Maintaining the Horse's Length of Neck in Transitions

Learn about the ONE very basic exercise that the all of the riders had to do at the USET training sessions down in Ocala, that proved to be very challenging!

Tip/Quote of the Day # 4634

Think of riding your horse’s outside hind leg actively through the turns to your jumps, to keep that canter well engaged behind. The outside hind leg is the beginning of each canter stride. Engage that hind leg, and you will engage the entire hindquarters.

Tip/Quote of the Day # 4633

The fastest cross-country horses are not necessarily the fastest horses in general, but the ones that are the easiest to set up for the jumps. So work on your horse's adjustability.

Monitor Your Horse's Stress Levels, For Best Results in Training

Horses become incapable of learning when they go past a certain level of fear, anxiety, or stress. This means that if you keep hammering away at the horse, trying to teach them something when they are currently overwhelmed with stress, it will not work.

Tip/Quote of the Day # 4632

Every well ridden corner is a suppling exercise, and should be recognized as such.

Tip/Quote of the Day # 4631

A tip for all of the instructors out there... When a student has a lightbulb moment during a riding lesson, ask them to explain it you in their own words. This way it becomes even more cemented in their own mind, and you can more easily help them find it

Does Your Horse Like Rein Contact Right Up to the Point of Takeoff at a Jump? Or Does He Prefer a Soft/Loose Rein in the Final Strides? Find Out Here!

To get the very best out of every horse when show jumping, riders need to really think about the specific way that each individual horse needs and wants to be ridden between the fences. Let me help you to figure out what kind of horse you have!

Tip/Quote of the Day # 4630

Always think about the depth of the water when deciding how fast to approach and negotiate a water obstacle. Riding too fast in deep water can easily cause the horse to lose his balance or even fall.

A Spanish Riding School Exercise to Increase the Collection in Your Horse's Canter

This great exercise, direct from the Spanish Riding School, will increase the collection in your horse's canter. It will also improve your counter canter work, and is a great way to build towards canter pirouettes. Get ready for better scores in your horse's canter work!

Tip/Quote of the Day # 4629

"Suppleness means that the muscles contract and de-contract, and this has to go through the entire horse, it cannot be blocked in the middle of the back, and it also has to go through the rider." ~ Susanne Miesner

Tip/Quote of the Day # 4628

Try this little experiment: Spend some time doing a turn on the forehand in hand (on the ground), so you can really watch what happens to your horse's body when he steps underneath himself with his inside hind leg. While he may remain hollow at first in tension,

The Order of Aids For Changing Your Horse's Bend From One Side to the Other

Every single Dressage test requires the rider to change the horse's bend from one side to the other. With some tests having as many as 20 different opportunities to show the judge how good you are at changing your horse's bend. Or maybe how not so good you are at it!