Recent Articles

Some horses are naturally great at following their rider's eye when jumping courses. They are so attentive and attuned to their rider, that they always seem to know where the rider is intending to go next, even before they are given any other signals. Other horses are not quite as focused on their riders, and could be better at reading their rider's body language and focus, and following their eye. These horses often require strong turning aids on course, and are likely to be seen resisting and fighting their rider through the turns. 

This can be improved however! And if you have a horse that needs improvement in this area, it will be well worth the effort that you put into working on this. As when your horse is thinking about following your eye on course, you will find that your rounds will become much more fluent. The improved harmony between you and your horse will be evident for all to see! Read on for a simple exercise to teach your horse to better follow your eye, which has an added benefit of improving your own focus and eye control! (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

As with most things in life, a good strategy is key to you getting the most out of your daily rides. If you can begin each ride in a way that sets both you and your horse up for a successful schooling session, you will find that you will feel less stagnant and frustrated with your riding, as you will make more progress as a team!

While every horse and rider is, of course, a unique team, and may have different things that they need to focus on... here is a list of ideas of things to do at the beginning of each ride, that will help the majority of riders: (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

You will do much more galloping between jumps than actual jumping while on a cross country course. And at most events, that involves negotiating terrain that varies from mildly rolling hills to steep slopes. It is important that riders know how to use this terrain in such a way that it makes the job the easiest and most efficient for the horse - taking the least amount of gas out of the tank! (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

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)

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)

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)

Answered by: 

US Olympian Stephen Bradley  (www.stephensbradley.com)





British Olympic champion Leslie Law  (www.leslielaweventing.com)





and Australian Olympic and World Championship rider Vicki Roycroft  (www.vickiroycroft.com.au)

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 to read full article)

Everyone knows that riders need to develop an independent seat to be effective, and to be able to move fluidly in harmony with their horse while giving them precise and invisible aids. But did you also know that we need to have independent hands? I am not talking about simply having quiet, still hands that follow the horse's motion because of the shock absorbers in the rider's elbows. This is more specific to the hand itself, and is surprisingly not often discussed! In fact, this may be what has been the missing key to your ability to establish a good rein connection with your horse! Read on to find out about this essential skill! (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

We all know that lateral work is a very important part of the training of the Dressage or Event horse. Well ridden lateral exercises make a horse more responsive, strengthen and gymnasticize his body, and lead to improved carriage by increasing the level of hind leg engagement. Read on to learn about some specific exercises that you can do within your lateral work, to help you to maximize these benefits by increasing your horse's suppleness, range of motion, and the overall scope of his movement. All of which will lead to better scores in the Dressage ring! (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

Adjustability is key when it comes to good jumping! It is what makes our horses a joy to ride over fences, and allows us to easily create and maintain exactly the right canter that we need for every circumstance. A big part of the rider's homework on the flat should be to practice the adjustability exercise outlined here. And when that is all going quite well, the next step for the moderately experienced jumper is to incorporate that work into your gymnastic jumping. Here is a series of grids that will put you to the test! (Click on Article Title above to read full article)

It takes strength for a horse to canter in true self carriage with a rider on its back! And many of the difficulties that riders run into in their canter work stem from a lack of sufficient strength, and/or the understanding of how to use that strength to properly carry their riders while at the canter. Read on to find out how to build strength in your horse's canter, and to show him how to use that strength to best carry you. (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

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 to read full article)

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)

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)

Counter 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!

Let me first talk about at what level you should be at, and what prerequisites should be firmly in place before you attempt to use this exercise in your training program. And then I will go on to discuss how to best introduce this movement to your horse. (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

Let's say you are galloping along between jumps on cross country, and you are approaching a fairly steep downhill slope. The best time for you to change the balance in your horse's gallop for the big terrain change is:  

A. Before the downhill begins

B. Right at the edge where the downhill begins

C. Only after the horse has begun down the hill, and is showing signs of losing balance

D. Don't make an effort to change the balance, let the horse figure it out

(Click on Discussion Title above (in blue) to answer, and to read this educational discussion)

This exercise has many benefits. It reinforces the rider's outside aids, teaching the horse to be more responsive to the rider's outside seat bone, leg, and rein coming through turns. It improves the horse's straightness on curved lines. And it can help to increase engagement of the outside hind leg, which is particularly useful in improving the horse's carriage and balance in the canter - leading to increased collection. Read on to find out how to do it! (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

Patterns can work either for you or against you in the training of your horse! You have to know what kind of horse you have, and must be able to accurately assess your horse's mindset at any given moment. This will allow you to make the right decision, in what kind of pattern to use... and most importantly - how long to stay on it. (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

This basic suppling exercise is particularly useful for horses that sometimes have difficulty with changes of bend, and for those that tend to want to fall to the inside on their turns! It is suitable for riders at all levels. (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

One of the most frequently seen mistakes across the levels in the Dressage ring is that of an unbalanced canter to trot transition - where the rider does not sufficiently prepare for the downward transition, and the horse falls heavily onto the forehand. You have probably heard it said before that you need to prepare for your transitions. But what does this mean exactly?? And what do you do if you try to prepare, but your horse doesn't respond? Read on to find out! (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full entry)

Transitions make up much of your Dressage Test. This is true at all levels, but is especially so as you move up the levels... where you now have transitions within the gait as well as between gaits. And if you want good scores, you must be able to make smooth, balanced transitions! Here is an exercise which will help to improve the adjustability and rideability of your horse's canter in the Dressage ring: (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

The trot on the right is unfortunately what is seen 90% (or more) of the time nowadays. It is sad that so many trainers teach methods that produce this result, and that so many judges seem to overlook the problem. I am also bewildered that so many are fooled by a flashy front end, and don't seem to notice the other details. Besides the obvious toe flipping front end and trailing hind legs, what other differences do you see between these two drawings? (Click on Discussion Title above (in blue) to read this educational discussion)

The hot or anxious type of horse can be very challenging to ride, but if well managed and patiently handled, they can be the very best competitors! These are often the horses that have the heart to give you 110% once you have formed a good bond with them. And although the training process with this type of horse can be frustratingly slow, it is often especially rewarding once you get there! Here are some tips to help you, if you have this type of horse: (Click on Article Title above to read full article)

This video shows an exercise that can be useful for improving your horse's rideability on course. Have you tried this one? If not... go give it a try, and come back and tell us how it went! (Click on Discussion Title above to read this educational discussion)

If we are to keep our hard working Event horses healthy and sound for many years of fun and competition, we must have a good plan for keeping them that way! The cross country phase is quite obviously the most taxing phase on the horse's body. So no matter what level you are competing, it is important to have a good plan for aftercare following this phase. Here is what I recommend: (Click on Article Title above to read full article)

It's a fairly common scenario... the horse pulling on the rider to the point that they lose the depth of their seat to some degree. Maybe they even get pulled completely out of the saddle! Not only do riders lose the strength and security of their seat when this happens - but the worst part of this situation is that riders are then often tempted to pull against their horse, which entices the horse into a game of tug of war.

Once the rider begins to pull on their horse's mouth, the horse will almost always respond by pulling even harder. And this vicious circle can continue to the point where the horse's mouth becomes virtually unresponsive. To put a stop to this cycle before it can begin, the rider must know how to properly handle the situation when their horse begins to pull on them. (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

The snowball effect is a very real phenomenon... that affects horses and riders in many situations. It is common for gradual and sometimes insidious negative changes to develop in our riding. And when those negative changes begin to build up and snowball, they can cause a major problem! One mistake can easily lead to another, which can continue the negative and frustrating cycle. Read on to learn about some commonly seen horse and rider scenarios, and how to stop that negative snowball in its tracks - and even turn it around! (Click on Article Title above to read full article)

The benefits of riding the older horse can be enormous... especially for the more timid, inexperienced, or younger rider. With age, often comes experience... and an experienced horse is really the best teacher that a rider can have! Nothing instills more confidence in a rider than knowing that their horse has "been there and done that"! And this can be especially so for the Event rider, since we have 3 different phases to master. 

The older, more experienced horse often knows all about the various challenges that our sport presents. And is usually happy to take care of and educate his rider. Here's how to best take care of your older and wiser equine athlete, and keep him in top form for as long as possible! (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

More demanding than a simple bending line of jumps, the S turn exercise presents an extra challenge to horse and rider. It tests their ability to maintain balance and rideability while changing direction between jumps. Which is obviously a skill that needs to be perfected to jump a course well! Here's how to do it: (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full entry)

Classic:

adjective - Judged over a period of time to be of the highest quality and outstanding of its kind. Serving as a standard of excellence. 

noun -  Something of recognized and established value. A perfect example. 

When we speak of the classical galloping position for Event riders, it is not just because it is traditional - having been used by the best riders in the history of the sport... It is also because it is fundamentally correct, with a legitimate reason behind every aspect of the rider's position. (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

Much like with our equine athletes, riders come in various shapes and sizes. And there are pros and cons to each conformation type that should be considered. Why should we bother to take the time to consider the challenges that our particular body type might present us? So that we can develop a concrete plan to improve our weaknesses. (Click on Article Title above to read full article)

The Bow Tie exercise is a great suppling exercise, and its soothing nature can make it extremely useful for tense or rigid horses... (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

To be an effective jumping rider, you need to be able to clearly identify the moment of landing from each jump. Only if you can precisely feel the exact moment of landing... and have true clarity of thought at that moment, can you know exactly what you need to do next, and successfully begin to influence your horse in the first stride after landing.

Many riders don't begin to think about or make any necessary adjustments until several strides after landing. And that is sometimes too late to be able to produce an optimal approach to the next fence.

This very simple exercise will test how accurately you are aware of the moment of landing, and will help you think more quickly about what your next move needs to be... (Click on Article Title above to read full article)

Here is a simple exercise that can be incorporated in a subtle way throughout your work to simultaneously test your horse's straightness, his evenness in the bridle, and his suppleness in the poll. (Click on Article Title above to read full article)