Lunge work provides a sound 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.
Bending and lateral work stretches the outside of the horse's body. As with any type of stretching, increase your demands gradually as the horse becomes more supple.
When you are teaching your horse something new, begin to teach it to him in the direction that he finds the easiest, so that it is a more positive experience for him.
From the website of Graemont,Inc. A fairly realistic, in my experience, rundown of what dressage horses cost in the real world. There are exceptions, but be grateful when you come across one! (Click on Blog Title above (in blue) to read full entry)Tip/Quote of the Day # 1531
"You must teach the young horse to clearly understand the difference between yielding versus bending on a circle." ~ Christine Traurig
I love this horse's naturally round and relaxed gallop stride on cross country! While a more elevated and uphill gallop stride like this is certainly not as efficient at top speeds as a longer, flatter stride - it is makes for much better jumping! Who can tell us why?? And how can you train for and encourage this type of carriage at the gallop in your horse? (Click on Discussion Title above (in blue) to read this educational discussion)
Tip/Quote of the Day # 1530When your horse is learning something new, and he starts to "get it", giving you a correct response, let him stop and think about it for a minute. Reward, and then say nothing with your aids for at least a few seconds. If you give your horse that moment to digest what he has just learned, you will find that he learns faster and more easily. Tip/Quote of the Day # 1529
You have to keep your horse straight in the body when you ask for lateral flexion at the poll, in order to actually get true lateral flexion at the poll.
Tip/Quote of the Day # 1528When turning off of the center line in the Dressage ring, be careful to NOT let your horse drift right before turning left, or drift left before turning right at C. This is such a common mistake, and is an unnecessary way to lose points. Tip/Quote of the Day # 1527
"The quality of the [rider's] seat determines whether we can even speak of 'riding', or whether the horse simply has to 'deal with' the load on his back." ~ Kurt Albrecht
After your initial halt at X, don’t be in a hurry to move off, just because the judge is watching you. Keep thinking about what your horse needs at that moment. If you need to stand for another second and ask for flexion at the poll towards your horse’s stiff side, for example, that extra moment taken can help you move off with a better connection. However, if you feel like your horse is getting antsy, and wants to move, then it can be best to go forward like it was your idea.
This very basic (and often overlooked) jumping exercise will improve your horse's rideability, as well as the overall harmony between you and your horse when jumping courses. It may not be easy to do well at first, but it will get better and better with practice! Here's how to do it: (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)
"How can the rider expect the horse to have confidence in his hands when this piece of metal is constantly moving in his mouth?" ~ HLM Van Schaik (Dutch Olympic Medalist)
"Your horse’s desire to go forward must be greater than your need to remind him. But he must stay calm in his mind and loose in his body." ~ Christine Traurig
This can be a fairly common problem for horses that start out with a strong fear of whatever their particular "bugaboo" fence is - ditches, water, trakehners, etc. Most, but not all, horses will come around with time, experience, and training. Here are a few things you can try: (Click on Question Title above (in blue) to read full answer) Tip/Quote of the Day # 1516"Think during your course walk. Ask yourself: 'What is difficult for my horse?'" ~ McLain WardTip/Quote of the Day # 1515
No one is in charge of your riding except for YOU.
Tip/Quote of the Day # 1514"Cavalletti work is so helpful to developing the horse over the back, and we can change the distance between the obstacles to encourage some shortening or lengthening of strides." ~ Ingrid KlimkeTip/Quote of the Day # 1513"It’s important to watch lots of top riders and watch lots of videos. Pick the riders you want to emulate and really analyse what they do. Always have that vision in your mind." ~ Bettina HoyTip/Quote of the Day # 1512
From Facebook fan Gabby Ballin ~ "Some rides are going to be perfect. Some rides are going to have you wondering why you don't quit riding. When that happens, take a deep breath and go back to something you know you and your horse can do easily."
Tip/Quote of the Day # 1511Make sure your inside leg is quietly on the horse before you begin a turn. Even though your outside aids actually turn your horse, your inside leg is the post that he needs to bend around. Many riders are caught out with their inside leg completely off, and only put it on when they find their horse is falling in through the turn. By that time, it is much harder to correct.Guest Blog post # 96: "Mr Ponderful" by Bill Woods
My regular students usually have come to understand the flow of our training process. That's not always the case when someone presents themselves at a clinic. Most times they are thinking "This is costing me a bundle. I better get a lot out of it!" From the clinician’s viewpoint, some problems are easy to unravel– more understandable aids or a better exercise to employ. Sometimes it's as simple as the rider misperceiving what their work actually looks like... (Click on Blog Title above to read full entry)
Tip/Quote of the Day # 1510On being ridden with conflicting aids - "Some horses can cope while others develop serious behaviour problems. As riders and trainers, we don’t always notice because horses don’t yelp and scream, they just show conflict behaviour. As humans, we often interpret that as ‘naughty’ behaviour. Perhaps one day it will be part of every horseman’s tool box to identify conflict behaviour in all its forms and see the horse as an entirely blameless participant in the training process." ~ Dr Andrew McLeanTip/Quote of the Day # 1509"One of the goals of dressage is to recreate the natural beauty of the horse’s gaits under the rider, so that the horse moves as beautifully under the weight of the rider as he does at liberty. In order to achieve this, the swinging of the horse’s back has to pass through the seat of the rider undiminished. The back has to be able to rise and fall with the same ease, regardless of the rider’s presence. If the rider merely sits passively, his weight alone can sometimes be enough to diminish the freedom of movement of the horse’s back. In these moments, the rider has to enhance the upswing of the horse’s back with an active contraction of his abdominal muscles, which helps the rider’s pelvis to swing more forward-upward, without tilting forward, however." ~ Thomas RitterTip/Quote of the Day # 1508
From Facebook fan Annette Gaynes ~ "The love affair with two point continues, and galloping in two point in the desert has us starting changes as I learned by accident how naturally she does them. So let the horse loosen up and go, even if you're a dressage rider, and good things may happen."
Always remember that horses are herd animals and read the emotional status of their herdmates to know when there is danger lurking ahead. Every time you ride or handle a horse, you become a part of your horse’s herd. When you tense up, he expects trouble. When you keep your cool, he takes confidence from you.
"Lightness, whose characteristic lies in the elastic and springy flexibility of all joints and muscles, can only be acquired after all resistances have completely disappeared, that is, with the disappearance of all inopportune contractions." ~ Alexis François L’Hotte
"On the whole, there are only few mouths that cannot be taught a good rein contact by giving the horse the appropriate degree of balance." ~ Borries v.Oeynhausen
It can often be helpful to have some NEW exercises to try to improve the issues that you spend every day working on. Many times something brand new and a little out of the norm can really push you past the slump you are in! Here is a trot pole exercise, best suited for horses and riders that are working at second level Dressage or above, that will increase your horse's suppleness, engagement, and rideability. It will also help to make him stronger, which will make everything that you ask easier for him! (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)
This is a very common problem! Many horses get excited about jumping, and tend not to hear their rider's aids as easily as they do on the flat. With horses like this, riders need to make a conscious effort to show their horses how to apply their flatwork to their jumping... (Click on Question Title above (in blue) to read full answer) Tip/Quote of the Day # 1501
From Facebook fan Alysa Tarrant ~ "The best punishment for your horse is not to engage, so that he has no good reason to fight back."
"To the degree that the horse perfects his flexibility, his obedience increases and opposition decreases. As soon as the horse is completely flexible and through, his unconditional obedience is secured as well." ~ Ernst Friedrich Seidler
Tip/Quote of the Day # 1498"Let the horses jump, don’t interfere with their mouths, then you will see the difference in their expression, their ears are pricked, they are focused and going." ~ Clayton FredericksTip/Quote of the Day # 1497
An exercise to check if you are sitting straight and putting your weight equally down into both stirrups is to stand straight up for a few strides, and notice which stirrup you have to consciously put more weight into to keep yourself balanced.
Does this sound like you? A woman came to my clinic with a fancy but difficult horse whom she had recently acquired. The horse was a schoolmaster and knew lots of tricks, but he had been ridden the last few years only in a double bridle. His poll was very high, his topline very short with the underneck muscles bulging. He wanted to run against the hand and be very heavy in the reins... (Click on Blog Title above (in blue) to read full entry)
"Regular stretching is so very important. Without it, the horse will not develop a correct, well muscled top line, especially the muscling behind the saddle." ~ Carl Hester
"Horses have taught us that progress in learning takes place in an environment of contentment. Fear and tension block success. Boundaries must exist, be clear, and be consistent. Within those boundaries our horses are encouraged to express themselves." ~ Steuart Pittman
