As a Dressage rider, your seat is paramount. All of your efforts to improve your horse(s) will be futile, unless you possess a good seat, as you will not be able to give your horse clear and precise aids. While this article on developing an independent seat thoroughly covers all that it takes to develop that, I want to discuss the specific point of how the rider should be sitting in the saddle. (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)
I vacillate between being monstrously irked by certain Facebook posts or dismissing them as totally irrelevant to my riding life. But they’ve bothered me long enough that the alternate reality which they present deserves to be examined and accounted for. Let’s leave out names. I don’t mean to get in a p***ing contest with self-proclaimed experts or inexpert zealots, but try these quotes on for size: (Click on Blog Title above (in blue) to read full entry)Tip/Quote of the Day # 1412
With horses that like to curl their neck and become over bent, the rider needs to be careful not to get their reins too short. This will cause the horse to stay too short in the neck. Think of having longer arms that are always reaching towards the horse’s mouth.
Discussion # 156: How would you ride this Irish Bank?Irish banks are great fun! The rounded top makes them a very different ride for horse and rider than a regular bank complex. Who can tell us how to ride an Irish bank? What speed would you approach this? What do you have to think about when you land on top? (Click on Discussion Title above (in blue) to read this educational discussion)
When asking for a canter lengthening or medium canter on a hot horse or one that is prone to tension - it can be helpful to initiate the upward transition with a bigger "scoop" of your seat rather than your leg, so that the horse understands that you want a bigger stride. Too much leg at the beginning of the lengthening can cause a horse to get tense, and can cause the horse to quicken rather than lengthen.
Tip/Quote of the Day # 1408"It is not dressage that is difficult, it is making it look easy that is difficult. Some horses are born with presence, while others you can train presence. Either way, dressage is about improving the paces." ~ Carl HesterQuestion # 312, and Photo # 76: Kellyn has a question about her horse's tendency to get in too close to the jumps and jump in poor form. My horse has a tendency to get in too close to the base of the jumps, particularly when he gets tired. The last picture in this email is where he got in very close and sort of went straight up with his shoulders. He still clears the jumps somehow but it's not pretty. Any suggestions on exercises to make him more comfortable jumping from a slightly longer & more appropriate distance? (Kellyn) (Click on Question or Photo Title above (in blue) to read the answer)
Tip/Quote of the Day # 1407"Don’t do too much with young horses. I do 20 minutes with most four year olds. Walk, trot, canter, on the bit, straight. Educate them in a really easy way, relaxed trot, easy canter, work on steering and control, and work from there. With a bigger horse, like this one, I’d do less, because they wear out quicker." ~ Charlotte DujardinTip/Quote of the Day # 1406"The techniques you use for relaxation, stretching, walk breaks, things like that, a more competitive or nervous rider doesn’t pay enough attention to that. They think, 'I’ve got a test to do so I won’t keep stretching him until he’s relaxed, I’ll just get on with it.' That’s pressure." ~ Carl HesterTip/Quote of the Day # 1405
Always use both reins together to steer, especially when jumping. Using one rein only turns the horse's nose - but using both reins turn the horse at the shoulders, which means his body will more accurately follow your chosen line.
A horse must first be able to travel in a connected long and low frame before a proper higher head carriage can be achieved. If you struggle with lengthening your horse's neck while still maintaining a soft contact - be sure to master this connection before moving on to more advanced work. If you don't all of your more advanced work will likely be incorrect and will lack the back connection necessary for true hind leg engagement.
"Nothing is as impressive or as valuable for the training as being able to control the impulsion and the desire to go forward to such an extent that the rider is able to bring his horse to a standstill from an extended trot or canter without the slightest effort or disturbance. Conversely, departing immediately from the halt into an extended gait is an equal proof of the absolute desire to go forward." ~ Alois Podhajsky
Generally a good, smooth, clean show jumping round happens when you have the right quality of canter, and your horse is adjustable between fences. If your horse is lacking in adjustability, it does not matter how great the canter is that you start off with - as you will find that the quality of your canter will likely diminish as your round goes on. And because your horse is not easily adjustable, you will probably be unable to truly fix it while on course.
First of all, what do I mean by the right quality of the canter? The right canter to jump out of is balanced, rhythmic, straight, and in self carriage. With the appropriate amount of impulsion for the jump in front of you.
It takes adjustabilityto be able to maintain that canter throughout a course. Your horse may approach the first jump with the right canter, and land from the first jump running, flat, and out of balance. If your horse is adjustable, you can easily put him right back in the same quality canter you had before the jump. If you do not have adjustability, your rounds will tend to get worse and worse as you go on.
Here is a great exercise to improve your horse's adjustability: (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)
From Facebook fan Annette Gaynes ~ "Release as you go past the scary spot instead of holding. SO HARD to do, but makes the horses trust that it's ok instead of thinking you're taking up panicked contact."
"You don't win because you want to, deserve to, or have to. You win doing the things you do everyday while simply working to be better, perfecting your skills." ~ Unknown
The hunter division; For some, it's akin to pulling teeth, for others it's like watching fine ballet. I have always laid somewhere in the middle. Growing up around the hunter-jumper circuit I can appreciate a nicely turned out hunter and enjoy watching beautiful rounds, but if you ask me what makes my heart go pitter-patter I’ll be the first to quote Ricky Bobby, “I wanna go fast.” (Click on Blog Title above (in blue) to read full entry)
How does your horse most commonly try to evade bending throughout the body? Do they hang on your inside rein? Do they fall through the outside shoulder? Do they swing their hind quarters out? Or do they just rigidly resist when you ask them to bend?
Here are a variety of exercises that you can do with just 3 poles on the ground that will test and improve your control and accuracy, as well as improve your horse's suppleness and rideability. I will begin with exercises that are suitable for lower level riders and horses, and finish with those that are appropriate for the more advanced. (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)
If you shorten the reins when your horse is not thinking forward, he is likely to become even more stuck and behind your leg. Always get him thinking forward first!
In a movement like shoulder in, where the horse is likely to try to evade the difficulty of bending his body by swinging his quarters out, it can sometimes be helpful to bring your dressage whip forward, and touch the horse with it right in front of the saddle. This helps to reinforce your inside leg which should be up at the girth.
Tip/Quote of the Day # 1385When a rider has a strong tendency to sit crooked on a horse, they often have that same tendency to sit crooked in general. Pay attention to your habits when seated in situations other than riding. As I often tell my students, when you are in your car driving to the barn that is a good time to check yourself.Tip/Quote of the Day # 1384
"The horse has to have independence, responsibility, and tolerance for a variety of distances [when jumping] because you’re going to mess up and the horse has to be able to cope." ~ William Fox Pitt
"I think most riders do not focus on one of the foremost goals of dressage, which is the development of the gaits. To develop the horse’s gaits, the rider has to have a supple, balanced seat and ride the horse from back to front. Only then can you have the horse really through and even on both reins. From there you must ride the horse boldly forward within his tempo." ~ Hilda Gurney
"Most riders know the required movements, but not the directives, and that is what we judges pay attention to. We look to see how the horse is ridden in these required exercises. Is the horse ridden to the contact? Does he maintain rhythm and regularity in all gaits? Does he show a degree of suppleness appropriate for his level? Does the rider keep a tempo that facilitates balance? Even for a simple circle the directives are explicit: 'consistent bend around the rider’s inside leg, placement and control over the size of circle, reach to the bit and the quality of the gait.'" ~ Lilo Fore
Tip/Quote of the Day # 1381Practice riding centerlines in the trot or canter, and shortening the strides as if preparing for halt, but keep going without halting. It is important to vary where you halt on the centerline when practicing, and also to sometimes ride your center lines without halting at all. The horse must always think forward and not anticipate the downward transition. Tip/Quote of the Day # 1380
A good horse will forgive you when you make a mistake - and expects you to do the same.
"No complicated riding before the horses are going truly forward. In dressage, the difficulties are often created by a lack of good basic work (which is the foundation of the house)." ~ Nuno Oliveira
Tip/Quote of the Day # 1377"To ride a centerline correctly you need a good degree of balance and straightness. The horse must be even on both reins and obedient to the half halt. The entrance must be straight, the downward transition must be smooth and the halt square. The horse must stand at attention, with his nose on the vertical, ready for the upward transition, which must be prompt and energetic. This is the first thing that the judges see and it will make an impression." ~ Anne Gribbons
