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When I was young I took some lessons from an instructor who deduced that since a horse was the most balanced and under the rider's control when "on the bit" - that we should take advantage of the access to all that controlled power by approaching our fences that way. So she had us frantically trying to hold our horses noses on the vertical line all the way to the point of takeoff. And the result? (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

Think of the spectrum of possible frames that a horse can be in, on an imaginary scale from 1 to 100, from fully compressed to fully extended. Let 1 be a horse that is so collected that it is on the spot (trotting or cantering in place), and 100 be the full out stretch of a racehorse galloping at top speed. Where on this scale do you want your horse to be when jumping? (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

While the audio is in German, you can still get the gist of this video by reading the text that they put above the little blue box. Dr Klimke first shows us what is so common nowadays, with the horse being incorrectly ridden from front to back, showing a short, curled up neck. Then he brings his horse up into a correct working frame. And then, around 1:22, he shows us what it looks like to ride your horse more correctly deep - with a long neck (with a true "falling down" neck, rather than being pulled down), and the horse reaching forward into the connection of the bit.

While he appears behind the vertical, notice that the angles at the poll and throatlatch have actually not changed as he drops his neck. Watch this video a few times, and you will notice the many differences between the correct and incorrect way to ride deep. What stands out to me is the open vs closed angle of the throatlatch. What are your thoughts? (Click on Discussion Title above to watch this video and read or join in on this educational discussion)

Hi April!

There are two main causes for horses to fall from the canter into trot as you describe. One is the rider... (Click on Question Title above (in blue) to read full answer)

Some horses have a natural ability to lengthen their stride at the trot. Others need some help to understand exactly what you want when you ask for more trot. In addition to the tips mentioned in this article, this exercise can be really helpful to show them how to increase their push from behind rather than simply rushing and getting quick. (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

If you have the very common problem of a weak lower leg that swings back behind you over jumps, leaving you in an unstable, insecure position on the landing side - you have probably been told before to push your heels down and your feet forward. But you have probably also found this quite difficult to do... and that is because there is a secret! A rider will not be able to push their feet forward when their... (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

I have noticed that many clinicians don't address rider position and balance when teaching clinics. They tend to keep their focus entirely on the way the horse is going, and performing the exercises that they have planned. And I would love to know if this is a conscious decision when teaching clinics, or if so many trainers don't put an emphasis on the rider's position and aids being correct and accurate. What do you think?

If you are a trainer, are you purposefully avoiding making position changes in a clinic situation in the interest of time, and to avoid potentially offending riders? I know when I teach clinics that some riders seem to really appreciate the feedback I give them about their position. Yet others seem to not want to work on themselves, and only want to have fun and do challenging exercises in clinics (that they may have little hope of doing well with, because they are lacking balance and a good position.)

As a rider, do you like it when clinicians address your position or not? (Click on Discussion Title above (in blue) to read this educational discussion)

 

All good things take time to create. I think riders should remind themselves of this often. Riders are often impatient with themselves, and with their horses. Often I see riders set themselves up for frustration by expecting too much all at once. It can take quite a few repetitions for a rider to master a new skill, and quite a long time to develop strength and balance. And horses learn best when riders present new concepts one at a time. 

Often I see riders making it hard for their horses to learn what they want them to learn because they are stacking concepts on top of each other before the horse understands them individually. For example, (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

Many riders think of spurs as something they might use to make their lazy horses go forward. But that line of thinking is actually not conducive to the end goal of having a well trained horse, and here's why: (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

Is this Dressage horse a leg mover or a back mover? In this video, is the horse showing more carrying power or more pushing power behind? What does this rider need to work on? (Click on Discussion Title above to watch video and to read or join in on this educational discussion)

Hi Vita!

Many horses go through a stage where they go from not wanting any contact, to seeing how they can use it to their advantage! So if he was reluctant to take any feel of the rein before, and is now looking to lean on you for a little support, that may be what is happening here.

Horses lean on the bit for support when their hind legs are not sufficiently underneath their bodies. Without their hind legs under them to balance, they may then try to use the rider's hands as sort of a "fifth leg" to hold up their front ends. The fix for this problem is to... (Click on Question Title above (in blue) to read the full answer to this question)

Riders instinctively pull back on the reins when they feel their horse becoming strong or heavy. And instead of fixing the problem, pulling back actually invites the horse into a game of tug of war.

Tug of war is a game of strength, will power, and ego. Usually best played with a competitor of equal (or lesser) strength. A game of rider vs horse is no contest. You will not win a pulling match with your horse. So it is best to find a way to control your horse without pulling.

Here is an exercise that you can do while on the ground, that will show you how to control your strong horse more effectively! (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)