Tip/Quote of the Day # 677Riding backwards (too much hand and/or not enough leg) when the horse is "having a look" at a fence can easily cause a stop.Question # 252: I have a question about my jumping position. I am prone, when in motion, to tip my pelvis back - which then causes my lower leg to slip forward in front of the girth......and will even swing up onto the shoulder during landing. To compensate for this, I tip my upper body way too far forward in my "release" but sometimes my hands stay planted on the withers instead of reaching forward towards the bit. Its kind of a "C" shape, if you will. Today my coach described it "the perfect position if you're headed to an oxer with a drop on landing" but, of course, terrible for anything else, especially since most of what I'm doing now is small with my green horse. I'm behind the motion without being left behind. Or being left behind without being behind the motion. I'm not sure how to describe it. (Jen)
Hi Jen!
This is a little bit of an unusual problem for riders to have... most riders struggle with exactly the opposite! I have to wonder about the type of saddle that you are using, and whether it fits you and your horse.... (Click on Question Title above (in blue) to read full answer)Tip/Quote of the Day # 676To be a great cross country rider, you have to be able to ride aggressively when needed - yet you have to be patient at the same time. You have to be assertive and positive without actually hurrying the horse off the ground.Tip/Quote of the Day # 675The most successful riders stay very much "in the moment", and are very attuned to feeling exactly what their horse is doing at any given moment.Discussion # 120: What type of comments do you regularly recieve from the judges on your Dressage Tests?Tell us what comments you most frequently see on your Dressage tests - and lets have a discussion about what those comments mean, and how to use that feedback to proactively improve your Dressage scores! Tip/Quote of the Day # 674A very common mistake riders make when performing the movements haunches in, half pass, or turn on the haunches is sitting too much towards the outside of the movement. To prevent this, think about stepping into the inside stirrup at the beginning of each of these movements, and again every couple of strides if necessary.Discussion # 119: Let's evaluate the quality and correctness of these extended trots. Sometimes it is easier to evaluate how correct an extended trot is by just looking at the horse's legs. Read on for a description of the good and bad in these two photos, and to add your thoughts... (Click on Discussion Title above (in blue) to read this educational discussion)
Tip/Quote of the Day # 673When jumping a fence that is a part of a complex where you feel like you need extra control, don't make the tempting mistake of hanging onto your horse's mouth in the air to try to keep that control. If you interfere with your horse's jumping motion in the air, not only will you ruin his form over the jump, but he will likely resist you, leaving you finding yourself with even less control on the landing. The more perfectly you go with your horse's motion over the jump, the more quickly you will be able to have instant communication and control upon landing.Tip/Quote of the Day # 672Don't just do trot and canter lengthenings to practice those movements for the test - they are a very important tool for increasing hind leg activity! Tip/Quote of the Day # 671If you get to riding with your reins a bit too long, you will be tempted to use your hands in a backwards way. It is easier to make a connection with truly forward feeling hands when your reins are sufficiently shortened.Guest Blog Post # 55: "The Last to Find Out is Always…" by Bill Woods
It may come as no giant surprise that what something feels like and what it looks like are often not the same. That’s why we have video, why we have mirrors, and why we have frustrated instructors who can’t figure out why their students won’t do as they’re told. (Click on Blog Title above to read full entry)
Tip/Quote of the Day # 670"Rein aids don't work if your horse is not ahead of your legs." ~ Yvonne BarteauTip/Quote of the Day # 669With horses that get strong or play up after fences, it can be a good exercise to halt after each fence to instill discipline. And whenever a horse is difficult to halt, I add a rein back. This will teach them that they need to be ready to halt when they land, and helps to create a situation where they are waiting for you on the landing side of the fences.The Bow Tie Exercise
The Bow Tie exercise is a great suppling exercise, and its soothing nature can make it extremely useful for tense or rigid horses... (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)
To be an effective jumping rider, you need to be able to clearly identify the moment of landing from each jump. Only if you can precisely feel the exact moment of landing... and have true clarity of thought at that moment, can you know exactly what you need to do next, and successfully begin to influence your horse in the first stride after landing. Many riders don't begin to think about or make any necessary adjustments until several strides after landing. And that is sometimes too late to be able to produce an optimal approach to the next fence. This very simple exercise will test how accurately you are aware of the moment of landing, and will help you think more quickly about what your next move needs to be... (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)
Tip/Quote of the Day # 667In your Dressage warm up, it is most helpful to work on the specific exercises which best improve your connection, rather than the particular movements that are in your test. If you can create a good connection in the warm up, the movements themselves will be easy. Tip/Quote of the Day # 666Moving up to a jump by pushing the horse into a longer stride or frame will change the horse's balance at a time when he most needs it to stay the same. Instead, create a canter with sufficient impulsion early on in the approach, and ride forward within the stride and balance that you have to maintain that balance. Tip/Quote of the Day # 665When things are not going especially well in training, you must go out of your way to find things to reward. This will help to keep your horse's level of confidence in you as high as possible, and will motivate him to keep trying for you. Tip/Quote of the Day # 664Don't lose your good score for your trot or canter lengthenings by not performing a clear, precise, and active transition back to the working gait at the end of the lengthening. Guest Blog post # 54: "Deer in the Headlights" by the famous Bad Eventer!
Deer in the Headlights
Have you ever wondered how it is that you know how to do something.........
Maybe it's something you've known how to do for YEARS.............
and in certain circumstances.............
no matter how well prepared you are.............
you revert to Tweedle Dee or Tweedle Dum? (Click on Blog Title above (in blue) to read full entry)
Tip/Quote of the Day # 663Sally Swift gives a good explanation about why the best riders are often not the best instructors: "Many of the great riders have the gift of natural balance and coordination so that they never have to question how to do anything with any part of their body. If they know what they want to do, their body will respond. Because of this innate coordination, they have not needed to know how one makes a leg move, or how one breathes, or how one balances. It just happens. Therefore it is usually difficult for them to explain to the rest of us less-coordinated mortals how to move some particular part of our bodies."Tip/Quote of the Day # 662Don't feel like you have to stick with the same movements or even the circle size of the Dressage test you are about to do in your warm up. It can be very helpful to utilize some smaller circles and lateral work (if you and the horse are both capable) in your warm up, to increase your level of engagement and improve your connection. Video Discussion # 84: Let's watch this Dressage test ridden by Steffen Peters!I particularly like his entrance, with a lovely, soft transition from canter to halt. This shows a good example of a correctly forward ridden transition to halt. What other strengths do you see in this test? Do you notice any weaknesses, or movements that show that the horse might be green for this level? (Click on Discussion Title above (in blue) to read this educational discussion)
"Connection is often misunderstood. The horse must be taught to go from the seat and leg to the hand for it to be correct. But some riders will try to force it by working their hands and arms to 'work the horse’s neck back and forth to achieve that lightness,' which is incorrect." ~ Lilo Fore
Discussion # 118: Let's discuss how to constructively open yourself up to attaining new information!Recently I saw a situation where a rider voluntarily missed out on an opportunity to walk their cross country course with one of the most respected trainers in the sport. They said that they had already walked the course with their regular coach, and were concerned that they might become confused with any new or different information. This brings up a good point for discussion... If we are not constantly opening ourselves up to new information, how can we grow and improve? How do you personally handle any situation where you might be getting feedback or advice that is very different from what you already know? (Click on Discussion Title above (in blue) to read this educational discussion)Tip/Quote of the Day # 659"Under no circumstances (except to save your life) is see-sawing on the bit ever allowed. Nor is sneaky jiggling. The bit should only be moved by the chewing action of the horse." ~ Catherine Haddad StallerTip/Quote of the Day # 658Throwing the reins away to the point that they are so loose that there are loops in them is not the answer to solving your problem of being too strong/tense/rigid in the hands and arms. You must keep a connection, and learn to be elastic within that connection. That is the only way to advance.Tip/Quote of the Day # 657
"At the beginning of every ride you must be willing to explain 'yet again' to your horse what you expect of him with sympathy and empathy. Dressage is our dream, not theirs." ~ Yvonne Barteau
Wrong! When you think about it, there aren't many sports in which "cheating" isn't de rigueur— not just expected but accepted and intrinsic to the way the game is played... (Click on Blog Title above to read full entry)
Here is a simple exercise that can be incorporated in a subtle way throughout your work to simultaneously test your horse's straightness, his evenness in the bridle, and his suppleness in the poll. (Click on Article Title above to read full article)
Tip/Quote of the Day # 655Shoulder in to the right really strengthens the right hind leg, which will help to improve the horse's ability to do haunches in and half pass to the left. And vice versa.Tip/Quote of the Day # 654From Facebook fan Rachel Rogers Laliberte ~ "The hands make contact with the mouth but the riders use of driving aids (leg and seat) create the connection." Tip/Quote of the Day # 653When jump schooling, it can be a good idea think about changing direction after each jump, unless you have a plan to do otherwise for a specific reason. So every time you approach off of the left lead, you turn right afterwards, and vice versa. This way, you get lots of practice with your lead changes (simple or flying), and you will help to ensure that you do an equal amount of practice jumping off of each lead, which is important. Tip/Quote of the Day # 652When lunging, pivot with one foot so that you keep yourself still and centered in the middle of your horse's circle. This way, he will learn to make an actual circle shape, rather than an odd shape.Video # 81: This is Sarah again, this time on cross country!(Click on Video Title above (in blue) to read the critique of this video)
Tip/Quote of the Day # 651Neutral riding means the rider maintains their position, but with the absence of aids. Aim to return to neutral as much as possible after every aid. Tip/Quote of the Day # 650"Finding an honest connection and throughness can be as elusive as trying to find your true image in a fun house mirror." ~ Yvonne BarteauFirn's Blog post # 13Do's and Don'ts of Your First Event
With Arwen and me fresh from our first event - an amazing, terrifying, and exhilarating experience I will gladly repeat - I am left to look back on a weekend that in many ways went horribly wrong, but as usual under the guidance of the Lord, also went perfectly right. I made plenty of mistakes, so I shall put them together for the world to see and hopefully learn from. Hence, some do's and don'ts for the beginner event rider. (Click on Blog Title above (in blue) to read full entry)Tip/Quote of the Day # 649"Cross-country saddles should have room for five fingers breadth behind your seat. This allows room for you to slide your seat backwards. This will give you a 'safe seat'. The ability to do that depends on the length of your stirrup--they must be SHORT." ~ Chris BartleTip/Quote of the Day # 648
You turn your car by turning the wheels on the front axle, not by turning the hood ornament (dating myself here... I know). And similarly, you should turn your horse from his shoulders, not from his nose.
It can be a really tough call sometimes, for sure! Honestly, I think the reason I never gave up on him was because... (Click on Question Title above (in blue) to read full answer) Tip/Quote of the Day # 647"If your rein aids are not working it is because your leg aids are not working. Piece by piece fix the response to your leg aids first. Every horse should be able to do a proper turn on the forehand so start there." ~ Yvonne Barteau
Rule quiz! We've all seen the Rolex riders wearing them… so we know they are legal for FEI events. But are ear fly bonnets legal for the Dressage phase of a USEA event? (Click on Quiz Title above (in blue) to read this educational discussion)
Tip/Quote of the Day # 645It is commonly taught to wiggle or move the bit when the horse is trying to lean on the rider's hands. But while that makes it less attractive for the horse to lean on the bit, it only covers up the real problem rather than solving it. The only real way to fix it is to solve the cause of the problem, which is to use exercises to rebalance the horse.
