Question # 314 and Video # 99: This is Susanne!I really feel like my horse has continued to improve as far as his ability to sit and compact his canter step, his lead changes have also gotten smother with less extravagance and better balance. I am trying to sit in the saddle and keep my shoulders back before the jumps like you suggested and I do feel like that is helping him hold himself together better and also trying to be less rigid with my arms which is hard!! I wanted you to take a look at this video because I have a really hard time feeling like I am staying with him through the gymnastics, he has so much power and thrust and he is rushing a bit and I want to be with him, not against him so any tips you might have on what I need to do with my body to be in better balance with him would be great! (Susanne) (Click on Question or Video Title above (in blue) to read the answer and critique of this video) Tip/Quote of the Day # 1424
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 hips and legs are locked and rigid.
Tip/Quote of the Day # 1423You should have a clear understanding and feeling for the amount of bend required to accurately follow a 20m, a 15m, or a 10m circle (or any sized circle, really.) Tip/Quote of the Day # 1422There is an imaginary "home position" for your hands when you are riding. That is just above (and centered over) your horse's withers, with your hands about the width of your bit apart. If you have to deviate from this position for any reason, make sure you get back to it as quickly as possible. Tip/Quote of the Day # 1421Did you know that your spine doesn't end at your neck? It goes up into your head! So when a rider looks down, or juts their head and chin forward, they are compromising that stretched up, vertical spine. Tip/Quote of the Day # 1420
"Riding half halts with the smallest give after each while the horse gets rounder and lighter but still reaches for the bit has been my tool to develop the basic gaits." ~ Felicitas von Neumann-Cosel
As a Dressage rider, your seat is paramount. All of your efforts to improve your horse(s) will be futile, unless you possess a good seat, as you will not be able to give your horse clear and precise aids. While this article on developing an independent seat thoroughly covers all that it takes to develop that, I want to discuss the specific point of how the rider should be sitting in the saddle. (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)
I vacillate between being monstrously irked by certain Facebook posts or dismissing them as totally irrelevant to my riding life. But they’ve bothered me long enough that the alternate reality which they present deserves to be examined and accounted for. Let’s leave out names. I don’t mean to get in a p***ing contest with self-proclaimed experts or inexpert zealots, but try these quotes on for size: (Click on Blog Title above (in blue) to read full entry)Tip/Quote of the Day # 1412
With horses that like to curl their neck and become over bent, the rider needs to be careful not to get their reins too short. This will cause the horse to stay too short in the neck. Think of having longer arms that are always reaching towards the horse’s mouth.
Discussion # 156: How would you ride this Irish Bank?Irish banks are great fun! The rounded top makes them a very different ride for horse and rider than a regular bank complex. Who can tell us how to ride an Irish bank? What speed would you approach this? What do you have to think about when you land on top? (Click on Discussion Title above (in blue) to read this educational discussion)
When asking for a canter lengthening or medium canter on a hot horse or one that is prone to tension - it can be helpful to initiate the upward transition with a bigger "scoop" of your seat rather than your leg, so that the horse understands that you want a bigger stride. Too much leg at the beginning of the lengthening can cause a horse to get tense, and can cause the horse to quicken rather than lengthen.
Tip/Quote of the Day # 1408"It is not dressage that is difficult, it is making it look easy that is difficult. Some horses are born with presence, while others you can train presence. Either way, dressage is about improving the paces." ~ Carl HesterQuestion # 312, and Photo # 76: Kellyn has a question about her horse's tendency to get in too close to the jumps and jump in poor form. My horse has a tendency to get in too close to the base of the jumps, particularly when he gets tired. The last picture in this email is where he got in very close and sort of went straight up with his shoulders. He still clears the jumps somehow but it's not pretty. Any suggestions on exercises to make him more comfortable jumping from a slightly longer & more appropriate distance? (Kellyn) (Click on Question or Photo Title above (in blue) to read the answer)
Tip/Quote of the Day # 1407"Don’t do too much with young horses. I do 20 minutes with most four year olds. Walk, trot, canter, on the bit, straight. Educate them in a really easy way, relaxed trot, easy canter, work on steering and control, and work from there. With a bigger horse, like this one, I’d do less, because they wear out quicker." ~ Charlotte DujardinTip/Quote of the Day # 1406"The techniques you use for relaxation, stretching, walk breaks, things like that, a more competitive or nervous rider doesn’t pay enough attention to that. They think, 'I’ve got a test to do so I won’t keep stretching him until he’s relaxed, I’ll just get on with it.' That’s pressure." ~ Carl HesterTip/Quote of the Day # 1405
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.
