"I think we judges have to look more carefully into the body language of the horse. The body language for me, is more important than the technical part of a movement. Three strides in the half pirouette that's okay, but if everything is good and we have four strides, that for me is no problem, for me it is important that the horse is happy and you see it in the face, you see it in the tail, you see it in the swinging, you can listen, how the horse is breathing, these are the things that are important for a quality test." ~ Christoph Hess
You have to look for the particular rhythm that works best for each horse in each gait, allowing them to swing through their bodies with activity. Slower than the horse's optimal rhythm, and the horse will probably be inactive behind. And faster will be rushing, inhibiting the swing.
Never underestimate how much any turn on course can take away from the power in your canter. With the lazier type of horse you need to be proactive in maintaining your impulsion through the turns. And even with the hotter type of horse, you need to be conscious of being soft with your hand, so you don't take too much away from them.
"Lots of riders find it hard to let the reins go. They have their horses pulled into a short neck. What is important today is that I can give you the feeling of how you can let your horses be freer in the neck. The horse needs his head and neck to balance, interfere with his head and you interfere with his balance, and then the horse’s confidence goes out the window." ~ Clayton Fredericks
"I always make sure I do a proper warm up. I make sure my horses are really properly stretching and giving their back, and coming from behind." ~ Ingrid Klimke
"Body awareness is essential. You must be trained to feel each body part as you’re riding, such as your big toe, your little finger." ~ Conrad Schumacher
Riders who do not stretch their horses are missing out on the full body suppling and gymnasticizing effects that a real stretch over the back will provide.
"What we need to be aiming for in our breeding program is a horse with a good hind end, a horse that is strong and capable of bending behind. It all comes from the power and activity behind, the front doesn’t matter, steady on the bit, doesn’t matter – when the horse is in balance, the front and the contact, will come." ~ Johan Hamminga
Being a good student - being teachable... This is a talent that will often get you a whole lot farther than physical talent alone. Both in riding and in life.
You have to be able to ride in "neutral", with no aids whatsoever, for your horse to be able to feel, recognize, and respond to the lightest of your aids.
"So many riders are horse-obsessed, but for some reason they don’t see themselves as part of the beauty of the picture that is, after all, a partnership. They spend their time disciplining and training the horse and manage to excuse themselves from the same rigours." ~ Richard Weis
"At its finest, rider and horse are joined not by tack, but by trust. Each is totally reliant upon the other. Each is the selfless guardian of the other's very well being." ~ Michael Plumb
Courses of ground poles are a smart way to practice just about every single skill you need to jump well, while minimizing the stress on your horse's legs.
Think of your leg, seat, and rein aids as ways to communicate with your horse. You don't physically push or pull him anywhere, you give him subtle signals. And if he doesn't initially respond to your subtle signals, you need to teach him to - EVERY horse can learn to respond to light cues, if taught properly.
Riders should carry their hands just above the horse's withers, so as to create a straight line from the rider's elbow to the horse's mouth. When a rider’s hands are rising above that line, many times this is because of tense, drawn up shoulders.
"Classical riding starts with correct movement, we want to build up the strength of the horse and build up the movements – make them more brilliant more expressive, more light, more supple, and if you do not understand this, then you do not follow the rules." ~ Reiner Klimke
Carrying your hands with your thumbs on top when riding keeps your hands, wrists, elbows, shoulders in a "neutral" position, which allows your joints to move most freely to enable an elastic rein connection.
If you attempt to teach a horse something while tension is present, his learning will be compromised. And you will be more likely to run into problems associated with the flight response.
The horse that is the fastest on cross country is often not the one that is allowed to gallop at a greater rate of speed, but rather one that is highly adjustable, and is ridden on economical lines.
"Connection is often misunderstood. The horse must be taught to go from the seat and leg to the hand for it to be correct. But some riders will try to force it by working their hands and arms to 'work the horse’s neck back and forth to achieve that lightness,' which is incorrect." ~ Lilo Fore
Always keep in mind that you need to engage your horse's brain to get him to truly think forward. Your goal should not be to merely get his feet moving, but to ignite the area of his brain that makes him decide to want to move forward. Only when your horse really wants to go forward do you truly have a forward horse... no matter how fast you are actually traveling.
"It's the rider's job to make his horse sensitive enough to anticipate half halts, for it is the anticipation factor that makes horse and rider harmonious. The use of the horse's anticipation should work greatly to your advantage in daily training and in riding a dressage test. For example, most dressage movements follow the riding of a corner in the arena. When you ride a half halt before every corner throughout the course of a horse's life, he anticipates that he is going to be more balanced and uphill before, during and after every corner, and then the corner becomes the half halt. Because the horse's brain and body are already in harmony with the rider in the corner, all you have to do is concentrate on the movement that follows." ~ Oded Shimoni
Event riders need to be careful to not get "drunk on speed" when running cross country. There needs to be a point on the approach for every fence that the rider makes sure that the horse is truly galloping in balance, and makes any necessary adjustments to the speed and balance before they make their final approach.
Try to always keep your elbows close to your sides when riding, so that your upper arms remain a part of your seat. This will help you to you use your body to control your horse more than your hands.
"If the rider can halt his horse in any lateral movement, so that it stands quietly in the same position, or ride straight forward without hesitation, it is proof that the horse was going well between hands and legs." ~ Borries von Oeynhausen
Counter bend is a great tool when your horse tries to bulge against your outside aids. And following that up with a change of direction then further reinforces that aid, teaching your horse to have more respect for it.
"Leg yielding is a loosening exercise for the horse – they pull up the leg, fold the joints, push the leg to one side. It is far easier for the horse to leg yield from the centre line to the wall. He wants to go to the wall for help, but never let a young horse go all the way to the wall. The wall is like a magnet, stop him short of the wall." ~ Kyra Kyrklund
"Stretch and supple the horses for a long and healthy career. Keep them moving to keep them sound. Leaving them in a box and only out an hour a day is not a good way to keep a horse sound." ~ Carl Hester
"You have to have a little contact so the circle from the pushing aids to the steady contact to the mouth is correct. Even in halt, you still have to have the feeling that the horse wants to go forward – without pulling." ~ Jo Hinnemann
"A good instructor makes riders relax so the experience is enjoyable. If the rider feels safe and is able to repeat the exercises without the coach present then they have learnt. If they are afraid of the coach belittling them, destroying their confidence, humiliating them etc the coach is a bully." ~ Shirley Sheat
"If dressage horses hold themselves and won't stretch, stand in the stirrups and go for a forward canter, allow them to be a horse. Get rid of the freshness, then back to work." ~ Ingrid Klimke
"When I was in Pau, Bobby (Hale Bob) did his best dressage ever, because I was there with one horse for one week, and we put cavalletti on the circle with so many exercises, he was so supple and so smooth and had so much expression in his gaits. I am really convinced that cavalletti works." ~ Ingrid Klimke
"The rein back should be the same as asking the horse to move forward, otherwise they can't move their hind legs — so don't restrict the movement." ~ Frankie Sloothaak
