Lesley's Corner
This funny story shows why it is so important to ensure that your students really understand what your terms mean! And of course the same is true for training a horse. You need to make sure they truly understand what your aids mean, or you may be setting yourself up for unnecessary frustration!
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If you and your horse have been having the same problem for a while, chances are the two of you have developed a set of reactions that serve to trigger each other's behavior. You will need to figure out what those are to get past it.
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"When the rein back is started on demand and carried out without haste, it is a magnificent exercise which should be repeated frequently." ~ Nuno Oliveira
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When the horse is at a level where they are ready for it, mixing up a few strides of shoulder in, a few of half pass, a few more of shoulder in, to a few steps of renvers is a great way to keep your horse sharp to your aids.
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When doing a turn on the haunches or a pirouette, the rider must keep their weight centered over the horse, with an engaged inside seat bone. I see far too many riders (at all levels) letting their weight fall to the outside, which is a hindrance to their horse in
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"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
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"In defining 'collection,' I like to use the word 'compression' because when you compress something such as a spring, it wants to push back. If you take a spring that’s 12 inches long and you compress it 1 inch, it wants to push back
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Correct lunge work provides a solid foundation for your work under saddle. It helps young horses to develop confidence in their handlers, helps them to find their own balance at all three gaits, and builds their strength for carrying a rider.
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Nearly every rider will experience plateaus in their training. Only those that have the patience to keep a good attitude while pushing through them will ever get there.
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"Riding half halts with the smallest give after each while the horse gets rounder and lighter but still reaches for the bit has been my tool to develop the basic gaits." ~ Felicitas von Neumann-Cosel
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Lightness is NOT about loose reins, it is about the way the horse is moving over the ground - with real hind leg engagement.
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