"Dressage is not an easy sport, there are so many variations, but the reaction to your leg, and straightness, are so important. You just don’t see top Grand Prix riders kicking or straining for a result. Don’t tease him, tap there so quick he doesn’t know it is coming. Everything in a horse’s life should be black and white, not grey." ~ Debbie McDonald
Change only happens when we consistently do things differently, not just once or twice! So cut yourself some slack when you are struggling to improve your riding skills. It will take time and lots of repetition!
Remember that your "working" trot or canter should show a consistent speed and tempo throughout your Dressage test. It is a common mistake, for example, for the rider to let the trot after the walk be much quieter than the trot immediately after the canter. And this is very obvious to the judge.
From Facebook fan Deena Cahill ~ "If your horse is really tense when riding him, try riding while having a short conversation about happy things with someone else. You will be surprised how relaxed your horse becomes when your body naturally relaxes!"
"Connection is the mirror of the entire horse, it’s the mirror of his balance, and it is a mirror of the degree of collection the horse is able to offer at this point in time." ~ Susanne Miesner
Always keep bend in your knees and elbows. If either become straight at any time, that limb will become rigid, and unable to follow the horses movement.
"Generally riders do not pay enough attention to the geometry of the circle. The circle is a line of equal curvature and, to ask for it, the rider advances the outside shoulder taking care to keep the contact of the outside rein, which determines the circle rather than by the backward movement of the inside hand." ~ Nuno Oliveira
"The back is the bridge in the horse, and it can only be there if the hind leg is really working. The rider has to influence the hind legs to build that bridge, otherwise it is a horse in three pieces, back, front and you somewhere in the middle." ~ Francis Verbeek
Horses usually try to compensate for the lack of strength in their back and haunches by seeking support from the rider's hands. So if your horse does this, you might want to consider adding some strength training to your horse's regime.
Working on changes of pace and stride during your conditioning work can go a long way towards making your horse more rideable on course. As you will be creating the habit of him being adjustable and responsive.
Maintain a slight inside positioning throughout your transitions. This will help you to keep your horse more consistently connected and balanced as they change gaits.
After each use of your legs, you need to think about opening them up a bit and letting them drop down. This will keep you on your seat bones correctly.
"The purpose of dressage is to enhance our ability to control our horses; hopefully, after a long period of consistent training, our horses will calmly and generously place their forces at our disposal." ~ Jimmy Wofford
One of the many ways that good Dressage will improve your jumping is increased straightness. Only when they are truly loading both hind legs equally will your horse have the chance to jump in his best form.
Moving the bit around in the horse's mouth to keep him from bracing against it is preventing the symptom without addressing the underlying cause. With that approach you will never solve your connection issue.
"If a horse takes responsibility for the fence too early, ask him to be patient and wait on the approach. On a 5 stride distance ask for a quiet easy 6 strides." ~ Eric Smiley
"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
Riding the half pass can help to develop the brilliance of the extended trot, by increasing hip and stifle flexibility, and freeing up the horse's shoulders.
"If you take a young horse and go on training in the way of - shortening the neck, never giving him the chance to develop step by step, if you make him short, and to come up in front, you end up with a real problem. If you look at a horse that has been ridden like this for ten years, you will end up with a back that is very hollow." ~ Gerd Heuschmann
"I discovered that the horse is life itself, a metaphor; but also an example of life's mystery and unpredictability, of life's generosity and beauty, a worthy object if repeated and ever changing contemplation." ~ Jane Smiley
You should know where your horse is going to land from a jump before he takes off. How? The type of canter in the final strides of the approach will dictate the shape of your horse's jumping effort, and the trajectory of his jump.
You can't assume that a horse with a low head and neck is heavy on the forehand, any more than you can assume that a horse with a high head carriage is truly collected. You have to look at the whole picture.
You need a short bouncy energetic canter in water. Not just to the jump in, but to any jump out or otherwise related to the water. Getting long and flat in the canter stride can be especially disastrous at a water jump.
"The horse must perform from joy, not subservience. Praising a horse frequently with voice, a gentle pat, or relaxing the reins is very important to keep the horse interested and willing." ~ Klaus Balkenhol
Think of that girth tight against your horse's side… after a while he tunes that out and barely notices it. The same will happen with your legs if they are always tightly clamped on his sides.
"There is no miracle. There is no magic wand. It is just education, trying to be as clear to the horses as you can. When I give an aid, is the horse going to understand?" ~ Emile Faurie
"Trust and respect are two-way streets. We want the horse to accept us as leaders of the herd, to guide them safely and to provide protection and comfort. In return, they will give us their respect, and willing submission to our ideas about what to do next, and when and where. But this respect can only be based on well deserved trust." ~ Walter Zettl
"Create a work station on your yard, where everything to do with work happens – for example, tacking up and washing off – and keep his stable for relaxation only. Then your horse knows he can totally relax when he's in his stable and won't be expected to work." ~ Carl Hester
