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Conformation Discussion # 2
Questions
Question # 43: I am looking for exercises on and off horse to do over the winter to try to build strength and stamina. (Vita)
Lesley's Corner
Shortening Your Reins After a Drop Fence
Lesley's Corner
Free Jumping!
Lesley's Corner
Creating Good Habits When Riding (Current Freebie!)
It always pays off to make an effort to create good habits when riding and dealing with horses - for both horse and rider. I often see situations where the rider is not aware that they are allowing the horse to develop bad habits. Or where they are missing the opportunities
Questions
Question # 42: I'm still a bit confused about "galloping" position. From watching jockeys and videos of pro riders, it looks to me like the goal is for your back and head to stay relatively still and your leg joints to absorb most of the motion.
Lesley's Corner
Lateral Flexion at the Poll
"Lateral flexion" is often misunderstood. Many riders bend the neck instead of getting flexion at the poll (joint between C1 & skull). Flexion turns the forehead slightly, without requiring body bend. However, correct bend from nose to tail always includes poll flexion. Learn how to do it here!
Lesley's Corner
Resistance in the Bridle
Resistance in the bridle is *always* related to the state of tension in the back. Sometimes it's hard to say which comes first, like the chicken & the egg. Is the horse's tense, braced back causing him to resist the bit? Or is bracing against the bit causing the back to tighten?
~Lisa's Corner~
Lisa's Blog post # 37
Wow – it’s really been three weeks since my last report! That’s because nothing noteworthy has happened and it’s hard to make “nothing” sound interesting, as you will discover from reading today’s post! I have discovered the pattern to my progress, however and did make some gains
Lesley's Corner
Warm Up Strategies for Show Jumping
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.
Lesley's Corner
Pushing Power VS Carrying Power in the Horse's Hind Legs
This lovely picture of a Spanish Riding School rider doing a Levade shows the ultimate exercise in regards to the horse carrying its weight over its hind legs. See how strong the hind legs must be! Let's discuss exercises that build pushing power & encourage the horse to carry more weight behind.