I think that this is a really tough question to answer... as because your horse is so young (and being a warmblood, he could be still quite immature), he could change a lot in the next couple of years. I guess you have to ask yourself... (Click on Question Title above (in blue) to read full answer) Tip/Quote of the Day # 320The horse should always set the pace of the progression of both training and competing. Pushing too hard, too soon will usually result in having to go back and start over. Tip/Quote of the Day # 319If 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. Is Your Horse Even in the Reins?
Is your horse truly even in the reins? Or do you tend to find yourself with more weight regularly in one rein? Maybe even to the point of heaviness in one rein, and emptiness in the other? This is a sign that your horse is... (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)
As with any movement in the Dressage ring, the key is... (Click on Question Title above (in blue) to read full answer)Tip/Quote of the Day # 318"Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs even though checkered by failure, than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat." ~ Theodore RooseveltTip/Quote of the Day # 317Just as a horse needs to be relaxed throughout his body to be honestly throughand connected from behind on the flat, a horse needs to be relaxed throughout his body to jump with the best technique that he is capable of. Discussion # 92: The first and the last jumps on course can sometimes cause the most trouble! Both for show jumping and cross country. Why do you think that is?? And what can you do to set yourself up for success on those particular jumps?The first and the last jumps on course can sometimes cause the most trouble... both for show jumping and cross country! Why do you think that is?? And what can you do to set yourself up for success on those particular jumps? (Click on Discussion Title above (in blue) to read this educational discussion)Tip/Quote of the Day # 316When a rider "hangs on to" or uses too much inside rein, it can create stiffness, resistance, head tilting, and often the loss of control of the horse's outside shoulder.Tip/Quote of the Day # 315Riding lots of transitions within the gait (i.e. a little more trot, to a few steps of a quieter, slower trot - and then back to forward again), will make your horse more attentive, responsive, and longitudinally supple. Tip/Quote of the Day # 314"In training, make jumping the reward" ~ Jimmy WoffordTip/Quote of the Day # 313Think back to when you first started riding… how hard it was to just post at the trot. Now you do that without even thinking. As long as you are actively working on your riding, you are always improving. Usually improvement is so gradual that you don't see it unless you stop and look back at where you came from. Do that sometimes... as it can be a great motivator. Tip/Quote of the Day # 312From Facebook fan Heather Salamone ~ "Short cuts will bite you in the butt later, and not when you think it will, but some other time when it will be one hundred times worse. Don't skimp."An Exercise to Sharpen Up Jumping Form and Increase Carefulness
(Photo credit to Infocus-Equine Photography)
If you find that your horse could be more careful or sharp in his jumping at times, you will want to read on and learn about this great exercise! (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)
Question # 197: My horse and I moved up to Training level last summer, and did very well, even winning at our last event of the year. But this year......has not started off so great. He is still jumping everything, but kind of reluctantly. He just doesn't feel as confident this year, and I don't know what the problem is. We have done 3 events this year already, and he was no better in the 3rd as he was in the first. I am thinking of dropping back down to Novice for a while, but my trainer doesn't want me to. She says he will be fine, and I just need to get more agressive. What do you think? (Amelia)
Hi Amelia!
Well, there could be a number of things going on here. First of all, it would be a good idea to get your horse thoroughly checked out by a vet who is a lameness specialist. Sometimes they begin to lose enthusiasm for their job long before they are actually lame, when they have a minor issue. This can be especially true when it comes to hock issues, which are often bilateral (occuring evenly on both sides), as well as back or SI (sacroiliac) issues. But can also be an issue with mild foot pain or saddle fit. Since your horse has had such a big change in performance, it is really a good idea to rule out any physical issues. But it could also just be a confidence thing.
Did you start out the season at Training level straight away? Some horses do best when... (Click on Question Title above (in blue) to read full answer) Tip/Quote of the Day # 311You must think of allowing your horse to have a long neck, to allow for him to truly come over his back and be "through". Discussion # 91: What are the visual challenges presented by this fence? And how would you help your horse to focus correctly?What are the visual challenges presented by this cross country fence? And how would you help your horse to focus correctly? (Click on Discussion Title above (in blue) to read this educational discussion)
Tip/Quote of the Day # 310Good jumping involves landing at the same speed that you had when you approached the jump. Tip/Quote of the Day # 309From our very own blogger Kelly Jennings ~ "Sometimes you just have to allow it to happen rather than trying too hard. Remember...they can feel a fly. Lightness does matter."Tip/Quote of the Day # 308Jimmy Wofford on learning how to gallop a horse ~ "Picture this: some 4 foot 11 waif of an apprentice jockey is living on 1000 calories a day to keep his weight down to 100 pounds so that he can make the weight in cheap claiming races. He canters happily down the track, talking with friends, standing in a two point - and all the while he is controlling 1,000 pounds of testosterone crazed stallion....and his hands are quietly fixed at the withers....and he is poised like a feather above his horse's back....and he is not kicking and pulling."
It's all about technique, rather than brute strength. Tip/Quote of the Day # 307The basis of a successful Dressage quality flying change is the balance, understanding, and correctness of canter/walk/canter transitions.Discussion # 90: Think about the amount of pressure that was on William Fox Pitt last weekend going into the Show Jumping phase at Rolex… being in first place, but knowing that if he made a single mistake he would lose the win...Think about the amount of pressure that was on William Fox Pitt last weekend going into the Show Jumping phase at Rolex… being in first place, but knowing that if he made a single mistake he would lose the win. How do you think riders handle that type of intense pressure, and still keep a cool, clear head? Let's brainstorm on the ways riders can learn to cope with this type of stress, and performance anxiety in general. (Click on Discussion Title above (in blue) to read this educational discussion)Tip/Quote of the Day # 306Your ability to do accurate and smooth simple changes of lead through the trot speaks of the amount of rideability that you will have on course.Video # 64: This is Kellyn!This video is of my 7 year old quarter horse mare at her first show. She's been jumping for about a year, mostly in the hunt field. She is still green and we have a lot to work on. Any advice would be appreciated! (Kellyn)(Click on Video Title above (in blue) to read the critique of this video)
It sounds like you are pumping with your upper body at the canter - which is actually quite a common problem! This is something that once a rider starts doing, can quickly become a bad habit. The best way to fix this problem will likely be for you to... (Click on Question Title above (in blue) to read full answer)Tip/Quote of the Day # 304The more consistent a rider can be with their hands and the contact, the more the horse will be able to pick up on the rider's highly subtle cues.Question # 195: I have a client's horse that I'm working with, and she has an issue I've never had to deal with before. She thinks she is an accordion--she will shorten her neck and hollow her back whenever she has any contact in her mouth....We've been working very hard on it, and we've gotten her to go forward pretty well without becoming resistant to leg aids and she's even becoming more comfortable feeling the bit in her mouth when she goes forward. she's even getting lateral movements down very well, and we're working on stretching into the bit at the walk and trot. But we have to take a step backwards in our training when we ask her to go down a gait. Downward transitions are a nightmare because she shortens her neck, throws her head in the air, and suddenly there is no horse in your hands and it takes anywhere from 6 strides to another trip around the arena to stop her. I've tried everything I know and nothing is working. I don't know what she is anticipating when this happens. Maybe she's expecting too much hand, or she's expecting someone to bounce on her back really hard. I have no idea, but either way I have no idea how to make her stretch into the contact while we go down a gait, rather than fight it. She has a Myler level 1 bit, which the owner is switching to a French link soon (I don't know if it's a D ring or what it is). The Myler is a little too big on her. So that could be an issue, but she accepts it fine in forward work. And her saddle is fitted for her, so that shouldn't be an issue. And she's up to date on all other medical things, so she's not in pain anywhere. (Kymbre)
Hi Kymbre!
This is actually quite a common problem, to at least some degree. Many times a horse that has finally learned to reach into the connection will tend to regress in downward transitions. Read this article on maintaining the length of neck in transitions to read about how challenged the USET riders were with this, even with their top horses. Also read this article on the horse that tends to shorten its neck, for a full description of that problem in general, and some ideas on how to overcome it. And I would try to use... (Click on Question Title above (in blue) to read full answer) Tip/Quote of the Day # 303From Facebook fan Maddison Craye ~ "Riding defensively makes the horse equally defensive. Consistency and softness = a happy horse."Tip/Quote of the Day # 302A horse has to be honestly on the aids before they can stretch properly over their entire topline.Tip/Quote of the Day # 301The more weight the hocks carry, the less a horse will look for support from the rider's hand.Tip/Quote of the Day # 300The evenness of the contact reveals the straightness of the horse.Question # 194: My horse has become very heavy on the forehand. I have worked with 2 trainers, 1 dressage, 1 H/J and each has tried to show me different ways to stop her from pulling. One tells me to pull when she pulls back, the other says to hold......Now she has become SO terribly irritated that I can't even ride her at the walk without her pulling on me, chomping, and pinning her ears. It has come to the point where I don't know what to do. Just last week the H/J trainer put a flash noseband on her to keep her from putting her tongue over the bit and resisting, but now she has started rearing, grinding, chomping and pinning her ears when I put ANY pressure on her mouth. Or if I ask at all, she almost pulls me out of the saddle. I realize that it is MY fault that I have listened to trainers telling me to pull, jerk and see saw but now I don't know where to turn. So finally after all this, my question is what should I as a rider do? Or is it too late.. If you need more of an explanation please let me know. Thank you. P.S. her teeth were just examined by the vet, and she goes in a loose ring french link snaffle. (Anonymous)
Many riders instinctively pull back on the reins when they feel their horse becoming strong or heavy. And it is really sad to hear that you have actually been told to do so. All that will do is start a fight. As far as what to do at this point - it might be best to... (Click on Question Title above (in blue) to read full answer)Brianna's Blog Post # 5: The Back up plan
I recently got to attend a favorite event of mine, Equine Affair, (if you haven't gone you're missing out!) which holds tons of clinics for every discipline from sidesaddle and gaited to reining and dressage. It also has hundreds of vendors to window shop or, if you have money, actually shop! During my time at equine affair I got to sit in on a “equine back” clinic presented by Stephanie Reinhold, on how to keep your horses back healthy and how to prepare it for work plus how the horses back works in general. This particular topic is always of interest to me as my beloved OTTB is constantly dealing with back issues which call for chiropractic work and message (I know he loves his masseuse more than me). (Click on Blog Title above (in blue) to read full entry)
Tip/Quote of the Day # 299Balanced 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.Video # 63: This is Stephanie!(Click on Video Title above (in blue) to read the critique of this video)
Walk into any tack shop, and you will usually see a dizzying array of bits on display. So how do you know which one to choose?? Each design has a slightly different action, and most horses will have just one or maybe two bits that they will go best in. So it pays to really give some thought to which one you choose. There are too many different types of bits to cover them all here, but here is a description of the most common bits and their actions. (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)
Tip/Quote of the Day # 297From Facebook fan Deborah Carr ~ "It is OK to be the rider that I am today." Discussion # 89: Let's talk about the similarities between a jumping horse and a pole vaulter!Let's talk about the similarities between a jumping horse and a pole vaulter. Take a look at this very cool video, which shows some great slow motion footage of pole vaulters. The more energy there is on the approach, the more stored energy will be in the pole when they place it to push off. And the higher they will then be catapulted. Notice also how close they must be to the "jump" on the takeoff to get all of that height. Similarly, horses need to be ridden forward right to the base of the jump to be able to rock back and coil the spring like joints of their hind legs to their fullest extent. Which allows them to most easily spring upward to clear great heights. Can you see the similarities? (Click on Discussion Title above (in blue) to read this educational discussion)
It takes enormous lumbar strength for a horse to carry itself in an uphill frame with a rider on its back for any length of time. Asking for too much too soon can cause tension, resistance, and resentment. Allow frequent stretching breaks.
Tip/Quote of the Day # 295If the rider leans back and water-skis off of the horse's mouth, the horse will usually oblige, and become the motorboat that tows them around.Question # 193: My 15 yr old TB OTTB gelding gets strong at the canter and pulls down, especially on cross country.He goes in a loose ring french link for dressage, and for x-c I have him in a 2 ring elevator of the same mouthpiece, with a figure 8. He does not like poll pressure, so if I use the elevator on anything below the snaffle ring he gets really annoyed. Besides needing to work on our half halt and find a way to "let go" and not get into a pulling contest (still haven't figured that out!)..... are there any bits or bridles you have found more successful? He also chomps his teeth, more so when a little nervous. I'm thinking of trying a waterford, but afraid it might be too big for his mouth. Also, maybe a gag with both a snaffle rein and gag rein? (Anonymous)
When you say your horse gets annoyed with the bits that use poll pressure, what does he do exactly? What you may be feeling is just... (Click on Question Title above (in blue) to read full answer)Tip/Quote of the Day # 294In Dressage (as in life), think of every transition as a new beginning, not an end. In other words, you are not "stopping" the trot when performing a trot to walk transition, but beginning a quality walk. Tip/Quote of the Day # 293The rein back is a great exercise for strengthening the horse, and increasing the amount of "sit" behind. But only if it is done correctly.
