Recent Articles in ~Lesley's Corner~

Nothing quite tests the strength of a rider's position like a drop into water. There is a reason the crowd usually gathers near the water jump on cross country day... they know there is a good chance that some riders are going to fall off and get very wet! Read on to find out how to make sure that doesn't happen to you! (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

 

The word impulsion is a very common term used in the worlds of Dressage and Eventing. But if you don't know what it means, it might be hard to attain - as you won't know what you are striving for. In a way, impulsion is both a mental and physical state. The horse must be truly thinking forward to have impulsion. And he must have stored energy in his body, that is just waiting to be released in a forward (or upward) direction. He also must be relaxed to allow that energy to come fully through his body. 

Read on to learn all about impulsion - understand what it really means, and learn how to achieve it with YOUR horse. (Click on Article Title above to read full article)

"All good riders I have ever seen had one thing in common: an excellent lower leg position."

This quote from the great Jimmy Wofford sums it up nicely. The strength and position of your lower leg is the key to success when riding. Your leg is your base of support, and if that is strong, everything else will be surprisingly easy! Here are some ways to make your lower leg strong and secure! (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

If you are like many lower level riders, you may find that you struggle to sit your horse's trot well. And if you are not moving as one with your horse as you sit, any aids that you might give will likely be muddled and unclear - and therefore will not work as well as you would like. The reason it is so hard to learn to sit the trot, is because you have to discover for yourself the precise muscular effort and technique involved to do it well. It's all well and good having it explained to you, but the only way you will really know how to do it is to... (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

As you move up the levels in Eventing, you will find there will be more and more  situations where you will be jumping fences on an angled line. Whether you are faced with an angled complex on the cross country course, or you are jumping a fence at an angle to better set up for another jump, or you are merely trying to save time by making an angled approach - you will need to have practiced this skill beforehand to be successful, and to help your horse understand what is required.

To accurately hold an angled line... (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

Does your horse maintain his balance and self carriage every time you soften the reins? Or does he sometimes become hollow, strung out, or heavy on the forehand? If you lose any of the quality of the horse's movement or carriage when you soften the reins, it usually means one of two things - either you were holding the horse together too much with the reins (meaning your connection was not correct), or you didn't soften correctly. It seems it should be such an easy thing to do... how can you soften the rein incorrectly?? Well, there are some things you can mistakenly do when giving the rein, that would be unfortunately setting you up to fail.

First of all, why should you soften the reins? Softening the reins is both a test, and a way to increase the harmony in your ride. Throughout your work, you should frequently give one or both reins to check for self carriage, and to allow your horse the freedom to really relax and come through over his back. The more often you are able to give the rein, the more brilliance your horse will show in his work. So, now on to how to soften correctly!  (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

For every jumping fault a horse may have, there are specific exercises that can be used to improve it. But there are a few exercises that will improve and sharpen up nearly every horse. And this is one of the best! (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

Do you sometimes find that you have a great trot coming down the center line, but once you halt and salute, you have lost some of the quality of your trot? Maybe your horse isn't as nicely rhythmically forward, or is not as nicely connected as he was before the halt? If so, don't feel bad - it's a pretty common scenario. And it is caused by your horse falling behind your leg in the halt to at least some degree.

If you are truly able to keep your horse active behind and thinking forward into the connection as you perform your halt and salute, you will be able to maintain the full quality of the trot you had before the halt. In fact, it may be even better - because of your well ridden halt. So, how do you keep your horse in front of your leg in the halt? (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

There are many different reasons for a horse to be "busy" in its mouth... chomping and playing with the bit. And while you may not be able to eliminate this problem completely, you will have a better chance subduing it when you know why your horse tends to be this way. (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

Your warm up routine will often make or break your performance! So it is best to have a good plan - one that is tailored to your individual horse. The goal of your Dressage warm up should be to ensure that your horse is relaxed, supple, attentive, forward, and responsive to all of your aids.

To achieve that goal, different horses may require slightly different approaches. But with almost all types of horses I start with... (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

Have you ever noticed how much easier it is to sit the trot or canter without stirrups versus with them? This is because when riders have stirrups, they have a tendency to brace and push against them to some degree. Why is this a bad thing? (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

When I was young I took some lessons from an instructor who deduced that since a horse was the most balanced and under the rider's control when "on the bit" - that we should take advantage of the access to all that controlled power by approaching our fences that way. So she had us frantically trying to hold our horses noses on the vertical line all the way to the point of takeoff. And the result? (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

Think of the spectrum of possible frames that a horse can be in, on an imaginary scale from 1 to 100, from fully compressed to fully extended. Let 1 be a horse that is so collected that it is on the spot (trotting or cantering in place), and 100 be the full out stretch of a racehorse galloping at top speed. Where on this scale do you want your horse to be when jumping? (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

Some horses have a natural ability to lengthen their stride at the trot. Others need some help to understand exactly what you want when you ask for more trot. In addition to the tips mentioned in this article, this exercise can be really helpful to show them how to increase their push from behind rather than simply rushing and getting quick. (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

If you have the very common problem of a weak lower leg that swings back behind you over jumps, leaving you in an unstable, insecure position on the landing side - you have probably been told before to push your heels down and your feet forward. But you have probably also found this quite difficult to do... and that is because there is a secret! A rider will not be able to push their feet forward when their... (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

 

All good things take time to create. I think riders should remind themselves of this often. Riders are often impatient with themselves, and with their horses. Often I see riders set themselves up for frustration by expecting too much all at once. It can take quite a few repetitions for a rider to master a new skill, and quite a long time to develop strength and balance. And horses learn best when riders present new concepts one at a time. 

Often I see riders making it hard for their horses to learn what they want them to learn because they are stacking concepts on top of each other before the horse understands them individually. For example, (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

Many riders think of spurs as something they might use to make their lazy horses go forward. But that line of thinking is actually not conducive to the end goal of having a well trained horse, and here's why: (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

Riders instinctively pull back on the reins when they feel their horse becoming strong or heavy. And instead of fixing the problem, pulling back actually invites the horse into a game of tug of war.

Tug of war is a game of strength, will power, and ego. Usually best played with a competitor of equal (or lesser) strength. A game of rider vs horse is no contest. You will not win a pulling match with your horse. So it is best to find a way to control your horse without pulling.

Here is an exercise that you can do while on the ground, that will show you how to control your strong horse more effectively! (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

So often I see riders doing a transition as if their only goal is to get from one gait to the next... (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

I believe that every sound horse is capable of doing dressage, but there is no doubt that it is much harder for some than others. The horse that is built downhill with the top of its croup higher than its withers is at a considerable disadvantage! Balance and collection can be achieved with the croup high horse, but it can be hard to accomplish. To help the horse with this disadvantage, you must... (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

Jumping from the walk is a great exercise! I don't think anyone really likes to do it, as it can be a bit scary to do - but it has many benefits for both horse and rider! And is a great skill to have in your toolbox for the following reasons: (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

Most horses are a work in progress. As they age, they tend to mellow a bit (sometimes), and become more confident and wise. They are also (hopefully!) more educated and further along in their training. It should then follow that riders are constantly adapting to the changes in their horses. But I find riders often have a hard time letting go of old "baggage", and tend to ride the horse that they used to have. Which means the horse will tend to revert back to the way he used to be. (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

 


As outlined in this article on the shoulder in, in order to reap the enormous benefits from this movement (and receive high scores from the judges!) it must be done correctly!

If there is little or no bend in the horse's ribcage, the movement becomes merely a leg yield. And while leg yielding is a useful exercise for improving obedience and understanding of lateral aids, and increasing lateral suppleness, it does not have the engaging and collecting effect that shoulder in does.

A mistake that riders very commonly make to incorrectly turn their shoulder in into a leg yield is to... (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

 


The single most common bad habit a jumping rider can have is that of jumping ahead of their horse! Sometimes it is so subtle that you are not even aware that you are moving while your horse is trying to lift his front end for take off. And even when it is subtle - it greatly affects the horse!

A horse begins his jumping effort by rocking back on his hind legs and pushing upward with his front legs to lift his forehand. If the rider on his back is tipping forward as he is trying to do this, it really makes his job harder! Some horses still jump remarkably well with this handicap, but many are negatively affected. A rider leaning forward as the horse is about to take off can cause the horse to be less able to rock back on his hind legs. Which means the horse is less balanced, and more on the forehand. This can cause him to be slow or untidy with his front legs, and will make him jump lower and flatter than he might otherwise. It also usually means that he lands in a canter stride that is unbalanced and on the forehand.

Here is one of many possible exercises to help to teach you not to jump before your horse does: (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

If the tail tells the story in regard to the state of the horse's back while being ridden, what tells the story of the state of the horse's poll and jaw is... (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

Many riders have noticed a common phenomenon on cross country - that they ride better when their adrenaline levels are up. This can be true for both riders and horses. And is why it is not a regular practice for Advanced level horses and riders to school cross country at that level. Typically they school cross country jumps at a slightly lower level, and train over Advanced level heights and complexities with show jumps in the ring. There is just too much risk involved schooling cross country at the top levels, as without the added adrenaline of competition they are more likely to be less focused and make a mistake. 

It is perfectly normal to be nervous before a competition - at all levels. Many top riders have said that if you are not at least a little nervous before cross country, you have a problem...(Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

Some horses have a hard time really swinging and engaging their entire backs, due to tension and stiffness. Many of these horses show signs of improvement with good dressage training, but continue to carry an area of tension - usually in their lumbar region or lower back. A great exercise to break through the tension or stiffness in this area is to... (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

Do you ask your horse to canter with a subtle, nearly invisible aid? And then sit quietly still while your horse performs the transition? Or do you try to physically make the canter happen with strong aids and an active driving seat? Many riders think they ask for upward transitions quietly, but actually are doing WAY too much driving! Why is this a problem? (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

No, this is not an article on how to change your marital status! Engagement is a crucial component to successful dressage and jumping. What does it mean? And how can you achieve it? (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

Everyone knows that circles are supposed to be round. But why is it that a perfectly round circle can be so hard to achieve?? (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

Many riders start shaking in their boots when they see the words "ditch and wall" on their course maps. They are, in fact, one of the most common jumps to strike terror in the hearts of competitors! But this is not necessary!

If your horse is comfortable with ditches, as he should definitely be before ever facing a ditch and wall, this is actually a very easy fence for him! (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

The horse's tail is connected to its spine. And because of that, it really tells the story of the state of the horse's back. While attempting to judge the true carriage of the horse by looking at his head and neck can be deceptive and difficult to discern, the tail does not lie.

By watching the horses tail, you can tell whether his back muscles are relaxed and swinging with his movement, or if instead they are tight and tense. You can also tell how true the lateral bend is throughout the body.

When you see a horse with what appears to be a correct head and neck "position", and are not sure if what you see is the result of the horse well engaged behind and using his back correctly, or if the horse is being held in this position by the rider's strong hands - look to the horse's tail for the telltale signs. (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

If you have taken enough dressage lessons, or read enough books, you have probably heard the term "Throughness". But what does it mean exactly? And how do you achieve it? (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

Every horse has a certain "lick" - a speed where they are most comfortable jumping around courses. How can you tell what that is for your horse? Read on to find out! (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

At one point or another, you have probably been told that you need to package your horse's stride between jumps. Some of you may even hear this all the time! But what does it mean exactly? And how do you achieve it? Read on to find out! (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

Do you find it easy to keep your horse's attention? Or do distractions like horse eating rocks, cameramen, umbrellas, and flowers waving in the wind impair your performance?

Unlike when working with a human student, you can't say to your horse, "Pay attention to me!". Well you can try... but it probably won't work as well as you would like. Instead you have to... (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

What makes for a smooth show jumping round? Balance, rhythm, and rideability come to mind. If your horse is rideable, he is responsive, obedient, supple, and in balance at all times. This is, of course, usually a work in progress! As much of our daily training is aimed at developing our horse's rideability, and it can take many years to achieve! Here is a great exercise to help you improve your horse's rideability on course! (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)

So many of us lead very busy lives...making time management a high priority - especially when trying to add riding goals into the mix! How can you make progress when you have limited time to ride? The key is to...(Click on Article Title above to read full article)

Jumping from water back into water is great fun! But it presents a challenge to both horse and rider. The drag effect of the water can make it harder to keep the impulsion in the stride, which can cause the horse to become somewhat long, weak, and strung out. And this can mean a less than ideal jumping effort - or even a fall! Here's how to increase your chances of successful jumps from water to water! (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)