First of all, how exciting that you are getting ready to move up to Prelim! Woot woot!! But I do know exactly what you are talking about... the faster you need to go, the harder it can be to keep that canter well packaged.
This can be especially true with a horse like yours, who tends to push really hard with his hind legs! The key will be to teach him how to... (Click on Question Title above (in blue) to read full answer)Tip/Quote of the Day # 1575
"My coaches insisted that the reins may be used for a thousand things except for two: to inhibit the haunches or to set the shape of his neck." ~ Charles de Kunffy
"A horse's energies are gathered up from behind and by yielding on the reins and giving him the room to step through to the center of gravity, the neck will shape to reflect the activities in the haunches. Trying to achieve collection by working on the horse's neck cuts the horse off in the front, confining him and preventing the hind legs from lifting, suspending and powerfully supporting the rider's balance." ~ Charles de Kunffy
If you read my last post you know it was about being grateful at our last horse show and then somehow it spiraled into me admitting I had committed to teaching a few local yoga classes in Austin, Texas. While I am excited about you guys knowing about the upcoming local yoga classes, I also wanted to share a bunch of quotes/conversations that came up over the weekend. These quotes are all thoughts pulled from a few inspiring conversations. (Click on Blog Title above (in blue) to read full entry)
Tip/Quote of the Day # 1573"The horse must perform from joy, not subservience. Praising a horse frequently with voice, a gentle pat, or relaxing the reins is very important to keep the horse interested and willing." ~ Klaus BalkenholDr. Haefner's Blog post # 2: Courage
Courage
While I understand the importance of "mental toughness," I have never liked the phrase. One problem I have encountered is that it often evokes images of pushing through no matter what, without any consideration of context. In my career as a sport psychologist, I can honestly say that there has been more real damage done when clients have been pushed (or pushed themselves) to "cowboy up" and exhibit their toughness in situations that were objectively unsafe either physically, psychologically or emotionally. On reflection, I think we are much better served by exploring the many foundational qualities and characteristics of mental toughness such as courage, resilience, and persistence rather than the dogged pursuit of mental toughness itself. (Click on Blog Title above (in blue) to read full entry.)
From Facebook fan Firn Hyde ~ "Reschooling a horse with vices and sending it back to its owner is not enough. The vices will return with unguided riding. Only by retraining both horse and rider can the problem be solved."
Even though I already have an article about how to ride jumps at an angle, and how to teach the green horse all about angled jumps (check that out here), I wanted to further discuss some of the benefits of jumping at angles - of which there are many! And I also want to cover what level of horse and rider should be working on angled fences on a regular basis. Read on to find out! (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)
"Whenever a horse has learned a new movement or a new aid in its basic form, the rider should give him a break and deliberately ride something else for a few days or weeks. When he returns to the movement, he will notice how much more easily the training will proceed." ~ Reiner Klimke
What part of this cross country fence would you aim your horse at? And you would come at it straight, or at an angle? (Click on Discussion Title above (in blue) to read this educational discussion)
Tip/Quote of the Day # 1570"It is very important to train a horse to connect between hand and leg so that when jumping you can get from A to B with no fuss — if you don’t have this connection, you will find it is very hard to ride in a straight line, which then makes things tricky while jumping." ~ William Fox Pitt
Wondering how to achieve this?? Read all about it here!Tip/Quote of the Day # 1569"Self-carriage is really easy to see. The best thing you can do for self-carriage is the give and re-take of the reins. It is amazing how you forget to do that when you ride on your own." ~ Carl HesterTip/Quote of the Day # 1568"If you are jumping down a drop, you need to stay behind the motion. Speed magnifies mistakes. The slightest bobble on landing will be enough to dislodge you, unless you are riding defensively." ~ Jimmy WoffordTip/Quote of the Day # 1567"Have a high standard for giving aids in a really clear, correct way. If the aids are that obvious, that’s not dressage. Educate your horse so that he responds to gentle leg pressure." ~ Steffen PetersDr. Haefner's Blog post #1: "Why Do You Take Riding Lessons? Don’t You Already Know How To Ride?"Why Do You Take Riding Lessons? Don't You Already Know How To Ride?
Recently, I have been following the reports about David O’Connor’s approach to the USEF Eventing High Performance training sessions. It got me thinking about coaching and mentorship and how it relates to attitudes about sport psychology. In every sport, athletes seek out and receive coaching regardless of the their level of accomplishment and their knowledge of the game. For the dedicated athlete there is always room for improvement. There is always room to hone skills, expand knowledge, and strive to get better. (Click on Blog Entry above (in blue) to read full entry)Tip/Quote of the Day # 1566
No moment of riding without stirrups is ever a waste of time!
Many of us have taken hundreds, perhaps thousands, of lessons over the years. Some of them with top notch trainers! Let's all help each other by sharing the most important things that you have learned! What would you say is the very best piece of riding advice you have ever received?? (Click on Discussion Title above (in blue) to read this educational discussion)
Whenever you are facing any type of jump with a ditch in front of it, think of it as a "free" front rail, or a rolled out ground rail. Focus on the top of the jump (ignoring the ditch), and ride freely forward to it in a balanced, rhythmical gallop.
Tip/Quote of the Day # 1561"Only use the spur to correct. The spur is not intended to ride a movement. It cannot just support the gait or the movement. Make a clear correction with the spur. If you are constantly giving your horse an aid, he will get numb to it. " ~ Steffen PetersTip/Quote of the Day # 1560"Get comfortable with centerlines. We ride centerlines all the time in dressage, so make them your friend. Remember, nothing changes on centerline." ~ Steffen PetersTip/Quote of the Day # 1559"Cadence is thrust and power within rhythm." ~ Hilda GurneyAn Exercise For Riders at All Levels, That Will Improve Your Dressage Test!
This exercise has SO many benefits, using more attention to the corners of the arena to attain more bending and suppleness, and transitions between them to increase your horse's hind leg engagement and carriage. Read on to find out how to do it! (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)
It is very hard to get a horse truly fit in an arena. You need to use varied terrain and footing to build a strong athlete that will hold up to the rigors of Eventing.
Tip/Quote of the Day # 1557"Even with hotter horses, it’s important to give them a break. It’s not such a good idea to wear them out. Even if the break is just for 30 seconds." ~ Steffen PetersTip/Quote of the Day # 1556"Half pass is a good movement for hot horses because it allows you to actually put your leg on while the horse moves sideways." ~ Steffen PetersTip/Quote of the Day # 1555
From Facebook fan Dana Ferguson ~ "Moving through the levels is really dependent on the bar that you raise for straightness. The more cognizant and careful you are to maintain it, the more the horse can work in true collection."
Tip/Quote of the Day # 1554"Stretching is important in every schooling session, but don’t let your horse think it is a break from the work. Stretching is not supposed to be associated with quitting." ~ Christine TraurigTip/Quote of the Day # 1553"At Training Level, judges want to see a horse who covers ground and moves forward to contact. Halting through a walk is acceptable as long as it is straight." ~ Hilda GurneyTip/Quote of the Day # 1552A few strides of lengthening or medium here and there in whatever gait you are working in will add energy to that gait. You can then turn that energy into engagement with a downward transition. Tip/Quote of the Day # 1551To get more bend in your half pass, precede it with a few steps of shoulder in. Be ready to come back to the shoulder in (or a volte) at any point in your half pass, if you start to lose the bend. Tip/Quote of the Day # 1550
"One of the good things about our sport is that while getting older might slow your reflexes down, the knowledge you have enables you to continue to improve, and handle the challenges better." ~ Shane Rose
About 10 years ago, I was coaching the very talented young rider in the above photo at an Event at the Carolina Horse Park in North Carolina. Her horse absolutely loved cross country, and could get very strong with her.
So, as we were warming up for that phase, I was trying to show her how to better control her strong horse in a galloping position. And to use this technique well, a rider has to have a fairly flat back (as that makes it possible to push your hips back.) Since this rider was noticeably rounding her back, I kept telling her to... (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)
Tip/Quote of the Day # 1549"If you can make the horse go forward, then the hands will not be tempted to act incorrectly. I want the rider’s hands forward reaching so you are bringing the horse to the bit – not the bit to the horse. If you start with the head, you are not riding the horse, you are jamming it in. You must bring the horse to the bit, so he is engaged and carries himself." ~ Ingrid KlimkeTip/Quote of the Day # 1548
To help keep your horse uphill when spiraling in on a circle, imagine that you are going up a spiral staircase. With each stride inward on the spiral, grow taller and think about going up an imaginary step.
Whether on or off the horse, the lower you center of gravity is, the easier it is to balance. So what does this mean to your riding? Keeping your balance point low, by keeping your seat close to the saddle when up off of your horse's back, and your weight sinking well down into your heels, will make you more secure.
...Sometimes I can get the left lead if I am trying really hard but in a show environment I can't get it. She does not know how to do flying changes yet. It does not seem to help that she is quite balanced counter cantering on the right lead so she has little incentive to switch. Do you have suggestions of exercises we can do to practice getting the left lead and suggestions on how to go about teaching her flying changes? (Or should I worry about that? She's currently competing at novice but we're getting ready to move up to training). Thanks in advance! (Kayla)
Hi Kayla!
When a horse always lands from jumps on one canter lead they are showing you that they are using one hind leg more strongly than the other when they push off over the jump. Think about a car with one tire that is low on air. The car will tend to lean and pull one direction, no matter what you do as a driver, until you can make the tires even (straightness.)
There are several different possible causes for a horse to push off unevenly behind when jumping... (Click on Question Title above (in blue) to read full answer)
"I see photos of even top level riders turning or doing lateral work with the inside rein going backwards, and just want them to see the photos and realize, this is neither bend or engagement, but crooked and blocking the engagement and the ability to ask the horse to "track true" and for the horse and rider to start to learn to collect and carry themselves uphill." ~ Peter Shaw
While a thicker mouthpiece is generally considered to be more gentle than a thinner bit, the horse with a small mouth or a low palate often prefers a thinner bit.
"If you find the half pass challenging, try this exercise:
Ride shoulder-in. Ride a 10-meter circle. Return to shoulder-in for a few strides. Turn the shoulder-in into half pass. This exercise is effective because it breaks down the pieces of the half pass (shoulder-in and the 10-meter circle) and then puts them back together in a logical sequence.” ~ Charlotte Bredahl-Baker
From Facebook fan Rachel Rogers Laliberte ~ "First you must be able to follow a horse's mouth perfectly before you can add any 'ask' for a frame....because contact comes from the leg."
The more impulsion you have at any given moment, the more submission you need. And submission is not the same thing as subservience. Submission is the willingness of the horse to follow your instructions.
"Think about riding your horse up and in front of you. Every chance you get, put your hands forward so you can meet the contact out further. Keep thinking about the frame and keeping your horse growing in front of you." ~ Charlotte Bredahl-Baker
Tip/Quote of the Day # 1537When 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 those movements. Every step or two within the movement, think of sitting over and engaging your inside seat bone. Tip/Quote of the Day # 1536
"I can really only execute an exercise properly when I fully understand the theory – why and how I am riding the exercise to begin with. For this, I need the relevant knowledge, which is either imparted to me by my riding instructor, or which I gain by reading books, listening to special lectures, watching DVDs, or attending clinics." ~ Ingrid Klimke
