When riding a Dressage test, riding accurately to the letters and making good use of the corners of the ring shows the judge that you are aware, thinking, and have good control of your horse.
Think of the fact that there is a beginning, a middle, and an end to every exercise you ride, and every jump that you jump. In other words, if I just tell you to go jump that oxer, you job is not just to jump the over well, but to do a good transition into canter, get the right canter, jump the oxer well, and then to pull up in a smooth and organized manner.
Frustration is often a part of the process of learning and improving as a rider. Look at it from the perspective that you have been strong enough to move out of your comfort zone., and into an area that is difficult for you. And if you persist with determination, you will get there!
"Sit on your pockets like you got a million bucks in there." ~ Unknown
Technically it isn't correct to be sitting all the way on your back pockets. This can, however, be a good thing for a rider who has a tendency to lean too far forward to think about doing!
Always keep in mind that you need to engage your horse's brain to get him to truly think forward. Your goal should not be to merely get his feet moving, but to ignite the area of his brain that makes him decide to want to move forward. Only when your horse really wants to go forward do you truly have a forward horse... no matter how fast you are actually traveling.
Tip/Quote of the Day # 1636Regularity in the gaits can only be achieved when the movement goes through the horse's relaxed and swinging back.Tip/Quote of the Day # 1635If you want to have good, solid jumping form over fences, practice your two point position. A lot. Even to the point that it hurts a little. Remember, no pain = no gain!Tip/Quote of the Day # 1634
"It was a really good lesson for me to learn that sometimes to go forward with training you have to go back and fill in the holes." - Katy Barlow
Let's discuss how you can train your horse to be this quick and clever! What kind of exercises do you think you could use for this purpose? (Click on Video Discussion title above (in blue) to read and join in on this educational discussion)
Even if the rider has all of their body parts generally in the right place, they will feel out of balance and out of "sync" with their horse's movement when the shock absorbing joints in their legs are locked and rigid.
From Facebook fan Lisa Davidson ~ "Progress with horses is like watching grass grow - you can never see it happening but the lawn needs mowing every week!"
"There is one way to check that you are on the right way – in the high collection you must be able to stretch them so they follow the bit and they are not stuck up there. In every situation you must be able to stretch them – even a piaffe or a pirouette, even then, I must be able to do it." ~ Hubertus Schmidt
"When the horse jumps, you go with it, not the other way around." ~ Bill Steinkraus
Tip/Quote of the Day # 1628"The horses which excel in the piaffe are the horses which have not only strong conformation of the hindquarters but also a sharp or electric temperament which leads them to offer the piaffe naturally. Such volatile horses are not always easy to train and compete as youngsters because of their temperament, but in the long run it is worth persevering with them because they are less likely to ‘switch off’ in the arena." ~ Chris BartleTip/Quote of the Day # 1627
From Facebook fan Jackie Salyer ~ "Ride as many horses as you can! Each one has something to teach you."
"What must the hand and arm be able to do? Yield, sustain, resist. What they do not need to do is pull, because no rider has ever won a pulling contest with a horse. In order to sustain and resist, the hands must be supported from the rider’s elastically braced back and, to the necessary degree, from the support of the upper arm against the side." ~ Bill Steinkraus
Many horses like and do well with a little bit of rein contact throughout the jumping effort. But there are some that are so sensitive, that ANY amount of feel of their mouth at the top of the jumping arc will restrict their form - causing them to either jump with their nose tucked to their chest, or to try to fight the rider’s hand in the air. Both of which will ruin the quality of the horse’s jump. Make sure you know which kind of horse you have!
You are quite correct, in that transitions are only productive if they are done well! So if you are struggling to do good trot/canter/trot transitions, I would advise that you... (Click on Question Title above (in blue) to read full answer)Tip/Quote of the Day # 1624
From Facebook fan Ashleen McCullough ~ "You have to trust in something. Trust your riding, trust your horse, at the very least trust that your trainer knows what you can do. Without trust, you can't complete the exercise (no matter what it is.)"
Clients ask me great questions about a wide range of issues. They want to to know how to achieve positive performance states, deal with anxiety, accelerate their learning, regulate their energy, strengthen their motivation, and manage their behavior, just to name a few. (Click on Blog Title above (in blue) to read full entry)
Tip/Quote of the Day # 1622"Horses are more content when they have discipline." ~ George MorrisTip/Quote of the Day # 1621"What a lot of people don’t understand, is that in a good half halt, the horse should pick up the half halt by itself from the bit. A lot of people when they talk about half halts, they talk about what you do with your hands, but it is not about hands. With a really well ridden horse, you push the horse onto the bit, then the horse himself steps a tiny bit back from the bit, so it picks up the half halt by itself. The horse backs off a little and then comes more under with his hind legs, and goes in even better self carriage." ~ Susanne MiesnerTip/Quote of the Day # 1620"You should always be able to halt square and on the mark if you and your horse were correct." ~ Reiner KlimkeTip/Quote of the Day # 1619
From Facebook fan Tammy Parks ~ "When I treat my shoulders like the moveable joints that they are, everything 'comes together' so much better."
"You have to have a little contact so the circle from the pushing aids to the steady contact to the mouth is correct. Even in halt, you still have to have the feeling that the horse wants to go forward – without pulling." ~ Jo Hinnemann
I find that many riders ride with reins that are too long, in an attempt to be softer with their hands. This backfires however, because the rider will then have to draw their hand backwards to use the reins. A shorter rein with a forward feeling hand is what usually works best.
Tip/Quote of the Day # 1612"Horses anticipate, so control anticipation by warning them that something is coming." ~ Conrad SchumacherTip/Quote of the Day # 1611In Dressage, your upper arm belongs to your seat, as it is what connects the reins to your seat. And your lower arm belongs to the horse, as you offer an elastic connection to the horse's mouth. Tip/Quote of the Day # 1610"Body awareness is essential. You must be trained to feel each body part as you’re riding, such as your big toe, your little finger." ~ Conrad SchumacherTip/Quote of the Day # 1609
"Use your chest muscles as if you are riding into a strong wind." ~ Mary Wanless
From Facebook fan Elise Vandover ~ "I often tell my students that the outside rein is like the vinyl wall of an above-ground pool; elastic, stretchy and flexible, but enough of a boundary to keep the 'water in the pool.'"
Tip/Quote of the Day # 1605"The first thing I do is move them off my leg. After the lateral work, nine times out of 10, horses put their head down because their back is coming up. No draw reins, no gimmicks, just the inside leg to the outside rein." ~ Anne KursinskiTip/Quote of the Day # 1604The better the rider's seat, the more easily the horse can understand the rider's aids. So make working on developing and maintaining an independent seat a top priority! Tip/Quote of the Day # 1603
"So long as we allow riders with an incorrect seat, with incorrect aids, to approach horses, then we will only have an accumulation of mistakes. The longer they ride a horse, the more damage they do, and it should be the opposite. The longer a good rider rides a horse, the more glorious the horse gets." ~ Charles de Kunffy
From Facebook fan Kate M. Severson ~ "Sometimes taking a step back, looping the reins, and just letting the horse do its job is the hardest thing to do! I need to let go of my perfectionism and stop trying to always micromanage, especially in the show jumping. Sit up, leg on, and let the horse jump!"
