"If one induces the horse to assume that carriage which it would adopt of its own accord when displaying its beauty, then, one directs the horse to appear joyous & magnificent, proud & remarkable for having been ridden." ~ Xenophon
From Facebook fan Jennifer Stankiewicz ~ "To move the back end faster, move your hips faster. To do changes in dressage, you need to move your hips faster than the change, not with the changes or they get too slow and you end up behind the horse instead of with the horse (for 3's and 4's and tempis)"
Bend in the horse's body is not created by the rider using the inside rein! In fact a correct inside bend in the body is evident only when there is a soft, almost loose inside rein.
If you live in the Pacific Northwest or maybe London, you might as well stop reading right here. My suggestion will not translate to your world. If you live in a land where the sun shines at least occasionally, however, take advantage of it in the following manner... (Click on Blog Title above to read full entry)
I love to look for an area in a field where I can do a big circle on the side of a hill, where on that circle the horse has to go down into a little dip in the ground and back up again. This can really help the horse to let go in their backs. The canter in particular usually feels loose and free when they come out of it.
"The warm-up should lead each horse to a physical, emotional, and psychological state of balance and relaxation. The phlegmatic horse has to become alert and responsive to the rider. The timid, nervous horse has to become calm and confident in his rider as well as himself. The hot, overly reactive horse has to become relaxed and more tolerant. The distracted, spooky horse has to become attentive and focused on the work." ~ Thomas Ritter
"It is important that you do a variety of things when you are training an eventer, that means you never do two training sessions the same in a row. Maybe you will do two dressage sessions in a row, but then you might start the session by working your horse over cavaletti. Once or twice a week you jump – either you do gymnastics or cavaletti work or you do some jumping exercises from the cross-country course, like training over narrow jumps in the arena. Make sure you work always on getting your horse supple and loose." ~ Ingrid Klimke
Your rein connection is a line of communication that connects your brain to your horse's brain. When done correctly, your horse should feel every nuance of your seat through the reins as well as his back.
Excessive bend in the neck, whether lateral (most often to the inside), or longitudinal (behind the vertical) disconnects the haunches from the rein aids and allows the horse to remain locked up in other parts of the body, such as the poll and hips.
"I do a lot of cavaletti work also with my dressage horses because then I can really make them active behind, over the back, stretching into your hand, and really supple in the back." ~ Ingrid Klimke
This cross country complex asks a question that riders will commonly see in some form on course from Training to Advanced levels. The question is, can you jump this big wide spread fence, and still have enough control to jump the accuracy question that makes the next element?
In this case, the next element is a nice, inviting, and only somewhat skinny log. Sometimes that B element is a corner jump, an angled line, or a super skinny chevron. Course designers like to ask this question quite often at the upper levels. So if you are moving up the levels, this is something that you want to be good at!
Who can tell us how we can train at home for complexes like this?
What speed would you use to approach this particular complex? What part of the A element would you jump? At what point should you be looking at the B element?
There is a very common pitfall that many riders fall into when being asked the question of jumping a big, wide fence followed by a turn to an accuracy question. One that can easily cause a refusal or a weak jump at the A element. Can anyone tell us what it is?? (Click on Discussion Title above to read or join in on this educational discussion)
Working on shoulder fore or shoulder in on a large circle is a great exercise to teach your horse to pay more attention to your inside seat bone aid, as well as to improve the outside rein connection.
Always think about the depth of the water when deciding how fast to approach and negotiate a water obstacle. Riding too fast in deep water can easily cause the horse to lose his balance or even fall.
Soften the reins too much at the beginning of a lengthening, and you may find that you lose your stored energy. Which will likely cause your horse to quicken his stride rather than giving you a true lengthening.
From Facebook fan Suzan Mchugh ~ "I used to put a tiny smiley face sticker on the crown piece of the bridle. When I saw it I took a breath! It worked and relaxed me. If you breath your hips relax!!"
Dressage is natural for horses, but that does not mean it is always easy for them. Since we cannot explain to them why we are asking them to do things that require increased effort, and go against their natural instincts to try to do things in the easiest way possible - we must handle any inevitable resistances that might show up with patience in a quietly persistent manner.
This simple exercise is suitable for all levels of horse and rider. It is particularly useful for young or green horses that need to be more educated about the rider's outside turning aids. But it is also a great reminder for horses at any level who do not respond to the outside aids as well as their rider would like them to! Read on to learn all about it! (Click on Article Title above to read full article)
Gustav Steinbrecht on the French school of Baucher ~ "The greatest example of such quackery is Mr Baucher, who with the audacity of his claims and the enormity of his promises, has brought the entire equestrian world into uproar and confusion. His method consists in gradually and cunningly robbing the horse of its natural power, which Mr Baucher considers to be the enemy, and to thus make it subservient. He renders his horses so wilted and limp by unnatural bending and twisting in place and so thoroughly robs their natural forward action, that the poor creatures lose all support and are no longer good for any practical purpose."
The more spirit a horse has, the more difficult he may be to train. But once you have developed a good partnership with the horse, this same spirit will make him a tremendous competitor who will fight for you when things get difficult.
The more you can find a deep, plugged in seat in the down phase of the rising trot, the more you can sort of "suck" the horse's back up into your seat in the rising phase.
It is wise to remain at least slightly seated on the takeoff of an open ditch jump, and to look for the feeling that your horse jumps out in front of you. If you are too far forward, and/or are ahead of your horse's motion as he begins to take off, he can easily lose heart and jump weakly (and therefore losing confidence). Or he can even change his mind completely and stop, in which case you would then likely become a victim of the laws of physics. ;)
"There are only few mouths that cannot be taught a good rein contact by giving the horse the appropriate degree of balance, provided it is otherwise well conformed." ~ Borries v.Oeynhausen
Try to always be aware of the amount of tension that you may be carrying when riding, and whether you are breathing softly and evenly, or holding your breath. Talking or humming quietly is a good way to ensure that you keep breathing throughout your ride.
Horses have to learn that the free walk is a purposeful movement, not break time. Make sure you are conscious about teaching your horse this concept by training them to stay attentive, straight, in front of the leg, and reaching towards the connection in your free walk work.
"The outside rein is for me like the wall on the track, or the edge of the autobahn. The outside rein is the border and it maintains the horse." ~ Ernst Hoyos
"The four commandments of dressage are: 1) rhythm 2) tempo 3) frame 4) length of the stride. Sounds simple, right? You must own and embody every commandment." ~ Robert Dover
It is important for a rider to know why we do each of the various movements and exercises, not just how to do them. Otherwise they won't actually know exactly how and when to use them to improve the horse.
Long slow distance work is an important part of the conditioning program for every horse. But it is especially important for older and young horses. Older horses need to keep limber, and young horses need to build a base level of tendon, ligament, and bone strength.
Each time your seat touches down in the saddle in the rising trot, think of dropping your shoulders into your elbows, while keeping your chest wide open and your spine stretched tall.
A tense, tight back is a blocked "bridge" for the energy that should be moving from the horse's hindquarters to the rider's hands. You must address the tension in the back before you will be able to achieve a good connection.
Changing directions frequently can help to keep your horse more straight, as each time you change direction you momentarily break the pattern of leaning one way that your horse might have been falling into. And it can help to improve rider symmetry as well!
"Be as elegant as royalty. Embracing your inner princess (or prince) is vital in becoming a dressage superstar. And that means no brash or aggressive movements when your horse isn’t listening." ~ Robert Dover
Being a good rider, and being someone who understands the details of the concepts that make a good rider are two very different things. One can be both... but one does not guarantee the other. This is why it is not really a good idea to pick a riding instructor based on their ability to ride.
