Don't panic! Since it sounds like he seems otherwise very bold, and appears to like the water once he is in it, I think there is a good chance that your horse will come around about this. There are some very specific things that you want to do when schooling the water from now on, that will set you up for the best chance at success, however. And that is to... (Click on Question Title above (in blue) to read full answer) Tip/Quote of the Day # 981"Don't be distracted by criticism. Remember the only taste of success some people have is when they take a bite out of you." ~ George MorrisTip/Quote of the Day # 980From Facebook fan Joan Dunlap ~ "You must conquer your own fears, lack of knowledge and short-comings before you can even start to help your horse with theirs."Tip/Quote of the Day # 979Think "uphill" in your lengthenings. Yes, the horse should be allowed to lengthen its neck slightly into the lengthening, but you still want to feel like you are on a motorboat - nose up, butt down.Guest Blog post # 69: "Learning Lows - Part 4" by the famous Bad Eventer!
I used to live by the mantra, "Frustration begins where knowledge ends." If I was having a hard time with a horse, I would stop and think, "What don't I know about this situation?" It could be that I just didn't have enough tools in my tool box to get to the right answer. Maybe I hadn't done my homework and I was asking for something more advanced than we were ready for......
And then there is the Dunning Kruger effect.... (Click on Blog Title above (in blue) to read full entry)
Tip/Quote of the Day # 978Remember that even a cow can jump a 3 foot fence from a standstill - if it wants to. So never worry about whether or not your horse has enough scope to do lower level eventing or jumping. The bigger issue is whether or not you can keep him balanced at the canter.Tip/Quote of the Day # 977The smoothest and easiest canter to walk transitions come when the horse can canter at walk speed.Tip/Quote of the Day # 976"When you relax your arms and feel the reins softly you need to feel that your horse wants to step into the contact. If you do not then he is behind your leg and seat." ~ Yvonne BarteauQuestion # 281: My mare has always had an issue with bucking/pulling upon landing in the next stride after landing from a fence when doing cross country......It’s inevitable the first few times, even with proper warm up. I've had her since she was a yearling and she is now 10. I'm sure if I was a better rider, this wouldn’t happen. She also has always had difficulty with holding the left canter lead. I'm sure chiro would help. What are your suggestions? (Ellen)
Hi Ellen!
It is never fun when horses develop the habit of bucking after fences. It can even become quite dangerous if the horse gets carried away with it! Since you also mention issues with the left lead canter, my first thought is... (Click on Question Title above (in blue) to read full answer)Tip/Quote of the Day # 975When doing movements like turn on the haunches, pirouettes, haunches in, and half pass, even the most experienced riders have to remind themselves to sit over their inside seat bone throughout the entire movement. Consciously thinking about stepping into the inside stirrup every couple of strides during these movements is necessary to avoid any tendency of the rider's weight slipping to the outside.Video Discussion # 91: This video discusses getting your horse to truly think forward to improve your trot lengthenings. This video discusses getting your horse to truly think forward to improve your trot lengthenings. What are your thoughts on this video? (Click on Discussion Title above (in blue) to watch video, and read this educational discussion)Tip/Quote of the Day # 974Quote from Bert de Nemethy ~ "When I think of the rider's aids, I am reminded of an anecdote that is told about one of the world's great pianists, who was asked how difficult it was to learn to play the piano as he did. "It is really not difficult at all," he replied. "You only have to figure out which fingers go on what keys, and for how long. Then you practice for the rest of your life so that you can do it up to tempo." Communicating with the horse is about the same."Tip/Quote of the Day # 973If you don't ride well into the corner, it will have a negative effect on the next movement. The short sides and corners are what set you up for every movement.Tip/Quote of the Day # 972Since many lower level horses anticipate the transition from canter to trot in the Dressage test, it can be a good idea to do a few canter circles when practicing tests at home, instead of just one. This way the horse will not learn that when doing a test he does a quick canter, and then is done. It is also a good idea to canter past the letter that you will be doing the downward transition at in the ring. These measures can help to prevent the very common "falling from canter into trot early" problem.Tip/Quote of the Day # 971Don't use gadgets or your hands to make a "frame", use exercises to change the way the horse carries his body. When he is carrying himself correctly in balance, with his hind legs underneath his body, he will magically become round.Tip/Quote of the Day # 970It can be a clever time to work on the beginning of a piaffe, or "half steps", when you are out hacking and your horse gets a bit excited and "prancy." Take advantage of the moment, to ask them (and allow them) to do what they are offering you in their excitement. And don't forget the reward!Tip/Quote of the Day # 969As you finish a course, ask yourself if you are finishing with the same pace that you started with. If the answer is no… the next question you need to ask yourself is which speed was better for your horse's jumping - the way you started, or the way you finished? Then make sure you use that information on the next course that you jump.Tip/Quote of the Day # 968When you have a green or looky horse, it can be helpful to go a little more slowly on the approach to their fences to let them take it all in. Don't be afraid to come back to the trot if you need to. Rushing them through the approach when they are already rattled will not help them gain in confidence.Question # 280: When using side reins or surcingle for lunging, do you allow the side reins to be of equal length or do you make the inside rein slightly shorter? (Melanie) Hi Melanie!
This is an age old question that has a VERY clear answer in my book! (Click on Question Title above (in blue) to read full answer) Tip/Quote of the Day # 967"You can trot and cry at the same time. And if you can’t, this isn’t the sport for you." ~ Kristin CarpenterTip/Quote of the Day # 966From Facebook fan Lee DiGangi ~ "If YOU breathe, your horse will breathe. Especially true with tense mares."Tip/Quote of the Day # 965"Only when the horse is straight, the hind legs can be induced by correct collection to carry more weight and, correspondingly, be gymnasticized by increased flexion. This improves the balance and the suppleness, and it strengthens the haunches for the greater demands to the necessary degree." ~ PodhajskyGuest Blog post # 68: "You May, You Must!" by Bill Woods
There's a time (we hope) in everyone's riding where a transformation takes place. It's when you start to find your "voice" and begin to exercise it. Before this can happen, riders struggle through some predictable stages. Typically, even while working on their own, their heads are filled with the scolding words (not even intentionally directed at them) by their teacher reminding them of their assorted malfeasances and inadequacies. When they get past this stage and their confidence grows, they begin to have a “voice”.... (Click on Blog Title above (in blue) to read full entry)
Tip/Quote of the Day # 964Always challenge yourself to use as little hand as possible in riding any exercise. The more freedom your horse has up front, the more expressive his movement will be.Tip/Quote of the Day # 963
"When I think of the rider's aids, I am reminded of an anecdote that is told about one of the world's great pianists, who was asked how difficult it was to learn to play the piano as he did. "It is really not difficult at all," he replied. "You only have to figure out which fingers go on what keys, and for how long. Then you practice for the rest of your life so that you can do it up to tempo." Communicating with the horse is about the same." ~ Bert de Nemethy
Here is an exercise from Ian Stark that will sharpen up any horse, and teach him to think for himself over fences. But fair warning... it is only for riders who are especially brave! (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)
Tip/Quote of the Day # 962Every time you change direction, your horse needs to bring his new inside hind leg more under his body to balance. If he doesn't do this, you will feel a loss of balance, and the result will be that he comes off of the aids. This is another example of the fact that you don't fix the problem in the mouth, you fix it in the horse's hind legs.Tip/Quote of the Day # 961If your horse is strung out and on the forehand, they are more likely to slip, trip, stumble, etc. Just one of the many reasons you should strive to keep your horse balanced at all times! Quiz # 28: Rule Quiz! True or false - Gloves are required in the Dressage phase at the Preliminary level True or false - Gloves are required in the Dressage phase at the Preliminary level (Click on Quiz Title above (in blue) to read this educational discussion)Tip/Quote of the Day # 960“I never really work a horse for longer than four or five minutes. I want to take a quick break, and then we go again. Any of you who’ve worked out know how much a break of 30 seconds can help. It gets some oxygen back into the muscles.” ~ Steffen PetersTip/Quote of the Day # 959From member Sharon Fitzgerald ~ "Lengthen the horse's top line so the bottom can engage. Any contracture of the top line will be counterproductive."Tip/Quote of the Day # 958From Facebook fan Barbara Martin ~ "If you don't have ground manners and ground respect, you won't have a completely full and trusting partnership."Brianna's Blog Post # 13: Years That Ask and Years That Answer
Years That Ask and Years That Answer
(My recent visit with the master of success, the great American Pharoah)
I was fortunate to be forced by some educational reasoning to read “Their Eyes Were Watching God” over winter break. This really equates to forcing myself to procrastinate and read the whole book in two days as is my tradition. It is my belief that procrastination really means “being a pro at the last minute” thus its definition is easier to live by. None the less my unhealthy habits are not the moral of my story. (Click on Blog Title above (in blue) to read full entry)
There are lots of different ingredients that add up to good jumping... but no matter what type of approach you are making, or what kind of jump you are approaching, there is one golden rule that you must follow as a rider to have a good jump! Read on to find out what it is! (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)
Tip/Quote of the Day # 956“When you get on, you should feel that your [jumping length] stirrups are a little bit short,” he said. “As you warm up, as you come out of the saddle and come forward and jump, you should feel that you’re coming into a more comfortable position. If when you get on, you’re comfortable in your stirrups, they’re invariably too long.” ~ William Fox-PittVideo # 87: This is my lesson from today. This is my new 4 year old OTTB (never raced, just race trained)....As you can tell in the beginning the construction going on had her a bit nervous. We also jump fairly well off the right lead, but really struggle going to the left. I'm starting to feel a bit better about staying with her over the jumps, as long as we are cantering. Wondering if you have any exercises for myself to help me stay with her better and learn her jumping style as well as anything you see she needs improvement on in her jumping/flatwork. Thanks! (Kayla) (Click on Video Title above (in blue) to read the critique of this video)
Tip/Quote of the Day # 955Too often I see riders asking their horses to be forward and in front of their leg, and not getting the response they are looking for - yet they still move on to the next thing they had planned! Whether the next thing you plan to do is a jump or a dressage movement, your best bet would be to put that on hold for a moment, and really insist that your horse responds 100% to your leg. You won't get much else done without that quality.OC Question # 2: How can you tell if a horse is ready to move up a level?
How can you tell if a horse is ready to move up a level? (Click on OC Question Title above (in blue) to read their answers)
Tip/Quote of the Day # 954Always remember that what you do habitually will feel normal to you, whether it is right or wrong.Video Discussion # 90: This video shows the various lateral movements in detail, and demonstrates the great exercise of transitions back and forth between shoulder in and renvers.This video shows the various lateral movements in detail, and demonstrates the great exercise of transitions back and forth between shoulder in and renvers. What are your thoughts on this video? (Click on Discussion Title above (in blue) to watch video, and read this educational discussion) Tip/Quote of the Day # 953"When working on your horse's balance, keep in mind that horses can't be balanced under unbalanced riders. We always need to begin with the education and balance of the rider." ~ Debbie McdonaldTip/Quote of the Day # 952Your weight or seat aid trumps your leg and hand aids at all times. So if you are unconsciously giving conflicting aids with your weight/seat and your legs or hands, your horse will usually not do exactly what you expect him to do.Tip/Quote of the Day # 951You drive your horse heavily into your hands when you lean back even slightly behind the vertical.Lauren's Blog post # 3European Adventure!
My adventure through Europe was nothing short of extraordinary. The sights, the tastes, the culture, and, of course, the horses were all incredible, and traveling with locals meant it wasn’t any sort of typical tourist vacation. For two whole weeks I immersed myself in an atmosphere, not to mention language, which was completely foreign to me- and I loved every second. (Click on Blog Title above (in blue) to read full entry)Tip/Quote of the Day # 950
“I start by stretching the horse and trying to make him relaxed and supple. It’s a bit like gymnastic with a horse, dressage is. You wouldn’t expect a gymnastics person to just go and start their workout; they do a nice stretch in the warm-up first.” ~ Charlotte Dujardin
Tip/Quote of the Day # 949When your horse is impressed by a jump, and gathers itself a bit to look on the approach, you have a free half halt. Do not get caught taking back in this situation, or you may cause your horse to stop. Think "keep the hind legs moving" all the way to the base of the jump to ensure that you maintain sufficient forward energy as the horse looks. Yet don't push them out of balance by trying to run at the jump.Different Half Halts For Different Situations
The key to doing any movement well lies in the preparation for that movement. And half halts are a very important part of the preparation for just about every movement or transition. However, you need to know exactly how to best utilize the half halt at that particular moment. While the essence of the half halt remains the same across the board, the ingredients and focus of your half halt may need to be adapted slightly to suit each individual situation, to give you the best result. (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)
