"Chipping in" and coming forward right to the base of a fence are two entirely different things. Horses will always produce the best jump when truly ridden forward to the base of the fence.
The sensitive type of horse is always aware of your breathing when you are riding them. Keeping your breathing calm and regular will give your horse confidence.
"Correctly understood, work on the lunge line is indispensable for rider and horse from the very beginning through the highest levels." ~ Egon von Neindorff
With an anxious horse that wants to rush, it can be helpful to very deliberately work in a tempo that is much slower than they are naturally offering you. Only when they have settled into a quiet, even rhythm... and are truly waiting for you, should you ask for more energy.
"In every sport, life goes in waves, up and down, keep rowing the boat and you’ll meet the next wave coming up, but don’t jump out of the boat!" ~ Chris Bartle
"If you ride and train for a living, have something else that you do. Don’t make this your whole life. The bad days - and there are always bad days - will eat you up and spit you out. Have something that you do that has nothing to do with horses, to help put yourself back together again." ~ Lauren Sprieser
"You need to produce a walk. So work at the walk as well as the trot and canter. Get a good feeling of the body working in the walk. The walk is a mirror of the training of the horse." ~ Christoph Hess
Horses that have first learned how to carry themselves properly in all 3 gaits while on the lunge line will usually have a much easier time learning how to carry themselves properly with a rider on board.
When schooling a green horse through any complex where the last element is a tricky jump (skinny, angle, corner, etc), it is smart, if possible, to school the last element first. This will set you up for success as you then jump through the whole complex, as your horse will be more likely to put his eye on and correctly read the jump coming out.
Studying riding theory will make you a better rider or trainer in many ways. Trainers need a knowledge base broad enough to enable them to apply the appropriate system for each horse/rider combination in front of them. Riders need to thoroughly understand what they are trying to do and WHY.
It is very hard to get a horse truly fit and strong by training in an arena only. You need to use a variety of different footing and terrain to build a strong athlete that will hold up to the rigors of Eventing.
"At the end of the day, it's the bending work that makes your horse straight. If you ride straight to ride straight, you end up with a stiff horse." ~ Lars Petersen
"With the bend on the circles and in movements like the travers, it is important to use as little inside rein as possible. If you need the inside rein, there is something wrong with the earlier work." ~ Christoph Hess
Think "uphill" in your trot and canter lengthenings. Yes, the horse should be allowed to lengthen its neck slightly into the lengthening. But you still want to feel like you are on a motorboat - nose up, butt down.
If you want to jump well, make sure you can consistently canter over poles on the ground in a smooth, balanced manner. I am always surprised how many riders are attempting to jump courses, yet they cannot nicely canter over a ground pole. It is simply a smart way to practice just about every single skill you need to jump well, while minimizing the stress on your horse's legs.
"The difference between an incorrectly compressed horse and a collected horse is that the collected horse can put his nose toward the ground (stretch) while staying round." ~ Nuno Oliveira This is SO important!
Riders should generally aim to use the calf of the leg for aiding - NOT the heel of their boots. And definitely not the spur! The spur should be saved for when reinforcement is truly necessary.
"The less we do on cross country, the easier we are on our horses. Learn how to be more still. Don't touch their mouth unless you need to. Plan your turns." ~ William fox Pitt
"I tend not to count in long lines. I like to ride off what I feel the horse needs. She's a small horse so if you are running and jumping too long or too flat, you risk a rail, so I think it's better to run up to the jump and get their hocks underneath them." ~ Kent Farrington
If your horse is strung out and on the forehand, they will be more likely to slip, trip, or stumble at any time. Just one of the many reasons you should strive to keep your horse balanced at all times!
If you don't give your horse something to do, he might give YOU something to do. Always have a plan for each ride, and keep your horse's mind engaged with YOUR plan.
From Facebook fan Karen Wolstenholme ~ "A previous employer used to scatter about 20 poles randomly in a 20 by 40 arena when we were backing and working young horses. His reasoning was that they were too busy looking where they put their feet to think about trying to throw us off! Seemed to work too.......they only ever bucked when we rode them outside!"
"I enjoy criticism as in constructive criticism, and I suppose because I am very open to that, I have been able to move on as the sport has changed." ~ Mary King
"Sit in the middle of the saddle after you’ve made sure your stirrups are even and let your shoulders and eyes follow the direction you’re going." ~ Debbie Mcdonald
Make sure you finish every training session on a good note, so that you always put the horse away happy. That will set the stage for a more positive attitude for your next ride.
"When a young horse is only ridden in one way, he does not develop balanced musculature. In this case, too much is demanded of some muscle groups, which damages the still-growing body. With a versatile basic training plan that includes riding out in the open, work with cavalletti and gymnastic jumping, the demand on muscles, tendons, and joints is more evenly distributed." ~ Ingrid Klimke
