservedly and misleading high scores. We want to give the right score without running the dagger through our poor riders’ hearts. This situation arises more frequently and understandably at schooling shows where experimenting or dabbling in a new level can require a rider’s act of bravery with no certainty of success. (Click on Blog Title above to read full entry)
"Really think about showing how good you are from your training and your program, instead of thinking about trying not to make mistakes and the fear that can bring." ~ Beezie Madden
There are SO many parallels between riding and lunging a horse. If you don't ask for and expect things on the lunge like obedience, rhythm, good posture and carriage, and bending on round and accurate circles, you probably won't get them under saddle either.
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!
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.
Every single Dressage test requires the rider to change the horse's bend from one side to the other. At the lower levels, it may only be required a few times in each test. But as you move up the levels that number increases, with some tests having as many as 20 different opportunities to show the judge how good you are at changing your horse's bend. Or maybe how not so good you are at it!
Being able to change your horse's bend WELL will allow you to best maintain the quality of your horse's balance, carriage, rein connection, and overall harmony between horse and rider. This means improved Dressage scores! And most importantly, being able to make smooth, effortless changes of bend improves (and proves!) your horse's suppleness.
The ORDER of aids involved in changing the horse's bend is very important! It can make the difference between a horse that changes bend smoothly while maintaining the quality of the gait, versus one that stiffens and resists slightly every time the rider changes the bend.
MANY riders go to their new inside rein first... and that is definitely the worst thing that you can do! Read on to learn about the sequence of aids for changing the bend that will give you the best results! (Click on Article Title above to read full article)
"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
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.
"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
"The distance between your ears and shoulders needs to be as big as possible." ~ Bettina Hoy So keep your head tall and your shoulders down and relaxed. :)
"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
