This is a big problem! As you will not advance or improve on a horse that does not listen to your leg aids! When riding a horse like this, the temptation is to use lots of leg to try to keep the horse going. And this compounds the problem! The more leg you use, the more insensitive your horse will become! The only answer is to... (Click on Question Title above (in blue) to read full answer)
Question # 102: At what height should I carry my hands when jumping? (Anonymous) This is a great question! And is somewhat of a controverial subject. Of course it will depend on the individual horse, but in general I am in the camp of... (Click on Question Title above (in blue) to read full answer)Question # 101: My horse has a problem with combinations of fences with 1 or 2 strides between them. He grabs hold of the bit and just goes as hard as he can, flat and strung out...It's like a switch is activated in his brain - he has no concept of being careful, controlled, or even that I'm on his back. It doesn't seem to matter if I'm trotting or cantering on approach, with lots of forward energy or slow and steady. The only pattern seems to be that it's combination fences with 1-2 strides between. He is 17h, but is somewhat weak in the hind end - could he feel overfaced when we jump these combinations? Could he see the second fence and incorrectly judge it as a very wide oxer and think he needs the power to clear them both? I'm at a loss here! What would you suggest for #1, the response I should immediately have, and #2, the long term fix? (Courtney)
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)
I think that for the lower level Event rider, the most ideal situation is to... (Click on Question Title above (in blue) to read full answer)Question # 98: HOW do I do what you said about using core/back rather than tiring out arms shoulders? Literally, do I let my arms extend, then use my back, or lean back more (water ski)? (Andi)Hi Andi! This is a great question, as the correct application of these aids makes the difference between success and compounded problems. Riders of strong horses must learn this concept to get the best performance out of them. When doing the off the horse exercise suggested in this article, practice finding the strength of your body by... (Click on Question Title above (in blue) to read full answer) Question # 97: I have an 11yo OTTB who is a roarer and whom I am competing at novice level this year. We are doing great on XC and in SJ, but we are struggling in dressage.More specifically, we are struggling with submission at the trot. At the walk, it is possible to get Johnny moving forward into contact, and he will chew the reins out of my hands if allowed. At the canter, he will either have a beautiful, light canter where I feel like I am so connected I could ask for a pirouette, or he panics and thinks he is at the races again (though the latter is becoming more and more rare, so I think it is mostly mental). And, at the walk and canter, I can drop the inside rein for several strides, or even both reins for one or two strides. But...at the trot, I get one of two responses: either a very slow, short-strided trot (almost like a western pleasure jog), or if I ask him to move forward, he flattens out, evades contact, and rushes--my instructor calls it his giraffe trot. It's impossible to sit, much less do anything effective with my seat. I can slow my posting down and get him to slow down, but the connection still isn't there. I've heard two schools of thought for him: slow, slow, slow his trot down, then build him up once the connection improves, or send him forward, forward, forward into spiral-in, circles, etc. The problem is, neither seems to be working for him. Without forwardness, I don't feel like there's any energy to contain, and when I send him forward, he is so evasive of contact that my half-halts are ineffective. Any suggestions? (Courtney)
Hi Courtney!
With the type of horse that gets tight and tense when the rider asks for more forward energy, rushing and becoming erratic and irregular in its rhythm - you definitely want to... (Click on Question Title above (in blue) to read full answer)
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)
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) Question # 91: Should we be hacking our horses on loose reins or in a frame? (Stacy) Hi Stacy!
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.
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.
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)
Question # 86: My horse is so fussy in a bit, she is always moving the bit around and chomping on it. Her head is never still! And the judges really mark us down for this. I have recently tried her in a hackamore, and she goes so much better! I know that I can't use this during the dressage phase. But I was wondering if you thought it would be a good idea to do most of her flatwork schooling at home in the hackamore which she seems so happy with, and just use the bit for the shows. Or do you think I should just keep working on her acceptance of the bit? (Chris)
Hi Chris!
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) 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)
Question # 84: I've been working with a somewhat-green OTTB mare for about 2 months. Originally she was VERY on the forehand and heavy in the bit. We were making progress but have focused on jumping the last couple weeks, and now instead she is bracing upwards, very tense and hollow.
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)
We have an event coming up where the stadium jumping is in a hilly "bowl" shaped field. I seem to have issues with knowing what I need in warmup and thinking I achieve it, only to get into the round and discover I didn't... (Briana)
Hi Briana!
Since you know that the terrain will make your stadium round extra challenging, you will want to make sure your horse is really engaged behind and super responsive to your aids to go forward and come back. To achieve this, spend more time in your warm up doing... (Click on Question Title above (in blue) to read full answer)
Question # 82: So over the last few months I've come to appreciate that we need to practice full SJ courses. We're great over 3-5 fences in a row, but have very rarely gotten over 12 fences without a loss of balance/rhythm and a bad fence somewhere along the way. So yesterday I set up 18 or so fences across the two fields we have to ride in and tried to make up various courses, but the issue is that 3/4 of one of those fields has a fairly steep slope and it's in between the two flatter areas (so the flat portions on either end are quite small (e.g. 20x45 is about the max - so you can have maybe 3 to 4 fences in that area). The slope seems to be too steep for us to confidently canter down or across - across is actually worse than down, Henry almost always slips making the turn no matter how careful and balanced he is going into it. So it seems like we should be able to use this difficult terrain to our advantage somehow, but so far I have not found an exercise where it felt like we were mastering the hill - mostly it just feels like we "survive" it. Do you have any suggestions for exercises where we could use this as a training tool? and suggestions for how to practice courses with flow? (as opposed to just doing 4-5 jumps, cantering up/down to the other field and doing 4-5 fences)? Thanks! (Briana)
Hi Briana!
Since you will likely not ever have to show jump on a slope as steep as you are describing, I don't think I would try to use that hill as a training tool. At least not until you are able to keep your horse well balanced for entire courses without that added challenge. If you can only fit 4 fences in your small flat area, then I would set them all so that you can jump them both ways, and be creative with different approaches, making a full course in that small space if that's all you have available.
This is a very broad question, as the answer will vary greatly from horse to horse, and in different situations. But one thing is almost always true - between fences I want to... (Click on Question Title above (in blue) to read full answer)
Those antics are never fun, are they? Especially rearing... that can be so dangerous! Here's how I would handle these difficulties: (Click on Question Title above (in blue) to read full answer)
Question # 79: My horse spooks at the dumbest things!A common problem is tree lines. In the outdoor ring where we are now (and have been there little over a year) he has issues... sometimes major issues (rearing, spinning around, and taking off) in the far end because it's lined with trees and nothing is there. According to my instructor (and I believe her, just don't know how to fix it), it's my fault because I have anxiety about riding outside and think about what has happened and what could happen. But the reason I have anxiety is from what he's done! I aslo think he's trying to get out of work. I do my best to relax and keep him busy, but have been having more problems again lately. Riding isn't fun for me like it should be, and I hate that. (Michelle)
It's not physical, since she'll react the same way to cavalettis, cross rails, or bigger verticals. It's almost like she jumps in and worries that she can't get back out, so she runs out to the side. She is usually eager and confident to fences, but not combinations. She'll back off going into the combinations. I can usually tell we're going to have a problem, but it's hard to just kick her forward since she's got a long stride and she's been known to bounce one strides if she's rolling too much going in. If we've had a bad attempt or two, she'll start skittering sideways as soon as she's presented to the combination, so that's usually our cue that her brain has fried, and we'll break down the combination to get her confidence back. How can I get her more comfortable with combinations? (Catie)
Hi Catie!
This is one of those situations where a video of the problem would help me see exactly what is going on. But I do have a strong suspicion of what is going on! As I have seen this exact problem a few times before! When I tell you what I think is causing your problem, you may think that this is not the case. But please give the corrections a try, as I think you may be surprised! (Click on Question Title above (in blue) to read full answer)
This is a significant problem, as the horse that is not focusing on the ditch at all is often surprised and shocked by the ditch. Not only can this cause a refusal, but it can also undermine the horse's confidence. This is often just a matter of experience, but there are some things you can do at home to teach your horse to focus on what is immediately in front of him, rather than focusing only on what grabs his attention! (Click on Question Title above (in blue) to read full answer)
Question # 75: I tried the walk 2 steps and trot exercise tonight with my pony. I figured it would get him to respond better ,and he did at first, but then didn't want to walk and he was anticipating trot. We have the same issue with canter transitions, they get him fired up. Is there any way to modify the exercise without losing the reason for doing it? (Michelle)
If he assumes we're going over a fence, he sometimes makes a slight move toward it and I have to keep him on the path I want. And sometimes he doesn't seem to know we are going to jump the fence we are looking at until we're right on it. What should I be doing to give him a better idea of when we are actually going to jump and which jump I want him to focus on? (Lisa)
Hi Lisa!
This is often a problem with the type of horse that tends to anticipate the rider's requests. The key to helping him focus exactly where you want him to is to....(Click on Question Title above (in blue) to read full answer)
There are pros and cons for each, but I actually prefer doing the canter lengthening on the circle. It is easier to get more lengthening when you perform it on the straight line down the long side, but it can be harder to keep the horse balanced.
A recent clinician said that PJ just has a "big pop" over the top of the jumps, that anyone would have a hard time staying with. He encouraged me to ride more forward to fences and get a neck strap for PJ, to assist me in staying closer to him when he pops. My local coach didn't like this AT ALL. He is forever telling me to slow down until I feel like we are crawling, and he hated the neckstrap idea. Please help! (Vita)
Hi Vita!
I have to say, I totally agree with your clinician. When you make a horse go slow to fences, they have to really use all of their power to get over the jump - especially oxers. Which can cause riders to be jumped out of the tack. It's a little counter intuitive - but yes, really riding forward will help him jump more smoothly out of stride, rather than ballooning in the air over his jumps. And a neckstrap is a great idea! There is no drawback to using one, and no shame in using one either! Even William Fox Pitt uses one! To make one, just take a.....(Click on Question Title above (in blue) to read full answer)
After his fences, no matter how lovely he was cantering up to the fence, he lands on his forehand. He's very difficult to bring to a trot, he plows through his turns, and I end up pulling on him. Would you suggest I take a few steps back and continue improving his canter, or push through and keep working on jumping courses? He is responsive, and feels balanced in the trot - for the most part - but when I do get a good canter it still takes a lot of effort to keep him together. It's also difficult to get consistently good downward transitions. Even though I am anxious to reach my goal, I don't want to ruin what we have accomplished by skipping a vital part of our training that we'll need as soon as I start him over BN fences. (Lisa)
Hi Lisa!
I would continue putting groups of jumps together (jumping short courses), but have a plan to make it more clear to your horse exactly what you expect of him. When he is unbalanced, strong, and not adjustable after his jumps, instead of just letting him go through the corner somewhat out of control, I would.....(Click on Question Title above (in blue) to read full answer)
This is a very common problem! And it shows that the horse is not accepting the contact. First make sure that you are not unintentionally blocking in your arms or wrists, which can make any horse reluctant to go forward into the connection. Read this entry to check your hand position, as having an incorrect hand position is one of the most common ways that riders block a horse. Tight elbows that don't follow the horse's motion are also a common blocker. If you are going to give your horse an inviting connection to move into, you must be able to keep your part of the connection (which is everything between your shoulders and your fingers closed on the reins) elastic like a rubber band or a bungee cord.
Oh that's never fun! When ever you have a horse that has any tendency to do this, you need to....(Click on Question Title above (in blue) to read full answer)
I was fine, but he had a bone bruise from where the pole hit his stifle. We've both come back, and we did a Novice event this past Feburary, and finished on our dressage score. We're about to go to our next event, at Training, and I THINK we're ready....but how do you know for sure? There are times I feel like we are a fantastic team, and that we can do it with no problem...then there are times I wonder if I'm doing the right thing. HE seems ready. But how do you know for sure? (Becky)
Hi Becky!
From everything that I have seen of you and your horse, you are both definitely ready for Training level. I think you make a great team! Mistakes happen to everyone - at all levels. You have to recognize exactly what happened, learn from it, and then move on! When you say your horse "caught his leg in an oxer going for a long spot", that tells me that the mistake that you made was.....(Click on Question Title above (in blue) to read full answer)
We have 8 weeks until the event. The Novice level endurance day consists of (A) 16 min at 220 mpm, (B) 3 min at 470 mpm, (C) 25 min at 160 mpm, and (D) 5.5 min at 400 mpm. Could you please make suggestions for the conditioning goal for each week? I'm not sure how to ramp things up. (Briana)
Hi Briana!
How exciting to be getting ready for a long format 3 day event! They were always my absolute favorites! For a Novice level 3 day, you.....(Click on Question Title above (in blue) to read full answer)
This is a great question! This is a challenge for most riders, especially when they are riding a smart horse with a busy mind like yours! The key is to....(Click on Question Title above (in blue) to read full answer)
Question # 59: I have a question about the Novice 3D dressage test.
My question is that it has several places where you are traveling across the diagonal, and then do an UPward transition in the corner. Other than using half halts as you approach the rail and trying to use the corner to really re-establish the bend before asking for the transition, do you have any other advice? (Briana)
Hi Briana!
In looking at that test, I see that you change rein KXM, and then canter in the corner between M and C. To nail a good canter transition in that corner you need to....(Click on Question Title above (in blue) to read full answer)
Well they are not absolutely necessary, but most eventers do use them. The beauty of a well fitted running martingale is that it doesn't do a thing, unless the horse puts his head way up in the air. Then it gives him very clear feedback that he should bring his head back down to the point that he can see where he is going.
He leg yields, and does shoulder fore. I think we have a fairly decent shoulder in and haunches in (I need to get video, or have someone watch us). This is as far as I have ever gotten in lateral work. How do we progress beyond this? What's the next step or thing to aim for and how do we get there? I'm told that half pass can help horses understand flying changes in the canter. PJ often does not change - he finds counter canter easy. I don't mind counter cantering on a course on him because he is so good at it, but I would like to teach him flying changes in case we ever need it. He has done them occasionally, so I know he can. (Vita)
Hi Vita!
That's good to hear that you've been doing your homework on the flat! Good flatwork is what allows your horse to perform to his full potential, as well as making him a joy to ride. With your question regarding the lateral work..... remember that the movements are not an end goal in themselves, but rather a means to an end. Your goal with the lateral work is to....(Click on Question Title above (in blue) to read full answer)
..I would really appreciate it. I have multiple horses I can ride everyday...so I don't have to do it all on one horse either. Make it as hard as you'd like! (Vita)
Hi Vita!
Read the answer to this question on how to prepare for a Novice level event, as the skills required are very similar. If you can run through that checklist, and feel that you have a good grasp on all of the skills listed there, that should help you to have a lot of confidence for your first BN event! As for a fitness timeline....(Click on Question Title above (in blue) to read full answer)
