Tip/Quote of the Day # 613From Facebook fan Suzanne Johnson Dortch ~ "When in doubt, breathe out." Tip/Quote of the Day # 612 “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 HessTip/Quote of the Day # 611The best jumps are when the horse maintains the same rhythm and stride length on the approach AND the landing. You should be able to cover your eyes, and *hear* the consistency of the horse's stride in the final strides, and again on landing. If you can hear that… you know without even seeing it, that the jump was good - no matter what exact spot the horse took off from.Question # 249: I have a 5 year old OTTB in training for a client. He's got a great mind but is only vaguely aware he has 4 legs, and he would live on the forehand if I'd stop pestering him about it...He's gotten better but still wants to fall on his face sometimes, especially in downward transitions (no matter how much leg I put on). What exercises would help him carry himself better? (Kellyn)
Hi Kellyn!
It sounds like he might be built a little downhill? This makes keeping a horse balanced and in self carriage under saddle more challenging, but it can be done! Read this article on the croup high horse, which will give you lots to work on to improve your horse's ability to "sit" behind... (Click on Question Title above (in blue) to read full answer)Tip/Quote of the Day # 610“Riding forward to the jump is NOT accelerating to the jump. There is a difference.” ~ William Fox PittTip/Quote of the Day # 609Don't let the quality of your transitions suffer in your effort to be accurate. While both are important, it is more important to perform good transitions, than to perform them exactly at the letter.Tip/Quote of the Day # 608Remember 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. Firn's Blog post # 11Are You Sure She's a Thoroughbred?
I asked this question with some bewilderment, staring at the quiet creature walking patiently on the other end of the lunging line. (Click on Blog Title above (in blue) to read full entry)Tip/Quote of the Day # 607When lunging, pivot with one foot so that you keep yourself still and centered in the middle of your horse's circle. This way, he will learn to make an actual circle shape, rather than an odd shape.A Fun Exercise to Test Your Control and Your Horse's Responsiveness
Here is a fun little exercise, to show you how well you can control your horse, and check how responsive and balanced your horse is. I call it the... (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)
It's often said, "Your horse is your mirror." Do you agree? In what ways have you seen horses "mirroring" their riders? (Click on Discussion Title above (in blue) to read this educational discussion)
Ah, this is unfortunately one of the many issues that can develop when riders... (Click on Question Title above (in blue) to read full answer) Tip/Quote of the Day # 603“Happy horses get high marks. Good basics get high marks. Too many horses do the movements held and forced, and this will get low marks.” ~ Christoph HessTip/Quote of the Day # 602“Event horses need to learn to jump facing into crowds and other spooky things. At home, I have my horses jumping into banners on the fence line and other things to get them used to that idea.” ~ William Fox PittTip/Quote of the Day # 601When running cross country in muddy conditions, always look for a fresh track to run on between fences. Not paying attention to this detail and letting your horse gallop in the tracks made by previous horses will increase your horse's workload... adding to unnecessary fatigue, as well as putting him at increased risk for injury. Guest Blog post # 48: "The Biomechanics of Jumping Position" by Alexis Soutter DVM
There is much debate these days about the “best” jumping position. For over thirty years now, it has been very common for riders in the hunters, equitation divisions, and even the jumpers to favor a position in which they lean their upper body well forward onto the horse’s neck. The most common explanation for this position is that it in some way allows a better release of the horse’s mouth. Very little attention has been paid in many circles as to what this does to the rest of the horse, however. (Click on Blog Title above (in blue) to read full entry)
Tip/Quote of the Day # 600With horses, just like with people, let your actions speak for you. For example, you may think you are rewarding your horse when you say "Good boy" or "Good girl"… but if you don't also release the aid, your horse will not really feel rewarded for their effort.Tip/Quote of the Day # 599The amount of weight involved in your elastic rein connection can be anything from a firm bungee cord type feel to a thin, lightweight rubber band. And the horse's level of balance is what will determine exactly what that weight will be. A Very Useful Version of the Serpentine Exercise
The serpentine is a great exercise in itself. But this simple variation adds some very important benefits! (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)
This is hard for me to say for sure without watching you and your horse go... but what I will say is that... (Click on Question Title above (in blue) to read full answer) Tip/Quote of the Day # 597“Most horses are either slightly lazy or crazy. We hope to find one that is somewhere in the middle.” ~ William Fox PittTip/Quote of the Day # 596
When strength is needed, such as when riding a strong horse, a rider needs to be able to find their strength in the center of their body - their core. Many times they attempt to find their strength in their arms or shoulders instead, and this is counter productive. As instead of being an anchor against the horse's strength, the horse thinks the rider is instigating a pulling match.
Tip/Quote of the Day # 595“Often people think that the easy way of stopping the horse from charging is by putting on the handbreak — and that’s actually the cause in the first place." ~ Harry MeadeTip/Quote of the Day # 594From Facebook fan Elizabeth Owens ~ "I finally realized that my horse's lead issues were due to the fact that I sit crooked. It's rarely the horse's fault... look to the rider's faults first."Brianna's Blog Post # 10
Riding With Fear
(Molly and I when I would hold on with everything, even my toes ;D)
I was raised right in the sense that I, like many others, had the privilege of owning a pony. My adoring little pony was a gift from my late grandfather. Not only was my pony a mare, but she was a fury red mare. She was devilish and her lessons were brutal but it seems I still enjoy riding so her lessons were not enough to drive me away. Molly was and still is that cruel teacher that snarls and states “grow up or get out”. (Click on Blog Title above (in blue) to read full entry)
Tip/Quote of the Day # 593Because one hind foot is always in the air in the trot, it is harder for a horse to refuse a jump from a trot approach vs a canter approach. So it can be a good idea to trot into a spooky fence that you think your horse might want to stop at. Just make sure you keep riding that trot until your horse is safely in the air.Video Discussion # 82: What causes this horse to "drop" his hind end after landing in the water twice in a row?Let's watch this horse go through two different water complexes. Watch how he loses his hind end upon landing after both drops into the water. What do you think causes this problem? (Click on Discussion Title above (in blue) to read this educational discussion)
Tip/Quote of the Day # 591Focusing on carrying your head correctly will correct most posture bad habits.Video Discussion # 81: Top British Eventer Harry Meade talks about creating the right canter for Show JumpingHarry Meade makes some great points about finding the right canter for Show Jumping. At first I thought he was saying that the horse was the one doing the stalling in the corner on the approach... but after thinking about it, I think he is really just talking about the rider taking back and shutting the engine down a bit. Which usually does cause the hot horse to charge at the fence after coming out of the corner on the approach. Can anyone relate to this? If you ride a horse that tends to rush or charge to the jumps, do you think you may have a habit of taking back or holding too much through the corners? (Click on Discussion Title above (in blue) to watch video, and read this educational discussion) Tip/Quote of the Day # 590If you have jump poles with stripes on them, make sure you take advantage of them, by practicing jumping or stepping accurately over the middle stripe.Caroline's Blog Post # 2: Patience is Key
So it’s currently February 7th and I am taking one of my first days off weekends off in MONTHS. I haven’t been a good blogger because I’ve been so wrapped up in working, teaching, riding and planning for 2015 that I haven’t had a moment to stop and think about how to form a coherent thought for a blog. My apologies!
Now – what exactly have I learned that’s worth sharing from the past few months? Phew, where to start? (Click on Blog Title above (in blue) to read full entry)
Tip/Quote of the Day # 589As you are about to come down the center line in your Dressage test, briefly think about something that you know will make you smile. You and your horse will both relax, which will make for a happier performance. The judge will see the difference!Tip/Quote of the Day # 588“Horses can get deep to a single pole [without a groundline] and learn to do a slithery jump, like they need to at a coffin.” ~ Andrew NicholsonTip/Quote of the Day # 587From Facebook fan Jim Collins ~ "Often the simplest exercise is the most profound."Firn's Blog Post # 10Two Levels of Trust
What defines the relationship between horse and rider if not trust? What else is more striven for and more desired in horsemanship than the trust of our equine partners? What is the key to success, if not trust? (Click on Blog Title above (in blue) to read full entry)Tip/Quote of the Day # 586We incorporate circles into our training to promote suppleness and improved balance in the horse. But if our circles are oddly shaped, they will not improve the horse's suppleness, and will instead unbalance the horse.Tip/Quote of the Day # 585Your arm position determines your hand position to a large degree. So you must address your arms as well when you want to improve your hands.Discussion # 111: "Symmetrical" is a good word to think about when riding...Symmetrical is a good word to think about when riding... Are you sitting on the horse in a symmetrical way? Are your hands and legs symmetrical when in their "home" positions? Do you ride your figures in a symmetrical way? Do you do plan your exercises in such a way to help your horse to become more symmetrical? What other examples can you think of, that we should be thinking about in terms of symmetry when riding? (Click on Discussion Title above (in blue) to read this educational discussion)
I purchased my first saddle completely unsupervised. That is to say, I picked out a saddle from a sales catalog that I could afford and in a shade of brown that I was partial to. I was utterly clueless, and this became the first in a long line of saddles that I would own, and the rocky start of my saddle education. (Click on Blog Title above (in blue) to read full entry)
Having just moved to CA from the east coast, I was quite excited to learn that Mark Todd was coming to do a clinic here! Along with many others, I presume, Mark has always been one of my riding idols. He is no doubt one of the best and most classic Event riders of all time, and is definitely a master of cross country riding! So I was up before dawn to make the 4 hour drive to Fresno, to make sure I didn't miss any of it! Here's the recap: (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)
Tip/Quote of the Day # 582Open fingers do not equal soft hands. Soft hands come from relaxed following elbows, and a secure balanced seat. Open fingers causes the contact to be inconsistent and uninviting to the horse.
