Recent Articles

Very often the "silly" spooker has a physical reason for acting that way - either pain or unresolved tension somewhere in their body.

"Look for a genuine coach with real coaching skills rather than a rider who may know how to do something, but not how to teach it. Also, find someone who has solid experience of working with riders of your level." ~ William Micklem

"Horses have taught us that progress in learning takes place in an environment of contentment. Fear and tension block success. Boundaries must exist, be clear, and be consistent. Within those boundaries our horses are encouraged to express themselves." ~ Steuart Pittman

Tension meeting tension will only double the tension. If your horse becomes tense, you must be able to stay relaxed, or you will make it worse.

"The blood runs hot in the Thoroughbred and the courage runs deep.In the best of them, pride is limitless. This is their heritage and they carry it like a banner. What they have, they use." ~ C.W. Anderson 

Don't make the mistake of "skipping" rising trot just because your horse is comfortable with you sitting the trot. Rising trot can be a great way to encourage more back movement and swing within the trot, for horses at any level. 

Every exercise should have a beginning, a middle, and an end. Try to slow your mind up and feel each stage of the process. 

The elasticity in your connection should come from your elbows, not from having open or active fingers.

"We cannot touch the mouth until the horse is making enough energy that it’s safe to touch him in the mouth." ~ Laura Graves

If you don't give your horse something to do, he might give YOU something to do. Always have a plan for each ride, and keep your horse's mind engaged with YOUR plan.

When your horse is more difficult going to the left because he wants to carry his body too "curled" to the left, (and therefore tends to fall through the outside shoulder when going that direction), this is often best addressed by schooling on the right rein, rather than the left. If you can do some good work with your horse's body fully bending around your right leg, you are stretching the tight left side of his body, which will help him to go straighter when traveling to the left.

"If the rider can halt his horse in any lateral movement, so that it stands quietly in the same position, or ride straight forward without hesitation, it is proof that the horse was going well between hands and legs." ~ Borries von Oeynhausen

"You can see suppleness by observing how the rider can sit on the horse and not on top of the horse." ~ Susanne Miesner

Horses love a routine… it gives them confidence. With the nervous or green horse, develop a warm up routine that you will use every day. And make sure it stays the same at shows.

"Once you are in the working phase, stay sitting in the saddle as the seat is a very important aid for influence; especially for long backed horses. If you sit in the saddle you can better feel and influence the horse. If the horse is weak, perhaps sit for shorter periods followed by stretching, then work sitting again." ~ Ingrid Klimke

"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

"The hind legs are brought far enough underneath the center of gravity by the rider’s legs, where they are gradually burdened with more of the combined weight of horse and rider for brief moments, which flexes their joints more. Like coiled springs, they push off with much greater elasticity afterwards than unflexed hind legs. This energetic, springy forward swinging creates a very characteristic feeling in the seat (you feel the work of the hind legs as well as the swinging of the back that it creates very clearly, yet pleasantly), which is typical for a gait with impulsion, and which signals to the experienced rider: 'Now he is moving!' I despise, on the other hand, a wishy-washy, unclear trot feeling under the saddle which is caused by dragging hind legs that hardly push off and consequently don’t make the back swing – whereas others seem to love it. De gustibus … No, this is not a matter of taste. One is correct, the other one is wrong! Thrust may be there naturally, but impulsion must be worked out - or better: into – the horse by cultivating the thrust." ~ Alfred Knopfhart

You have to be able to ride in "neutral", with no aids whatsoever, for your horse to be able to feel, recognize, and respond to the lightest of your aids.

The less you see a rider do, the better. That means they are communicating with the horse quietly, and the horse is attentive.

"The only way they learn how to go off easy aids is if we don’t resort to just strength." ~ Debbie McDonald

"Have a high standard for giving aids in a really clear, correct way. If the aids are that obvious, that’s not dressage. Educate your horse so that he responds to gentle leg pressure." ~ Steffen Peters

Riders who get the best out of the sensitive type of horse are good at being tactful. 

If you want to develop a nicely shaped crest and neck on your horse, you have to make sure your horse is truly seeking the connection - reaching into the bit, rather than backing away from it. 

When riding and training, make sure you are truly in neutral after every correct response from your horse. This means no aids!

"If you keep your hands still, you’ll start using your legs." ~ Ulla Salzgeber

"Shoulder in is a preparation for the half pass, plus shoulder in gives more connection on the outside rein. Shoulder in makes more suppleness." ~ Johan Hamminga

The intensity of a half halt is determined by the strength of the push into it.

Riding is like a marriage between the horse and rider. Don’t let the familiarity trick you into doing the same things over and over.

Stay quiet with your aids and let the exercise teach the horse.

Every time you begin a Dressage test at a show, make sure you think about making a good first impression with a forward, confident center line, and a smile for the judge! 

Some people misunderstand the term "on the forehand," which refers to the shoulders being down and the hind legs out behind the horse, regardless of where his head and neck are positioned. A low head and neck does not mean a horse is on the forehand, any more than a high head carriage means collection.

Lots of little changes of frame in your Dressage warmup… a little stretching, a little up, and repeat… can help your horse to come more through his body.

Let your plan be... to change and adapt your plan as much as necessary on course. Ultimately, you ride the horse, and not the plan.

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.

The rider's leg is for adding energy, and their seat governs the length of the horse's stride.

Riders often tend to forget their outside leg in the equation of the bending aids. If you want to achieve true bend in the horse's ribcage, your outside leg must keep the hindquarters on the track.

All horses are naturally crooked to at least some degree. Good, correct Dressage training should eventually fix this however.

"The better the rider’s balance in the saddle, the better the communication. There are two things the rider must be – balanced, and supple. The less good the rider’s seat, then the more often the rider is in the saddlery shop buying new saddles, new stirrups. The rider has to find his balance in the saddle, not being held in position by a saddle in which you cannot move." ~ Christoph Hess

Transitions act as a test of your connection, and your horse's balance. If the quality of your connection is lacking as you begin a transition, it will be particularly evident as you execute it.

"I think it is most useful if you ask yourself if you could release one or two reins at any time during your ride. If you can, then you are on your way to self-carriage." ~ Felicitas von Neumann-Cosel

"You can influence a horse, but you're never *really* in control.” ~ Chris Bartle

Push yourself away from your hands, instead of bringing your hands back to you. 

"Make him proudly independent of you so that he understands his job so well you merely walk the course and then show him the way. Tell your horse what you want him to do, and then allow him to do it." ~ Jimmy Wofford

"Don’t get drunk on speed." ~ Jimmy Wofford

"Let the neck fall down, don’t pull it down, create a situation in which the horse wants to let go his body and relax his neck." ~ Johan Hamminga

The horse's jaw unlocks when their back muscles relax and begin to swing with the movement.

"Not all of us are lucky enough in our lifetime to have great horses. When you do get one, it's just the best feeling in the world." ~ Carl Hester

If you follow your horse's mouth with a truly consistently elastic feel, they will learn to trust your hand so fully, that they will lose the desire to escape it.

Keep your leg aids light. Too much leg becomes something similar to white noise. It is unfair to expect your horse to hear your aid above the noise.

"We must be careful when making the horse straight not to bend it in front of the withers. We must not loosen the muscles in front of the withers for we need to build them up on either side of the neck so it is steady in front of the withers." ~ Reiner Klimke