"The goal of all dressage riding should be to bring the horse and rider together in harmony...a oneness of balance, purpose, and athletic expression." ~ Walter Zettl
"Far be it from me to force anyone into either chess or dressage, but if you choose to do so yourself, in my opinion there is only one way: follow the rules." ~ Lars von Trier
"The basic techniques, or what they call basics, are more difficult than what comes later – this is the Trap of Dressage. Correct basics are more difficult than the piaffe and passage." ~ Conrad Schumacher
"What must the hand and arm be able to do? Yield, sustain, resist. What they do not need to do is pull, because no rider has ever won a pulling contest with a horse. In order to sustain and resist, the hands must be supported from the rider’s elastically braced back and, to the necessary degree, from the support of the upper arm against the side." ~ Bill Steinkraus
"What is Feel? Feel is the invisible quality in every good rider who is communicating with her horse in harmony. She can perceive where the horse is during every step because he accepts the rider’s seat, leg and rein aids through the connection. The rider can then communicate with the horse in a stable, sensitive and relaxed manner." ~ Sarah Geikie
"First, [the rider] has to be ambitious. Mentally, he has to be well balanced and consistent. He has to be tougher on himself than on the horse. If he gets after the horse too much, he will not get far. One must really be able to push oneself harder than one ever pushes a horse. Then, success will follow." ~ Ernst Hoyos
"Make him proudly independent of you so that he understands his job so well you merely walk the course and then show him the way. Tell your horse what you want him to do, and then allow him to do it." ~ Jimmy Wofford
"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 Kyrklund
"To become a rider it is not enough to be able to sit elegantly on a horse. Even a good seat and balance does not make you a ‘rider’. To be able to ride you must be able to influence your horse and to extract the best performance from him." ~ Christian Thiess
"The volte is one of the most important movements you can ride. It is teaching the horse to bend in his ribcage, within his body, and then to maintain a rhythm – in the future this movement will become a half pass. We are working on control over the balance of the horse so that it is learning to maintain a rhythm." ~ Ernst Hoyos
"The goal of our training is to build the horse's mind and his muscles. Suppleness and relaxation require adequate muscle strength. strengthening requires both contraction and relaxation. Blood flow and oxygenation occur when the muscle relaxes. If the muscle is kept in a constant state of contraction, it loses power and strength, and actually becomes smaller. Frequent rest periods, especially for a young horse at a free walk on a long rein, are necessary. The rest periods are not for a rider's fatigue, but to allow the horse to stretch and relax his muscles. The rest breaks will give you a completely new horse. This is the systematic gymnasticizing of the horse." ~ Klaus Balkenhol
A horse has to bestraightto have true impulsion. Anystoredenergy leaks out where the body is crooked, changing the energy in the stride from impulsion to merely forward momentum.
"The most important thing is for the horse to be thinking on its own. Unless you’re Michael Jung, you make mistakes and things go wrong. You have to teach the horse the stride isn’t always right, the line isn’t always right, and that’s why we start from trot." ~ William Fox Pitt
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.
The extra thrust created by lengthenings will solidify your connection if it was correct to begin with. The extra impulsion created can then be turned into real collection.
"The legs bring the horse to the seat, and the seat brings the horse to the hands. When the teacher says 'shorten the reins' it needs to be translated into: 'engage the hind legs, sit on them, and then take the slack out of the reins', because if you shorten the reins from front to back, the horse will only resist." ~ Thomas Ritter
"There is one principle that should never be abandoned when training a horse, namely, that the rider must learn to control himself before he can control his horse. This is the basic, most important principle to be preserved in equitation." ~ Alois Podhajsky
Remind yourself to breathe before and after every difficult exercise. Of course you need to breathe while riding each exercise as well! But thinking about checking your breathing before and after is a good first step.
Remind yourself to breathe before and after every difficult exercise. Of course you need to breathe while riding each exercise as well! But thinking about checking your breathing before and after is a good first step.
"Only use the spur to correct. The spur is not intended to ride a movement. It cannot just support the gait or the movement. Make a clear correction with the spur. If you are constantly giving your horse an aid, he will get numb to it." ~ Steffen Peters
True lightness does not come from playing with the bit until the horse feels lighter in your hand. Only hind leg engagement and lowering of the horse's quarters will bring about true lightness.
If your horse does not offer to stretch near the end of a workout, there is a good chance that you didn't have him working correctly through his topline during your ride.
When working with a horse that does not have a great natural trot lengthening, make sure that you don't ask for too much too soon. Compare this to a singer who is training their vocal cords… they gradually expand their vocal range until they hit their limit. This helps to prevent them from overextending themselves, and builds up confidence in their abilities.
"The volte is one of the most important movements you can ride. It is teaching the horse to bend in his ribcage, within his body, and then to maintain a rhythm – in the future this movement will become a half pass. We are working on control over the balance of the horse so that it is learning to maintain a rhythm." ~ Ernst Hoyos
Whenever you are facing any type of jump with a ditch in front of it, think of it as a "free" front rail, or a rolled out ground rail. Focus on the top of the jump (ignoring the ditch), and ride freely forward to it in a balanced, rhythmical gallop.
If 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.
"I find it better to often have short, intensive moments – ten or fifteen minutes – not longer, then a break to allow the muscles to recover. If you want the horse to carry more weight, then you need time for muscle recovery." ~ Johan Hamminga
Activity doesn't really start in the horse's hind legs... it starts in their brain. They have to decide to create activity before it will appear. Why is this significant? You need to train your horse's brain to understand and respect your light leg aids, rather than try to physically push him anywhere.
"I make my students ride in gallop position in trot and canter with no rein contact and no hands on the neck, as there is no point in trying to progress until a good balance is in place. It is a great concern to me that so many riders are out of balance between fences, and then too stiff and upright on the approach to the fence" ~ William Fox Pitt
"Lightness, whose characteristic lies in the elastic and springy flexibility of all joints and muscles, can only be acquired after all resistances have completely disappeared, that is, with the disappearance of all inopportune contractions." ~ Alexis François L’Hotte
An exercise to check if you are sitting straight and putting your weight equally down into both stirrups is to stand straight up for a few strides (at all three gaits), and notice which stirrup you have to consciously put more weight into to keep yourself balanced.
To help your horse make a softer, more balanced canter depart - set him up for it, and then think of allowing him to canter, rather than asking strongly. If you push too strongly, your horse is more likely to push hard with his hind legs into the canter, and begin the transition on the forehand.
Excessive bend in the neck, whether lateral (usually to the inside), or longitudinal (behind the vertical) disconnects the haunches from the rein aids and allows the horse to remain locked up in other parts of the body, such as the poll and hips.
Horses that have a smooth and naturally balanced gallop stride often have longer careers in this sport. Keep that in mind when looking for an Eventing prospect.
The use of "half steps" in your training can be very beneficial, as it can help the horse to understand the idea of engagement without increasing speed.
Position your horse in a very slight shoulder fore before every movement or transition, to help him engage his inside hind leg and really step through from behind.
"Many riders in the name of impulsion, put too much tension in their horses. Others in the name of lightness, have their horse 'abandoned' (without a sufficient connection). The truth of equitation is in between those two extremes." ~ Nuno Oliveira
The quality of the contact that the horse will give you is largely dictated by the amount of hind leg activity at that moment, and how much the energy from that activity is able to flow in an uninterrupted way through the horse's supple and permeable body into your hands.
The old masters learned early on that riding accurate arena patterns is the key for improving a horse's balance and straightness. Always keep this in mind in your training.
"Through the energy of impulsion mobilized from within himself, the horse is now prepared, in his physique and emotional attentiveness, to respond instantly to the slightest indications to change his tempo, posture, direction or gait." ~ Waldemar Seunig
From Facebook fan Sarah Feathers ~ "When your horse likes to run and/or buck before and after jumps, it is much better to 'hold' with your core than snatch your reins."
"Whenever a horse has learned a new movement or a new aid in its basic form, the rider should give him a break and deliberately ride something else for a few days or weeks. When he returns to the movement, he will notice how much more easily the training will proceed." ~ Reiner Klimke
"Every horse is different, but you learn to compare, what to do in this moment with this particular horse, and that takes time. Dressage doesn’t go fast, this is the difference between our young riders and our more experienced riders." ~ Reiner Klimke
"If the leg is required at every stride to maintain the impulsion then it is necessary to return to the basic priorities again in order to teach the horse to remain active and forward thinking without constant use of the leg." ~ Chris Bartle
A word about the double bridle: The curb bit is a tool for refining the aids, not for applying more force. If the double bridle is used because otherwise the rider can’t ride his horse on the bit or because he can’t control it, neither the horse nor the rider is ready for the double bridle.
"Working-in is one of the most important aspects of dressage. You want your horse to be long, round and stretching before you start more taxing work, to get the muscles in front of and behind the saddle soft and working – gymnasts don’t hop straight onto the top bar! Ideally, walk for 10 minutes to start with, but if your horse is fresh, it is best to trot on to settle him down." ~ Carl Hester
"The inside leg assures that he is consistently looking for the outside rein. Come on, get him sensitive. If you’re too busy with your inside rein, it takes the focus off the inside leg. Try to get rid of the thinking that everything will fall part if you give the inside rein." ~ Stefan Wolff
From Facebook fan Gabby Ballin ~ "Just because something went bad once doesn't mean it'll go bad again. If you anticipate a problem, your horse will too."
"Only use the spur to correct. The spur is not intended to ride a movement. It cannot just support the gait or the movement. Make a clear correction with the spur. If you are constantly giving your horse an aid, he will get numb to it. " ~ Steffen Peters
"Horses have taught us that progress in learning takes place in an environment of contentment. Fear and tension block success. Boundaries must exist, be clear, and be consistent. Within those boundaries our horses are encouraged to express themselves." ~ Steuart Pittman
"It is not dressage that is difficult, it is making it look easy that is difficult. Some horses are born with presence, while others you can train presence. Either way, dressage is about improving the paces." ~ Carl Hester
"It is so important that you do a proper warmup and make sure everything is loose and supple, then give a walk break – and then you can start sitting." ~ Ingrid Klimke
"The difference between an incorrectly compressed horse and a collected horse is that the collected horse can put his nose toward the ground (stretch) while staying round." ~ Nuno Oliveira
When training a young horse you should be fairly single minded. Your main goal should be to build your horse's confidence in you, so that they think of you as a fair but strong leader.
Your ability to develop following hands and arms depends on the quality of your independent seat, which is required to allow you to give precise aids while following your horse's movement.
When doing lateral work, every time your horse steps nicely under his body with his inside hind leg, you should feel him stepping up into the connection of your outside rein. Be sure to make good use of that opportunity to soften your inside rein. Every single time.
"Most of the riders ride with their upper body very stiff – especially their shoulders. If the stomach is in balance and in the position it should be, the shoulders are allowed to relax, and should relax. You need to be loose in your shoulders." ~ Ernst Hoyos
"I hope a lot of the American riders start to realize that cross country is not all about counting strides and keeping the stride pattern that you’ve counted; it’s about getting in there and riding what you feel and making sure the horse sees the fence." ~ Lucinda Green
"The best stretch can be achieved on a circle when you feel the horse is balanced laterally and longitudinally. Slowly allow the reins to lengthen and see if your horse will lengthen his neck forward and downward. This will feel like a clear release and you will be able to see how the neck fills out and gets wide when you look down." ~ Felicitas von Neumann-Cosel
"Since the criteria of a correct seat are the same as the criteria of good posture in general, being constantly attentive to one’s bearing when standing or walking is excellent training. A correct vertical posture of the head and the trunk on horseback is not a special posture applicable only to riding." ~ Kurt Albrecht
Facebook fan Mo Jackson on teaching riders to maintain a consistent rein connection ~ "I try to teach this with pretending rider and horse are on the telephone. You are talking, oops no connection, talking again, oops no connection. This causes chaos in the horse's mind as he is trying to communicate, to be part of the conversation."
Always think of keeping your shoulders aligned with your horse's shoulders (or where you want them to be), and your hips aligned with your horse's hips (or where you want them to be.)
As you complete a halt, lighten your seat slightly to invite your horse to keep his back up underneath you. This will allow you to move off after the halt without the horse hollowing and dropping his back.
"To become a rider it is not enough to be able to sit elegantly on a horse. Even a good seat and balance does not make you a ‘rider’. To be able to ride you must be able to influence your horse and to extract the best performance from him." ~ Christian Thiess
"No complicated riding before the horses are going truly forward. In dressage, the difficulties are often created by a lack of good basic work (which is the foundation of the house.)" ~ Nuno Oliveira
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.
The muscles in the horse's loin area (behind the saddle) are loosened and suppled with each good lateral step behind. Just one reason of many why lateral steps are a very important part of training horses.
"Suppleness means that the muscles contract and de-contract, and this has to go through the entire horse, it cannot be blocked in the middle of the back, and it also has to go through the rider." ~ Susanne Miesner
Using a volte (a 6, 8, or 10 meter circle) before a lateral exercise like a shoulder in, haunches in, or half pass allows you to establish the bend for those movements even before you begin them.
This is a great example of how it works better to "ride the canter" rather than try to make a certain number of strides between jumps on cross country. This complex walked as a 2 and a half stride. It would be dangerous to try to insist on either 2 or 3 strides here... With this undulating terrain, trying to FORCE the horse to add a stride or to leave one out is just asking for a fall.
It is best to do just what Andrew Nicholson did here. Ride the line and the quality of the canter, and let the horse do the footwork that he wants to do in the heat of the moment.
Can you see the exact moment that this horse makes the decision about what to do with his feet before the second element?
(Click on Video Discussion Title above to read or join in on this educational discussion)
"A steady hand with a soft, following elbow invites a steady, soft contact from the horse. Working the bit or being busy with your fingers invites a false frame." ~ Alexis Soutter
Make sure your inside leg is quietly on the horse before you begin a turn. Even though your outside aids actually turn your horse, your inside leg is the post that he needs to bend around. Many riders are caught out with their inside leg completely off, and only put it on when they find their horse is falling in through the turn. By that time, it is much harder to correct.
"Courage is not the absence of fear but rather the judgment that something is more important than fear. The brave may not live forever but the cautious do not live at all."
Always use both reins together to steer, especially when jumping. Using one rein only turns the horse's nose - but using both reins turn the horse at the shoulders, which means his body will more accurately follow your chosen line.
"Through the energy of impulsion mobilized from within himself, the horse is now prepared, in his physique and emotional attentiveness, to respond instantly to the slightest indications to change his tempo, posture, direction or gait." ~ Waldemar Seunig
Think of your leg, seat, and rein aids as ways to communicate with your horse. You don't physically push or pull him anywhere, you give him subtle signals. And if he doesn't initially respond to your subtle signals, you need to teach him to - EVERY horse can learn to respond to light cues, if taught properly.
When things are not going especially well in training, you must go out of your way to find things to reward. This will help to keep your horse's level of confidence in you as high as possible, and will motivate him to keep trying for you.
"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 Podhajsky
"A horse with good foot work will rarely fall. A horse who is not given the chance to practice that footwork because he is always brought to the right spot will come big time unstuck when the s*** hits the fan and the fallible human on top gets it wrong." ~ Lucinda Green
From Facebook fan Gabby Ballin ~ "Just because something went bad once doesn't mean it'll go bad again. If you anticipate a problem, your horse will too."
"What we want to start creating in these horses is an engine that is always running, where we don’t shift gears until we want to. It’s like revving your RPMs and waiting a moment before you shift up into that higher gear. But if you don’t have that energy in the lower gear, you might stall when you go to send them forward." ~ Laura Graves
"No complicated riding before the horses are going truly forward. In dressage, the difficulties are often created by a lack of good basic work (which is the foundation of the house)." ~ Nuno Oliveira
“When you don't have a confident position, it’s saying to people you don’t believe in yourself. So sit up, shoulders back, chin high, and ride your best test.” ~ Robert Dover
"Working over a single pole on the ground, notice if the young horse prefers to chip in a short stride or stretch for a long stride. Then remember this is the default that they will return to when things go wrong." ~ Eric Smiley
You can't straighten a crooked stick just by bending it until it's straight. You have to bend it in the opposite direction to truly straighten it. The same is true with horses. Moments of exaggerating the bend in the direction your horse doesn't like to bend will cause him to become straighter.
"First thing I look at when I buy a horse is paces rather than breeding. Beautiful parents don’t always produce beautiful children. I’m not looking for the flashiest paces, but also the trainablility and rideability. How are you going to keep a big, flamboyant mover sound into Grand Prix? You want an easy mover." ~ Carl Hester
A sound horse's head does not move in the trot. So if your hands move at all in the trot, you are moving the bit and disturbing the connection from your horse's perspective.
"You should recognize that your equine partner has an eye of its own when jumping and allow a good horse to have some role in the decision making process." ~ Frank Chapot
"In the half halt that creates carrying power, we are asking the horse to slow down and carry more weight when his hind leg joints are closed and his hind foot is on the ground. The levade, in which the horse sits on his hindquarters, is the ultimate example of this kind of closing of the joints while carrying the weight." ~ George Williams
"I’m not sure if it is chicken or egg, but the riders who sit in the middle of the movement, in the middle of their horse are the ones with the self-carriage." ~ Chris Hector
From Facebook fan Rachel Mackmin ~ "Shoulder control established with outside rein and thigh allow us timid riders to let go of that inside rein! It's so hard to give that inside rein to a spooky horse!"
One of the biggest reasons riders meet resistance when attempting to control their horse's canter is that they stop following the motion of the horse's head and neck with their elbows.
Riders often tend to forget their outside leg in the equation of the bending aids. If you want to achieve true bend in the horse's ribcage, your outside leg must keep the hind quarters on the track.
Whenever you see a rider "miss" and meet a bad takeoff spot at a jump, it is often a clear sign that rider has been taught to "look for a distance" at their fences. Riders who do not look for a distance, but instead ride the quality of the canter all the way to the base NEVER miss!
"Correctly understood, work at the lunge line is indispensable for rider and horse from the very beginning through the highest levels." ~ Egon von Neindorff
Turn on the forehand and leg yield can be used to teach the horse that the rider's leg can mean something other than, "Go forward."
The horse must understand this concept in these very basic movements before you will find much success with any of the more complicated lateral movements.
"Only use the spur to correct. The spur is not intended to ride a movement. It cannot just support the gait or the movement. Make a clear correction with the spur. If you are constantly giving your horse an aid, he will get numb to it." ~ Steffen Peters
If you want to be able to soften the reins without your horse speeding up, make sure you think about relaxing all driving aids (seat and leg) when you give the rein.
The horse that is the fastest on cross country is often not the one that is allowed to gallop at a greater rate of speed, but rather one that is highly adjustable, and is ridden on economical lines.
"No matter if you are a horse, a rider, a dancer, or even a tennis player, tension is your enemy. Suppleness means that the muscles contract and de-contract, and this has to go through the entire horse, it cannot be blocked in the middle of the back, and it also has to go through the rider." ~ Susanne Miesner
"Riders use the spur instead of the calf of the leg. This is wrong. As trainers and judges, we need to encourage putting the rider in front of the leg, NOT the spur." ~ Christoph Hess
"A lot of riders think that will make their jumping better by jumping as many jumps as possible. They will go and get a jumping lesson, as opposed to a dressage lesson or doing some physical exercises to teach them body awareness skills, and probably the last would help them most." ~ Andrew Hoy
"I like to think about making my body longer in the front to make me sit up instead of thinking 'shoulders back,' which can make you stiff." ~ Mary King
If your horse is truly balanced and straight, and stepping up into your outside rein, you should be able to promptly and easily create a quality shoulder in at any spot in the arena, no matter what gait or figure you are currently riding.
“When you don't have a confident position, it’s saying to people you don’t believe in yourself. So sit up, shoulders back, chin high, and ride your best test.” ~ Robert Dover
Lateral workcan be used to steady and improve the regularity of the rhythm of your horse’s gaits. Particularly with horses that want to rush and/or become irregular, asking for a little shoulder in, leg yield, or a few steps of spiral in or out, can help them wait and find more cadence in their stride.
"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 Barteau
"Think of your elbows as hinges, bent, hands level and together. Sit square and even in the saddle. Open your knees, open your thigh, let the weight go to your heels, keep your knee soft." ~ Gill Rolton
If your horse is strung out and on the forehand, they will be more likely to slip, trip, or stumble at any time. Just one of the many reasons you should strive to keep your horse balanced at all times!
Point your chest in the direction that you want to go. If you turn your horse with your body position, you will probably find that you will need a lot less hand and leg to get it done.
"The trouble with most of us is that we would rather be ruined by praise than saved by criticism." ~ Norman Peale
Think about how this can be applied to riding... You will improve more with a coach who tells you what you really need to hear, rather than one that just tells you how wonderful you are doing.
When riding any movement or lateral exercise, you should be able to give away the inside rein to prove that your horse is honestly stepping up into the outside rein.
"The true joy for the good dressage rider is found in watching a horse develop mentally and physically through successful training. I have seen some amazing transformations in horses. For instance, a horse with poor conformation—one that has an under neck and a back that drops away from the saddle—can be completely changed by developing the right muscles. After proper training in self-carriage, his outline can be beautiful." ~ Felicitas Von Neumann-Cosel
"Sit on your pockets like you got a million bucks in there." ~ Unknown
Technically it isn't correct to be sitting all the way on your back pockets. This can, however, be a good thing for a rider who has a tendency to lean too far forward to think about doing!
"One of the good things about our sport is that while getting older might slow your reflexes down, the knowledge you have enables you to continue to improve, and handle the challenges better." ~ Shane Rose
"'I have time' should be the guiding word especially of dressage riders during the entire course of training and remind him of the fact that the goal of the classical art of riding is to be attained only by the gradual increase of demands." ~ Alois Podhajsky
"I want any rider approaching any jump to concentrate on rhythm. They should concentrate on HOW they get there, not where they get to." ~ Jimmy Wofford
"If you let your horse set the tempo - then they are in charge. If the rider sets the correct tempo then the horse - a herd animal - has a leader to trust and work with." ~ Peter Atkins
On being ridden with conflicting aids - "Some horses can cope while others develop serious behaviour problems. As riders and trainers, we don't always notice because horses don't yelp and scream, they just show conflict behaviour. As humans, we often interpret that as 'naughty' behaviour. Perhaps one day it will be part of every horseman's tool box to identify conflict behaviour in all its forms and see the horse as an entirely blameless participant in the training process." ~ Dr Andrew McLean
"Contact has to be just that, contact. People think 'oh this horse is very light I have nothing in my hand' – this is wrong because then you have no contact to his hind legs." ~ Jean Bemelmans
When tacking up, always take the time to pull your saddle pads well up into the pommel of the saddle. The pressure of a tight saddle pad across the withers area can make a horse sore.
Your arm position determines your hand position to a large degree when riding. So you must address your arms as well when you want to improve your hands.
Horses that have a smooth and naturally balanced gallop stride often have longer careers in this sport. Keep that in mind when looking for an Eventing prospect.
Always 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.
"When selecting a French Link snaffle ensure the middle link is not too long, and that the holes are big enough for the bit to move freely. This will ensure your horse is comfortable in the contact." ~ Robert Dover
"Have a high standard for giving aids in a really clear, correct way. If the aids are that obvious, that’s not dressage. Educate your horse so that he responds to gentle leg pressure." ~ Steffen Peters
"Since the criteria of a correct seat are the same as the criteria of good posture in general, being constantly attentive to one’s bearing when standing or walking is excellent training. A correct vertical posture of the head and the trunk on horseback is not a special posture applicable only to riding." ~ Kurt Albrecht
Use the corner after the jump to get your horse back to you if necessary. Use the corner on the turn into the next jump to elevate the horse's front end.
Don't wait until the horse is doing something perfectly to reward. You must reward the horse when he begins to go in the right direction of the correct response, however slightly that may be.
In the Dressage ring, you must look at each of the corners as your friend! Every corner is an opportunity to improve your horse's carriage and connection.
A tense horse is always stiff. And that stiffness prevents the horse from taking any real benefits from training. Always try to relax the horse's mind and muscles before advancing to any kind of serious training.
"With the bend on the circles and in the travers, it is important to use as little inside rein as possible. If you need the inside rein, there is something wrong with the earlier work." ~ Christoph Hess
Remember 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.
With true impulsion, the horse has lots of forward energy, but the rider remains the driver. When the horse overpowers the rider and takes control, the horse is just running.
If you rely on your knee grip to keep you in the saddle when jumping, you will usually be one stumble, buck, or sideways spook away from becoming unseated. Sinking into your heels and keeping an even leg distribution on the horse will give you the most security over fences.
With very sensitive horses, you sometimes have to consciously "open" your seat, leg, and hand on the side you are trying to leg yield towards, so that they feel more invited to move in that direction.
"There is one principle that should never be abandoned when training a horse, namely, that the rider must learn to control himself before he can control his horse. This is the basic, most important principle to be preserved in equitation." ~ Alois Podhajsky
"May every rider strive for a better connection with his or her horse by observation, closer understanding and patient groundwork. It matters not what discipline is pursued, only that there be a perfectly balanced union between the two – man and horse – so that the two become one." ~ Frederic Pinon
"The seat and weight aids are supporting aids. They support either a leg or rein aid, or both. Don’t underestimate their significance though. They are important aids, especially in the fine tuning of advanced horses. The leg and rein aids will fail to achieve their full effectiveness without the support of weight and seat." ~ Christian Thiess
If your breastplate is fairly tight when your horse is standing still, you will be preventing your horse from being able to use his shoulders at all as he moves and jumps. Make sure there is enough room to put a fist between the middle of the breastplate and the horse, or a little less so for breastplates with elastic.
Dressage is natural for horses, but that does not mean it is always easy for them. Since we cannot explain to them why we are asking them to do things that require increased effort, and go against their natural instincts to do things in the easiest way possible - we must handle any inevitable resistances that might show up with patience in a quietly persistent manner.
Always pay attention to how you finish every single exercise that you ride. Letting yourself or your horse fall into a heap as you pull up only creates bad habits for both of you. Always finish with a proper transition into the walk.
With young or untrained horses who conformationally have a high set on neck (which is a good trait to have for a jumping or Dressage horse), you have to beparticularlycareful that you don’t work them in a frame that is too advanced for their strength level. It takes enormous strength in the horse’s lumbar back to carry a rider in a higher frame for any length of time. Ride for too long in a higher frame, and they will get sore in their lumbar back, and often resentful.
"Just as the sculptor at first chisels the future outlines of his work of art with powerful blows out of the crude block of stone, and then lets it develop in increasingly finer detail in all its beauty, the aids of the rider must also become more and more delicate in the course of the horse's education. Every rider should always keep this strictly in mind and especially avoid destroying with crude aids, out of impatience or other reasons, what he has built in his previous work." ~ Alois Podhajsky
A real collected gait should feel like a contained medium gait. Not just slower, with shorter strides - but with enough stored energy and contained power that you feel that all you have to do to get medium trot or canter is to release it.
"Riders are very often but mistakenly glad to see their horse arch his neck, regardless of how it is arched (whether too high or too low or behind the bit or stiff). Have you ever seen a horse with an arched but stiff neck, looking as though he were nailed to the bit? That kind of arch does not imply a horse on the bit." ~ Charles de Kunffy
"Sit on your pockets like you got a million bucks in there." ~ Unknown
Technically it isn't correct to be sitting all the way on your back pockets. This can, however, be a good thing for a rider who has a tendency to lean too far forward to think about doing!
"No complicated riding before the horses are going truly forward. In dressage, the difficulties are often created by a lack of good basic work (which is the foundation of the house.)" ~ Nuno Oliveira
"Stay dedicated to the quality of the basic gaits—the suppleness and balance of the walk, trot and canter. Then as you cultivate the movements, those gaits improve." ~ Volker Brommann
Always keep in mind that you do notnecessarilyneed to slow down to rebalance your horse between fences when jumping. A horse can be balanced at just about any speed.You can also change theshapeof the canter stride without changing the speed. And most importantly, the rhythm.
It is very important to treat each horse... and each situation, individually. When problems arise, sometimes the best answer is time, patience, and encouragement. While at other times, strong corrections might be in order. A big part of success in interacting with horses is being able to read each situation accurately. And that comes with experience.
Riders are often incorrectly told to lean back and against the reins when their horses get strong. Not only will this not work, but it will usually make the horse even heavier in their hands.
A great instructor is always thinking and learning about new ideas and concepts, and is always looking for new ways to impart those ideas to their students. The minute one stops learning, one stops growing... and can become stagnant.
To help keep your horse feeling uphill when spiraling in on a circle, imagine that you are going up a spiral staircase. With each stride inward on the spiral, grow taller and think about going up an imaginary step.
"Horses have taught us that progress in learning takes place in an environment of contentment. Fear and tension block success. Boundaries must exist, be clear, and be consistent. Within those boundaries our horses are encouraged to express themselves." ~ Steuart Pittman
"Most riders know the required movements, but not the directives, and that is what we judges pay attention to. We look to see how the horse is ridden in these required exercises. Is the horse ridden to the contact? Does he maintain rhythm and regularity in all gaits? Does he show a degree of suppleness appropriate for his level? Does the rider keep a tempo that facilitates balance? Even for a simple circle the directives are explicit: 'consistent bend around the rider’s inside leg, placement and control over the size of circle, reach to the bit and the quality of the gait.'" ~ Lilo Fore
Balanced riding makes for a sound horse. If a horse is unbalanced or crooked, and is loading some joints more than others, the joints with increased loading will feel increased stress. As an example, the horse that is lazy behind about engaging the joints of the hind legs, will be overly stressing the joints of the front feet and ankles by being heavy on the forehand.
Frustration can often be a part of the process of learning and improving as a rider. Look at it from the perspective that you have been strong enough to move out of your comfort zone, and into an area that is difficult for you. And if you persist with determination, you will get there!
"The outside rein keeps the horse straight, it controls the outside shoulder, it helps in the halts, it must always be a connecting feel. If the connection is too strong it blocks the inside hind leg. The contact must be elastic in both reins." ~ Gill Rolton
Imagine the rider's body as a tree… The rider's seat and core need to be engaged and strong like the tree trunk, their long draped legs are the roots, and their arms are supple movable branches.
A good lunging program will allow your horse learn how to balance himself on a proper circle in self carriage, without the added challenge of a rider on board.
Try to avoid doing too much repetition of any one movement or exercise, or riding for too long in one direction. Do something different, so you let the muscles that are currently working relax, while you work some new ones.
Any excessive closing of knees or thighs takes the rider's lower leg off of the horse. It is more correct to wrap the entire leg around the horse for half halts and downward transitions - as if giving the horse ahugwith your legs. This encourages the horse to keep the hind legs stepping under in the downward transition, and invites the horse to keep their back up as well. A tight upper leg will stop the horse, but it will tend to make them stiffen their back and stop their hind legs. Almost as much as pulling on the reins.
"Dressage is not an easy sport, there are so many variations, but the reaction to your leg, and straightness, are so important. You just don’t see top Grand Prix riders kicking or straining for a result. Don’t tease him, tap there so quick he doesn’t know it is coming. Everything in a horse’s life should be black and white, not grey." ~ Debbie McDonald
Change only happens when we consistently do things differently, not just once or twice! So cut yourself some slack when you are struggling to improve your riding skills. It will take time and lots of repetition!
Remember that your "working" trot or canter should show a consistent speed and tempo throughout your Dressage test. It is a common mistake, for example, for the rider to let the trot after the walk be much quieter than the trot immediately after the canter. And this is very obvious to the judge.
From Facebook fan Deena Cahill ~ "If your horse is really tense when riding him, try riding while having a short conversation about happy things with someone else. You will be surprised how relaxed your horse becomes when your body naturally relaxes!"
"Connection is the mirror of the entire horse, it’s the mirror of his balance, and it is a mirror of the degree of collection the horse is able to offer at this point in time." ~ Susanne Miesner
Always keep bend in your knees and elbows. If either become straight at any time, that limb will become rigid, and unable to follow the horses movement.
"Generally riders do not pay enough attention to the geometry of the circle. The circle is a line of equal curvature and, to ask for it, the rider advances the outside shoulder taking care to keep the contact of the outside rein, which determines the circle rather than by the backward movement of the inside hand." ~ Nuno Oliveira
"The back is the bridge in the horse, and it can only be there if the hind leg is really working. The rider has to influence the hind legs to build that bridge, otherwise it is a horse in three pieces, back, front and you somewhere in the middle." ~ Francis Verbeek
Horses usually try to compensate for the lack of strength in their back and haunches by seeking support from the rider's hands. So if your horse does this, you might want to consider adding some strength training to your horse's regime.
Working on changes of pace and stride during your conditioning work can go a long way towards making your horse more rideable on course. As you will be creating the habit of him being adjustable and responsive.
Maintain a slight inside positioning throughout your transitions. This will help you to keep your horse more consistently connected and balanced as they change gaits.
After each use of your legs, you need to think about opening them up a bit and letting them drop down. This will keep you on your seat bones correctly.
"The purpose of dressage is to enhance our ability to control our horses; hopefully, after a long period of consistent training, our horses will calmly and generously place their forces at our disposal." ~ Jimmy Wofford
One of the many ways that good Dressage will improve your jumping is increased straightness. Only when they are truly loading both hind legs equally will your horse have the chance to jump in his best form.
Moving the bit around in the horse's mouth to keep him from bracing against it is preventing the symptom without addressing the underlying cause. With that approach you will never solve your connection issue.
"If a horse takes responsibility for the fence too early, ask him to be patient and wait on the approach. On a 5 stride distance ask for a quiet easy 6 strides." ~ Eric Smiley
"Contact doesn't only refer to the hands, reins, and bit, but to the whole rider. A rider must give the horse contact through his entire seat. This means that his legs must lay gently against the horse's body, his seat must be balanced and supple, and his arms and hands must follow the horse's movement quietly and evenly. This create a smooth cycle of movement as the horse takes the rider with him. Only this then creates contact." ~ Klaus Balkenhol
Riding the half pass can help to develop the brilliance of the extended trot, by increasing hip and stifle flexibility, and freeing up the horse's shoulders.
"If you take a young horse and go on training in the way of - shortening the neck, never giving him the chance to develop step by step, if you make him short, and to come up in front, you end up with a real problem. If you look at a horse that has been ridden like this for ten years, you will end up with a back that is very hollow." ~ Gerd Heuschmann
"I discovered that the horse is life itself, a metaphor; but also an example of life's mystery and unpredictability, of life's generosity and beauty, a worthy object if repeated and ever changing contemplation." ~ Jane Smiley
You should know where your horse is going to land from a jump before he takes off. How? The type of canter in the final strides of the approach will dictate the shape of your horse's jumping effort, and the trajectory of his jump.
You can't assume that a horse with a low head and neck is heavy on the forehand, any more than you can assume that a horse with a high head carriage is truly collected. You have to look at the whole picture.
You need a short bouncy energetic canter in water. Not just to the jump in, but to any jump out or otherwise related to the water. Getting long and flat in the canter stride can be especially disastrous at a water jump.
"The horse must perform from joy, not subservience. Praising a horse frequently with voice, a gentle pat, or relaxing the reins is very important to keep the horse interested and willing." ~ Klaus Balkenhol
Think of that girth tight against your horse's side… after a while he tunes that out and barely notices it. The same will happen with your legs if they are always tightly clamped on his sides.
"There is no miracle. There is no magic wand. It is just education, trying to be as clear to the horses as you can. When I give an aid, is the horse going to understand?" ~ Emile Faurie
"Trust and respect are two-way streets. We want the horse to accept us as leaders of the herd, to guide them safely and to provide protection and comfort. In return, they will give us their respect, and willing submission to our ideas about what to do next, and when and where. But this respect can only be based on well deserved trust." ~ Walter Zettl
"Create a work station on your yard, where everything to do with work happens – for example, tacking up and washing off – and keep his stable for relaxation only. Then your horse knows he can totally relax when he's in his stable and won't be expected to work." ~ Carl Hester
"A major consideration concerning the horse’s posture in all lateral movements is the bend in the rib cage behind the withers. For achieving this bend is the foundation for the suppleness of the entire horse. One will never achieve this bend if one rides the lateral movements on four tracks too early, or if one tries to force these movements with crude aids, and if one forgets to reposition one’s legs in the transitions from one lateral movement to another." ~ Borries von Oeynhausen
When your horse gets too low with his head, it is NOT an effective correction to attempt to lift his head with your hands. Even if that does succeed in raising your horse's head, it creates a hollow back. Only lowering the quarters raises the front end correctly.
With horses that like tocurl their neck and become over bent, the rider needs to be careful not to get their reins too short. This will cause the horse to stay too short in the neck. Think of having longer arms that are always reaching towards the horse’s mouth.
"With the bend on the circles and in movements like the travers, it is important to use as little inside rein as possible. If you need the inside rein, there is something wrong with the earlier work." ~ Christoph Hess
The more you can find a deep, plugged in seat in the down phase of the rising trot, the more you can sort of "suck" the horse’s back up into your seat in the rising phase.
"It is wonderful to use the ‘forward and down’ stretching exercise as part of the daily work. We also must keep in mind a suitable balance between work and rest periods during any ride, and we need to schedule adequate days off work and days spent hacking outdoors. Physically tired or mentally soured horses don't learn much, other than ways of evading work." ~ Erik Herbermann
"I teach riders to adjust their reins within three strides on level ground (after a drop fence), and I want them seated between elements of a combination. This will give the rider more stability plus a wider and more sophisticated range of aids." ~ Jimmy Wofford
From Facebook fan Dana Ferguson ~ "Moving through the levels is really dependent on the bar that you raise for straightness. The more cognizant and careful you are to maintain it, the more the horse can work in true collection."
Be careful to not miss any possible opportunity to shorten your reins when your horse changes his balance in the direction of increased collection. If you do miss it, and are riding with a length of rein that was more appropriate to the longer, lower frame that you had previously... you risk losing the amount of increased collection that you had just attained.
Part of being a good cross country rider is having the ability to ride forward at the fences even when your horse is strong. Riding backwards at cross country complexes can cause all sorts of problems.
If you are using a stronger bit correctly you will be riding off of feather light aids. And that can be way kinder than ripping their face off with a snaffle bit.
"You are going to meet a fence one of three ways - short, right or long. Therefore you want to meet it on a stride that the horse can work from - a bouncy energetic canter - then he can add if he needs to and pat the ground, or say thanks for getting me here right." ~ Jimmy Wofford
"What is Feel? Feel is the invisible quality in every good rider who is communicating with her horse in harmony. She can perceive where the horse is during every step because he accepts the rider’s seat, leg and rein aids through the connection. The rider can then communicate with the horse in a stable, sensitive and relaxed manner." ~ Sarah Geikie
"Riders who lean back are driving the horse down in front. If they sit too strong, behind the vertical, then they are pushing the horse down, through and into the hand." ~ Carl Hester
"At its finest, horse and rider are joined not by tack, but by trust. Each is totally reliant upon the other. Each is the selfless guardian of the other’s very well being." ~ Michael Plumb
"First, [the rider] has to be ambitious. Mentally, he has to be well balanced and consistent. He has to be tougher on himself than on the horse. If he gets after the horse too much, he will not get far. One must really be able to push oneself harder than one ever pushes a horse. Then, success will follow…" ~ Ernst Hoyos
Everyone knows that we need our horses to be relaxed to perform well. But that starts with our own relaxation! A rider must be relaxed to give clear and precise aids to their horse, and to set the tone for the horse to be able to relax.
When you realize that you are meeting a jump on a half stride, it can be challenging to keep a calm, clear head! Give yourself something constructive to think about, by telling yourself to just stay still and keep riding your horse's hind legs all the way till the takeoff.
Dressage is natural for horses, but that does not mean it is always easy for them. Since we cannot explain to them why we are asking them to do things that require increased effort, and go against their natural instincts to do things in the easiest way possible - we must handle any inevitable resistances that might show up with patience in a quietly persistent manner.
"The volte is one of the most important movements you can ride. It is teaching the horse to bend in his ribcage, within his body, and then to maintain a rhythm – in the future this movement will become a half pass. We are working on control over the balance of the horse so that it is learning to maintain a rhythm." ~ Ernst Hoyos
"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 Kyrklund
"The true joy for the good dressage rider is found in watching a horse develop mentally and physically through successful training. I have seen some amazing transformations in horses. For instance, a horse with poor conformation - one that has an under neck and a back that drops away from the saddle - can be completely changed by developing the right muscles. After proper training in self-carriage, his outline can be beautiful." ~ Felicitas Von Neumann-Cosel
"A spur that is constantly touching the horse's sides does not drive the horse forward but on the contrary, it will make the horse sluggish." ~ Nuno Oliveira
"The most important thing is for the horse to be thinking on its own. Unless you're Michael Jung, you make mistakes and things go wrong. You have to teach the horse the stride isn't always right, the line isn't always right, and that's why we start from trot." ~ William Fox Pitt
"You can't ride rhythm into a horse – they have it – you can only ruin rhythm by bad riding. When you let them loose in the paddock, you see that they move well. When you ride, because there is an argument here or there to get the frame or whatever, you can get bridle resistance and that can create unevennesses, and the loss in the rhythm and the tempo. Only a totally submissive, loose horse can really show perfect rhythm." ~ Clemens Dierks
"As a rider you always want to go on the good side. But you have to do a bit more on the bad side to make it as good as the good side. How many riders want to work the bad side? When I’m teaching, I see everyone wants to go on the easy side. But you don’t want to do so much on the bad side that you then upset your horse." ~ Charlotte Dujardin
"Give. Give so that he offers, so every touch of your leg goes through the whole body of the horse and doesn’t get stuck. Make him carry himself, then after the half halt, you can give again." ~ Stefan Wolff
Groundwork can help build a better relationship between horse and rider. The trust and respect built during work in hand will carry over to your under saddle work. IF you approach it the same way.
"There is one principle that should never be abandoned when training a horse, namely, that the rider must learn to control himself before he can control his horse. This is the basic, most important principle to be preserved in equitation." ~ Alois Podhajsky
"Your horse's desire to go forward must be greater than your need to remind him. But he must stay calm in his mind and loose in his body." ~ Christine Traurig
If you don't give your horse something to do, they might give YOU something to do. Always have a plan for each ride, and keep your horse's mind engaged with YOUR plan.
"Flexibility and self-carriage are the source of the horse's agility. Good turns, which develop its agility, are obtained only by making the horse flexible, putting it into balance, and thus giving it self-carriage. This involves not merely the lateral flexion of the entire spinal column but more so the flexibility of the hind legs. Only the latter enables the horse to perform quick and reliable turns under the rider, since the forehand is able to turn and change direction easily without danger for the health of its limbs only from the always secure support of the hindquarters." ~ Gustav Steinbrecht
"A major consideration concerning the horse’s posture in all lateral movements is the bend in the rib cage behind the withers. For achieving this bend is the foundation for the suppleness of the entire horse. One will never achieve this bend if one rides the lateral movements on four tracks too early, or if one tries to force these movements with crude aids, and if one forgets to reposition one’s legs in the transitions from one lateral movement to another." ~ Borries von Oeynhausen
"It’s important to watch lots of top riders and watch lots of videos. Pick the riders you want to emulate and really analyse what they do. Always have that vision in your mind." ~ Bettina Hoy
After each use of your legs when riding Dressage, you need to think about opening them up a bit and letting them drop down. This will help to keep you sitting correctly on your seat bones.
If you are able to consistently ride good transitions from walk to halt, you have a good, solid foundation for all downward transitions and half halts.
The fastest cross country horses are not necessarily the fastest horses in general, but the ones that are the easiest to set up for the jumps. So keep working on your horse's adjustability.
"The volte is one of the most important movements you can ride. It is teaching the horse to bend in his ribcage, within his body, and then to maintain a rhythm – in the future this movement will become a half pass. We are working on control over the balance of the horse so that it is learning to maintain a rhythm." ~ Ernst Hoyos
"I try and have the feeling when I sit on a horse that I sit in the saddle, and my legs aren’t gripping around the horse — they just hang. At the sitting trot everyone wants to stop themselves from bouncing. What you have to do is let yourself go with the flow of the horse." ~ Charlotte Dujardin
When your horse is messing about with his leads or tossing his head between jumps on course, don’t let it distract you from what is most important - the rhythm and balance of your canter.
"I try to ask the hind leg behind me, then transport with my own body, with my head, and with my position, this power into my hands and into the mouth. Then I have a light connection from behind to the mouth, and I think that’s the point, not going back with the reins, but riding from the hind legs into the mouth." ~ Dorothee Schneider
If you shorten the reins when your horse is not yet thinking forward, they are likely to become even more stuck and behind your leg. Make sure your horse is thinking forward first!
Always use both reins together to steer, especially when jumping. Using one rein only turns the horse's nose. Using both reins turn the horse at the shoulders, which means his body will more accurately follow your chosen line.
"Given all that we ask of [our horses], the least we can do as riders is look after them well and make sure they're as happy as possible. Mine spend a lot of time out in the fields at home. I try to vary their work and not dominate them, to keep them enthusiastic and thinking for themselves." ~ Mary King
If your horse is heavy on one rein, and empty in the other - fight your instincts to take back on the heavier rein. It won't help. Instead focus on engaging the hind leg on the heavier side to put the horse more up into the opposite rein.
"A good horseman must be a good psychologist. Horses are young, childish individuals. When you train them, they respond to the environment you create. You are the parent, manager and educator. You can be tender or brutal. But the goal is to develop the horse's confidence in you to the point he'd think he could clear a building if you headed him for it." ~ Bill Steinkraus
Ride smarter, not harder. If riding starts to feel too much like hard work, figure out how you can use a more intelligent technique to make yourself more effective as a rider.
"A major consideration concerning the horse's posture in all lateral movements is the bend in the rib cage behind the withers. For achieving this bend is the foundation for the suppleness of the entire horse. One will never achieve this bend if one rides the lateral movements on four tracks too early, or if one tries to force these movements with crude aids, and if one forgets to reposition one's legs in the transitions from one lateral movement to another." ~ Borries von Oeynhausen
Just as the tail shows the state of the horse's back under saddle, the mouth shows the state of the horse's jaw. Don't stifle that feedback by clamping your horse's mouth tightly shut. Your noseband (and flash, if you use one) should always have at least room for one finger underneath to allow for swallowing and relaxation of the jaw.
"The basic techniques, or what they call the basics, are more difficult than what comes later, this is the Trap of Dressage. Correct basics are more difficult than the piaffe and passage." ~ Conrad Schumacher
"The relaxation of the mouth alone is not enough. It can be deceptive, because it does not necessarily lead to lightness. It has to be accompanied by the relaxation of the entire horse. When he relaxes the back, it will definitely have repercussions in the mouth." ~ Nuno Oliveira
"The most repeated mistake is the riders' weight taking off before the horse and often with catastrophic results - The rider that learns to look after the Engine, Line and Balance of his horse on the Approach and allows his horse to make the decisions about where he takes off, repeatedly puts in a smooth and confident performance." ~ Lucinda Green
"The better the movement of the horse, the better rider you have to be. If you think all you have to do is buy a horse in Europe with wonderful movement, and you won’t have to learn to ride it, you are wrong. Big gaits are more difficult to ride." ~ Christoph Hess
"The purpose of dressage is to enhance our ability to control our horses; hopefully, after a long period of consistent training, our horses will calmly and generously place their forces at our disposal." ~ Jimmy Wofford
"Through the energy of impulsion mobilized from within himself, the horse is now prepared, in his physique and emotional attentiveness, to respond instantly to the slightest indications to change his tempo, posture, direction or gait." ~ Waldemar Seunig
"If one induces the horse to assume that carriage which it would adopt of its own accord when displaying its beauty, then, one directs the horse to appear joyous and magnificent, proud and remarkable for having been ridden." ~ Xenophon
A horse's energy flowing through a turn is similar to water flowing through a turn in a pipe or tunnel. Just as the outside wall of the tunnel is paramount to cause the water to move through the turn, a good connection on the outside rein is crucial to a successful turn when riding.
Great advice for professional instructors: "You will teach and sometimes you will hate it. You will be tired, you will be disappointed, and you will be hot, cold, bored, and sometimes scared out of your wits by horses and riders experiencing "learning opportunities." New parents to the sport will question every move you make, and loyal clients on Saturday afternoon will leave your barn on Sunday night, and they will leave with their bill unpaid. Of course you will be greatly rewarded with more positive and immensely gratifying moments than you can ever imagine, and your life will be spent enjoying the fact that you do make a difference and you are around horses. Please stick with it. It is a noble and valuable profession." ~ Brian Sabo
"Infinite repetitions of one and the same problematic movement are usually a sign of insecurity in the rider and serve no purpose other than self-satisfaction. The horse doesn't gain anything from it. It leads to an overwrought horse and causes muscle fatigue and nervousness. Here, a trainer must intervene and go back to easier exercises rider and horse have already mastered." ~ Klaus Balkenhol
Everyone knows that we need our horses to be relaxed to perform well. But that starts with our own relaxation! A rider must be relaxed to give clear and precise aids to their horse, and to set the tone for the horse to be able to relax.
If you feel like you absolutely need to wear spurs when you ride, it would be a good idea to go back to the basics in your training to revisit the concept of your horse answering your feather light leg aids. EVERY horse can be taught this!
When your horse is more difficult going to the left because he wants to carry his body too "curled" to the left, (and therefore tends to fall through the outside shoulder when going that direction), this is often best addressed by schooling on theright rein, rather than the left. If you can do some good work with your horse's body fully bending around your right leg, you are stretching the tight left side of his body, which will help him to go straighter when travelling to the left.
A word about the double bridle: The curb bit should be a tool for increased refinement of the aids, not for applying a stronger force on the horse's mouth. If the double bridle is used because the rider can't otherwise ride their horse on the bit or because they can't control it, then neither the horse nor the rider are ready for the double bridle.
Make sure you finish every ride or training session on a good note, so that you always put the horse away happy. That will set the stage for a more positive attitude in your next ride.
When your horse becomes crooked, they will automatically fall onto the forehand. Horses need to be straight to be able to carry their weight from behind.
So many riders think they are being kind when they don’t give their horses boundaries. But whether we are talking about handling, leading, loading in a trailer, lunging, or riding, horses ALWAYS do best when they have clear boundaries. You can leave your horse free to express themselves, but ONLY WITHIN the basic boundaries of respect and basic good behavior!
"It is not Dressage that is difficult, it is making it look easy that is difficult. Some horses are born with presence, while others you can train presence. Either way, Dressage is about improving the paces." ~ Carl Hester
"A horse with good footwork will rarely fall. A horse who is not given the chance to practice that footwork because he is always brought to the right spot will come big time unstuck when the s*** hits the fan and the fallible human on top gets it wrong." ~ Lucinda Green
"Riders use the spur instead of the calf of the leg. This is wrong. As trainers and judges, we need to encourage putting the horse in front of the leg, NOT the spur." ~ Christoph Hess
Think about keeping your head up and still throughout your horse's jumping motion to help keep your upper body more quietly poised. This keeps you safely out of your horse's way.
When riding a cross country course that runs through wooded areas, always keep in mind that you are never going quite as fast as you feel like you are when you are traveling in the woods. You may feel like the trees are whizzing by, and can be tempted to slow down. But if you slow down too much you may find it hard to make the time up on the more open areas of the course.
"As dressage riders, we require our spine to remain in a neutral position where all the vertebrae are evenly stacked, one upon the other. We need to maintain this dynamic balance as the horse moves under us." ~ Rebecca Ashton
When you are looking down you will have even more of a tendency to ride from your hands. Sitting up and looking up will help to remind you to ride from your seat.
To steady your horse between fences, many times it is sufficient to square your shoulders and stretch up your body in a poised way... opening up kind of like a sail on a sailboat.
"The best stretch can be achieved on a circle when you feel the horse is balanced laterally and longitudinally. Slowly allow the reins to lengthen and see if your horse will lengthen his neck forward and downward. This will feel like a clear release and you will be able to see how the neck fills out and gets wide when you look down." ~ Felicitas von Neumann-Cosel
"The relaxation of the mouth alone is not enough. It can be deceptive, because it does not necessarily lead to lightness. It has to be accompanied by the relaxation of the entire horse. When he relaxes the back, it will definitely have repercussions in the mouth." ~ Nuno Oliveira
"I like to think about making my body longer in the front to make me sit up instead of thinking 'shoulders back,' which can make you stiff." ~ Mary King
"A horse 'held in shape' by his rider is only posturing in a seemingly correct outline, usually for the benefit of the inexperienced observers." ~ Charles de Kunffy
"You need to produce a walk. So work at the walk as well as the trot and canter. Get a good feeling of the body working in the walk. The walk is a mirror of the training of the horse." ~ Christoph Hess
A horse that is well balanced, with the right amount of impulsion for the jump at hand, can comfortably leave the ground from just about any reasonable takeoff spot.
"Stay dedicated to the quality of the basic gaits - the suppleness and balance of the walk, trot and canter. Then as you cultivate the movements, those gaits improve." ~ Volker Brommann
"Your body follows your eyes. If you’re looking down that pulls your shoulders and torso down and forward as well, which could result in your feet and legs slipping back as well, and you possibly hitting the ground." ~ Tori Meinhart
The horse should always set the pace of the progression of both training and competing. Pushing a horse too hard, too soon will usually result in having to go back and start over.
If your horse struggles to maintain a consistent rhythm, think of using your breathing to help him stay regular. This is one reason why counting is so useful, as when you count in a rhythm, you will breathe in that rhythm.
A horse's energy flowing through a turn is similar to water flowing through a tunnel. Just as the outside wall of the tunnel is paramount to guide the water through the turn, a good connection on the outside rein is crucial to a successful turn on a horse.
When the horse carries more weight behind (engagement), there is more stored energy in the stride (impulsion.)
Therefore to develop more impulsion in your horse's gaits, you should not make him run faster, but do exercises which increase his engagement behind, like transitions.
"Remember, the conversation between you and your horse must never be dull or inert. It should be, 'Ask, receive, give. Ask, receive, give.' Ask with your body and legs; receive through your body into your hands; give primarily with the hands, but also with your body and legs, so that you can ask all over again, receive again and give again. The give is your thanks. If you don't give, you must ask harder the next time, and even harder after that, until you end up with a dead or resistant horse." - Sally Swift
"For me it is important that the horse is happy and you see it in the face, you see it in the tail, you see it in the swinging, you can listen, how the horse is breathing, these are the things that are important for a quality test." ~ Christoph Hess
"Lightness sounds very good, if it is light, but it is better if it is not too light because a horse that is too light in the hand is more difficult to ride than a horse that is a little bit heavy on the hand. Okay we always have to talk about finding the right balance, but in the end, contact is nothing more than the contact to the hind leg, the contact that the rider makes between the mouth and the hind leg. This is the duty of the rider, to put these two together. The moment the horse starts to move, and he moves behind, you have to feel it in your hand, then you have to let it out." ~ Jean Bemelmans
The horse is not capable of true collection when their muscles are tense. No matter how hard you try to achieve collection, it will elude you until you can first achieve loose, relaxed, and swinging muscles.
Always use both reins together when steering, especially when turning between jumps. Using one rein only turns the horse's nose - but using both reins turn the horse at the shoulders, which means his body will more accurately follow your chosen line.
"Through the energy of impulsion mobilized from within himself, the horse is now prepared, in his physique and emotional attentiveness, to respond instantly to the slightest indications to change his tempo, posture, direction or gait." ~ Waldemar Seunig
"The purpose of dressage is to enhance our ability to control our horses; hopefully, after a long period of consistent training, our horses will calmly and generously place their forces at our disposal." ~ Jimmy Wofford
"May every rider strive for a better connection with his or her horse by observation, closer understanding and patient groundwork. It matters not what discipline is pursued, only that there be a perfectly balanced union between the two – man and horse – so that the two become one." ~ Frederic Pinon
"The techniques you use for relaxation, stretching, walk breaks, things like that, a more competitive or nervous rider doesn’t pay enough attention to that. They think, 'I’ve got a test to do so I won’t keep stretching him until he’s relaxed, I’ll just get on with it.' That’s pressure." ~ Carl Hester
"There are many horses that can only be taught through lateral bending, especially second degree bending, to let the rein aids go through to the hind legs." ~ Sigismund v. Josipovich
