Discussion # 140: Let's discuss the very common problem of "one sidedness" in the horse! Look at this great illustration of the effects of imbalance in the horse's body. This shows the example of the horse that is right hind leg dominant. This means that the horse pushes harder with the right hind leg in general, causing the strength of the 2 trot diagonals to be slightly different. And the left lead canter will be stronger, since the right hind leg is the beginning of the left canter lead.
Because the horse with the dominant right hind leg pushes harder with that limb, he is often more on the forehand when traveling to the left. Yet he often actually prefers going that direction because it is the easist for him.
So, let's discuss how to fix this problem! What specific exercises should you do for the horse in this example... that wants to stay kind of "curled" to the right, pushing more strongly with the right hind leg? And tell us what specific crookedness problems you have with your horse(s)! (Click on Discussion Title above (in blue) to see the descriptive illustration, and to read this educational discussion)Tip/Quote of the Day # 886"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 PodhajskyVideo # 84: This is Lija schooling a water jump with a skinny! (Click on Video Title above (in blue) to read the critique of this video)
Tip/Quote of the Day # 885Riders can benefit SO much from discussions about their riding. Riding is as much cognitive as it is physical - both aspects need to be exercised to truly improve!Tip/Quote of the Day # 884"I don't want riders who work physically hard. Work by thinking." ~ Nuno OliveiraVideo # 83: This is Lija doing a show jumping round! (Click on Video Title above (in blue) to read the critique of this video)
“You think it’s quite boring, but this is the foundation. It’s like building a house. If you have a bad foundation, you’re going to have a bad house.” ~ Charlotte Dujardin
Tip/Quote of the Day # 880"A horse with impulsion will display rounder, more fluid, and more continuous action and will develop supple joints and an elastic musculature. There is a subtle vibration in the impulsive horse's body." ~ Charles de KunffyTip/Quote of the Day # 879The best way to fix a bad habit is to exaggerate the opposite for a while. So, what will YOU be exaggerating for a while?Photo # 69: This is Lija!(Click on Photo Title above (in blue) to read the critique of this photo)
Tip/Quote of the Day # 878The more "black and white" you can be when working with horses, the more confidence they will have in you. They have to have a clear understanding of your aids and your expectations.Tip/Quote of the Day # 877To get the best out of a horse with a sense of humor, you must be a rider with a sense of humor :)Tip/Quote of the Day # 876"If you know enough, you know that it is not worth experimenting or using gimmicks, you know there is nothing you personally can invent right now, because both equine and humans structure and psychology have not changed much over the last centuries. The body of knowledge handed down to us represents the sum total of the best results from the past." ~ Charles de KunffyTip/Quote of the Day # 875Change only happens when we do things differently consistently, not just once! So cut yourself some slack when you are struggling to improve certain skills. It will take time and repetition! Tip/Quote of the Day # 874"What is most important is how the horse travels between the jumps." ~ Bill SteinkrausBonnie's Blog Post # 4Well, where should I start? In my last post, I was prepping for the one-day at Fair Hill all the way back in May, and there really aren’t words to describe how incredible the summer and fall seasons were for us. I’ll try to use the next few posts to sum up the past six (how did that happen?!) months, and give you a sneak peek at what’s in store for me and the ever-wonderful brumby this winter... (Click on Blog Title above (in blue) to read full entry)Tip/Quote of the Day # 873
For those of you with horses that want to "run" into the canter when working on walk to canter transitions (accelerating and taking a trot step or two before picking up the canter), think "halt" as you are applying your aid to canter from the walk.
Do you find that your horse sometimes gets a little weak when jumping through combinations? Triple combinations especially can be somewhat daunting and overwhelming for some horses. And once they begin to back off and lose some of their power and impulsion, their confidence levels can plummet! Here is a simple exercise that you can do at home, to bolster your horse's confidence about jumping through combinations, and improve your own confidence in your ability to ride them. (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)
This could be happening for any number of reasons... but in any case, the answer is to... (Click on Question Title above (in blue) to read full answer)Tip/Quote of the Day # 871"We teach them collection for two reasons: To make your horse more comfortable to ride and to preserve his well being." ~ Major LindgrenDiscussion # 139: How would you ride this fence? This complex involved going through water to this log on a mound, landing on a downhill slope back into the water to another jump on the way out. As we look at it, you can see that the horse cannot see that there is more water on the landing side of this jump as he approaches it. As a rider, how do you best prepare your horse for the surprise factor involved here, so that when your horse gets to the takeoff point of the log and suddenly sees that there is a downhill landing and more water, he is more likely to be ready and willing to keep going? (Click on Discussion Title above (in blue) to read this educational discussion)
Tip/Quote of the Day # 870Counter canter is simply one of the most beneficial exercises you can do for your horse in the canter! In addition to building strength, improving balance, and increasing hind leg engagement, it also improves the horse's ability to be straight in the canter. All of which will improve your regular canter! Tip/Quote of the Day # 869Corners should be ridden as one-quarter of a volte appropriate to the level of the test (10 meters at Training-First Levels, 8 meters at Second-Fourth Levels and 6 meters above Fourth Level)Tip/Quote of the Day # 868For those of you with horses that want to run into the canter when working on walk to canter transitions (accelerating and taking a trot step or two before picking up the canter,) think "halt" as you are applying your aid to canter from the walk.Tip/Quote of the Day # 867If your horse spends a lot of time in a stall or small paddock, it is a good idea to give him extra walking time at the beginning of your warm up routine. 15 to 20 minutes of an active, marching walk will get all of his structures limber, and lubricate his joints, so that he can then move on to more serious work with less risk of injury.Bonnie's Blog post # 3Today I had a jump school with Missy, final prep before Fair Hill this weekend. Loki warmed up well and felt really loose, if a bit sluggish (dressage boot camp yesterday taking its toll!). He woke right up for the jumping though. I swear, it’s never not fun to jump that horse. He’s so cute about it, too. As soon as we’re done he takes this big sigh, and, honest-to-goodness, gets this very pleased-with-himself look on his face (he knows he’s The Bomb)... (Click on Blog Title above (in blue) to read full entry)Tip/Quote of the Day # 866"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 BarteauHorses That Wag Their Head From Side to Side
You may have seen a horse "wagging" his head back and forth in the Dressage ring... it actually happens quite frequently in varying degrees - sometimes in the canter, but more often seen in the trot. Most of the time, what is causing this to happen is... (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)
Tip/Quote of the Day # 865Don't assume that just because a Dressage trainer has ridden through the upper levels, that they are riding and teaching correctly. There is a lot of incorrect, "front to back" riding going on out there, even at the top levels. Look for an instructor who rides and teaches in a true "back to front" manner - with quiet hands that receive the energy, instead of being used in a "busy" way to keep the horse's head down and nose in. Tip/Quote of the Day # 864When working on the zig zag movement in the half pass (changing from left to right and back again), begin with just a slight bend and a gradual changeover. And as your horse gains confidence and understanding of the exercise, you can then begin to ask for more bend and a more crisp change of bend. As with any exercise, aiming for confidence and understanding first will build a strong foundation for the movement. Bonnie's Blog post # 2 Today was, shall we say, rough. I haven’t ridden with anyone consistently since we got back from Florida in mid-March, and the lack of supervision was painfully obvious today. Jeff has been traveling non-stop and Missy was in Florida until April, and then in Europe with Gigi McIntosh, a para-equestrian student of hers who is making a bid for the 2016 Paralympic team (Go Gigi!), so this was the first real lesson we’d had in weeks- er, months. (Click on Blog Title above (in blue) to read full entry)Tip/Quote of the Day # 863"When introducing new questions make sure they are fair, but don’t over prepare the horse. Let him find out it’s an oxer/filler/bounce when he gets there. They need to learn to react and make quick decisions." ~ Eric SmileyThe Art of Slipping the Reins - and When and When NOT To Do So
The ability to "slip the reins" correctly and at exactly the right moment is absolutely crucial for the Event rider. Certain circumstances on cross country require this skill to be almost instinctive for the rider. Yet there are also times where some riders are tempted to slip the reins in a situation that will actually hinder their performance. Read on to find out exactly how and when slipping the reins will work best for you... (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)
Tip/Quote of the Day # 862“When you get on, you should feel that your 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-PittTip/Quote of the Day # 861“At home I never train the changes on the diagonal. I stick to the wall. He has changes that swing from side to side. Rather than pushing forward, he pushes to the side. By using the wall, the wall does the work for me.” ~ Charlotte DujardinTip/Quote of the Day # 860Working on changes of pace and stride during conditioning work can go a long way towards making your horse more rideable on course - as you will be creating the habit of being adjustable and responsive. Guest Blog post # 64: "(You can't make this stuff up) Officer, I tried to raise her right!" by Bill Woods(You can't make this stuff up) Officer, I tried to raise her right!
After having seen weekend scores on Foxvillage of the show where my student was on her own competing, I noted that she had put up three good First Level scores earlier. . .
Me: What happened in your last test on Sunday? I saw you got eliminated. Did he run off and jump out of the ring?
Her: No, I jumped him out... (Click on Blog Title above (in blue) to read full entry)Tip/Quote of the Day # 859Rhythm is the key to good jumping, whether on cross country or in the show jumping ring. Rhythm and balance go hand in hand, so one facilitates the other. Tip/Quote of the Day # 858
It is very important that your horse does not learn how to run out on skinny jumps or corners. Because once they have learned to associate either type of jump with running out, it can be very difficult to correct. Do not take the schooling of these type of jumps lightly, for this reason.
As for saddles with big knee rolls for jumping, I feel that... (Click on Question Title above (in blue) to read full answer)Tip/Quote of the Day # 857Tightly clamped thighs make you lose your nice deep seat, and drive the horse's back down into a hollow position.Tip/Quote of the Day # 856"If you keep your hands still, you’ll start using your legs." ~ Ulla SalzgeberDiscussion # 138: THIS is why Eventers need to have a defensive position! THIS is why Eventers need to have a defensive position! Because unexpected things can happen on the landing side of any cross country jump!
This rider shows us an excellent example of an extremely defensive seat over this same fence:
No crest releases here... instead keeping the horse well between the leg and the hand to jump a big fence at speed. The rider's center of gravity is low and well back, with their "feet on the dashboard." This is only absolutelynecessary in extreme circumstances, but since there is no real drawback to this position (when done well), it is a good habit for cross country riders to develop and utilize on cross country.
So tell us members, how often do you work on developing your defensive position (Read all about it here), and have you noticed a difference in your security over fences? (Click on Discussion Title above (in blue) to read this educational discussion)Tip/Quote of the Day # 855"Don't delude yourself into thinking that you have light, soft hands, if you ride with loose, almost dangling reins on a strung out horse. That can be done with insensitive hands as well. A soft hand requires the rider to feel whether the horse is softly on the bit, chewing, and whether it responds to a light pressure, in other words, whether it has an active mouth. If he rides with loose reins, the horse can have a dead mouth, which will only show up when you use the reins to stop or to shorten the strides, as it will either let you pull its nose onto its chest, or it will invert, and in both cases it will open its mouth." ~ Oskar M. StensbeckTip/Quote of the Day # 854"Use a repetitive process to help young horses learn. You may have to repeat an exercise many times but it will be worth it." ~ Eric SmileyTip/Quote of the Day # 853Do not make the mistake of always practicing over perfect distances at home. Sometimes practice meeting a jump on a half stride on purpose... and learn to do it well. This will make you and your horse a safe pair out on cross country. Guest Blog post # 63: "Trick or Treat" by the Bad Eventer!
Have you ever ridden with a coach who raises the jumps when you're not looking? (Click on Blog Title above (in blue) to read full entry)
