Recent Articles in ~Lesley's Corner~

Without an independent seat, a rider simply cannot give precise aids to their horse. A rider that is merely "hanging on", by clamping their legs tight on the horse's sides, or hanging onto the reins for support, is somewhat of a burden to their horse. And will be desensitizing the horse to both the rein and leg aids at best. With the worst case scenario being that the horse becomes so confused or frustrated by conflicting aids, that they either act out, or "shut down" to some extent - completely tuning out the rider. 

A rider with an independent seat can move fluidly with the horse's motion. And because they are not using the reins to balance, or their legs to hang on - they can give the horse correct, clear, and concise aids. This is the key to success with riding! Here's how to help yourself to develop an independent seat! (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full entry)

As you move up the levels, you are likely to find more and more fences on the cross country that have some sort of "surprise" involved. Very often, this involves something on the landing side of a jump that will catch a horse by surprise, like in a classic coffin complex, a sunken road, a road crossing, or a jump with a change of terrain or footing on the landing side. Another common cause for surprise on cross country are fences that have something to draw the horse's eye to the bottom of the fence right before takeoff - like a ditch or something else spook worthy. The KEY to success at these types of fences is to... (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

Presumably a rider steps up to a gag bit, elevator bit, or any other type of leverage bit because they would like more control. They would like their horse to better hear, listen, and respond to their aids. But any time this type of bit is used, it is imperative for riders to remember that... (Click on Article Title above to read full article)

 



The cross country start box can be an exciting place! You're nervous... and your horse knows exactly what is about to happen! And it is important for both horse and rider to keep their cool at the start of cross country - for safety reasons of course... but also to set the tone of the ride to come.

If you have a horse that gets excited or anxious about the start of the cross country, read on to find out how to manage this problem! And even if you don't have this problem yet... you may want to think about utilizing these methods to prevent a problem in the future! (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

Is your horse truly even in the reins? Or do you tend to find yourself with more weight regularly in one rein? Maybe even to the point of heaviness in one rein, and emptiness in the other? This is a sign that your horse is... (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

(Photo credit to Infocus-Equine Photography)



If you find that your horse could be more careful or sharp in his jumping at times, you will want to read on and learn about this great exercise! (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

 


Walk into any tack shop, and you will usually see a dizzying array of bits on display. So how do you know which one to choose?? Each design has a slightly different action, and most horses will have just one or maybe two bits that they will go best in. So it pays to really give some thought to which one you choose. There are too many different types of bits to cover them all here, but here is a description of the most common bits and their actions. (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

A strong leg is one of the keys to the strength of a rider's position. Here is an exercise that will build up your leg strength like no other! (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

Despite the best of intentions, many riders have a hard time maintaining the correct hand position when riding. This is often because we have so many different things to think about! It is one thing to maintain a perfect hand position at the halt, or when riding on loose reins. But when trying to give your horse the aids for various movements, dealing with any imperfections of the connection, or just focusing on another part of your anatomy for just a moment, it is common for the hands to go astray! Here is a quick and easy little "self check" that you can incorporate into your riding on a daily basis, to monitor your hand position! (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

The Diamond Exercise is a great way to educate the horse and rider on the lateral aids - and how to apply the lateral aids to forward movement. Without a solid understanding of the lateral aids, the horse will not respond to the bending aids properly. The rider will then find it hard to improve the connection by riding up into the outside rein, and will therefore not be able to improve the horse's balance and carriage.

Once the rider knows how to apply the lateral aids... and the horse understands how to respond to them, the basic lateral foundation will be established - which will allow the rider to be able to successfully utilize bending, circles, and lateral work to improve the horse. Here's how to do it! (Click on Article Title above to read full article)

In Dressage, it is often said that the trot is the easiest gait to improve... and the walk is the easiest gait to ruin. And, in my experience, both are very true. Only through correct Dressage training, and judicious use of the various exercises we have available, will you be able to bring out the best trot that your horse is capable of. Here are some specific exercises to work on, to bring out the best in your horse's trot: (Click on Article Title above to read full article)

Imagine that you are swinging around a ball on a string over your head, like in the above picture. What happens when you let go of the string? The ball goes flying to the outside of the circle, right? This is due to the power of centrifugal force, whose official definition is: "The apparent force that draws a rotating body away from the center of rotation. It is caused by the inertia of the body as the body's path is continually redirected." The greater the mass of the object, or the speed of the rotation - the more the effects will be felt. So how do you think this concept will impact your riding? (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

Much of your success as a rider relies on your ability to give clear and concise aids. And as you move up the levels, the more intricate movements require that you become adept at coordinating those aids, while still being very precise. Here is a very basic exercise that a rider at any level can do to work on improving the timing and coordination of the aids, as well as the ability to feel and process information more quickly: (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

While any horse may shorten its neck at times, some horses are very prone to doing so. Usually because of nervous tension in their bodies, the natural conformation of their neck, or because they are being ridden by a rider who is too strong on the reins. But sometimes horses have this tendency because they have actually been taught to shorten their neck by their rider (or a former one). This could be from riding in draw reins (even a few short times), or from incorrect front to back riding (ie "working" the bit with busy hands)... that has taught the horse to "give" to the bit. (Click on Article Title above to read full article)

 


How may riders do you see that ride with truly good posture? If you watch carefully enough, you will probably find that the answer is not that many. And it is not that having good posture is especially hard for most people to achieve... it's that there are things about riding that can make it hard for riders to maintain that good posture. (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

 


There are many positive aspects to the conformation trait of being "short backed" in a horse. Short backs are usually stronger, and horses with this quality are often easier to ride. They are typically easier for riders to keep "together" between the hand and leg, and to maneuver through turns and figures. But there are drawbacks to this trait as well! (Click on Article Title above to read full article)

 



This is a great exercise to promote lateral suppleness, engagement, and to help to dissipate any tension in the horse. It can be done in any gait, but is particularly useful in the canter: (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

It is a very common scenario... a rider will keep trying to get their horse to go forward, while unconsciously blocking their horse and preventing him from going forward easily. Or the opposite... a rider will struggle to slow their horse down by using the reins, yet at the same time they are... (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

Just about every trait has its pros and cons... and the conformation trait of a long back in a horse is no exception. Horses with long backs are generally big movers and jumpers, with a naturally long stride, and more elasticity in their gaits. They usually have plenty of scope over the fences, and make easy work of bigger, wider jumps. Long backed horses are also often more naturally laterally supple, which means that they will find bending and moving away from the rider's leg more easy to do.

The negative factors commonly associated with a long back are... (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

This very basic exercise will help to show you if you are in an independently balanced and secure position as a rider, as well as whether or not your horse is balanced and in self carriage at the canter. It also has the added benefit of encouraging the horse to let go of any tension that he might be carrying in his back. Here's how to do it: (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

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. Riders need to learn to resist against their horse in this situation, instead of pulling. But the problem is, many riders think they are resisting rather than pulling, when in fact they are pulling on their horse's mouth. Here is a quick little exercise that will show you whether or not you are pulling against your horse - and it will show you the difference in what it feels like to resist vs pulling: (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

 


Your horse will never truly be in self carriage if you are giving constant aids. You must train him to take the responsibility to maintain the gait or movement that you put him in with minimal input from you. It must become a state of mind for your horse - that he truly understands that he has this responsibility... or it is not likely to happen. Here's how to teach him: (Click on Article Title above to read full article)

Does your horse think he knows it all when you are jumping? Does he have strong ideas about where he will go on the landing, and how fast? Teach him that he really doesn't know what he is going to be doing on the landing side of the fence, with this very simple exercise, and he will pay more attention to you on both sides of the fence. (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

It's a common scenario... you apply a half halt, and your horse doesn't respond as you would like. Maybe he resists you by fighting the bit, or gets faster and heavy in your hands. Maybe he hollows his back and starts to move with short, choppy strides. Or maybe he ignores you altogether! What do you do??

No pressure or anything... but you better have the right answer if you want your half halt to work better the next time! (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

The low wide oxer exercise teaches the horse many valuable lessons! The biggest of which is how to truly use his body to stretch easily across fences with width. This gives the horse enormous confidence in his ability to handle wide obstacles, including open ditches. Once he understands this technique, he will just stretch easily across even the widest of open ditches, which means that you will be in better balance and have more control immediately upon landing, and will find it easier to get to that skinny jump that is probably just a few strides away! 

Since this exercise teaches the horse how to bascule, and really use its topline to make the jump more efficient - the horse that practices it often carries the benefits into all of their jumping... producing a rounder jump that involves using their bodies more fully. Here's how to introduce this exercise: (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

Having the correct stirrup length is a large contributing factor to success when jumping. It can literally make or break your performance! Attempting to jump with the wrong length of stirrup can make it very difficult for the rider to remain in balance throughout the jumping effort. Too short, and the rider is perched precariously out of the saddle. But it is actually pretty rare to see riders riding with stirrups that are too short. It is way more common for riders to ride with stirrups that are too long. And that causes lots of problems! Let me describe the typical scenario: (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

Many riders associate Dressage with longer stirrups, and immediately lower them to the point that it negatively affects their position. Stirrups that are too long will make your leg... (Click on Article Title above to read full article)

If you watch, listen, or read enough Dressage theory, you will probably find that there are many different philosophies on the subject. And much of the information available is often confusing... and contradictory. There are two main (and nearly polar opposite) schools of thought regarding Dressage - the French and the German. And many trainers (like me) have systems that fall somewhere in the middle of the spectrum that spans between the two extremes. (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read the full article)

This exercise promotes lateral suppleness, and encourages the horse to move with a relaxed, swinging back: (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

 

The rein back is such a valuable exercise... It reinforces the rider's restraining aids as necessary, and engages the horse's hind legs - increasing the "sit" behind. Like any exercise, however, it must be done correctly to be beneficial. Here's how to do it: (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

To me, the word dynamic means to be alive and at least slightly constantly changing. The opposite of which is being static and fixed. If your aids become too fixed when riding, your horse will be more likely to become dull to your aids... even to the point of leaning on them. You can avoid this problem by.... (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

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)

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) 

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 to read full article)

Whenever a horse "misses" a canter cue, and instead starts to run into a fast trot, he is telling you one or both of these two things: (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

A supple horse is a joy to ride. Free from the paralyzing effects of tension and resistance, the truly supple horse allows the energy created by the hindquarters to move freely into the connection with the bit. Lateral suppleness refers to the horses ability to bend easily from side to side. Few horses are ambidextrous - meaning that they can naturally bend as easily to the right as they do to the left. One of the major goals of dressage is to make the horse more even - so that he bends easily both directions. Because only then can he be truly straight. There are many great lateral suppling exercises available, but this is my all time favorite! (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

Many riders underestimate how necessary it is to ride forward through their turns to the jumps. Turns tend to take away some of the energy from each stride. And the cumulative effect of multiple strides on a turn can result in a serious lack of impulsion right in front of the jump - where the horse needs it most. The tighter the turn, the more important it becomes for riders to be able to maintain the impulsion in the stride. So here is an exercise to teach you how to create the habit of riding sufficiently forward through your turns to jumps. (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

Have you ever wondered why we do so many circles in Dressage? It is because a well ridden circle is highly beneficial to the horse - improving his balance and self carriage. An oddly shaped circle, however, is quite unproductive. It causes a loss of balance. So, whether you are in front of a judge or not, you should always be striving for perfectly round circles!

There are a number of exercises to help riders find a truly round circle, but this is one of the best! It was first introduced to me by a former rider of the Spanish Riding School. And at a time when I thought my circles were already pretty darned good... Well, I was proved wrong! As this exercise instantly shows you if your circle is deviating even slightly from a perfectly round shape! (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

Many riders have a tendency to stop riding forward to some degree when riding figures - in their effort to be accurate and precise. And the problem with that is that it is harder to be accurate if the horse is not truly forward! As forwardness helps to create straightness, and being forward on figures makes them appear more fluid. Here is a very simple tip to help you to think more forward when riding figures such as circles, turns, or serpentines! (Click on Article Title above to read full article)

Whenever a horse gets underneath a fence, and jumps like this - it is almost always a result of the quality of the canter in the approach to the fence. I'm willing to bet that this horse was strung out and heavy on the forehand on the approach to this jump. And it is likely that this horse had momentum in his canter, rather than impulsion. Whenever a horse's shoulders and forelegs are pointing downward over a jump, it means the front end was so heavily loaded at the moment of takeoff, that they were unable to rock back sufficiently on their hind legs to lift the front end properly.This is called jumping over the front end.  (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

Horses are most likely to jump a fence cleanly when they are accurately focusing on the top rail. This comes quite naturally to some horses, while others need to be taught this skill. Here's how to teach it! (Click on Article Title above to read full article)

Do you regularly get comments on your Dressage Tests such as "needs more energy" or "needs more activity"? Yet you know that if you simply push your horse more forward, you may have to deal with a loss of balance or rhythm? And possibly even heaviness or resistance in your hand? If this is the case, then you need to learn how to truly increase the activity of your horse's hind legs, rather than just cause him to push harder off the ground and merely go faster. Here's how to do it: (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

I often get asked what my opinion is on boots for the Event horse. Do I use them every ride? What kind do I prefer? Well, here's the scoop: (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

  




Clinics are meant to be a fun, relaxed, and interactive group environment, where riders can learn new theories, techniques, and exercises to take home and add to their training programs. They are also a great opportunity to give your horse more experience and exposure out and about. And as they often require a good sized commitment of both time and money, you will want to make the most of every minute! Here are 10 things to think about to make sure your next clinic is as worthwhile as possible: (Click on Article Title above to read full article)

Nothing quite tests the strength of a rider's position like a drop into water. There is a reason the crowd usually gathers near the water jump on cross country day... they know there is a good chance that some riders are going to fall off and get very wet! Read on to find out how to make sure that doesn't happen to you! (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

 

The word impulsion is a very common term used in the worlds of Dressage and Eventing. But if you don't know what it means, it might be hard to attain - as you won't know what you are striving for. In a way, impulsion is both a mental and physical state. The horse must be truly thinking forward to have impulsion. And he must have stored energy in his body, that is just waiting to be released in a forward (or upward) direction. He also must be relaxed to allow that energy to come fully through his body. 

Read on to learn all about impulsion - understand what it really means, and learn how to achieve it with YOUR horse. (Click on Article Title above to read full article)

"All good riders I have ever seen had one thing in common: an excellent lower leg position."

This quote from the great Jimmy Wofford sums it up nicely. The strength and position of your lower leg is the key to success when riding. Your leg is your base of support, and if that is strong, everything else will be surprisingly easy! Here are some ways to make your lower leg strong and secure! (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

If you are like many lower level riders, you may find that you struggle to sit your horse's trot well. And if you are not moving as one with your horse as you sit, any aids that you might give will likely be muddled and unclear - and therefore will not work as well as you would like. The reason it is so hard to learn to sit the trot, is because you have to discover for yourself the precise muscular effort and technique involved to do it well. It's all well and good having it explained to you, but the only way you will really know how to do it is to... (Click on Article Title above to read full article)

As you move up the levels in Eventing, you will find there will be more and more  situations where you will be jumping fences on an angled line. Whether you are faced with an angled complex on the cross country course, or you are jumping a fence at an angle to better set up for another jump, or you are merely trying to save time by making an angled approach - you will need to have practiced this skill beforehand to be successful, and to help your horse understand what is required.

To accurately hold an angled line... (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

Does your horse maintain his balance and self carriage every time you soften the reins? Or does he sometimes become hollow, strung out, or heavy on the forehand? If you lose any of the quality of the horse's movement or carriage when you soften the reins, it usually means one of two things - either you were holding the horse together too much with the reins (meaning your connection was not correct), or you didn't soften correctly. It seems it should be such an easy thing to do... how can you soften the rein incorrectly?? Well, there are some things you can mistakenly do when giving the rein, that would be unfortunately setting you up to fail.

First of all, why should you soften the reins? Softening the reins is both a test, and a way to increase the harmony in your ride. Throughout your work, you should frequently give one or both reins to check for self carriage, and to allow your horse the freedom to really relax and come through over his back. The more often you are able to give the rein, the more brilliance your horse will show in his work. So, now on to how to soften correctly!  (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

For every jumping fault a horse may have, there are specific exercises that can be used to improve it. But there are a few exercises that will improve and sharpen up nearly every horse. And this is one of the best! (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

Do you sometimes find that you have a great trot coming down the center line, but once you halt and salute, you have lost some of the quality of your trot? Maybe your horse isn't as nicely rhythmically forward, or is not as nicely connected as he was before the halt? If so, don't feel bad - it's a pretty common scenario. And it is caused by your horse falling behind your leg in the halt to at least some degree.

If you are truly able to keep your horse active behind and thinking forward into the connection as you perform your halt and salute, you will be able to maintain the full quality of the trot you had before the halt. In fact, it may be even better - because of your well ridden halt. So, how do you keep your horse in front of your leg in the halt? (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

There are many different reasons for a horse to be "busy" in its mouth... chomping and playing with the bit. And while you may not be able to eliminate this problem completely, you will have a better chance subduing it when you know why your horse tends to be this way. (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

Your warm up routine will often make or break your performance! So it is best to have a good plan - one that is tailored to your individual horse. The goal of your Dressage warm up should be to ensure that your horse is relaxed, supple, attentive, forward, and responsive to all of your aids.

To achieve that goal, different horses may require slightly different approaches. But with almost all types of horses I start with... (Click on Article Title above to read full article)

Have you ever noticed how much easier it is to sit the trot or canter without stirrups versus with them? This is because when riders have stirrups, they have a tendency to brace and push against them to some degree. Why is this a bad thing? (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

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)

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 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)

 

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 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)

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)

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)

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 to read full article)

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)

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 then follow 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)

 


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 to read full article)

 


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 upward with 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 to read full article)

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)

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)

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 to read full article)

Do you ask your horse to canter with a subtle, nearly invisible aid? And then sit quietly still while your horse performs the transition? Or do you try to physically make the canter happen with strong aids and an active driving seat? Many riders think they ask for upward transitions quietly, but actually are doing WAY too much driving! Why is this a problem? (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

No, this is not an article on how to change your marital status! Engagement is a crucial component to successful dressage and jumping. What does it mean? And how can you achieve it? (Click on Article Title above to read full article)

Everyone knows that circles are supposed to be round. But why is it that a perfectly round circle can be so hard to achieve?? (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

Many riders start shaking in their boots when they see the words "ditch and wall" on their course maps. They are, in fact, one of the most common jumps to strike terror in the hearts of competitors! But this is not necessary!

If your horse is comfortable with ditches, as he should definitely be before ever facing a ditch and wall, this is actually a very easy fence for him! (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

The horse's tail is connected to its spine. And because of that, it really tells the story of the state of the horse's back. While attempting to judge the true carriage of the horse by looking at his head and neck can be deceptive and difficult to discern, the tail does not lie.

By watching the horses tail, you can tell whether his back muscles are relaxed and swinging with his movement, or if instead they are tight and tense. You can also tell how true the lateral bend is throughout the body.

When you see a horse with what appears to be a correct head and neck "position", and are not sure if what you see is the result of the horse well engaged behind and using his back correctly, or if the horse is being held in this position by the rider's strong hands - look to the horse's tail for the telltale signs. (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

If you have taken enough dressage lessons, or read enough books, you have probably heard the term "Throughness". But what does it mean exactly? And how do you achieve it? (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

Every horse has a certain "lick" - a speed where they are most comfortable jumping around courses. How can you tell what that is for your horse? Read on to find out! (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

At one point or another, you have probably been told that you need to package your horse's stride between jumps. Some of you may even hear this all the time! But what does it mean exactly? And how do you achieve it? Read on to find out! (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

Do you find it easy to keep your horse's attention? Or do distractions like horse eating rocks, cameramen, umbrellas, and flowers waving in the wind impair your performance?

Unlike when working with a human student, you can't say to your horse, "Pay attention to me!". Well you can try... but it probably won't work as well as you would like. Instead you have to... (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

What makes for a smooth show jumping round? Balance, rhythm, and rideability come to mind. If your horse is rideable, he is responsive, obedient, supple, and in balance at all times. This is, of course, usually a work in progress! As much of our daily training is aimed at developing our horse's rideability, and it can take many years to achieve! Here is a great exercise to help you improve your horse's rideability on course! (Click on Article Title above to read full article)

So many of us lead very busy lives...making time management a high priority - especially when trying to add riding goals into the mix! How can you make progress when you have limited time to ride? The key is to...(Click on Article Title above to read full article)

Jumping from water back into water is great fun! But it presents a challenge to both horse and rider. The drag effect of the water can make it harder to keep the impulsion in the stride, which can cause the horse to become somewhat long, weak, and strung out. And this can mean a less than ideal jumping effort - or even a fall! Here's how to increase your chances of successful jumps from water to water! (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

As an instructor, one of the most common things I find myself saying to students is, "raise your inside hand." So many riders turn their horses like they are riding a motorcycle, and this causes all sorts of problems! If you see yourself in the above picture, read on to find out why you need to correct this bad habit! (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

The natural progression from the walk two steps and trot again exercise is the almost walk exercise. So once you are good at keeping the activity in your horse's hind legs in your transition into walk, and in the immediate transition back into trot - you can begin to use the 'almost walk' exercise to improve all of your work. (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

 


So many riders are wrongly taught to look up past the jump when approaching it, presumably to keep them from anticipating the jump and jumping ahead. But this method turns you into a mere passenger on your horse over the jumps. How many other sports do you know of where your coach would tell you not to look at what you are doing?? (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

With a little planning and forethought, you CAN make related distances work for you. You just have to focus on these key points: (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

To be a beneficial gymnastic exercise, every downward transition that you make with your horse must involve engagement of his hind legs and lowering of his hindquarters to some degree. And with some horses, that is not always easy to achieve! I find that thinking about this analogy can really help riders improve their downward transitions. (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

I first heard the phrase "keep your hips moving to the jump" from Eventing great Ralph Hill. And there is no doubt that thinking about it made a big difference in the success of my jumping with the somewhat timid horse that I had at the time. What does it mean exactly? (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

Take enough lessons and you will inevitably come across some conflicting advice. How do you know which advice to take? Hands up or hands down? Quiet and still hands or vibrate the reins? Weigh the inside or outside seat bone? Or neither?? Sit to the jumps or stay off your horse's back? Contact or loose reins? When you are an amateur rider who is still learning the ropes, it can be very confusing (and even upsetting) to get such conflicting advice! Keep reading to learn how to best handle these situations, and how to figure out which methods you should use for your horse. (Click on Article Title above to read full article)

This is one of my all time favorite exercises - it is SO useful for horses at all levels. The young or green horse learns how to keep their hind legs active to properly "sit" in their downward transitions, and how to stay balanced and connected in their upward transitions. It helps the more advanced horse with increased engagement of the hind legs, opening the door to improved collection. And of course, to complete the exercise successfully, the rider really learns how to ride their transitions correctly. If the transitions are not ridden properly, the exercise will be telling. The "walk for two steps and trot again" exercise is simply a good test of the foundation for half halts and good transitions for both horse and rider. Here's how to do it! (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

I have recently been working with a rider who has had years of dressage training with some top trainers, and yet has been unable to get her draft cross mare truly in front of her leg. This rider was in the habit of pushing, driving, and digging her sharp spurs into her horse every stride to keep her moving. If she took her legs off for one stride, the horse would stop. This rider was definitely working harder than her horse.

Sound familiar? If you have a horse that tries to teach you to do all the work, read on to find out how to fix this problem for good! (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

If you are like most riders, you may have a tendency to creep forward somewhat with your upper body in the final strides of the approach to a jump. This often stems from feeling a need to do something to help your horse jump the fence. When in reality, what helps your horse the most is if you stay still as he is preparing to jump. Here is an exercise to help you stay more still and poised in front of your fences: (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

Everyone knows that we want our horses to be straight. But do you really know what "straightness" means? It is not simply the ability to go in a straight line. And although a big part of straightness is having the horse's body aligned so that the hind feet follow the same track as the front feet (whether on a straight or a curved line), a very important and often overlooked element of the definition of straightness is....(Click on Article Title above to read full article)

Jumping from bright sunlight into dark shadows presents a significant challenge for the horse. And many times riders overlook the fact that a jump is into the darkness, especially if it is cloudy when walking the course. So if they are unaware, they may find that an otherwise innocuous looking jump will ride much harder than it looks! (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

The exercise of alternating between a few strides of sitting trot and a few strides of posting trot can be very useful for both horse and rider. It can help the rider learn how to keep their hips relaxed to better follow the motion of the sitting trot. It can also encourage the horse that has a tendency to stiffen in the back and brace against the rider when they sit the trot to instead stay relaxed and swinging. But it is most useful for....(Click on Article Title above to read full article)

 


Turn on the haunches is an immensely valuable exercise. It teaches your horse how to listen to the inside bending aids and the outside turning aids at the same time - which is essential for success with the more advanced lateral movements of haunches in and half pass. It also serves to engage the hindquarters and encourages increased bending of the joints of the hind legs. The end result is that your horse's body feels more packaged. It's a great way to begin working on collection. Here's how to do it! (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

As with most things in life, in riding you tend to get out of it what you put into it. The more time and effort you put into learning the finer details about the sport that you wish to become good at, the more likely you will be to achieve your goals. Eventing is a physical sport.....but it is also a highly mental game. You can't just get on and do it successfully, without the knowledge and understanding of all of the concepts involved. (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

Every rider who gallops and jumps needs to be able to effectively rebalance their horse without having to fully sit down and do the full Dressage version of a half halt. Why? Because the gallop is not meant to be "sat". Horses need to have complete freedom of their backs to gallop efficiently. Attempting to sit the gallop for any length of time will cause a horse to stiffen, and will inhibit the use of his back. Which will cause him to be unbalanced, and to brace against the rider's hand.

So when you are galloping cross country, and need to rebalance your horse for an upcoming jump, if you can half halt without sitting down you will probably find that your horse will respond with more fluidity and less resistance.(Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

The key to success at cross country complexes that involve skinny jumps lies in the rider's ability to keep the horse straight in the "tunnel" between both hands and legs at all times, and their ability to keep their horse's focus on the skinny fence. Here is an exercise that will help to develop those skills!  (Click on Article Title above to read full article)

Spiral in and out is a great exercise, that can be really useful to improve a horse's lateral suppleness and increase the level of engagement of the hind legs. Interspersing spirals with other movements and transitions will help to keep your horse more attentive to your lateral aids, and increase the quality of your work.

An interesting and useful variation on the spiral exercise is to....(Click on Article Title above to read full article)

When young children are taught to read and write, they don't begin by forming paragraphs. Learning is best done in a very progressional order. First they learn the alphabet, then individual words, then sentences, and finally paragraphs. Many times I see riders asking their horses to put sentences together into paragraphs, when the horses are still iffy on the alphabet.

For instance, I regularly see riders asking their horse to bend to the inside, when the horse doesn't completely understand what the bending aids mean. This will invariably result in resistance from the horse. How can it not? He doesn't know what the rider is really asking for! So he is either going to resist or ignore the rider. Here are the ABC's that your horse needs to know: (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

 

(Comic courtesy of Morgane Schmidt at www.TheIdeaOfOrder.com)



Do you struggle with pre competition nerves? Does performance anxiety make you sweat? Make your heart race? Give you butterflies in your stomach? If so, you are not alone! Many riders deal with these feelings to some degree. Here are some things you can do to help lessen your anxiety, and to help to make it work for you instead of against you: (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

Do you ever get the comment "Needs more bend" on your Dressage tests? If you do, don't feel bad - you are not alone! It's one of the most common remarks written on test sheets. The quality of the corners and turns can easily be overlooked, as you focus on the actual movements and the order of the test. With a little more attention to bending throughout your tests, you can raise your scores significantly! (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

Some horses are such brave, confident jumpers that they need very little encouragement from their riders. Point them at the jump, and they can't wait to jump it! Others are naturally more timid, and need some inspiration from their riders. There are some things you can do to help the timid horse to become more confident and successful. You just need to help him believe in himself, and bring out his inner lion! (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

"Accepting the bit" and "giving to the bit" are two terms that are often wrongly interchanged in the horse world. They are actually somewhat opposing concepts, with very different meanings. Which means you need to be clearly aware which attribute you are aiming for in your training. (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

To make a good cake, you have to do more than just make sure you have all of the required ingredients........you have to have the right proportion of ingredients. Too much flour....or not enough sugar, baking soda, or eggs - and it won't turn out well. The incorrect proportion of ingredients can turn your cake into something that resembles a frisbee! And Dressage is much the same.....(Click on Article Title above to read full article)

I very often see riders losing unnecessary marks in the Dressage ring, just because they are not thinking about making sure their transitions are clear. What do I mean by clear? (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

There are many benefits to working on your flatwork out in the fields. Most horses much prefer riding out vs working in the arena, and are naturally more forward, engaged, and active behind. Variety helps to keep them more interested and happy in their work, and you can really be creative when you have a working area with no boundaries! Here are some ideas on how to make the most of your dressage work in the field... (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

(Photo credit to Becca Brown Macanas)


Leg yielding is an exercise that I almost always incorporate into the horse's warm up. It is a very useful (and somewhat underrated) movement. Here are the many benefits of leg yielding: (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

The most important thing you can say to yourself right before you start a cross country course is, "ride EVERY fence!" Why? Because very often it is the jump on course that you least expect to cause you trouble, that you will have a stupid stop or run out at! I unfortunately learned this lesson the hard way early on in my career. Here is my story! (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

Your seat is the most important aid that you have when riding. When you are able to use your seat effectively, you will find that all of your other aids can be very subtle and refined. But your horse will only hear the aids of your seat if you are correctly sitting on your seat bones, with your upper body aligned directly above them. The exercise pictured below is a great way for you to find your seat bones, and help you learn what it feels like to have your seat bones pointing correctly downward: (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

Horses tend to mirror their rider's body language. If riders carry themselves correctly, their horses will have a much greater tendency to carry themselves correctly. If the rider is slouched and sloppy, the horse will likely be sloppy in its posture as well. And when the horse is not carrying itself correctly, it will not be able to easily carry a rider in balance. When an unbalanced horse is carrying a rider on its back, it will tend to resist the rider's aids, and may even look to lean on the rider for support.

Whether we are talking about dressage or jumping, a rider needs to have engaged core muscles to carry themselves correctly, and to have a solid, secure position while following their horse's movements. An engaged core is necessary to do a good sitting trot, to have a nice collected canter, and even to stay with a horse over a big oxer. It is simply the secret to being an effective and stable rider.

Most people are already aware of their core muscles, but it can sometimes be hard to figure out how to actually engage them when riding, since you have so many other things to think about! So here are some tips: (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

You have probably seen a horse that seems to give a little "hop" when making the transition from walk to trot. You may even own one that does it! It's a fairly common fault in lower level horses. The reason a horse does that is because......(Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

When jumping combinations and related distances, it is very important for a rider to be able to create the exact length of stride necessary on the approach to make the distance work. So it is therefore important for the rider to be able to accurately judge the length of their horse's canter stride. Here is an exercise that will show you how to feel what the various lengths of stride feel like for your horse. (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

While it can be useful in some situations to ride along the rail, fence, or wall - spending lots of time on the rail can actually be a detriment to your training. Why? Because the rail can.....(Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

I will never forget the first time that I attended the USET training sessions down in Ocala, Florida many years ago...... I was so excited to watch all of the top Event riders receive dressage instruction from Grand Prix dressage trainer Sandy Pflueger Phillips, who was the dressage coach for the Eventing Team at the time.

I was fully expecting to be wowed by watching hours of top horses and riders schooling upper level movements. But that was not the case! Instead, Sandy had every rider work on just one basic thing for their entire lesson....and it proved to be very difficult indeed!...(Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

Respect and trust are the basis for all relationships within the horse's world. In the herd, a "pecking order" or hierarchy is established pretty quickly. Every new horse to enter the herd learns who is the leader of the group, as well as which of the other horses are "above" them in the order.

It's obvious that horses respect their herd leaders.....they are always aware of where they are, and are quick to move out of their way - sometimes they are already moving when their leader is still 50 feet away but heading in their direction. But what may not be as easily apparent is how much they actually trust and look to their leaders when they need guidance or protection. Having a herd leader takes the pressure off - they will usually put the leader between themselves and any perceived threat, and will let the leader decide how dangerous it really is. 

Horses relate to their humans...(Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

The next step up from the speed play exercise, where you ask the horse to show different speeds at each gait, is the rubber band exercise.  The rubber band exercise is great for increasing throughness in the horse and developing the gaits. It helps to increase the level of impulsion in the horse, and increases the engagement of the hind legs. All of which make it possible for the horse to perform collected and extended gaits. Here's how to do it: (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

The riders that will be the most successful this coming show season will likely be the ones that have spent the "off season" preparing for it. Those that spend the winter months really going back to basics and solidifying their foundation will be really planting the seeds for a successful year to come. What can you do to best prepare for the next show season? (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

If you ask 100 different people about feeding the Event horse, you are likely to get nearly 100 different answers. Feeding seems to be such a personal thing - everyone has an opinion, and many are passionate about that opinion. But the one thing that I think we all can agree on, because it is actually a fact, is that....(Click on Article Title above to read full article)

Tension in the horse's back is very paralyzing to the rest of its body. It basically inhibits the horse's hind legs from coming sufficiently underneath its body to balance itself. Riding the horse with tension in its back can often cause back soreness, which will then perpetuate the problem. It can also cause spooky and disobedient behavior, as the horse tries to communicate his unhappiness with the state of his back. Lets talk about how to tell if your horse is tense in the back, and what you can do about it.

The horse with tension in its back will typically either tend to rush with short, choppy, and often irregular strides that have no suspension - or will tend to feel "stuck", with the rider finding it difficult to get the horse to really go forward. The rider will often feel resistance in the bridle because of the tension in the horse's back, and will find it impossible to keep a good connection.

You can learn to spot tension in the horse's back by watching their tail carriage, as the tail is usually an accurate mirror of the state of the back.....(Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

Some riders don't seem to want to take enough time to work on basics, and instead seem to be in a hurry to move on to bigger and more exciting things. These same riders usually find that their attempted short cut ends up being very much the long way - since once they hit an impasse due to a hole in their foundation, they have to go back and start over.

Almost every problem that develops on the flat or over fences can be traced back to a hole or a weak link in the basics. And therefore the development of a problem should be addressed by going back to work on that weak link. (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

A rider's position greatly affects the success of their aids. No matter how well intentioned the aids are, if there are flaws or inconsistencies in the rider's position, the horse is likely to not perform perfectly. So it is unrealistic and even unfair to expect perfection from your horse when your legs are in the wrong place, your hands are moving all around, or you are not sitting correctly.

Here are some common examples: (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

Often what separates successful riders from those less successful is their attitude when riding. The riders who get the best out of their horses have full control of their mind, bodies, and emotions. This is because horses tend to mirror their riders, both physically and mentally. It can take many years of practice to develop full body awareness and control, but many riders overlook the mental and emotional aspects - the control of which can be developed much quicker if an effort is made.

There is no place for negative emotions when riding. If you think your horse is going to improve once you have crossed the line into anger, frustration, annoyance, impatience, or irritation - think again. How do you stop those emotions from taking over?  (Click on Article Title above to read full article)

Some horses jump too high over their jumps, making it hard for their riders to stay with them. This is often caused from a low level of confidence in the horse. It is fairly common for green and inexperienced horses to feel that they need to jump way up in the air over jumps with any width. And they can get scared and lose confidence in their ability when they realize that no matter how high they go they are still having trouble making the width. These horses need to be taught how to jump more across their jumps.

The key is to....(Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

Because we Eventers gallop and jump at speed, our horses can sometimes develop the habit of jumping "flat". Which can be a big problem when it comes to trying to keep all of those pesky rails up in the show jumping ring! 

When a horse jumps in a flat style, it keeps its head high and back straight, which keeps the horse's body and legs much closer to the rails like in this picture:





Jumping with a good bascule is more mechanically efficient for clearing high obstacles. And it more reliably produces clean jumping, as the act of the horse rounding in the air moves his body and legs up away from the rails, like this:





There are some things you can do to at home to encourage your horse to get in the habit of using its body more fully over jumps. Here are some ideas:(Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

Building muscle strength is a very important part of the training process for the equine athlete. Strong muscles allow the horse to perform to its full potential, and with minimal injuries. Strength training is often somewhat overlooked, as it's easy to get caught up in schooling the horse on the flat and over jumps exclusively. But you will find that a commitment to building your horse into a strong athlete will pay off with a horse that performs more happily and with ease.

I'm going to share with you the specific strength training program that I have recently used to help my big, gangly young horse, who came to me with an extremely weak topline, and therefore suffered from chronic back and sacroiliac (SI) soreness. (Click on Article Title above to read full article)

One of my favorite episodes of the TV show "Frasier" was the one where Frasier, who had never before learned how to ride a bicycle, had to learn to do so in a hurry so that he could ride in a fundraiser bike-a-thon. He was so afraid that he was going to hit the big tree that he had to pass, that he could not stop staring at it. And so every time he went by the tree, he crashed his bike into it. He became convinced that that tree had some sort of a gravitational pull on his bike! Then when the bike-a-thon was starting, someone taunted him (as they knew the trouble he was having with large objects), and said "Gee, I sure hope I can steer around that huge mailbox over there." So of course.....(Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

Imagine that you are standing in front of this door, with your hand on the door knob. This door only opens away from you.....(Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

Bench jumps are fairly common on cross country courses. And although they are straightforward galloping jumps, riders sometimes worry about them, as they often appear quite wide. Let's discuss how they should be ridden: (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

These two terms are often interchanged, but actually have very different meanings. And since they are two distinct problems (although many times the horse will have both at the same time), with two very different causes, they also have different solutions. You need to know which problem you actually have to know how to fix it.  (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

Corner jumps show up on nearly every cross country course around the nation from Preliminary to Advanced. And they are increasingly showing up at the Training level as well. So it is very important that every cross country rider competing at Training level and above learns how to successfully tackle this accuracy question. They are a great test of whether the rider has the horse balanced, straight, and between their leg and hand. Course designers put corners and skinny jumps on their courses to more safely test those qualities, as if the horse is not balanced, straight, or on the rider's aids, a runout is likely, but usually no one gets hurt. (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

The horse that anticipates his rider's cues is usually smart, sensitive, and eager to please, and often also insecure and anxious. This type of horse must be handled very carefully. As any perceived punishment for anticipating the rider's aids, whether intended or not, will tend to make the problem worse. But it can be frustrating to ride such a horse! Rather like the person who jumps in and finishes your sentences for you, they are just not listening to you! Here's how to get the best out of this type of horse: (Click on Article Title above to read full article)

Changing the rein through the circle is one of the more advanced suppling exercises. It is challenging to perform in trot and canter, as it requires an increased level of suppleness and balanced self carriage in the horse. Done correctly, it will increase the suppleness further, and will increase the engagement of the hind legs. Here's how to do it: (Click on Article Title above to read full article)

We riders spend a lot of time working on making our horses more ambidextrous. But what about ourselves? How can we truly ride our horses straight if our own bodies are one sided? Horses are such generous, adaptive creatures that they can learn to adapt to our unevenness, and still respond to our attempts to straighten them. But it will definitely be much easier for them if we make an attempt to be more even and ambidextrous. (Click on Article Title above to read full article)

The term "lateral flexion" is often misunderstood. Many riders attempting to achieve it end up bending the horse's neck instead of getting any actual flexion at the horse's poll, which is the joint between the atlas (C1) and the skull. Imagine a small headlight attached to your horse's forehead. Lateral flexion at the poll involves a slight rotation at the poll to turn that headlight slightly to the side. The horse in the picture above is flexed to the.....(Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

Resistance in the bridle is always related to the state of tension in the back. Sometimes it's hard to say which comes first, kind of like the age old question of the chicken and the egg. Which comes first?? Is the horse's tense, braced back causing him to resist the bit? Or is the act of bracing against the bit causing the horse's back to tighten? (Click on Article Title above to read full article)

The warm up for your show jumping round can make or break your performance. And there are some horses that require very specific strategies in the warm up to perform at their best in this phase. Here are some tips to best prepare different types of horses, and for different types of courses. (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

Good dressage training is very systematic, with the horse's physical development taking place in a gradual and logical progression. And in that progression, development of pushing power of the horse's hind legs comes before carrying power. As developing pushing power strengthens all of the structures of the horse's hind legs, which will then allow the horse to carry more weight behind for longer periods of time without injury or fatigue.

Look at the lovely picture above of a Spanish Riding School rider doing a Levade - which is the ultimate exercise in regards to the horse carrying it's weight over its hind legs. You can just see how strong the hind legs must be to do that! Let's discuss what exercises help to build pushing power, and which ones encourage the horse to carry more weight behind. (Click on Article Title above to read full article)

Horses rush jumps for several possible different reasons, and sometimes it's a combination of issues. It is important to figure out what is causing your horse to rush, as each cause needs to be handled slightly differently. Here is a list of possible causes that can send horses rushing to their fences: (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

Jumps at the top of a hill can look very daunting to horse and rider! It takes a bold horse to want to go up to the top and jump something that he can not see over until he gets right up to the top. And it takes a bold rider to really give it the forward ride that is needed! Here is how to tackle this type of jump: (Click on Article Title above to read full article)

Lateral suppleness refers to the horses ability to bend easily from side to side. Few horses are ambidextrous - meaning that they can naturally bend as easily to the right as they do to the left. One of the major goals of dressage is to make the horse more even - so that he bends easily both directions. Because only then can he be truly straight.

Here are some very specific exercises that you can use to improve your horse's lateral suppleness, in the order of most basic to most difficult: (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

 


Long before your horse can be expected to understand the aids for extension and collection, the Speed Play exercise should be introduced. It will lay the foundation of understanding for the execution of lengthenings, medium gaits, extended gaits, and collection for the future.

Here's how to do it: (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

Riding in HOT Weather 



For many of us this time of year means hot, humid weather. The combined effect of heat and humidity can make riding uncomfortable and even dangerous for both horse and rider. But there are things that you can do to help to keep you and your horse safe and comfortable in the heat....(Click on Article Title above to read full article)

The key to success at double and triple combinations is for the rider to have a plan! You must know precisely what the distance is between the elements. So either bring a measuring tape, or learn how to walk off distances very accurately. Learn that skill by laying down a measuring stick or tape, and find out what your walking stride feels like when it is exactly three feet long. I know for me, since I'm short, I have to take a big step to make three feet. So when I'm walking a distance, four of my big steps is one twelve foot stride for the horse.

You also have to know what your horse's natural stride length at the canter is. When jumping does he naturally canter along with a perfect twelve foot stride? Or is he a big mover with a natural thirteen foot canter stride? Or a smaller, more catlike type that has a natural eleven foot stride?

Then you have to be able to analyze the combination to make a game plan. Is the first element......(Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

It is very important that your horse stays straight when jumping. And not just at the fences that very obviously test straightness like skinny jumps, corners, and angled lines. But at each and every jump that your horse takes.

Why is straightness so important? Because only when your horse is truly straight on the approach and the takeoff of the jump can he jump in balance, and therefore show his best form. Veering off of the straight line will also change the distance in any combination or related line of fences, making an awkward takeoff spot at the next element likely.

Let's start by defining straightness in the horse: (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

The key to improving canter departs is to make sure the horse is truly straight and connected, with his outside hind leg ready to step well underneath his body. Why the outside hind leg? It's the first footfall of the canter depart and the canter stride itself. The quality of the canter depart, along with the balance and engagement of the canter in general, can be greatly improved by increasing the engagement of the outside hind leg. Here is an exercise that will utilize that concept to improve your canter departs: (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

Bounce banks can look pretty daunting to both horse and rider on the approach, but they are great fun if ridden correctly! The key to success at a bounce bank is......(Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

 



There are two ways to turn to a jump - with a curved turn (think quarter of a circle), or a square turn (more of a 90 degree turn). Each has quite a different effect on the horses' balance, carriage, and stride length coming out of the turn.

Hunter riders use curved turns during their rounds. As one thing that is important in the hunter ring is that the horse maintains....(Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

If a rider is going to control something 10 times their weight, that has a powerful engine, a strong spirit, and a mind of its own, they must learn an effective technique. No matter how strong a rider you are, your horse is always going to be stronger than you. So you must learn how to use his strength to your advantage. Here's how: (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

Self carriage of the horse is one of the most important goals in dressage. When the horse is in self carriage it is balanced independently of its rider, not using the rider's hand or leg for support in any way. How do you know if your horse is in self carriage? You should be testing him often throughout your work. Here's how you check to see if your horse is carrying himself: (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

I will never forget my initial reaction when hearing Jimmy Wofford's advice about how to ride downhill jumps on the cross country course. We were walking the Radnor ** cross country course, and the third fence was a huge pile of logs on a rather steep downhill slope. And he said, "At the top of the hill, right before the hill starts its downward descent... (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

Horses do much better than humans when running and jumping on the side of a hill. Having four legs lets them adapt to the the varied terrain - much like an ATV (all terrain vehicle).

And that's good news! Since there are many jumps on the side of a hill on cross country. Sometimes the hill is steep, making jumping on the side of the hill the obvious "question" being asked. And sometimes the hill is mild, even to the point of being so subtle that you may not take notice of the slight slant that the jump is on when walking the course. And that is a mistake! You always want to make note of which way the ground is slanted on every jump on course, so you can ride it in the way that allows the horse to be the most balanced....(Click on Article Title above to read full article)

A coffin complex presents many challenges to horse and rider! Lets discuss the different ways it tests the cross country competitor, and learn how to negotiate the complex successfully....(Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

 


The term "coffin canter" comes from the type of canter required to get a good jump at the common cross country complex of rails - ditch - rails, also known as a coffin jump. Coffin complexes are usually found at the Preliminary to the Advanced levels. Although more and more smaller versions are appearing on Training level courses, so Training level riders need to be educated about the skill required to negotiate them. And there are many other cross country obstacles that require the "coffin canter" on the approach, such as.....(Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

There is an imaginary area on the approach to every jump that I like to call the "takeoff zone". In the last 20 feet or so on the approach, the horse needs to be able to focus entirely on the jump in front of him. So the rider needs to....(Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

One might think that being a perfectionist would only be a good trait for a rider to have. After all, doesn't that imply a dedication to the pursuit of excellence and attention to detail of the highest standard? Which are certainly good qualities.  But there can be some rather large negative consequences for riders who are perfectionists. It can cause them to obsess over details to the point of stressing over them. Which can be quite upsetting to your horse, and very detrimental to horse and rider performance in several different ways. (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

Does your horse tend to knock down a rail or two in the show jumping? Or even three or four?? Don't worry, there ARE things you can do to encourage your horse to jump more carefully! Here are some things you can work on:(Click on Article Title above to read full article)

Sooner or later every event rider finds themselves at a competition with unfavorable conditions - either pouring rain or slippery, deep mud. If the rider is not at all confident about riding in those conditions, it might make sense to scratch. But riding in muddy conditions is not dangerous if the horse and rider are well prepared. So if you know how to handle those conditions, you can still have a fun and successful event! (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

1. Make good use of your time in the few minutes that you get to go around the outside of the arena....(Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)
   

Many people tend to think of lunging as something that they might do when they don't have enough time to ride, or if they want to burn off some of their horse's excess energy. But if done with the same amount of focus you give to your schooling under saddle, it can be a great training tool that can increase your horses...(Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

The outside rein connection is integral to dressage. Riders should strive for the outside rein to remain consistently and elastically connected throughout their work. Why is it so important? It's what allows circles, corners, and lateral work to improve the balance and self carriage of the horse.

True bend in the horse's body will not happen without sufficient outside rein. Think of...(click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

Riding "forward to the base" to jumps gives the horse the ability to rock back on its haunches and send its body straight upward, just like a pole vaulter. When ridden in this manner, horses show their best form every time.

How does one ride "forward to the base" of the jumps? (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

Some lucky riders are born with a natural ability to feel exactly what the horse is doing underneath them, or what their own bodies are doing when they are riding. But the rest of us have to develop that skill.

The rider who has a good sense of feel can progress much more quickly, and will be much more effective in the training of their horse. They will be able to instantly tell (on their own, with no instructor telling them) that their horse is crooked, or if the horse is really through in the back vs merely posing. They will notice when parts of their own body deviate from the correct position, instead of having to be constantly told, and be able to fix them. With advanced ability to feel, the rider will be able to tell if his horse was good with his knees over a jump, or if he jumped over his front end with his shoulders down or uneven.

The way feel is developed is to...(Click on Article Title above to read full article)

Let me start by saying that I am certainly NOT a professional saddle fitter. But I have learned some very important lessons on the subject in the last couple of years, and thought I would share my experiences. (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

 

Some people may wonder why it would be a challenge to simply walk across the arena on a long rein. Compared to the many other exciting things we do in the sport of Eventing, walking just seems so easy. But the free walk movement in the dressage ring can be quite a challenge! Especially on a fit, excitable Thoroughbred! At that moment when you go to shorten your reins, and your high strung horse knows that he is about to go on and do something more exciting, it can be hard to keep the lid on him! It can take a lot of tactful schooling to get that type of horse to keep his cool in that situation.

And even for those with the more relaxed type of horse, the movement of the free walk can be a challenge. Both riders and horses tend to think of the walk as break time, and lose points in little details. And you don't want to let go of any points in this movement, which usually has a double coefficient! With more attention to detail and some practice, you can improve your scores in the free walk! The key is...(Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

How do you know if the working trot that you have in competition is the right working trot for your horse? Could you possibly have better scores with more impulsion? Or are you trying for too much impulsion and actually making your horse too quick?

One way to judge the quality of a horse's gait is to ask yourself these questions:(Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

Spiral in and out on a circle is a fabulous exercise for horse and rider. Spiral in tests the rider's ability to control the outside shoulder of the horse, and to keep forward impulsion in the horse while directing them into a smaller circle. If ridden correctly, it increases the engagement of the outside hind leg, and can help bring the horse into collection. Spiral out tests the rider's ability to engage the horse's inside hind leg while controlling the outside shoulder to keep the horse straight in the body. It also teaches horse and rider the concept of riding from the inside leg to the outside hand. Done correctly, it's a great suppling exercise. Here's how to do it! (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

One of my favorite parts of an Eventing competition is that first course walk. I can't wait to see what the course designer has in store for us competitors! But walking the course is serious business - your course walking skills can mean the difference between success and failure out there on the course.

I always recommend that riders walk their course 3 times. The first is your chance to learn your way around, and get familiar with the jumps and all of your options. Your second walk is where most of your decisions should be made, and I highly recommend that you...(Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

There was once an interesting controlled study of basketball players, conducted by Dr. Blaslotto at the University of Chicago, where he split the players into three groups and tested each group on how many free throws they could make. After that, the first group spent a set amount of hours a day practicing free throws. The second group spent that time visualizing themselves performing that perfect free throw. And the third group did nothing - sat around and watched TV.

After 30 days, he tested them again. He found that the first group had improved by 24%. And the second group had amazingly improved by 23%, without even touching a basketball! The third group had not improved at all, which was expected.

Visualization proved to be nearly as effective at improving skills as actual physical practice!

So how can we utilize this technique to improve riding performance? (Click on Article Title above to read full article)

Shoulder in is one of the most useful exercises that we have available in Dressage. Done correctly, it will engage and increase the carrying power of the horse's inside hind leg. Which will bring the horse into better balance. It also increases their lateral suppleness, teaches horse and rider the concept of riding from the inside leg into the outside hand, and gives the rider the tools to improve the horse's general straightness.

To obtain these benefits, shoulder in must be done correctly. Much of the time riders think they are doing shoulder in, but have little bend in the horse's body, turning it into a leg yield instead. 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. Here are two pictures which clearly show the difference between shoulder in and tail to the wall leg yield: (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article.)

(Photo credit to Laura Szeremi)

Confidence is crucial to both horse and rider in the sport of Eventing. If you or your horse don't believe that you can so something, you most likely won't be able to do it, even if you actually are capable. A solid foundation with good basics will go a long way towards building confidence levels. Many times horses or riders lack confidence because of a weak link in their basics. It is so very important to find a good instructor who can identify what that weak link is, so that it can be improved. Many riders are pleasantly surprised to find out that they CAN do something that they didn't think they were capable of, once a good instructor has fixed an underlying problem.

For example, I regularly see riders who think that they are just inherently not talented at jumping. They may have been attempting to improve for years, and don't feel that they are getting anywhere. But when I show them how to find their balance independently of the horse in the two point, and they master that skill, they are suddenly much more secure and confident over jumps. Why didn't they already know how to find that balance? Because many instructors teach a particular "position" instead of balance. In other words, they say things like "shoulders back", "heels down", and "legs tight". But without true balance those position corrections will be hard to maintain.

Once there is a solid foundation for horse and rider, the way to further build confidence is to.....(Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

All horses are sensitive enough to feel a fly land on their sides. So when you put your leg on to ask your horse to go forward, he definitely feels your aid. What he does with it depends on his rider. If you want your horse to fully respect your leg aid and go forward immediately every time you apply it, you have to decide to accept nothing less when you are riding. You have to change your expectations, and be ready to provide the appropriate feedback immediately. It's that simple. Here's what to do: (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

Some horses are born with an innate natural ability to lengthen the trot. And some need to develop the ability through training. Those without the natural tendency to lengthen usually simply quicken their trot when asked for a lengthening. This is because they don't naturally bring their hocks underneath their bodies enough to "coil the spring" of the hind legs. It's the energy created from the coiling of the spring of the hind legs that propels the horse into that lovely lengthening that everyone loves to watch!

Here are some exercises that will help the horse with less natural ability learn how to lengthen the trot rather than quicken: (Click on Article Title above to read full article)

Cross country riders must have this seat in their repertoire. It becomes increasingly important as one moves up the levels, as the speed and jump dimensions increase... (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

 


Narrow or skinny jumps have been increasingly showing up on cross country courses over the past 15 years or so. They started out only as an upper level test, and are now sneaking into the lower levels as well. They are a great test of whether the rider has the horse balanced, straight, and between their leg and hand. Course designers put skinny jumps on their courses to more safely test those qualities, as if the horse is not balanced, straight, or on the rider's aids, a runout is likely, but usually no one gets hurt.

As one moves up the levels in the sport of Eventing, the flatwork gets more and more exacting. At lower levels the horse's balance point is more forward, but at upper levels the horse should be in collection. Which means that the horse should be so balanced that they could literally canter on a balance beam. That is why the skinny jumps get narrower and narrower as you move up the levels. The upper level horse is expected to be accurate enough to gallop and jump on a balance beam.

How does one go about riding them successfully? (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

Throughout the world, horseman employ many different methods of conditioning the horse. And indeed there are quite a few different "programs" that result in a fit athlete. But most programs focus on the aspects of the horse's fitness that are the most visible - their musculature and their aerobic capacity (cardiovascular fitness) - without enough thought to strengthening bones, tendons, and ligaments. With a program that does not sufficiently allow for progressive strengthening of those important structures, the risk of injuries in those areas are greatly increased. The key is....(Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

(Photo credit to Jane Savoie - www.janesavoie.com)

This drawing shows three different possible positions of the dressage rider's pelvis. The imaginary bucket of water in your pelvis should help you to see the effects of the different angles of the rider's pelvis. You can see how the change of the angle of the pelvis shifts the rider's center of gravity, and therefore tips the bucket... (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

Stretching is a fabulous exercise for the horse, and should be done at the beginning and end of each workout, as well as intermittently throughout the ride for brief periods as a reward, and to test that your training has been correct.

I think that there are many riders who are slightly confused about what constitutes a proper stretch for the horse. I see many riders riding long and low, thinking that they are doing a constructive stretch, but are instead doing something quite unproductive. Riding the horse with it's head and neck low is only beneficial to the horse if there is a connection over the back. The following pictures show examples of right and wrong, and should help to clear up any confusion. (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

There are 3 types of horses: those who can’t wait to see what’s around the next corner, those who are worried about what’s around the next corner, and those who don’t think about what’s around the next corner, and are surprised every time! A good event horse is usually the first one - curious and brave, with a good work ethic. There are of course many other attributes that make up a good event horse, but those are the ones who really come to love the sport. (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)