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
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.
