Tip/Quote of the Day # 1181"Amateurs ride from movement to movement. Professionals ride from half halt to half halt." ~ Robert DoverTip/Quote of the Day # 1180"If your horse makes a mistake in the test, don’t punish the horse ever. It’s the easiest way to get a 4, and it makes us judges really cranky at you. We think, ‘If she’ll do that in front of all these people, what does she do to this horse at home?’ You must never train through emotion." ~ Janet FoyThe Pre Flight Checklist
So often I see riders warming up by just going round and round the ring in both directions in the walk, trot, and canter. And while this simple exercise will warm the horse's muscles up... this somewhat aimless warm up routine is NOT the best way to prepare a horse for an athletic performance - particularly when we are talking about jumping a course of fences.
Before you attempt a Dressage test or a course of fences, you need to make sure that all of your buttons work reliably! (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)
Things will not get better on their own - it's up to us as riders to ensure progress. This means being proactive, working hard, and using every available tool to improve your knowledge and skills.
Question # 299: My OTTB was recently diagnosed with some major back pain associated with saddle fit (I guess two different saddle fitters looking at it 4 different times wasn't enough!).......The vets recommended chiropractic adjustment, acupuncture and some other therapies, as well as work on strengthening his back and core since it is underdeveloped due to pain from the saddle (my saddle is too big for his back, it sits past his last rib). He has always been adjusted regularly, and we are working on easing him into acupuncture (so far he is not a fan) with the help of some other therapies to help relieve his tension. My question is, do you have any groundwork exercises to improve his back and core strength until I find a saddle that fits him better? My current plan is to hand walk him up and down long gradual hills 3 times a week with maybe some lunging 2x a week between those days. He is in decent shape other than his back, and we are shooting for a schooling show and clinic 5 weeks out contingent on finding a better saddle and his comfort/strength level. We would shoot to do a Combined Test at Beginner Novice, we have competed successfully through Novice I just don't want to push the height so close to his reconditioning. Once we find a new saddle, I plan on implementing your other exercises recommended for building a topline and for horses with tense backs, I just want to start on the ground so we don't lose too much conditioning! Thank you so much! (Natalie)
Hi Natalie!
Sorry to hear that your horse has become sore in his back! The key to building back strength, whether in or out of the saddle, is to make sure the horse is really using those muscles when he moves. This can be surprisingly hard, as horses can be experts at holding their lower back muscles still and tight while moving... (Click on Question Title above (in blue) to read full answer)Tip/Quote of the Day # 1178
We always talk about not riding with too much inside rein, but it is also possible to ride with too much outside rein. Holding too strongly on the outside rein will prevent the horse from bending to the inside, and may cause him to tilt his head.
"My father always said, 'Things just take time.' He did not believe in quick tricks or things like draw reins. Rather than using such things, he said it is better to go on the circle and do things like half-halts and transitions to get the horse under himself and light in your hand." ~ Ingrid Klimke
Professional trainers and instructors are faced with a continuing dilemma. Is teaching accomplished along classical methods that have been proven over time OR does the Pro acquiesce to the client and do what they say (the goal in most cases of getting little Johnny or Janey a ribbon or the horse moving up)? (Click on Blog Title above (in blue) to read full entry)
Tip/Quote of the Day # 1174If your horse is too sensitive to your leg, don't respond by taking your leg off. Simply practice lots of downward transitions to work on getting your horse to wait for you, while quietly accepting the presence of your legs lightly on his sides. Tip/Quote of the Day # 1173
"Necks that are pulled in stop the muscles of the back developing and interfere with the natural paces." ~ Reiner Klimke
Be extra careful when conditioning both young horses and older horses. Young horses have tendon/ligaments/bones that have not yet been strengthened. And the older horse’s ligaments and tendons tend to become less elastic and resilient over time.
"If we ask novice riders how much of their focus is on the horse’s head, most of them, if they are honest, might say 80 percent. But the head is perhaps 10 percent of the horse’s body, so be sure you are not using 80 percent of your focus on 10 percent of the horse. Ride his body and influence it." ~ Kyra Kyrklund
Tip/Quote of the Day # 1169"Every horse is different and requires their own special attention; however, staying true to the basic principles of dressage and remembering that “art ends where violence begins” is an adage I have lived by." ~ Robert DoverTip/Quote of the Day # 1168"If you act like you've only got 15 minutes, it will take all day. Act like you've got all day, and it wil take 15 minutes." ~ Monty RobertsTip/Quote of the Day # 1167"When you are in the Comfort Zone, you can ride without thinking. In the Stretch Zone, you are working on something you can’t do by habit. In the Panic Zone, you can’t think clearly and are paralyzed. These zones apply to both horses and riders. If both horse and rider go into the panic zone, they lose control, and it spells trouble for the future. Some horses go into the Panic Zone very quickly. They need riders who are comfortable." ~ Kyra KyrklundThe Power of Your True Intentions!
I am going to share two personal stories with you... One is an experience of my own, and the other involves a student of mine. (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)
When jumping into deep water, you must approach at a slower pace. Too much speed jumping into deep water will make it much more likely for the horse to fall on landing.
Riders who ride with stirrups that are even slightly too long are often the first ones to stand up and jump up the horse's neck when they get to a jump!
Discussion # 149: How would you ride this complex?How would you ride this ABC complex with a drop fence to a bending line of skinnies? Would you jump the first skinny (the B element) absolutely straight, and then have a sharp, quick turn to the C element? Or would you approach the B element from a slight right to left angle in an attempt to "set up" slightly for the C element? (Click on Discussion Title above (in blue) to read this educational discussion)
Always keep in mind that narrow fences, angles, and corner jumps can feel even harder near the end of your cross country course. Mental and physical fatigue (of either horse or rider) can make a stupid mistake more likely to happen.
From Facebook Fan Joan Dunlap ~ "They are horses first ... beautiful, living, breathing beings ... what they do for us is secondary and should come from their heart .... don't ever let the ribbons or money rule (or ruin) your relationship with them."
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
