"The half halt is essential to change the horse’s balance because it creates engagement. Engagement has two parts. First, the horse carries more weight behind by shifting back onto the hind end. Then, because he activates his core muscles, he is able to lift the forehand." ~ Kathy Connelly
I took a lesson from a dressage instructor last week and am confused about something she said. We were on a circle when she told me to use the bit on the "bars". She had me using an opening inside rein, pulling down on the outside rein while keeping my hands far apart. My mare was giving and soft, chewing the bit, so it was working. What is the bit usually on? I thought it always sits on the horse's bars, so I'm a bit confused. Also,it's very difficult to recreate it at home. Can you clarify this for me? (Anonymous)
The bars of the horse's mouth are extremely sensitive, and many riding disciplines take advantage of this fact by using downward pressure on the bars to teach the horse to submit to rein pressure by lowering their head. An example of this is... (Click on Question Title above to read full answer)
"You’re not going to get a quicker reaction by digging in your spur. If you’re standing on one foot and someone comes behind you and scares you, you’re not going to put your foot higher in the air. You’re going to put it on the ground." ~ Robert Dover
Ask people what advice they would leave behind for the next generation and you will get a lot of plausible answers. Many say, “work hard” or “do what you love.” Others say, “be kind” or “give more than you get.” All of these are good things to ask of oneself and others, but one of the most interesting answers I have heard was on trust. This person, who I admire and even more so after hearing their explanation, said, “build trust in everything you do. Whether it is a business relationship or personal relationship make sure everything you do is building trust rather than breaking it.” I had not thought of trust in this way before. I know trust is good, but to make it a priority was profound to me. (Click on Blog Title above to read full entry)
Many horses need to be in true self carriage to regularly jump cleanly in the show jumping phase. Meaning that you have to be able to soften the reins in front of each jump without the horse changing their canter.
Have you ever noticed how much better our electronic devices such as our smartphones and computers seem to run after we refresh or reset them? Letting go of all the data overload and junk files, and closing all of the unnecessary apps that were running in the background allows our devices to work as good as new much of the time.
The same is often true in our riding. Refreshing or resetting our aids "wipes the slate clean", so to speak, allowing the horse to better focus on and hear our light aids. Continue reading to find out how and when to reset your aids! (Click on Article Title above to read full entry)
"The engine has got to be revving, and then you put your pedal to the floor and it will go. Sometimes you have to get the engine screaming." ~ Chris Bartle
Which of these photos of the piaffe do you like the best and why? Which shows the most harmony between horse and rider? Which horse shows the most hind leg engagement? And how can you tell? (Click on Discussion Title above to see larger version of this photo, and to read or join in on this educational discussion)
The horse shows improved self carriage and more expression and cadence in his gaits, not as a result of the rider doing more, but by the horse doing more and the rider less and less.
In no way does holding a horses neck in a position build up correct muscle. The topline muscles that you are looking for are only developed by the horse using his whole body correctly. Which will not be achieved by using the reins, or a gadget like draw reins, to hold the horse's head down.
Don't confuse being left behind over a jump with a defensive seat on cross country. They are very different. The rider who is in a defensive position on cross country is a nickel behind the motion, while still not interfering with the horse in any way. The rider who is left behind is catching the horse in the mouth and slamming their backs on landing, both the ultimate punishment for the horse jumping the fence. If you are getting left behind often, it may be time to move down a level and work on your basics.
Self carriage isn't just for Dressage. Think of little checks for self carriage when jumping as well - even on cross country. Never attempt to hold your horse up!
Knowing where the horses head is and knowing where the horses head is, are two completely different things. As similar as they may read, one refers to the mental head and the other refers to the physical one. Despite our plethora of knowledge and vast array of studies which have led us to believe that the physical head position should not be as important as the rest of the body, we still have a fixation on the head position of horses. We struggle with the vision of a U—necked, head in the cloud’s creature. As riders we desperately want to ride that proud, powerful, submissive beast that we see on tv, in magazines, and at the very top levels of each discipline. (Click on Blog Title above to read full entry)
"You have to constantly refine your program and train with the best people that you can find so that you’re always growing and staying competitive." ~ Jessica Phoenix
The Triangle Exercise is a fun and challenging exercise to test the precision and fluidity of your turns. It also teaches riders to do a better job of planning ahead, and executing that plan accurately, to set themselves up for success.This exercise will help you to be more accurate in the Dressage ring, and will improve your jumping as well! Read on to learn all about it! (Click on Article Title above to read full entry)
"There is no miracle, there is no magic wand. It is just education, trying to be as clear to the horses as you can. When I give an aid, is the horse going to understand?" ~ Emile Faurie
It is tempting to try to lift your horse up in front when he drops down too low, by giving a good yank upwards on the rein. But that is not a good fix for this problem… as it will tend to increase the horse’s anxiety about the rider’s hands. Which will likely only increase the horse’s desire to drop behind the connection in his work.
"The horse has to have independence, responsibility, and tolerance for a variety of distances because you’re going to mess up and the horse has to be able to cope." ~ William Fox Pitt
Lack of sufficient long and low stretching work often causes sore backs in horses. Their back muscles need to be loose, relaxed, and swinging to be healthy!
Turn on the forehand and leg yield can be used to teach the horse that the rider's leg can mean something other than, "Go forward." The horse must understand this concept in these very basic movements before you will find much success with any of the more complicated lateral movements.
"The absence of a correction is not a reward to a horse. The only thing that is a reward is 'good girl' or a pat on the neck or giving them a sugar. You can’t train a seal without fish." ~ Robert Dover
Riders can benefit SO much from discussions about their riding. Riding is as much cognitive as it is physical - both aspects need to be exercised to truly improve!
"The actions of arm and hand must complement rather than contradict the position and effect of the seat and leg. The inside rein must be shortened sufficiently to allow the hand to maintain the lateral flexion without any backward pull on the rein. In general the inside hand should be kept just in front of the outside hand." ~ Chris Bartle
When bending their horse or performing the shoulder in, it is a common mistake for riders to draw their inside heel up, bringing the inside leg too far back to give the aid. This tends to push the horse's hindquarters out, producing angle rather than actual bend.
Have you ever noticed how the turning aids of many of the top riders are amazingly effortless and practically imperceptible? And how their horses seem to turn smoothly and accurately, almost seemingly of their own accord?? It is something that all riders should be striving for, to be able to turn so easily and effectively that no one can even see the turning aids being used.
The way you turn your horse is definitely a good example of "less is more", as the stronger and more crude your turning aids are, the more resistances and loss of balance you will likely encounter. The best way to ensure a balanced, smooth turn is for the rider to keep their aids precise yet as light as possible. Here is an exercise that will help you to refine your turning aids, so that YOU can be one of those riders with effortless and invisible aids! (Click on the Article Title above to read full entry)
Soften and let your horse lengthen his neck, while trying to maintain the feeling that he stays sitting behind, with a lowered croup and well engaged hind legs.
