We were working on his flying changes—a middle aged OTTB with a flock of internalized tensions and a penchant for sucking back behind the leg. I was hoping to use some combinations of canter leg yield and canter half pass to make him come forward to the hand and to lessen the surprise of the change aids. (Click on Blog Title above (in blue) to read full entry)
I find that many riders are using bits that are too big for their horse’s mouths. While certainly better than a bit that is too small, when a bit is too big there is too much movement of the bit sliding back and forth in the horse’s mouth. Horses want the bit to be still in their mouths, they don’t want it sliding left and right all the time.
The Wiggly Worm Exercise is invaluable for green horses, as it will educate them on how to turn effortlessly from feather light rider aids. It can also be a great exercise for improving suppleness and relaxation with horses at all levels. Read on to find out how to do it! (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)
"The most important thing is for the horse to be thinking on its own. Unless you’re Michael Jung, you make mistakes and things go wrong. You have to teach the horse the stride isn’t always right, the line isn’t always right, and that’s why we start from trot." ~ William Fox Pitt
Great tip from member Sharon Fitzgerald ~ "It is only when you get completely out of your horse's way that you can feel exactly what they are doing and then have a hope in hell of influencing it. Otherwise you might be spending a lot of time just fixing what you are causing."
My preferred bit for starting young horses is... (Click on Question Title above (in blue) to read full answer)Tip/Quote of the Day # 1317"Riders who are successful are ready for things that are not what they have planned for. They're thinking, on their toes, and reacting. They are ready for trouble." ~ Lucinda GreenTip/Quote of the Day # 1316
"The horse’s posture, his strength, and his suppleness, all influence very much the sensations that the bit creates in him." ~ Dupaty de Clam
It can be a good exercise in awareness to exaggerate both extremes of an aspect of your position, such as leaning all the way to the left and then all the way to the right. Whichever way feels easier or less awkward for you might indicate that you tend to regularly sit to that side. Experiment with that and try to find the middle.
From Facebook fan Mary Apfel-Vandeyacht ~ "Riding is a lot like driving a manual transmission... You may be able to make it go (when learning how to ride), but you're going to break it and look like a schmuck unless you learn right."
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 Andrea Monsarrat Waldo ~ "You can learn to take the best from different trainers, but first you have to have a "skeleton," a theoretical framework to hang it all on, and that takes time and some consistency of training, I think. Once you have a system you can add to it/alter it, but with no system it's just a jumble of random techniques."
Tip/Quote of the Day # 1306Many riders utilize leg yielding in the walk in the trot. But don't forget the canter! It can be quite useful to loosen up the horse's loin area, as well as improving suppleness and responsiveness. The Pre Purchase ExamThe Pre Purchase Exam
So you have found the horse of your dreams... and are ready to buy. You just have one big hurdle to negotiate before you can bring him home - the dreaded pre purchase exam! While they can be nerve wracking, and sometimes heartbreaking, it is always a smart investment. No matter the price, age of horse, amount of miles on his legs, etc... you will always be better off knowing what issues or potential problems the horse might have in the future.
The level of extensiveness of the vet check might vary for different situations and purposes, however. For example, I would be more likely to... (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article) Tip/Quote of the Day # 1305"Without exaggeration I make fifth leg training for the horse part of every single lesson in the same way I make ‘feel’ part of every lesson for the rider." ~ William MicklemTip/Quote of the Day # 1304
"If your horse looks carefully at what they are jumping, is able to make small alterations when getting a little too close or far away from a fence, then produces an appropriate jumping effort and copes quickly with the unexpected slip or stumble, they can be said to have a ‘fifth leg.'" ~ William Micklem
I think that riders who have access to a really good Eventing coach do better when they train all 3 phases with that trainer. Because when working with Eventing horses and riders, all 3 phases have to be trained with the other phases in mind. What do I mean by traning with all three phases in mind? (Click on Question Title above (in blue) to read full answer) Tip/Quote of the Day # 1303
"You can influence a horse but you're never really in control." ~ Chris Bartle
It is a good idea to sit back every month or so and assess your training program and its current results. Be ready to add to or change your plan if you are not seeing results.
"The rein connection should be like a solid handshake. Don’t have a wimpy handshake. You know what a bad feeling you get when someone gives you a creepy handshake, so don’t give that icky feeling to your horse." ~ William Fox Pitt
"Don't try to see a distance, your horse has a pair of eyes and you need to let him use them. The more you do in front of a fence the more you will distract them." ~ Chris Bartle
Tip/Quote of the Day # 1298The old masters learned early on that riding accurate arena patterns is key for improving a horse's balance and straightness. Always keep this in mind in your training.Tip/Quote of the Day # 1297
Riders who get the best out of the sensitive type of horse are good at being tactful.
"Contact doesn't only refer to the hands, reins, and bit, but to the whole rider. A rider must give the horse contact through his entire seat. This means that his legs must lay gently against the horse's body, his seat must be balanced and supple, and his arms and hands must follow the horse's movement quietly and evenly. This create a smooth cycle of movement as the horse takes the rider with him. Only this then creates contact." ~ Klaus Balkenhol
Where a rider is looking during any given lateral movement is very important. Not only do you need to look in the direction you are traveling for your horse to understand your intent, but your focus needs to be consistent to help the movement be consistent. Look elsewhere, or at your horse’s head for a few strides in the movement, and you can easily disrupt the flow and rhythm of the movement. Here's a list of where you should be looking for each of the individual lateral exercises: (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)
Your horse can feel whether or not you have a strong, detailed plan of how to ride your jumping course or Dressage test. And he will gain confidence in you if he feels you are confident in your plan.
Tip/Quote of the Day # 1290"It is difficult to analyze your mistakes while you are riding. In addition to their regular lessons, most of my serious students make extensive use of video and photographs to study their performances after they have cleaned and put away their tack. Study video and photos of yourself to develop a better understanding of what is going on underneath you, and how you can improve your riding and your horse." ~ Jimmy Wofford
And go one step further... send them in to MVEC, and get a full critique! Tip/Quote of the Day # 1289Never underestimate how much any turn on course can take away from the power in your canter. With the lazier type of horse you need to be proactive in maintaining your impulsion through the turns. And even with the hotter type, you need to be conscious of being soft with your hand, so you don't take too much away from them. Tip/Quote of the Day # 1288
When working with horses, always be mindful of the feedback you are giving your horse at any given time... whether intentional or accidental. When your horse misbehaves, make sure you don't give him an accidental reward by stopping to regroup (which to him is a rest and a reward.) Keep moving, get the horse to do something (anything) well, and THEN stop to regroup if you must.
"I try and have the feeling when I sit on a horse that I sit in the saddle, and my legs aren’t gripping around the horse —they just hang. At the sitting trot everyone wants to stop themselves from bouncing. What you have to do is let yourself go with the flow of the horse." ~ Charlotte Dujardin
(Enjoying the ride leading up to a win at Rocking Horse back in November)
It was almost five months ago that I wrote about my journey to Florida. It's hard to believe five months have slipped by and I have successfully survived my first semester of college with straight As. It feels like just yesterday I was tackling my first day alone. Today I looked up and realized just how much I was enjoying this journey... (Click on Blog Title above (in blue) to read full entry)
If your jumping instructor is worth their salt, they have probably told you to use the turn into your jump to balance your horse when necessary. But what does this really mean? And how exactly do you use the turn onto the jump to best set your horse up for success? Read on to find out! (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)
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 hands.
Excessive bend in the neck, whether lateral (to the side) 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.
Please stop riding in that arena immediately! Sand that is 6 to 8 inches deep is way too dangerous to be working your horse in. There are some disciplines who prefer working in excessively deep sand, but it is very risky, and I would never advise it. The risk of tendon or ligament strain or even a major injury is just far too high. The correct depth of sand for a riding arena is... (Click on Question Title above (in blue) to read full answer)
Looseness and suppleness in the horse is demonstrated by full body movement and the maximization of the horse’s range of motion in the stride of each gait.
