Always use both reins together to steer, especially when jumping. Using one rein only turns the horse's nose - but using both reins turn the horse at the shoulders, which means his body will more accurately follow your chosen line.
A horse must first be able to travel in a connected long and low frame before a proper higher head carriage can be achieved. If you struggle with lengthening your horse's neck while still maintaining a soft contact - be sure to master this connection before moving on to more advanced work. If you don't all of your more advanced work will likely be incorrect and will lack the back connection necessary for true hind leg engagement.
"Nothing is as impressive or as valuable for the training as being able to control the impulsion and the desire to go forward to such an extent that the rider is able to bring his horse to a standstill from an extended trot or canter without the slightest effort or disturbance. Conversely, departing immediately from the halt into an extended gait is an equal proof of the absolute desire to go forward." ~ Alois Podhajsky
Generally a good, smooth, clean show jumping round happens when you have the right quality of canter, and your horse is adjustable between fences. If your horse is lacking in adjustability, it does not matter how great the canter is that you start off with - as you will find that the quality of your canter will likely diminish as your round goes on. And because your horse is not easily adjustable, you will probably be unable to truly fix it while on course.
First of all, what do I mean by the right quality of the canter? The right canter to jump out of is balanced, rhythmic, straight, and in self carriage. With the appropriate amount of impulsion for the jump in front of you.
It takes adjustabilityto be able to maintain that canter throughout a course. Your horse may approach the first jump with the right canter, and land from the first jump running, flat, and out of balance. If your horse is adjustable, you can easily put him right back in the same quality canter you had before the jump. If you do not have adjustability, your rounds will tend to get worse and worse as you go on.
Here is a great exercise to improve your horse's adjustability: (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)
From Facebook fan Annette Gaynes ~ "Release as you go past the scary spot instead of holding. SO HARD to do, but makes the horses trust that it's ok instead of thinking you're taking up panicked contact."
"You don't win because you want to, deserve to, or have to. You win doing the things you do everyday while simply working to be better, perfecting your skills." ~ Unknown
The hunter division; For some, it's akin to pulling teeth, for others it's like watching fine ballet. I have always laid somewhere in the middle. Growing up around the hunter-jumper circuit I can appreciate a nicely turned out hunter and enjoy watching beautiful rounds, but if you ask me what makes my heart go pitter-patter I’ll be the first to quote Ricky Bobby, “I wanna go fast.” (Click on Blog Title above (in blue) to read full entry)
How does your horse most commonly try to evade bending throughout the body? Do they hang on your inside rein? Do they fall through the outside shoulder? Do they swing their hind quarters out? Or do they just rigidly resist when you ask them to bend?
Here are a variety of exercises that you can do with just 3 poles on the ground that will test and improve your control and accuracy, as well as improve your horse's suppleness and rideability. I will begin with exercises that are suitable for lower level riders and horses, and finish with those that are appropriate for the more advanced. (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)
If you shorten the reins when your horse is not thinking forward, he is likely to become even more stuck and behind your leg. Always get him thinking forward first!
In a movement like shoulder in, where the horse is likely to try to evade the difficulty of bending his body by swinging his quarters out, it can sometimes be helpful to bring your dressage whip forward, and touch the horse with it right in front of the saddle. This helps to reinforce your inside leg which should be up at the girth.
Tip/Quote of the Day # 1385When a rider has a strong tendency to sit crooked on a horse, they often have that same tendency to sit crooked in general. Pay attention to your habits when seated in situations other than riding. As I often tell my students, when you are in your car driving to the barn that is a good time to check yourself.Tip/Quote of the Day # 1384
"The horse has to have independence, responsibility, and tolerance for a variety of distances [when jumping] because you’re going to mess up and the horse has to be able to cope." ~ William Fox Pitt
"I think most riders do not focus on one of the foremost goals of dressage, which is the development of the gaits. To develop the horse’s gaits, the rider has to have a supple, balanced seat and ride the horse from back to front. Only then can you have the horse really through and even on both reins. From there you must ride the horse boldly forward within his tempo." ~ Hilda Gurney
"Most riders know the required movements, but not the directives, and that is what we judges pay attention to. We look to see how the horse is ridden in these required exercises. Is the horse ridden to the contact? Does he maintain rhythm and regularity in all gaits? Does he show a degree of suppleness appropriate for his level? Does the rider keep a tempo that facilitates balance? Even for a simple circle the directives are explicit: 'consistent bend around the rider’s inside leg, placement and control over the size of circle, reach to the bit and the quality of the gait.'" ~ Lilo Fore
Tip/Quote of the Day # 1381Practice riding centerlines in the trot or canter, and shortening the strides as if preparing for halt, but keep going without halting. It is important to vary where you halt on the centerline when practicing, and also to sometimes ride your center lines without halting at all. The horse must always think forward and not anticipate the downward transition. Tip/Quote of the Day # 1380
A good horse will forgive you when you make a mistake - and expects you to do the same.
"No complicated riding before the horses are going truly forward. In dressage, the difficulties are often created by a lack of good basic work (which is the foundation of the house)." ~ Nuno Oliveira
Tip/Quote of the Day # 1377"To ride a centerline correctly you need a good degree of balance and straightness. The horse must be even on both reins and obedient to the half halt. The entrance must be straight, the downward transition must be smooth and the halt square. The horse must stand at attention, with his nose on the vertical, ready for the upward transition, which must be prompt and energetic. This is the first thing that the judges see and it will make an impression." ~ Anne GribbonsTip/Quote of the Day # 1376In a Dressage test (and definitely when schooling), it is better to focus on the quality of your transitions, rather than insist that they be right at the letter. The judge would rather see a smooth, well balanced transition a little before or after the letter than a stiff, unbalanced transition exactly at the letter.Tip/Quote of the Day # 1375
"I study my horse, and my horse studies me. If I am a coward, he is one. If I am lazy, he is lazy. If I am impatient he is impetuous. If I am lost in thought, how dreamily he pursues his way!" ~ Unknown
"If you keep your hands still, you’ll start using your legs." ~ Ulla Salzgeber
Tip/Quote of the Day # 1373"Look for the contact: The horse needs to trust and look for the reins in order to begin proper work. Try to let him chew. He should look for the reins, so don’t throw away the reins." ~ Isabell WerthTip/Quote of the Day # 1372On teaching the horse to be more careful over fences - "Let him hit it [the fence], don't make him hit it, let him hit it. The best teacher of the horse is the horse - he is his own best trainer." ~ George MorrisTip/Quote of the Day # 1371"Your horse will tell you when he’s ready to learn something new when he responds to the aids more readily. He will be able to do that once his physical conditioning improves and the work gets easier for him. Don’t make the mistake of trying to advance him before he is ready. You can’t approach the training by thinking, Today is the day I’m going to do half pass. If your horse isn’t ready, he will resist and the whole system breaks down. If he’s unhappy in his work, he’s telling you something. Perhaps you are pushing before he’s ready. Is he balanced enough to do what you’re asking of him? Is he physically and mentally ready to do what you want?" ~ Cindy IshoyTip/Quote of the Day # 1370
Every well ridden corner is a suppling exercise, and should be recognized as such.
Trotting into bigger fences teaches both horse and rider to wait for the base of the jump, as well as teaching the horse to use technique and bascule to jump rather than momentum.
"Don't delude yourself into thinking that you have light, soft hands, if you ride with loose, almost dangling reins on a strung out horse. That can be done with insensitive hands as well. A soft hand requires the rider to feel whether the horse is softly on the bit, chewing, and whether it responds to a light pressure, in other words, whether it has an active mouth. If he rides with loose reins, the horse can have a dead mouth, which will only show up when you use the reins to stop or to shorten the strides, as it will either let you pull its nose onto its chest, or it will invert, and in both cases it will open its mouth." ~ Oskar M. Stensbeck
Discussion # 154: Good vs bad extended trotThese two drawings show the difference between a good and bad extended trot. The horse on the left is extending hind and front legs equally, while the horse on the right is tight in his back, and heavy on his forehand. His hind leg does not match his front leg reach, and his shoulders are low and not free like the horse on the left - hence the toe flipping. What other differences do you notice between the 2 drawings? (Click on Discussion Title above (in blue) to read this educational discussion)
Your weight or seat aid trumps your leg and hand aids at all times. So if you are unconsciously giving conflicting aids with your weight/seat and your legs or hands, your horse will usually not do exactly what you expect him to do.
"It’s so important that these horses enjoy every day of their work. Our routine is that we train in the school four days a week. On Monday and Tuesday they work, and then on Wednesday they go hacking on the road, and that means every horse—every horse in the yard hacks. Then Thursday and Friday they do schooling sessions, probably not longer than 45 minutes. Saturday they hack again, and Sunday is a complete day off. They all go in the field, even Valegro. They all have a normal life; we don’t wrap them up in cotton wool." ~ Charlotte Dujardin
If you ask for too much angle in any lateral movement (more than your horse can handle at that moment,) you risk impeding the balance and fluency of the movement, which should be one of your top priorities.
