Recent Articles

If your horse struggles to maintain a consistent rhythm, think of using your breathing to help him stay regular. This is one reason why counting is so useful, as when you count, you will breathe in that rhythm.

Lightness is not the looseness of the contact, it's the way the horse moves over the ground.

A horse that is well balanced, with the right amount of impulsion for the jump at hand, can comfortably leave the ground from just about any reasonable takeoff spot.

"Make him a short horse with bigger paces rather than a long horse with shorter paces." ~ Stephen Clarke

A popular baby boomer product touts "for when the moment is right. . . "


At Edwards Air Force Base where the space shuttle used to land it was no coincidence that the main runway was more than three miles long with a flat overrun of many more thousands of feet. The pilot had the ability to set the shuttle down right on the numbers at the threshold. But he didn't have to. He could wait till the moment was right. 
 
Similarly, some new movements when first called for in a dressage test grant you that same leeway. (Click on Blog Title above (in blue) to read full entry)

When working with horses, always be mindful of the feedback you are giving your horse at any given time... whether intentional or accidental. When your horse misbehaves, make sure you don't give him an accidental reward by stopping to regroup (which to him is a rest and a reward.) Keep moving, get the horse to do something (anything) well, and THEN stop to regroup if you must.

A word about the double bridle: The curb bit is a tool for refining the aids, not for applying more force. If the double bridle is used because otherwise the rider can’t ride his horse on the bit or because he can’t control it, neither the horse nor the rider is ready for the double bridle.

When strength is needed, such as when riding a strong horse, a rider needs to be able to find their strength in the center of their body - their core. Many times they attempt to find their strength in their arms or shoulders instead, and this is counter productive. As instead of being an anchor against the horse's strength, the horse thinks the rider is instigating a pulling match.

You should strive for the feeling that you can feel your horse's hind legs in your hands in your connection.

Riding is about 80% mental. Control of your mind is even more important than control of your body.

From Facebook fan Jessica Fuller Stewart ~ "When my horse is truly forward he can not bulge his shoulder in the corners as easily. If I let him back off just a little in the corner he can then bulge very easy. Forward is everything!"

"A tense horse's lateral suppleness can be improved by very forward canter leg yields." ~ Carl Hester

Some riders seem to think that if they can just sit perfectly enough, their horse will naturally bring his body together and move in a balanced way. And that is not necessarily true. While it is very important to sit correctly, horses are likely to remain on the forehand until the rider actively improves the horse's balance through specific exercises.

Many issues that you might have at the canter are usually there at the walk too... but just don't bother you as much because you're not going very fast. And it's easier to fix things at the walk, so it is wise to start there. 

From Facebook fan Alexis Soutter ~ "While teaching the girl who rides my horse this week, it was reinforced how important it is to be willing to pause and regroup if you and/or your horse are stressed or upset. By going back to an exercise you do well and re-establishing your breathing, rhythm, and connection, you're much more likely to succeed at whatever else you're trying to accomplish when you go back to it (even if that's another ride). If you try to just 'push through it' you might complete the exercise, but at the risk of damaging the communication and trust between the two of you. Better to back off but continue to put deposits in your horse's trust bank then force the issue and empty that account." 

A still tail carried close to the horse shows the inactivity of the back muscles in the loin area.

“The secret in riding is to do few things right. The more one does, the less one succeeds. The less one does, the more one succeeds.” ~ Nuno Oliveira

Your basics are the base of your success. The stronger your base, the further you will go.

On the meaning of the phrase "Having the horse between the hand and leg" --

"When I close my leg, the result is a change from potential energy to kinetic energy. When I close my hand there is enough kinetic energy to balance back into potential energy." ~ Jocelyn Thibodeau

In all situations, and at all levels, riding in rhythm gives the horse confidence.

"A horse with good foot work will rarely fall. A horse who is not given the chance to practice that footwork because he is always brought to the right spot will come big time unstuck when the s*** hits the fan and the fallible human on top gets it wrong."  ~ Lucinda Green

"The horse must collect as a result of many transitions, not because the rider’s hands have asked for collection. Lots of transitions – that is what gets the horse’s hind legs underneath him." ~ Christoph Hess

"I make my students ride in gallop position in trot and canter with no rein contact and no hands on the neck, as there is no point in trying to progress until a good balance is in place. It is a great concern to me that so many riders are out of balance between fences, and then too stiff and upright on the approach to the fence" ~ William Fox Pitt

Generally, the slower you are approaching a jump, the more leg you may need to apply in the final strides.

What's it like to return to riding after an injury?

It's tough. My first real experience riding after falling and breaking my wrist was on the lunge line on one of the safest horses in the barn. And I was SCARED. (Click on Blog Title above (in blue) to read full entry)

"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 Ritter

Always introduce new exercises in a slow and progressive manner, so you are building confidence and not inviting problems.

Mention the term "behind the vertical," and most people will immediately think about that straight line from the horse's poll to the ground, and whether the horse is on that line or behind it. This horse, for example, is exactly on the vertical line to the ground:


(Note - this photo is NOT being used as a perfect example of what a good connection should look like. It is only showing us what a true vertical line to the ground looks like.)

However, you can ONLY use that line vertical to the ground as a guideline if the horse is in a frame similar to the horse in this photo, with the poll being generally the highest point of the neck!

In order to correctly judge the horse that is stretching downwards with a low neck, you need to look at the angle created at the poll, and whether or not the horse is closed in the throatlatch area. I have drawn on some pictures to show you what I mean: (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

For success in learning to ride, as with most things in life - talk less and listen more.

Always finish an exercise with a proper transition to walk, don't just fall into a heap.

Think of riding your downward transitions in an uphill manner, so that the horse’s poll comes up as his croup lowers and his hind legs come under his body.

Always keep your spine stretched upward when riding. When you slump, your head and shoulders will become heavy, and your horse will likely become heavy in your hands.

Always finish each ride on a good note. Do something your horse does well so he can feel good about himself.