A lot of bad shoulder-in out there and often committed by riders with the best of intentions. I’m not talking about the blatant disasters—the pull on the inside rein, collapse the inner hip, pop the horse’s outside shoulder down the track kind of malfeasance. I’m thinking of the more subtle ones where the rider diligently tries to follow all the jumbled instructions and checklists in her head and it still doesn’t work. (Click on Blog Title above (in blue) to read full entry)
Head tilting is a common evasion for horses in the Dressage phase. Most often seen when the rider is turning, making a small circle, performing a lateral movement, or making a downward transition - this resistance usually shows in the form of the horse tipping their nose to the outside, with the inside ear dropping lower (as seen in the above photo.) This has several different causes, and can be somewhat tricky to fix! Read on to learn more about this problem... (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)
"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
Every time you pull back on the inside rein, you block the horse's inside hind leg from stepping fully underneath his body.
Question # 296: I have a question about "bitting up" versus moving up.......This past weekend I took my 9 year old OTTB to a schooling show, we have been schooling Novice but I decided to compete at Beginner Novice since our cross country experience is limited and we don't get much opportunity to school XC with a coach. Dressage was tense, but good enough for a 34.7. He has been relatively quiet in stadium, but in this particular case he was very difficult to keep from running at the fences, the only line that held him was the 2 stride. Cross Country was exhausting, in between jumps he would put his head down and just lean and try to take off. He didn't back off of any of the obstacles even the ones that were placed on a very awkward line. In the past at shows he's been a bit green on xc, the fences back him off a little and he tended to keep his head up. What do you think the best course of action is after a ride like this? While we did well at this competition, I don't think this is a good way to continue! I don't know that the Novice jumps would have backed him off any, and I don't think he would have actually made a couple of the turns on that track the way he was going! I've never used a gag, so I would rather stay away from bitting up that much if you think its appropriate in this situation. Thank you for your help!! (Natalie)
Hi Natalie!
It is not uncommon for Event horses to... (Click on Question Title above (in blue) to read full answer)Tip/Quote of the Day # 1143Take a good look at your bit (and all of your tack) before you ride your next cross country course! -- Watch this: The bitbreaks, the rider has no control, and the horse jumps a car!
It is very helpful for a rider to know what their horse's natural tendencies are. As only then can they come up with a specific plan for training that will best suit that particular horse. Read on to learn how to evaluate your horse's natural instincts and reactions, and how to make the best use of that information. (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)
Well I am days away from leaving life as I know it. I have made the decision to pack up my perfect little life here in Ohio and drag two horses to... (Click on Blog Title above (in blue) to read full entry)
Tip/Quote of the Day # 1138If you want to improve your medium and extended gaits, improve your collected work. The more your horse can "sit" behind, the more expressive your mediums and extensions will be. Video # 93: This is Jen! (Click on Video Title above (in blue) to read the critique of this video)
When your horse gets tense about feeling your legs wrapped around him, do not take your legs off. That would only validate his attempted evasion. Keep your legs quietly on his sides, and do an exercise (circle, transition, or lateral step) that will encourage him to focus and relax.
Many horses carry tension in their lower backs under saddle, working with tight muscles in their loin area, as well as the junction that connects the back to the sacroiliac joint. This causes a blockage in their entire topline, preventing the horse from moving truly through their bodies.
Throughness is what allows the circle of energy in the horse's movement to permeate his entire body - making him soft and elastic in his movements, and ultra responsive to his rider. It is also important for keeping the horse sound and pain free under a rider!
When horses work with tension or stiffness in their backs, loins, or SI areas, they will almost always become sore in those muscles. This will usually cause them to try to protect those areas by not using them fully, which will then perpetuate a never ending cycle of tension and pain under saddle.
Here is one of the best exercises you can use to help you work through any tension or stiffness that your horse may be carrying in the lower back or pelvis! And it is so basic, that it will work for riders at all levels, from Training level all the way through Grand Prix. (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)
Welcome to the wonderful world of Eventing! There is nothing like it, you will be totally addicted! First of all, check out this entry on how to get started in Eventing. That will lots of information that you will need to make the switch. And as for things that you may need to focus on in terms of your riding... the biggest thing that Hunter or Jumper riders need to think about as they switch to Eventing is... (Click on Question Title above (in blue) to read full answer)Tip/Quote of the Day # 1130
Very careful horses are more likely to lose their confidence during both training and competition, so be careful to always set them up for success.
This great video shows exactly why it is SO important to get your horse moving correctly through his back, for health and soundness reasons! Just amazing to see the difference in the radiographs, with the horse with a properly engaged back showing SO much more joint space between the vertebrae in the back compared to the horse that is not using his back properly. You can see why good Dressage is really the key to keeping horses happy and feeling good under saddle! What are your thoughts on this video? (Click on Discussion Title above to watch this video, and read or join in on this educational discussion)
Just because you can't see your grass growing doesn't mean it's not, and the same can be said of your progress as a rider. Much of the time it is not noticeable until you stop and look back at where you came from.
To successfully maintain the elusive forward feeling hands, imagine that you are pushing a shopping cart as you ride forward into the bit.
Tip/Quote of the Day # 1127"I teach riders to adjust their reins within three strides on level ground (after a drop), and I want them seated between elements of a combination. This will give the rider more stability plus a wider and more sophisticated range of aids." ~ Jimmy WoffordTip/Quote of the Day # 1126
Make sure there is a slight time lapse between a light aid and a correction. This gives the horse a chance to respond to the light aid, and it gives him a chance to LEARN from the correction.
Peanut butter? No, in this case PB stands for personal best. Once again I want to revisit the notion of why we go showing and what we get out of it. For a certain group dressage IS showing, and showing means trying to win... (Click on Blog Title above (in blue) to read full entry)
After the turn on the forehand, the next step in the horse's lateral work education is the introduction of the leg yield. And the best and easiest way to introduce this movement is the nose to the wall leg yield.
If your leg yields in general could use some improvement, you may want to revisit this basic exercise to gain all the benefits it can provide. Which are: teaching the horse to be straighter in the body (not lagging the hindquarters behind), providing you with a way to increase his responsiveness to lighter and more subtle lateral aids, and allowing the horse to more easily gain increased strength for leg yielding in both trot and canter. Here's how to do it! (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)
Tip/Quote of the Day # 1123You should be comfortable jumping a single straightforward galloping cross country jump that is one level above the level you are competing. Discussion # 148: What would you do in this common scenario? Let's say you are riding a lower level Dressage test, and have just finished your canter circle. The next movement is a downward transition to the trot on the long side, between B and M. But your green horse makes the common mistake of falling into the trot early... well before B. What do you do to minimize the damage on your Dressage score? Do you ask for canter again, so that you can do a downward transition where you were supposed to? Or do you just keep the trot and move on with the test? (Click on Discussion Title above (in blue) to read this educational discussion)Tip/Quote of the Day # 1122
A rider hanging onto the inside rein can create stiffness, resistance, head tilting, and loss of the horse's outside shoulder.
You don't really do yourself any favors when you cater to your weaknesses. For example, if you only like to ride with your whip in your right hand, and it feels odd and uncomfortable in your left - you need to make yourself ride with it in your left hand. And if you are uncomfortable riding amongst distractions or with people watching, you only better yourself by seeking out those conditions.
"The horse is so honest.... they live in the moment. And what they do, whether they need to protect themselves or whether they need to accept you really is directly relative to how you make them feel." ~ Buck Brannaman
Tip/Quote of the Day # 1119It is not a good idea to use any brand new, never used tack or clothing at an important horse show. Use it at least once first to make sure it works, so you don't have any unpleasant surprises at the show!Question # 294 and Video # 92: My question is about banks, specifically jumping down.......I don't know exactly what my body should be doing and I know that I don't release the reins enough as I jump down. Often in courses the down bank is followed by a jump to test your accuracy and control which makes me hold onto the reins even more as my horse has a big jump and a big stride and I am always afraid that I won't be able to get back in touch with him if I let the reins go. This video clip is of us schooling this weekend, the bank is at about the 56 second mark. My horse is a lovely, honest, athletic type and I want to be able to do him justice, he is very forgiving but I know if I keep hitting him in the mouth at every bank he is going to start thinking about whether or not it is worth jumping! (Susanne)
Hi Susanne!
First of all, I have to say how much I love your horse! He looks like a game athlete, and I love his natural balance at the gallop. And you two look to be a very well matched team. I see a lot of trust and understanding betweeen the two of you. On to your question about jumping down banks... (Click on Question or Video Title above (in blue) to read full answer)Tip/Quote of the Day # 1118
"Cross country is the only time when life catches up to the speed of my thoughts." ~ Reed Ayers
No matter what level you are riding at, one skill you need for safe, balanced jumping on the cross country course is the ability to keep a balanced gallop while negotiating undulating terrain. Here is an exercise that will show you exactly how well you are able to achieve this, and improve your ability to keep your horse balanced on course. (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)
Tip/Quote of the Day # 1117We all know that horses can't learn when they are scared... but horses don't learn very much when they are bored either. They have to be mentally engaged to learn. So to make sure your horse can learn, you have to find the right balance between keeping calm and relaxed yet alert and interested.Tip/Quote of the Day # 1116
From Facebook fan Brenda Nelson Jensen, on finding a good instructor ~ "The most important questions to ask yourself after training with someone are: Am I enlightened or confused after sessions? Are my horse and I progressing safely and confidently? If I clinic with a nationally known good instructor do they build off of (not contradict) your regular instructors program?"
This is a subject that not many people can agree on! The best advice I have for you is to... (Click on Question Title above (in blue) to read full answer)Tip/Quote of the Day # 1115
You should know where your horse is going to land from a jump before he takes off. How? The type of canter in the final strides of the approach will dictate the shape of your horse's jumping effort, and the trajectory of his jump.
