Tip/Quote of the Day # 53When one speaks of "disciplining" a horse, it does not mean to punish, but rather to correct. You simply stop the unwanted behavior and show them what they should be doing instead. Always train the horse to give you a consistent pattern of behavior.Tip/Quote of the Day # 52The mouth is never the real problem. What you feel in your hand is a reflection of what is happening behind the saddle. Get the back relaxed and swinging, and the hind legs active, and the horse will feel like putty in your hands.Photo # 49: Jen would like a conformation critique on her mare!(Click on Photo Title above (in blue) to read the critique of this photo)
Every sport that requires accuracy requires the ability to focus. In our sport, this means several things: (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)
Tip/Quote of the Day # 51The horse shouldn't feel punished for trying to escape the connection, they should just feel unsuccessful.Tip/Quote of the Day # 50The pulley rein can be used as a back up to ANY restraining aid that is ignored by the horse. Don't save it just for emergencies! Tip/Quote of the Day # 49So that you don't make the common mistake of following with your body when you give the rein, think of pushing the horse slightly away from you with your hands.Video Discussion # 76: Very educational video discussing the difference between back movers and leg movers in the trot. This is a very educational video discussing the difference between a back mover and a leg mover in the trot, and showing examples of each. What are your thoughts on this video? (Click on Discussion Title above (in blue) to read this educational discussion)
Yes, it has finally happened. I have officially been re-christened by the jumping gods in the form of a sand bath. I knew this would happen. It was just a matter of time. I must say though, in all fairness, the fault really didn’t lie with either of us but rather a combination of events, the catalyst of which was out of our control. (Click on Blog Title above (in blue) to read full entry)Tip/Quote of the Day # 48Turn your horse from the middle of his body by using your seat to initiate the turn. And use both reins together to turn him from his shoulders. Turning with the inside rein only turns his nose, leaving the rest of his body to derail.Does Your Horse Have an Alpha Personality?
Many top Event horses have an "alpha" personality. It really shouldn't be a big surprise that horses with a natural tendency to be leaders would tend to excel at the sport of Eventing - since an inherently brave and curious horse who loves a good challenge is the perfect recipe for a good cross country horse. The downside of this personality trait is that they can be much more challenging to train! Let me tell you the story of my top horse, Felix, who was as "alpha" as they come: (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)
Tip/Quote of the Day # 47From member Kayla Wafful: "Something I've found that works very well with my students is instead of "pushing" your heels down to rather think about relaxing the ankle joint and let the weight fall naturally into your heels. This way you don't create any unnecessary tension in the ankle joint, which then transfers to the rest of the body. You get a much softer and more fluid position that way!"Video # 46: This is Jen on cross country!(Click on Video Title above (in blue) to watch video and read the critique)Tip/Quote of the Day # 46When a horse is equally laterally supple on both sides, it will be evident in the ease of which one is able to perform changes of bend and direction. If it is harder to change from one direction to the other, the horse needs more lateral suppling exercises on that side.Video # 45: This is Becky!(Click on Video Title above (in blue) to read the critique of this video)
Video # 44: This is Jen!(Click on Video Title above (in blue) to watch video, and read the critique)Tip/Quote of the Day # 45It is wise to remain at least slightly seated on the takeoff of an open ditch jump, and to look for the feeling that your horse jumps out in front of you. If you are too far forward, and/or are ahead of your horse's motion as he begins to take off, he can easily lose heart and jump weakly (and therefore losing confidence). Or he can even change his mind completely and stop, in which case you would then likely become a victim of the laws of physics. ;)Video Discussion # 75: This video made by British Eventing shows some good examples of correct and incorrect cross country ridingSome great examples of good and bad cross country riding shown here. What are your thoughts on this video? (Click on Discussion Title above (in blue) to read this educational discussion)
Tip/Quote of the Day # 44The horse needs to understand that he should not go against the rider's hand - but we do not want him to think that he should "give" to the bit. When the horse thinks he should give to the bit, he merely poses in a false frame when he feels pressure on the reins. Our goal should be to have the horse happily moving INTO the rein connection. He should literally "chase" the bit, wanting to connect with it as if it were a carrot. Guest Blog post # 27: "When Riding Isn't Second Nature" by Lila Gendal
the beast at Stoneleigh-Burnham. Photo credit to David Frechette
Runners take your marks. Set. B-A-N-G! I have vivid memories of my running days in high school. I was never passionate about running. Rather, the sport gave me a chance to meet new people and maintain fitness as a rider. (Click on Blog Title above (in blue) to read full entry)
Tip/Quote of the Day # 43From 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 # 42You don't really do yourself any favors when you cater to your weaknesses. For example, if you only like to ride with your whip in your right hand, and it feels odd and uncomfortable in your left - you need to make yourself ride with it in your left hand. And if you are uncomfortable riding amongst distractions or with people watching, you only better yourself by seeking out those conditions.The Fringe Eventer blog post # 3IT’S ALL RELATIVE
After several months weeks of intense clinical study I have come to some very interesting conclusions involving my return to eventing. Okay, so maybe I just consulted a few like-minded over forty friends of mine, but either way I found the results to be very consistent. The first discovery involves the direct relationship between the height of a jump, or any other solid or semi-solid object that one plans on jumping as it relates to age, the bounce factor, or how much the rider bounces when smacked into the ground at a given speed, size of the horse, and the size of your – hmmm, how should I put this – the amount of nerve you currently possess. (Click on Blog Title above (in blue) to read full entry)Tip/Quote of the Day # 41In just about all situations, the best transitions are initiated from the rider's seat... not the leg or hand. Tip/Quote of the Day # 40"Talent is cheaper than table salt. What separates the talented individual from the successful one is a lot of hard work." ~ Stephen KingAn Exercise to Help Your Lengthenings Last the Full Diagonal
Do you find that you often start off with a good trot lengthening, but by the end of the long diagonal things have deteriorated a bit, with your horse rushing and losing his balance and rhythm? This scenario is quite common, and is caused from the "spring" of the horse's hind legs becoming uncoiled. Meaning that the horse has lost the engagement of the hind legs, and is now falling on the forehand. Here is an exercise to help you keep your horse's hind legs truly engaged, so that you can maintain the quality of the lengthening for the full diagonal: (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)
Tip/Quote of the Day # 39For the horse, the learning happens on the release of the aid. That means if you don't release the aid, the horse will not learn. Tip/Quote of the Day # 38Some people misunderstand the term "on the forehand," which refers to the shoulders being down, regardless of where his head and neck are positioned. Many times when a horse's head and neck are up, his shoulders are down. Even though he appears "up," he is definitely on the forehand. When his shoulders are down, your half halt only raises his head and neck and pushes his shoulders down more -- further breaking the bridge." ~ Conrad SchumacherPhoto # 48: This is Kayla!(Click on Photo Title above (in blue) to read the critique of this photo)
Question # 140: I have a question about lunging. Normally my horse is very good on the lunge line, but I have started lunging her out in pasture we also use for xcountry schooling in order to help her realize this is a place to work and get her to calm down some before we ride out there (our first ride in the field didn't go so well....). She is much less attentive to me and my commands while we're out there. The biggest issues we're having on the lunge is that she cuts in toward me for about half the circle and I can't get her to slow down. I try to spend a lot of time making her calmly walk on the lunge line and get her focus back on me. Sometimes she does, sometimes she just takes off trotting. Once she is sufficiently calm walking on the lunge, I ask her to trot, and so on. Once she's trotting (not so much at the canter), she trots VERY fast and I have a hard time getting her to slow down. At both the trot and the canter it takes sometimes up to 3-4 times around the circle for her to come down to the next gait once I've asked her to. Any suggestions on how to handle this? (Kayla)
Hi Kayla!
Diving in towards the middle of the lunge circle and rushing almost always go hand in hand. This is because they severely lose their balance when they fall in, and will then run to catch it. When I have a horse that is erratic on the lunge, falling in and/or falling out on the circle, I... (Click on Question Title above Tip/Quote of the Day # 37A horse must first be able to travel in a connected long and low frame before a proper higher head carriage can be achieved. If you struggle with lengthening your horse's neck while still maintaining a soft contact - be sure to master this connection before moving on to more advanced work. If you don't all of your "upper-level" work will be incorrect and will lack the back connection necessary for engaging the hind end.Discussion # 70: Which young rider has a more solid position dropping into the water?Which of these two young riders has a stronger, more solid position dropping into the water? How can you tell? (Click on Discussion Title above (in blue) to read this educational discussion)
Now that I’ve decided to shake things up with my mare the question became who to turn to in order to make the transition back into eventing. My mare has had limited exposure to jumping. Me, I haven’t ridden in a jump saddle more than a handful of times in the last four years. We both were in need of an intervention. While I have hooked up with a trainer to help us get going in all things jumping she is over an hour away and I’m on a budget. By the way, I’m sure budget is a bad word. Feel free to insert your own euphemism, I know I do. (Click on Blog Title above (in blue) to read full entry)Tip/Quote of the Day # 36"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 PodhajskyTip/Quote of the Day # 35While it is important to have a plan when riding, you should be ready to adapt that plan as necessary. Ultimately, you ride the horse and not the plan!The Fringe Eventer blog post # 1: Introduction!
Back In The Saddle # 1 - Intro
I guess Back In The (Jump) Saddle would be more apropos for this blog, but you get the idea. Who am I you may ask? I comprise the largest segment of the eventing industry or base. Actually, if you want to get technical, the largest segment of the entire consumer driven horse industry. Figure it out yet? I am an adult amateur. We spend more on horse related merchandise, lessons, entry fees, clinics, etc. than any other consumer group. Demographically we are roughly between the ages of about 28 and 52, most often married, and have full time jobs. Sound familiar? Don’t worry, if you’re not there yet you will be. (Click on Blog Title above (in blue) to read full entry)
Tip/Quote of the Day # 34If you shorten the reins when your horse is not yet thinking forward, he is likely to become even more stuck and behind your leg. Always get him thinking forward first!Tip/Quote of the Day # 33Generally the fastest way to get where you're going is to take your time.Eliminate Your Bad Habits!
Ah, bad habits.... we all have them! And they can be SO frustrating, as no matter how much we try to fix them, they stubbornly persist! There is a trick, however, that can help you lick your bad habits once and for all. And that is to... (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)
Tip/Quote of the Day # 32If 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. Photo # 47: This is Laura!(Click on Photo Title above (in blue) to read the critique of this photo)
Tip/Quote of the Day # 31Immediate, accurate feedback is necessary for a horse to learn if what it is doing is right. The timing is absolutely crucial, as there is a window of only a few seconds for the horse to make a clear connection between its behavior and the feedback that the rider provides.Video # 43: Kayla tries the low wide oxer exercise with her horse that tends to jump too high at times in the Show Jumping!Kayla tries the low wide oxer exercise with her horse that tends to jump too high at times in the Show Jumping! (Click on Video Title above (in blue) to read the critique of this video)
Well, I think the very best thing to do is to practice at home to learn to feel what each speed feels like for your horse. You do this by... (Click on Question Title above (in blue) to read full answer)Tip/Quote of the Day # 30You can learn so much by watching the warm up areas at shows and events. Spend some time there, and you will see a multitude of lessons and techniques. You can educate your eye by making predictions on how each horse and rider will perform in the show ring or on course based on their warm up. Tip/Quote of the Day # 29From Facebook fan Kathy Wilson Rowe: "When you ask your horse to do something, MEAN it!!! When you give an aid, your horse needs to listen the first time!!"Tip/Quote of the Day # 28Try to give your horse a short vacation now and then. Horses appreciate a break from their jobs just as riders do.Question # 138: My horse and I haven't been jumping too long, and have just started getting to the 2'3" to 2'6" heights.As we got higher than two feet, some of her bad habits have become more apparent, such as slowing down coming towards a jump and getting the deep distance every. single. time. I'm not skilled enough to help her get the right distance yet, and I have a feeling that's the majority of her problem. She'll see the jump, feel strong and forward and excited and ready for it, then it's like she loses confidence as she gets closer, and often ends up stutter-stepping or trotting then jumping. And now with a slightly higher height, she often ends up stopping, or stopping and then jumping from a dead stop (which often ends with me on her neck or on the ground). I know I'm making things worse now because I'm anticipating her stopping. We need to be moving at a faster pace, she's cantering practically western pleasure style right now thanks to having a ridiculously tiny arena to jump in where she couldn't get a good canter. But until we get her to the right distance where she can confidently take off, our rhythm is going to be all over the place. I was thinking gymnastics might help her, but wanted to know what you thought we should do? I've dropped her back down to her comfortable, easy 2 feet for now until we get this straightened out. Thanks! (Holly)
Hi Holly!
Usually when this happens it is a simple matter of... (Click on Question Title above (in blue) to read full answer) Tip/Quote of the Day # 27Many riders mistakenly believe that they have achieved lightness when the horse is not connecting with the bit, when what they are often actually feeling is emptiness in their hands due to lack of a proper connection over the back. True lightness does not come from the horse learning not to touch the rider's hand, but is only achieved by the causing the horse to carry more weight behind. Shannon's Blog Post # 4 Finding Your Inner Zen
I don't know about you, but I'm particularly guilty of trying to fit 36 hours into a 24 hour day. This is sometimes a bit inevitable, as I currently have a part time job Bartending in downtown Chicago in addition to a full sales business with 8 horses currently in my program. And I'm trying to show my personal horse in my spare time... So I inevitably try and squeeze in whatever I can, whenever I can. For those of you like me, trying to get the most out of your day, here's a lesson on trying to ride rushed or stressed. (Click on Blog Title above (in blue) to read full entry)
