We all know that we want our horses to be straight, and to feel even in our hands, right? Well, here's something to think about... if your hands are not at the same height, or are in any way not an identical pair... and your horse feels even in your hands - then your horse is... (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)
This is a great question! And one that might be crossing a lot of riders' minds as we approach the winter season. My thoughts are this: (Click on Question Title above (in blue) to read full answer)Tip/Quote of the Day # 479"The hind legs are brought far enough underneath the center of gravity by the rider’s legs, where they are gradually burdened with more of the combined weight of horse and rider for brief moments, which flexes their joints more. Like coiled springs, they push off with much greater elasticity afterwards than unflexed hind legs. This energetic, springy forward swinging creates a very characteristic feeling in the seat (you feel the work of the hind legs as well as the swinging of the back that it creates very clearly, yet pleasantly), which is typical for a gait with impulsion, and which signals to the experienced rider: „Now he is moving!“ He despises, on the other hand, a wishy-washy, unclear trot feeling under the saddle which is caused by dragging hind legs that hardly push off and consequently don’t make the back swing – whereas others seem to love it. De gustibus … No, this is not a matter of taste. One is correct, the other one is wrong! Thrust may be there naturally, but impulsion must be worked out - or better: into – the horse by cultivating the thrust." ~ Alfred KnopfhartDiscussion # 102: Which horse has a better shoulder? And what about front leg conformation?Which horse has a better, more angled shoulder? And which has better front leg conformation? (Click on Discussion Title above (in blue) to read this educational discussion)
Tip/Quote of the Day # 478"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 or pat the ground or say thanks for getting me here right." ~ Jimmy Wofford
It really is all about the canter!Question # 239, and Video # 72: Gabbie has a question about her green horse's jumping, with video!My 6yr old Warmblood mare and I are running into some situations whilst jumping.. She is green but very brave. However, she leaves her back legs at fences and trashes through them. If she hasn't seen the fence/filler before then she jumps really well, but once she's seen it, it's like she puts no effort in? Or that's what it feels like, and with smaller fences, she just runs through them. She jumps better off a circle or if straight, she runs on the forehand. My trainer is becoming frustrated with her too. Do you have any suggestions? This video is actually better for her, normally she would've taken a cross pole out with her back legs. (Gabbie)(Click on Question or Video Title above (in blue) to read the answer, and the critique of this video)
Tip/Quote of the Day # 477Push yourself away from your hands, instead of bringing your hands back to you. Tip/Quote of the Day # 476From Facebook Fan Gabby Ballin ~ "Some rides are going to be perfect. Some rides are going to have you wondering why you don't quit riding. When that happens, take a deep breath and go back to something you know you and your horse can do easily."Tip/Quote of the Day # 475"In the last few strides there should be a transfer of responsibility for the jump from the rider to the horse." ~ Eric SmileyFirn's Blog Post # 1: A Poor Workman Blames his Tools?
They say it's only a poor workman that blames his tools. It should follow, then, that it's a poor horseman that blames his saddle or his horse or his boots or his bit... (Click on Blog Title above (in blue) to read full entry)
Tip/Quote of the Day # 474Always keep your eyes up when walking a course. See exactly what your horse will be seeing for the first time.Tip/Quote of the Day # 473Good lengthening and extended work requires straightness in the form of even loading of the hind legs.Tip/Quote of the Day # 472Many riders have some of the same habits when sitting behind the wheel of their car as they do on their horse. Check yourself when you are driving to see how straight and even you sit. Tip/Quote of the Day # 471Your horse needs to feel even in your hands while your hands are an identical pair, to prove that he is straight and truly even in your hands. Improve Your Ability to Sink Into Your Heels
Some lucky riders just seem to be born flexible, with a great natural ability to sink down into their heels. The rest of us are not so lucky! If you have tight tendons in your legs, or stiff ankles... you may find it inherently difficult to find those elusive deep heels. And sometimes, the more you try, the more elusive it seems to become! This is because... (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)
Back in the day, I was one of the founding members of Boston College's IHSA team. I absolutely loved being able to hop on a horse, with no chance to evaluate how a horse went beyond watching them warmed up by the hosting team or during other rounds, and jump a course with them. I learned that you didn't always place by having the best round, but sometimes by having a better... (Click on Blog Title above (in blue) to read full entry)
Tip/Quote of the Day # 467You have to have your core muscles engaged when riding, so that the horse's movement doesn't displace you.Photo # 63: This is Adria!(Click on Photo Title above (in blue) to read the critique of this photo)
Tip/Quote of the Day # 466When a horse begs to stretch often throughout his work, he is telling you that his topline is not strong enough to support the amount of work in self carriage that you are asking for. His muscles are fatigued at that point, and if you don't let him stretch soon, he will likely become resistant and resentful. Question # 238 and video # 71: I have been working on leg yielding in the canter, and have encountered a problem! As seen in this video, when I ask him to move over, he does move over some, but he turns his head excessively to the inside, no matter how light I try to be with my inside rein. What can I do? (Helen) (Link to video)
Good for you for putting in the time and effort to want to learn to do things the right way! And this is a great question to ask! As I see many beginner riders being taught to jump in a way that does not set them up for success... (Click on Question Title above (in blue) to read full answer)Tip/Quote of the Day # 464When running cross country in wet, muddy conditions, always look for the best possible footing for your horse in the galloping stretches. Often this means moving slightly off to the side of the track that everyone else has been running in. This little trick will save your horse lots of extra strain, as you keep him on "fresher" ground.Tip/Quote of the Day # 463"Make him a short horse with bigger paces rather than a long horse with shorter paces." ~ Stephen ClarkeTip/Quote of the Day # 462It is so common to see riders "doing too much" with their bodies over a fence (i.e. jumping a 2'6" vertical like it is a 5 foot oxer). Ironically, riders often do this to try to "help" the horse over the jump. But it can actually hinder them instead, as it makes it harder for them to balance themselves. Imagine you are running and jumping with a backpack on your back, and how much easier it would be to do so if that backpack would just stay in one place!Tip/Quote of the Day # 461Jumping is so easy for the horse if you have the right canter. Repeat this mantra regularly: It's all about the canter. It's all about the canter…Brianna's Blog Post # 8
Writing, Riding, and Lunch
The first day of school, that particular day that a small, if not nonexistent percentage of people can forget. The day that most of us dread and or dreaded. Each year you walked into the school with two things on your mind... (Click on Blog Title above (in blue) to read full entry)Tip/Quote of the Day # 460“It is a lot better to risk losing a bit of contact than not to yield.” ~ Nuno OliveiraDiscussion # 100: How would approach this cross country jump that presents you with a difficult light situation?This cross country jump in the dark woods certainly presents some visual challenges! Especially since you will be approaching it from a bright, sunny field. What speed would you come into this fence at? And what extra preparation would take on the approach? (Click on Discussion Title above (in blue) to read this educational discussion)
When negotiating rolling terrain, you must make the balance change in your position just before your horse has begun the downhill slope. If you wait until the first stride of the downhill slope to make your position change (hips back, stretch up a bit), you could be caught out of balance, which can be hard to recover from. And can negatively effect the horse's balance as well.
We all know that our horses need to be relaxed to perform well. When they are tense in mind, body, or both - they will tend to be stiff, resistant, distracted, and even disobedient. Tension in the horse will inhibit his ability to learn, and can bring you to an impasse in your training. So if you have tension, you need to have a concrete plan to address the problem, if you are going to move forward in your training.
So how do you get your horse to relax? First examine what makes your horse tense: Is he the type that is so high strung that he is tense all the time? Worried in the barn and in the field, as well as under saddle? Or is he like most horses... in that he has no problems relaxing in general (and may even be quite laid back by nature), but he gets tense under saddle with increased demands?
In other words, if you just stand around on loose reins talking to your friends... does your horse stand quietly, or even go to sleep? Or does he paw and dance around and nervously want to keep moving? Let's call the type of horse that nervously wants to keep moving a Type A horse, and the horse that relaxes when the pressure is off a Type B horse. Read on to find out how to master the paradox of energy vs relaxation for each of those two types of horses... (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full entry)
Tip/Quote of the Day # 458"The relaxing of the legs and the hands of the rider is the proof of the real collection, and the collection is the poetry of the impulsion." ~ Nuno OliveiraQuestion # 236: I have 2 horses I just signed up to be exercising, both with an issue all of their own. Both I do believe are ottb rescues as well. The first one likes to hop into a canter when we are quietly trotting along, he does this often.....My instinct is to stop them and back a few steps, but don't know if that is the right way to correct this. The other at the canter not only over bends at the poll but wants me to hold him up it seems and twists his head sideways to the same side both directions; if you looked at him from the front it's not vertical but diagonal. So, when I'm on him his ears are to the left and nose to the right with a twisted neck. Loose rein or short, I can only straighten it out by holding left rein up and out and right rein tight and to the neck, but I know this can't be the answer. I was told he's done this since before they had him and was hoping I had a fix with this, too. I figure now at this point to hold his head any other way is probably tiring and soar due to uneven muscle build. Also, informed that he doesn't to this out in the field riderless with the other horses all the time, more like 30% doing and 70% of the time not. Hope you guys have an idea as to how to fix this, or point me to where you've answered it before. Thanks in advance! (Anna)
Hi Anna!
It sounds like both of your horses have a problem with tension! This tension is causing your first horse to be "on the muscle", making him want to run through your hands. And it sounds like the second horse is... (Click on Question Title above (in blue) to read full answer) Tip/Quote of the Day # 457Always remember that the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. And that the distance you will travel between elements in any combination or related distance will change if you are not straight.Tip/Quote of the Day # 456To help your horse move fully through his body, as well as giving him the confidence to truly think forward, you must make sure your hips and lower back are 100% moving with his motion. The bigger your horse moves, the more you must move your hips.Tip/Quote of the Day # 455Many riders have a tendency to "make themselves small" by rounding and somewhat compressing their spine when sitting on a horse. Instead, imagine that you have a hook on the top of your head, lifting you towards the sky… and picture your spine elongating as you stretch up as tall as you are capable of. Tip/Quote of the Day # 454Lots of little changes of frame in your warmup… a little stretching, a little up, and repeat… can help your horse to come more through his body.Question # 235: I'm always raising my outside hand (especially while cantering and on 20m circles) and I have no idea why. I also struggle to find my seat bones and to feel totally connected to the saddle......When I attempt to engage my core I find that I stiffen my whole body and then start to bounce or grip with my knees/thighs to stop from bouncing. Any suggestions how I can find my seat bones more? Lunge work with out sturrips? (Rechele)
Hi Rechele!
Your first question or problem is extremely common! SO many riders go around circles and turns like they are riding a motorcycle instead of a horse! And this causes a collapsed inside hip, a low inside hand, and an outside hand that tends to creep up in the air. Read this article for a full explanation on that subject.
To help you find your seat bones... (Click on Question Title above (in blue) to read full answer)Kirsten's Blog Post # 7How Much is Too Much?
So this topic has been on my mind for the past 9 months or so.... Really since I started training both myself and my horse for the classic 3-day: How much is too much? How hard can I push this horse? How high can we jump? How fast can we run? How much distance can we cover? What is "fair"? Just about anyone who knows me and knows how careful I am with this animal can tell you how seriously I took training for this 3-day. (Click on Blog Title above (in blue) to read full entry)Tip/Quote of the Day # 453
Many horses think walk time is "break" time. If you want to ensure that you get good scores on your walk work, you have to convince your horse otherwise in your daily work.
Tip/Quote of the Day # 452To develop cadence, you must get to the point where your horse is in true self carriage. Tip/Quote of the Day # 451"I often wonder why people think they have to kick and pull a horse who can feel a fly land on his neck." ~ Jimmy WoffordTip/Quote of the Day # 450When we get the feeling that our horse is improving, the color of the ribbon pales in significance.Tip/Quote of the Day # 449Competitions are a test of our progress as horsemen, they are not an end in themselves.Tip/Quote of the Day # 448If your horse is tense in his topline while jumping, he wil likely be slow with his knees and hang his legs. Use judicious flatwork between jumps to encourage him to relax and let go.
