From Facebook Fan Ginger Kathleen Coombs ~ "Just because a horse isn't limping, it doesn't mean they feel good. By the time you get pinned ears, lameness, or bad behavior, you may have been missing little signs or have seen and not understood them."
In Dressage, we use bending both to develop and to prove our horse's lateral suppleness. When the horse is laterally supple, the rider will feel that it is easy to keep the horse straight, and that it is easy to change the bend back and forth when changing directions. Lateral suppleness will also allow the horse to conform his entire body to the shape of the circles and turns that we ride him on... which means he can perform those figures in balance.
The caveat here is that to achieve this suppleness, the horse must be giving you TRUE bend throughout his body (more on that here.) So you need to make sure that your horse is actually responding to your bending aids correctly! Here are 3 basic tests that you can use to make sure that your bending aids are working correctly: (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)
This sounds like a good plan, to do much of your work at the walk with a growing young horse. This way you can educate and strengthen the horse, while putting as little stress on their body as possible. Two of my favorite exercises to do in the walk are... (Click on Question Title above (in blue) to read full answer) Tip/Quote of the Day # 1159It can be a good idea to note whether the first jump on your show jumping course is a vertical or an oxer, and plan to finish your warm up on that shape of jump. For example, if the first jump on course is an oxer, you will want your horse to finish his warm up thinking forward to the base and stretching across an oxer. And if the first jump on course is a vertical, it can be a good idea to finish your warm up with a good sized vertical to get your horse thinking about rocking back and being careful. Photo # 73: This is Kjersti!(Click on Photo Title above (in blue) to read the critique of this photo)
"For riders: It is hard work, takes more time than you have, and requires more money than you thought. You will learn more than you ever thought possible when you began in the sport, but you will never learn it all. You will never be as good as some, but you will probably not be as bad as others if you are willing to work. It is the best thing you could ever do, and even when you fail you learn, and even if you never get a ribbon it is still worth it. Stick it out." ~ Brian Sabo
"As riders, our problem is that too often we try to provide all the upward activity ourselves instead of allowing our bodies to use the bounce provided by the ground. You can become aware of this upward energy. You cannot hold it in reserve; if you do, you'll lose it... Center yourself and become aware of this energy as your ride." ~ Sally Swift
Think of your reins as lines of communication that connect your brain to your horse's brain. The more finesse you use with your contact, the more intimate the communication with your horse will be.
What you allow a horse to do, you teach him to do.
Tip/Quote of the Day # 1152"As far as patience is concerned, which is powerless if used alone, there is no need to call upon it when one knows what one can ask of the horse, and only asks what he is capable of giving. Instead of patience, the rider must have sound judgment and knowledge, never impatience; he must have perseverance in choosing those methods which result in the daily progress of the horse." ~ Alexis F.L’HotteTip/Quote of the Day # 1151
“Thoroughbreds tend to thrive on physical movement, and they are, like all horses, hypnotized by their own rhythms. Repetition of success creates a sense of peace.” ~ Steuart Pittman
The ability to maintain an even rhythm and pace on course will provide you with the tools you need to have smooth and balanced jumping rounds, whether in show jumping or on cross country. Here is a simple exercise that will increase your awareness of whether or not you are maintaining an even pace, and will show you exactly what you need to do to achieve it! (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)
“The best thing you can do for self-carriage is the give and re-take of the reins. It is amazing how you forget to do that when you ride on your own.” ~ Carl Hester
You can probably ask 10 different trainers this question, and get 10 completely different answers. I am of the opinion that... (Click on Question Title above (in blue) to read full answer)Tip/Quote of the Day # 1149
With horses, the slow way is the fast way in the long run. Give it time.
A lot of bad shoulder-in out there and often committed by riders with the best of intentions. I’m not talking about the blatant disasters—the pull on the inside rein, collapse the inner hip, pop the horse’s outside shoulder down the track kind of malfeasance. I’m thinking of the more subtle ones where the rider diligently tries to follow all the jumbled instructions and checklists in her head and it still doesn’t work. (Click on Blog Title above (in blue) to read full entry)
Head tilting is a common evasion for horses in the Dressage phase. Most often seen when the rider is turning, making a small circle, performing a lateral movement, or making a downward transition - this resistance usually shows in the form of the horse tipping their nose to the outside, with the inside ear dropping lower (as seen in the above photo.) This has several different causes, and can be somewhat tricky to fix! Read on to learn more about this problem... (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)
"I see photos of even top level riders turning or doing lateral work with the inside rein going backwards, and just want them to see the photos and realize, this is neither bend or engagement, but crooked and blocking the engagement and the ability to ask the horse to "track true" and for the horse and rider to start to learn to collect and carry themselves uphill." ~ Peter Shaw
Every time you pull back on the inside rein, you block the horse's inside hind leg from stepping fully underneath his body.
Question # 296: I have a question about "bitting up" versus moving up.......This past weekend I took my 9 year old OTTB to a schooling show, we have been schooling Novice but I decided to compete at Beginner Novice since our cross country experience is limited and we don't get much opportunity to school XC with a coach. Dressage was tense, but good enough for a 34.7. He has been relatively quiet in stadium, but in this particular case he was very difficult to keep from running at the fences, the only line that held him was the 2 stride. Cross Country was exhausting, in between jumps he would put his head down and just lean and try to take off. He didn't back off of any of the obstacles even the ones that were placed on a very awkward line. In the past at shows he's been a bit green on xc, the fences back him off a little and he tended to keep his head up. What do you think the best course of action is after a ride like this? While we did well at this competition, I don't think this is a good way to continue! I don't know that the Novice jumps would have backed him off any, and I don't think he would have actually made a couple of the turns on that track the way he was going! I've never used a gag, so I would rather stay away from bitting up that much if you think its appropriate in this situation. Thank you for your help!! (Natalie)
Hi Natalie!
It is not uncommon for Event horses to... (Click on Question Title above (in blue) to read full answer)Tip/Quote of the Day # 1143Take a good look at your bit (and all of your tack) before you ride your next cross country course! -- Watch this: The bitbreaks, the rider has no control, and the horse jumps a car!
It is very helpful for a rider to know what their horse's natural tendencies are. As only then can they come up with a specific plan for training that will best suit that particular horse. Read on to learn how to evaluate your horse's natural instincts and reactions, and how to make the best use of that information. (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)
Well I am days away from leaving life as I know it. I have made the decision to pack up my perfect little life here in Ohio and drag two horses to... (Click on Blog Title above (in blue) to read full entry)
Tip/Quote of the Day # 1138If you want to improve your medium and extended gaits, improve your collected work. The more your horse can "sit" behind, the more expressive your mediums and extensions will be. Video # 93: This is Jen! (Click on Video Title above (in blue) to read the critique of this video)
When your horse gets tense about feeling your legs wrapped around him, do not take your legs off. That would only validate his attempted evasion. Keep your legs quietly on his sides, and do an exercise (circle, transition, or lateral step) that will encourage him to focus and relax.
Many horses carry tension in their lower backs under saddle, working with tight muscles in their loin area, as well as the junction that connects the back to the sacroiliac joint. This causes a blockage in their entire topline, preventing the horse from moving truly through their bodies.
Throughness is what allows the circle of energy in the horse's movement to permeate his entire body - making him soft and elastic in his movements, and ultra responsive to his rider. It is also important for keeping the horse sound and pain free under a rider!
When horses work with tension or stiffness in their backs, loins, or SI areas, they will almost always become sore in those muscles. This will usually cause them to try to protect those areas by not using them fully, which will then perpetuate a never ending cycle of tension and pain under saddle.
Here is one of the best exercises you can use to help you work through any tension or stiffness that your horse may be carrying in the lower back or pelvis! And it is so basic, that it will work for riders at all levels, from Training level all the way through Grand Prix. (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)
Welcome to the wonderful world of Eventing! There is nothing like it, you will be totally addicted! First of all, check out this entry on how to get started in Eventing. That will lots of information that you will need to make the switch. And as for things that you may need to focus on in terms of your riding... the biggest thing that Hunter or Jumper riders need to think about as they switch to Eventing is... (Click on Question Title above (in blue) to read full answer)Tip/Quote of the Day # 1130
Very careful horses are more likely to lose their confidence during both training and competition, so be careful to always set them up for success.
This great video shows exactly why it is SO important to get your horse moving correctly through his back, for health and soundness reasons! Just amazing to see the difference in the radiographs, with the horse with a properly engaged back showing SO much more joint space between the vertebrae in the back compared to the horse that is not using his back properly. You can see why good Dressage is really the key to keeping horses happy and feeling good under saddle! What are your thoughts on this video? (Click on Discussion Title above to watch this video, and read or join in on this educational discussion)
Just because you can't see your grass growing doesn't mean it's not, and the same can be said of your progress as a rider. Much of the time it is not noticeable until you stop and look back at where you came from.
