"One can never, I believe, strive for a lack of criticism in riding – because I don’t think that there is such a thing as perfect riding. I don’t think anybody’s performance is beyond some sort of criticism." ~ Tad Coffin
"Nevertheless the freedom of the shoulders in all gaits is always only the result of elevation, and this in turn is the result of the hindquarters carrying the correct weight." Gustav Steinbrecht
"For what the horse does under compulsion… is done without understanding; and there is no beauty in it either, any more than if one should whip and spur a dancer." ~ Xenophon
"Riders make it so complicated, and they end up with mental overload. If at any stage you have difficulties in your riding, if you take it back to that basic drill: Can I go forward? Can I stop? Can I turn right? Can I turn left? Is the horse responsive to my leg? Am I actually feeling what is happening underneath me through my seat and then responding correctly?" ~ Andrew Hoy
A strong back is necessary for the horse to be able to achieve and maintain self carriage and collection for any length of time under a rider. Asking for too much too soon can cause your horse to resent his work.
I figure this year I will probably judge 1000 tests. Taking into account all the levels, that means I will probably give at least 20,000 separate marks. Some judges will do far, far many more rides. With all those opportunities there are bound to be some mistakes. Despite his best intentions, a judge’s brain momentarily wanders, and he misses a movement. It happens. Or a judge glances down at the test sheet at an inopportune moment and misses the horse switching leads and switching back after one stride in the corner. The judge giveth and the judge taketh away. Presumably it all balances out. (Click on Blog Title above to read full entry)
The half pass helps to develop the brilliance of the medium and extended trot, by increasing hip and stifle flexibility, and freeing up the horse's shoulders.
The rider who keeps their weight too far forward at the gallop will cause their horse to gallop on the forehand. When the rider's weight (center of gravity) is correctly above the center of the saddle at the gallop, the horse will be able to more easily gallop in balance, with free shoulders. And it is of course more easy to elevate the horse's front end for an upcoming jump coming from this position.
"When you look at two horses in an arena, on one side the big Warmblood that finds it hard to be short and quick, but has a power jump, or you have the beautiful Thoroughbred that finds it easy to be short and quick, and if you can just get that Thoroughbred to use its body more – get over its past – one is definitely the easiest to ride, one is definitely the more athletic, and that’s the good Thoroughbred. The good ones have that extra leg under them, they are very quick to be able to take that extra distance, they can use the back." ~ Michelle Strapp
Most riders know that they should be focusing more on the horse's hind legs when riding and jumping. But with the temptation of the horse's head and neck visibly in front of us, this can be quite difficult! Here is a little mental trick that will help! (Click on Article Title above to read full article)
"I want to re-emphasize my point that the x-c galloping position I teach is based on scientific research, not on opinion or intuition. Although we are suspended above the ground by the strength and power of our horses, we do not suspend the Laws of Physics when we step into the stirrups. Secondly, one reason given for galloping with a straight leg was that it was "easier for the rider." I find that statement hard to accept. The legendary horsemen that I still strive to copy were dedicated to the well-being and comfort of the horse, not the rider. Finally, there was some mention in the article of finding a visual role model who has the same physiotype that you have. While this is excellent advice, I urge you to choose someone to emulate that rides correctly as well as being of a similar size and shape. Copying incorrect mechanics will lead to mistakes in your technique...and mistakes in our sport can be fatal." ~ Jimmy Wofford
"Correct dressage training, is, therefore, a natural gymnastic exercise for the horse, which hardens its strength and supples its limbs. Such exercise causes the strong parts of its body to work harder in favour of the weaker ones. The latter are strengthened by gradual exercise, and hidden forces, held back because of the horse’s natural tendency towards laziness, are thus awakened. The end result is complete harmony in cooperation of the individual limbs with these forces, enabling the horse to continuously and effortlessly perform, with only the slightest aids from the rider, such regular and beautiful movements as it would demonstrate on its own only fleetingly in moments of excitement." ~ Gustav Steinbrecht
For example, he'll take a few strides of canter, and then start trotting again, and it's hard to get him back into it. Sometimes, too, we'll be trotting and he'll just stop. How can i fix this? (Josie)
Hi Josie!
It sounds like you have 2 problems here. One is that your horse may not always respect your leg aids, which means that it is easy for him to stay behind your leg. And the other is that he may have balance issues in the canter. That is actually quite a common problem... when the horse gets strung out in the canter (very often from a poor quality, running upward transition into the canter), and falls back into the trot as the hind legs trail behind and the impulsion is lost. (Click on Question Title above to read full answer)
"Suppleness means that the muscles contract and de-contract, and this has to go through the entire horse, it cannot be blocked in the middle of the back, and it also has to go through the rider." ~ Susanne Miesner
"'Losgelassenheit' means suppleness combined with looseness and the complete absence of any tension. It is the prerequisite for any advancement in training. Together with regularity, it is the primary goal of the initial, familiarising, phase." ~ Christoph Hess
The bigger the jump, the more the horse must rock back and lift upwards on the takeoff. Therefore as the jumps get bigger, it becomes even more important that you are poised and patient with your upper body off the ground.
"The legs bring the horse to the seat, and the seat brings the horse to the hands. When the teacher says 'shorten the reins' it needs to be translated into: 'engage the hind legs, sit on them, and then take the slack out of the reins', because if you shorten the reins from front to back, the horse will only resist." ~ Thomas Ritter
Welcome to the wonderful world of Eventing! There is nothing like it, you will be totally addicted! First of all, check out this entry on how to get started in Eventing. The single most important thing for you to work on as you delve into the world of Eventing is to... (Click on Question Title above to read full answer)
Most horses jump their best when riders set them up before hand with a balanced canter at the speed appropriate for the exercise, and then leave them alone to let them do their jobs. No micromanaging!
When it comes to equestrian training, it is almost always faster in the long run to take the time to do it right the first time, instead of having to go back and fill in the holes you missed in your basics. This is true for both horse and rider.
The balance and design of the saddle that you are using will make or break you as a rider that is striving to improve! Once you have become very confident and quite solid in all your skills, you can probably ride well in just about any saddle. But when you are trying to find your balance, trying to learn new skills, and trying to grow into a really solid rider you NEED the saddle that is exactly right for your conformation and what are trying to achieve.
Here is a great exercise (suitable for all levels!) for you to practice, the next time that you have the opportunity to go cross country schooling! (Click on Article Title above to read full article)
Big horses very often need to learn how to do a shorter, more active canter for the show jumping ring. Make sure you have achieved this before you start cantering courses!
"A significant portion of the art of dressage lies in your ability to differentiate between the positive tension of focused athletic effort, and the negative tension of resistance, fear, and anxiety." ~ Katherine Bateson Chandler
"Riding cross country is against the clock, but this doesn’t mean that you have to go fast. It means that you have to take good lines. Every extra ten feet, or three and a half metres that you travel, costs you one second. So if you can save half a metre on the approach and half a metre on the landing, and there are thirty jumps on the course, you come in half a minute quicker than someone else." ~ Andrew Hoy
"Re-schooling a horse with vices and sending it back to its owner is not enough. The vices will return with unguided riding. Only by retraining both horse and rider can the problem be solved." ~ Firn Hyde
"Is the rider able to ride all the movements with a long rein, long with contact, then as long as possible? It is possible to ride piaffe on a long rein when the rider rides 100% with a balanced body, and the horse is on his aids." ~ Christoph Hess
Let's talk about the similarities of ballroom dancing and riding horses!
When we watch a really harmonious horse and rider performing, it often looks as elegant as the very best ballroom dancing - with the 2 partners appearing to read each others' minds, or even become fully melded as one.
In ballroom dancing... as melded as they may seem... one person is the leader, and the other is the follower. In the horse and rider team, who do you think the leader is?
When I first thought about this, I thought the answer seemed pretty obvious. That by definition, we as riders are clearly the leaders, as we direct and control our partner's movement.
Then I thought about it some more... And I think that in some ways or under certain circumstances, an argument could be made that the horse is the leader. Can anyone come up with an example of how the horse could be perceived as the leader?? (Click on Discussion Title above to read or join in on this educational discussion)
"Jumpers in Europe use a lot of dressage these days in order to maintain balance and rhythm around technical courses. They need instant reaction to have a hope of doing well." ~ Stephen Clarke
"When the horse is straight, he is in the position of shoulder-fore. Shoulder-fore position is when the horse’s outside hind leg tracks directly behind the outside front leg and the inside hind leg tracks between the two front legs. The horse’s inside hind leg is narrowed stepping toward his center of gravity and can then be in a position to carry the horse’s and rider’s weight." ~ Kathy Connelly
"The inside leg to the outside rein is ancient history. One of my friends is very interested in ballet, and he said to me last year, George, it is opposition in the dance that creates balance." ~ George Morris
Just because you can't see your grass growing doesn't mean it's not, and the same can be said of your progress as a rider. Much of the time it is not noticeable until you stop and look back at where you came from.
"Keep your thumbs together so you know where your hands are. Your elbows loose and more elastic by your side. Stand in your stirrups, stretch down and think about your lower leg being there all the time. Toes out a little, stretch your heel down." ~ Chris Burton
"What do you want to be when you grow up?" If you have not been asked this question at least once in your life, surely you have not lived. I think I was first asked this question around eight or nine and I shrugged my shoulders and mumbled "I don't know." I am not one to commit to a definite answer unless I have thought it through to an infuriating extent. The ability to make quick decisions or commit to anything has been a slow and painful learning process. Mostly painful for the people around me who just want me to decide on a place to eat. (Click on Blog Title above to read full entry)
It is possible to have contact without a real connection (in fact, it is quite common unfortunately), but a true connection always involves good contact. The connection involves the horse's entire body… with energy created in the horse's hind legs traveling through the horse's supple body, and into the rider's softly receiving hands.
"I teach riders to adjust their reins within three strides on level ground (after a drop), and I want them seated between elements of a combination. This will give the rider more stability plus a wider and more sophisticated range of aids." ~ Jimmy Wofford
