I always dreamed of shopping internationally for horses. Of someone giving me a blank check and saying, “Go find the horse of your dreams!” I envisioned barns that were equine palaces, trots that spent more time in the air than on the ground, champagne like at the Dubarry tents, robust stallions being paraded before that year’s offspring, etc. I literally could go on about my vision of this experience for hours, because I think after my weekly “If I won the lottery I would….” visions I just built this dream piece by piece... (Click on Blog Title above (in blue) to read full entry)
So often I see riders doing a transition as if their only goal is to get from one gait to the next... (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)
Question # 93: My young horse Danny is 1.5 years old. He leads, ties, loads, hauls, gets groomed, does the farrier and vet thing, and is all around a good horse. He has been on a ton of trail rides being ponied with Fleck and does pretty well for that. He's crossed creeks, gone up and down banks and over ditches while ponied and in hand. He's done some in hand work but is pretty wild when in front of other people (Like the FEH shows) but at home is better. He is good at the walk but gets too excited in the trot. He's very mouthy and a chain doesn't seem to help, nor does letting him chew on his chain/lead. I've bought a chitney bit (chutney? chifney?) and am going to try that. I've done one session of round penning/joining up and he did well. He knows to yield to the touch and is good at respecting my space (mostly). He knows to stay with me (mostly) when being led and even without a rope, he stays at my side and with me. But I haven't done much round pen work. He's too young I think and my round pen is more of a large oval pen. BUT... he's VERY bored... and very smart! And very Irish ;) His go to move is to stop and plant and he almost "shuts off". But when he's done thinking.. he's fine again. I'm wondering what else I can be doing with him to help keep his brain working and further his education without pushing him. I don't want to hurry things, but want him to be a good kid. Oh, he's had a saddle and bridle on (the bridle with bit but only for a few minutes). He gets clippers but is still touchy about his face. He's had on wraps and boots and clothes. He lets me touch his ears and his sheath. He gets bathed and fly sprayed. I've tried teaching him "touch it" where he touches his nose to something and gets a treat. He does that game fairly well. He's just too smart and too bored! Fleck and Roany don't play with him. Any advice?? (Holly)
Hi Holly!
It sure sounds like you have covered all of your bases! Maybe teach him some tricks? I usually teach my horses to bow on command. I like to do this because I can ask them to bow on a daily basis, and it seems to be a good stretch for their backs. A lot of times they will extend their front legs and sit back and stretch like a cat after bowing, as they learn that stretching their bodies feels good. It is also good mental stimulation to teach them a trick. Whatever the trick is, they learn the concept that it is up to them to figure out what you want them to do.
One thing that stands out with what you wrote, however, is that of his tendency to stop and plant himself. I would be inclined to nip this habit in the bud now, before it gets too confirmed. While I don't want to discourage a young horse from stopping and thinking about things, teach him now that he can think while he moves, and that refusing to move is unacceptable. Do this by... (Click on Question Title above (in blue) to read full answer) Question # 92: I'm having a hard time getting a canter to walk on Fleck without trot steps or having to be too hard with my aids. I've found that if I think of changing the bend as I'm asking for the downward, it helps. But is that going to mess up future aids (like flying changes?). I know I'm supposed to "land the airplane", but I cannot get a decent downward. His walk to canters are pretty good but he gets a little amped up and anticipatory. (Holly)
Hi Holly!
Canter to walk transitions can be hard for some horses! In order to do them well, the horse must be completely straight and balanced, and must be actively "sitting" behind. The key to making the transition smooth, and with no trot steps is to... (Click on Question Title above (in blue) to read full answer) Photo # 31: This is Holly again!
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This is a topic where there are lots of different opinions, many of them strongly held. Some hack their horses primarily on loose reins, and others won't even let their horse walk off from the mounting block unless it is "in a frame". And then there are those in between. There are some good arguements for all positions, but in my opinion... (Click on Question Title above (in blue) to read full answer)
Dressage With the Croup High Horse
I believe that every sound horse is capable of doing dressage, but there is no doubt that it is much harder for some than others. The horse that is built downhill with the top of its croup higher than its withers is at a considerable disadvantage! Balance and collection can be achieved with the croup high horse, but it can be hard to accomplish. To help the horse with this disadvantage, you must... (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)
I do use them. I feel that they are useful for keeping the bit more consistently still in the corners of the horse's mouth. And they can help to prevent major bit evasions like crossing the jaw, sticking the tongue out, or getting the tongue over the bit from becoming a habit. In using a flash noseband right from the beginning of the horse's training, I can hopefully prevent any of these bad habits from developing in the first place.
The reason that there is so much controversy over the flash, is that so many use it (or a crank noseband) to clamp their horse's mouth tightly shut, in an vain effort to disguise the fact that their horse is not accepting the bit. Those who do this are not fooling anyone. The judge doesn't need to see a horse's mouth gaping open to know that he is not accepting the connection. It is readily apparent in the horse's body and way of movement. The horse that has his mouth clamped tightly shut cannot fully relax his jaw, softly chew on the bit, or swallow. All of these things will serve to prevent the horse from being happily and honestly connected.
For the horse to be comfortable and truly on the aids, the flash noseband should be loose enough... (Click on Question Title above (in blue) to read full answer)
Walking Jumps
Jumping from the walk is a great exercise! I don't think anyone really likes to do it, as it can be a bit scary to do - but it has many benefits for both horse and rider! And is a great skill to have in your toolbox for the following reasons: (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)
Yeeeeeeeeee this pony is so awesome!!! We had a jump lesson today with Jane Hamlin in my continuing quest to get back some of my lost jumping confidence and start feeling ready to maybe head back out into the eventing world again. I haven't taken a lesson with Jane in a looooong time, but it was great to see her again. She loved Ky (how could she not??) and he was absolutely foot perfect. I finished up my lesson a very happy girl!! (Click on Blog Title above (in blue) to read full entry) Discussion # 48: How do you get your horse's attention on a fence?
This is the beginning of Jimmy Wofford's latest article in Practical Horseman:
"Let me ask you something: If I longe a horse, can he jump an obstacle while on the longe? Sure. What about if I longe the horse over an obstacle and put a rider in the saddle? Same answer. OK, if I give the rider a blindfold and a neck strap, can the horse still jump? Where are you going with this Jim? Of course the horse can still jump. But what if I blindfold the horse? Have you lost your mind? No, I haven't lost my mind... any more than usual. I just want to make sure we agree that the horse mustsee the fence."
It's a very rare occurrence in the horse world where everyone is in agreement! But I think this is one statement that everyone would agree on. The horse must be looking at the fence he is about to jump.
So, say you are approaching an obstacle, and you can tell that your horse's focus is elsewhere. What would you do to get him to focus his attention on the jump in front of him? (Click on Discussion Title above (in blue) to read this educational discussion)
This is a great question, as I think there may be many riders that don't know the answer to this. A rider should...(Click on Question Title above (in blue) to read full answer)Ride the Horse You Are on at the Moment
Most horses are a work in progress. As they age, they tend to mellow a bit (sometimes), and become more confident and wise. They are also (hopefully!) more educated and further along in their training. It should thenfollow that riders are constantly adapting to the changes in their horses. But I find riders often have a hard time letting go of old "baggage", and tend to ride the horse that they used to have. Which means the horse will tend to revert back to the way he used to be. (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)
When you move up from Novice to Training level Eventing, you begin to be tested on the difference between speed and impulsion at the gallop, your ability to balance at the increased speed required, and your horse's ability to focus at speed. At the Novice level, your horse can be in a "huntery" frame, and he can still jump around happily. But at Training level that begins to change. Some Training level questions on cross country will catch you out if you are in a long, huntery frame, without some true impulsion.
You need to be able to create a canter/gallop with a good amount of stored energy on the approach to many complexes or combinations. It comes back once again to your ability to adjust the canter stride. Can you add impulsion without losing balance? Can you compress the canter stride without losing impulsion? (Click on Question Title above (in blue) to read full answer) Video # 27: This is Andi and Chester on a Beginner Novice cross counry course!(Click on Video Title above (in blue) to read the critique of this video)
As outlined in this article on the shoulder in, in order to reap the enormous benefits from this movement (and receive high scores from the judges!) it must be done correctly!
If there is little or no bend in the horse's ribcage, the movement becomes merely a leg yield. And while leg yielding is a useful exercise for improving obedience and understanding of lateral aids, and increasing lateral suppleness, it does not have the engaging and collecting effect that shoulder in does.
A mistake that riders very commonly make to incorrectly turn their shoulder in into a leg yield is to... (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)
I think that the concept of using your thighs to stop is fairly evenly split in the dressage world. A number of trainers teach it, and a good number do not agree. The way I look at it is that it definitely works to stop or half halt by tightening your thighs, but it has the drawback of causing many horses to... (Click on Question Title above (in blue) to read full answer)
An Exercise to Teach You to Wait For Your Horse to Jump
The single most common bad habit a jumping rider can have is that of jumping ahead of their horse! Sometimes it is so subtle that you are not even aware that you are moving while your horse is trying to lift his front end for take off. And even when it is subtle - it greatly affects the horse!
A horse begins his jumping effort by rocking back on his hind legs and pushing upwardwith his front legs to lift his forehand. If the rider on his back is tipping forward as he is trying to do this, it really makes his job harder! Some horses still jump remarkably well with this handicap, but many are negatively affected. A rider leaning forward as the horse is about to take off can cause the horse to be less able to rock back on his hind legs. Which means the horse is less balanced, and more on the forehand. This can cause him to be slow or untidy with his front legs, and will make him jump lower and flatter than he might otherwise. It also usually means that he lands in a canter stride that is unbalanced and on the forehand.
Here is one of many possible exercises to help to teach you not to jump before your horse does: (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)
I don't think it would be a good idea to train in the hackamore, since as you said, you can't show in one. You can't improve on your horse's acceptance of the bit without a bit! You didn't say what kind of bit you have been using, but you may want to try a... (Click on Question Title above (in blue) to read full answer) Video Discussion # 50: Stretching exercise - stretching the horse's shoulders before a rideThis video shows how to stretch out your horse's shoulders before a ride. How many of you regularly do this? She didn't say it, but I was always told that you should not pull at all when doing this... but should rather encourage the horse to push into the stretch. What are your thoughts? (Click on Discussion Title above (in blue) to read this educational discussion)
Do you think it's wrong that my absolute #1, most important reason to get to Intermediate with haste is so that I never EVER....... (Click on Blog Title above (in blue) to read full entry) Video Discussion # 49: How to ride a square halt.
This video gives good advice on how to achieve that elusive squarehalt! I am in total agreement with her about not attempting to square up afterwards. A square halt is not a trick that you teach a horse, it is a result of a straight and balanced horse, and a well ridden transition to the halt. What are your thoughts? (Click on Discussion Title above to watch video and read comments)
Discussion # 47: Where would you jump this fence?
Where would you jump this chevron jump? At one of the points? Or right at the yellow flowers? Why? (Click on Discussion Title above (in blue) to read this educational discussion)
If the tail tells the story in regard to the state of the horse's back while being ridden, what tells the story of the state of the horse's poll and jaw is... (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)
Note to self – (Click on Blog Title above (in blue) to read full entry) Video Discussion # 48: Let's discuss this video - London 2012 Olympic Show JumpingI found it shocking to see how much the first rider shown weaves back and forth between these big fences - yet still leaves them up! It can be so unbalancing to shift left and right like that. That horse must be really careful! What do you think caused the horse to leave out a stride and land in the water jump at :28? (Click on Discussion Title above (in blue) to read this educational discussion)
Many riders have noticed a common phenomenon on cross country - that they ride better when their adrenaline levels are up. This can be true for both riders and horses. And is why it is not a regular practice for Advanced level horses and riders to school cross country at that level. Typically they school cross country jumps at a slightly lower level, and train over Advanced level heights and complexities with show jumps in the ring. There is just too much risk involved schooling cross country at the top levels, as without the added adrenaline of competition they are more likely to be less focused and make a mistake.
It is perfectly normal to be nervous before a competition - at all levels. Many top riders have said that if you are not at least a little nervous before cross country, you have a problem...(Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)
There are many great exercises that riders can utilize involving a square or diamond shape. I plan to cover them all in the coming months, but will start today with the most basic square exercise. This exercise is great for teaching the horse how to make balanced and smooth corners in the dressage ring! (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)
Discussion # 45: Let's discuss the term "soft hands".
What does it mean for a rider to have "soft hands"? And how does a rider acquire this attribute? (Click on Discussion Title above (in blue) to read this educational discussion)
Guest Blog entry # 9: "The Secret to Winning" by Cherie Chauvin
The Secret to Winning...
Jim Wofford loves to tell riders that he's found the secret to winning every event! He leans in close, with a twinkle in his eye and a smirk on his face, and he whispers... "The secret to winning every event is [pause for dramatic effect]... (Click on Blog Title above (in blue) to read full entry) Video Discussion # 47: How to pull a shoe!
Have you ever gone out to the barn to ride, only to find your horse has a shoe half off and twisted so that some nails and/or a clip is jammed into your horse's foot? Knowing how to pull the shoe off will come in handy in situations like this! Here's how to do it: (Click on Discussion Title above (in blue) to watch the video and make comments) An Exercise to Improve Throughness Over the Horse's Back
Some horses have a hard time really swinging and engaging their entire backs, due to tension and stiffness. Many of these horses show signs of improvement with good dressage training, but continue to carry an area of tension - usually in their lumbar region or lower back. A great exercise to break through the tension or stiffness in this area is to... (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)
I don’t know that I ever understood the importance of a great connection until I felt it for the first time. I had spent years (over a decade….) with my horses waffling between my legs and hands. (Click on Blog Title above (in blue) to read full entry)
Photo # 27: This is Anna again!
Anna sends us a more current jumping picture to show us how much her release has improved from her last photo, which was an older photo! (Click on Photo Title above (in blue) to read the critique of this photo)
Discussion # 44: Your horse should learn to stay at the pace you put him in until you ask otherwise!
Your horse should learn to stay at the pace you put him in until you ask otherwise. How often does your horse decide to speed up or slow down without being told to? In what situations is he most likely to do so? And what can you do about it? (Click on Discussion Title above (in blue) to read this educational discussion)
Question # 85: I desperately need help with Training Test B. I loathe it... hate it... wish it would die a fiery death.The problem is that this test throws everything at me too quickly and it accentuates all of our issues. We start down centerline just fine, do a great figure eight, and can even get a lovely trot with shoulder in to the left lead canter. I'm still not great at riding the canter lengthening on the circle, but it's not horrible this direction.
Then we come down to the walk and then the downfall starts. It's a vicious spiral. I can get a decent free walk sometimes, but guaranteed... every single time I ask for the medium walk, he anticipates and starts jigging. Even at home I cannot get a nice medium walk but every 5th time. I've tried bending him around my leg, I've tried making sure my hips continue to move, I've tried leaving the reins long and not really getting a true medium walk.... but regardless I can't figure out how to get a true free to medium without him anticipating. So then we're fighting or jigging and that sets us up for a horrible trot transition.
Then the next movement is the right lead canter. Fleck tends to travel haunches in pretty obviously this direction and it's our "bad" lead. So I try my hardest to do shoulder in, but that seems to indicate canter to him, so we break into the canter early or it's a tense transition because I'm trying so hard to keep him at the trot until I ask. Then our canter is haunches in and rushed and yesterday... very bouncy and braced. Obviously the lengthen doesn't go well and often we break too early coming back down because I ask for the collection without keeping my leg on. So then our trot ends up being a little bit on the forehand and rushed. I've tried my hardest to collect, rock him back, think walk, even almost truly HALF halt (do the walk for half a step then back into the trot trick)... and I just don't seem to have enough time to get him balanced before we then have to do our stretchy trot... hence the stretchy trot being on the forehand and running.
I just wish I could find a way to ride this test better. I don't know if I get flustered... I can put in a decent tests on the other tests, but this one just.... really annihilates us. Help please!!! (Holly)
Hi Holly!
Wow, good for you for being so aware of all of your problems, and how one problem effects the next! That may sound like a weird thing to say... but I find that many riders don't always realize why their problems develop. And you obviously have a good grasp on how one problem begins the "snowball of problems" effect. Now... on to how to fix it!! (Click on Question Title above (in blue) to read full answer)
Guest Blog entry # 8: "Cross Country and the Learning Curve" by Becky Rickly
Cross Country and the Learning Curve
As opposed to the last time I was here, the Cross Country day dawned beautiful, sunny, and breezy. We gathered at the start box (did I mention that David and Laura have made a really wonderful set of jumps, from pre-BN through Intermediate? Well, they have!), and we started out once again by showing Jimmy our galloping positions (only this time, he said "do not 'post' the canter, or you will not like what I will do!"....my guess is that we'd be sans stirrups, so I'm glad none of us did!). One woman was leaning quite a bit to the right, so Jimmy motioned her over and took away her right stirrup, leather and all, then asked her to jump three times over a small tire jump. She got the point. Apparently, this was something she'd been working on.
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When we first started canter work she really raced into it, so we did a lot of "now means NOW" upward transitions. The result now is that she's always expecting the canter, and when I do ask she really explodes into it which has caused me to hang on her mouth. So now I'm focusing on asking quietly and staying off the reins even if she bursts forward. Her reaction is to start to explode, then get confused and fall into a strung out trot.
The second part is her downward transition. We haven't focused on that much so it's even worse; even when she's somewhat balanced at the canter it takes a while to get her trot steady, and when her canter is strung out it's half the arena before she's down to a steady working trot. (Kari)
Hi Kari!
She sounds like she is still quite heavy on the forehand. To help her with her balance issues, I would... (Click on Question Title above (in blue) to read full answer)Photo # 26: This is Riese!
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