"Riders make it so complicated, and they end up with mental overload. If at any stage you have difficulties in your riding, if you take it back to that basic drill: Can I go forward? Can I stop? Can I turn right? Can I turn left? Is the horse responsive to my leg? Am I actually feeling what is happening underneath me through my seat and then responding correctly?" ~ Andrew Hoy
A strong back is necessary for the horse to be able to achieve and maintain self carriage and collection for any length of time under a rider. Asking for too much too soon can cause your horse to resent his work.
The half pass helps to develop the brilliance of the medium and extended trot, by increasing hip and stifle flexibility, and freeing up the horse's shoulders.
The rider who keeps their weight too far forward at the gallop will cause their horse to gallop on the forehand. When the rider's weight (center of gravity) is correctly above the center of the saddle at the gallop, the horse will be able to more easily gallop in balance, with free shoulders. And it is of course more easy to elevate the horse's front end for an upcoming jump coming from this position.
"When you look at two horses in an arena, on one side the big Warmblood that finds it hard to be short and quick, but has a power jump, or you have the beautiful Thoroughbred that finds it easy to be short and quick, and if you can just get that Thoroughbred to use its body more – get over its past – one is definitely the easiest to ride, one is definitely the more athletic, and that’s the good Thoroughbred. The good ones have that extra leg under them, they are very quick to be able to take that extra distance, they can use the back." ~ Michelle Strapp
"I want to re-emphasize my point that the x-c galloping position I teach is based on scientific research, not on opinion or intuition. Although we are suspended above the ground by the strength and power of our horses, we do not suspend the Laws of Physics when we step into the stirrups. Secondly, one reason given for galloping with a straight leg was that it was "easier for the rider." I find that statement hard to accept. The legendary horsemen that I still strive to copy were dedicated to the well-being and comfort of the horse, not the rider. Finally, there was some mention in the article of finding a visual role model who has the same physiotype that you have. While this is excellent advice, I urge you to choose someone to emulate that rides correctly as well as being of a similar size and shape. Copying incorrect mechanics will lead to mistakes in your technique...and mistakes in our sport can be fatal." ~ Jimmy Wofford
"Correct dressage training, is, therefore, a natural gymnastic exercise for the horse, which hardens its strength and supples its limbs. Such exercise causes the strong parts of its body to work harder in favour of the weaker ones. The latter are strengthened by gradual exercise, and hidden forces, held back because of the horse’s natural tendency towards laziness, are thus awakened. The end result is complete harmony in cooperation of the individual limbs with these forces, enabling the horse to continuously and effortlessly perform, with only the slightest aids from the rider, such regular and beautiful movements as it would demonstrate on its own only fleetingly in moments of excitement." ~ Gustav Steinbrecht
"Suppleness means that the muscles contract and de-contract, and this has to go through the entire horse, it cannot be blocked in the middle of the back, and it also has to go through the rider." ~ Susanne Miesner
"'Losgelassenheit' means suppleness combined with looseness and the complete absence of any tension. It is the prerequisite for any advancement in training. Together with regularity, it is the primary goal of the initial, familiarising, phase." ~ Christoph Hess
The bigger the jump, the more the horse must rock back and lift upwards on the takeoff. Therefore as the jumps get bigger, it becomes even more important that you are poised and patient with your upper body off the ground.
"The legs bring the horse to the seat, and the seat brings the horse to the hands. When the teacher says 'shorten the reins' it needs to be translated into: 'engage the hind legs, sit on them, and then take the slack out of the reins', because if you shorten the reins from front to back, the horse will only resist." ~ Thomas Ritter
Most horses jump their best when riders set them up before hand with a balanced canter at the speed appropriate for the exercise, and then leave them alone to let them do their jobs. No micromanaging!
When it comes to equestrian training, it is almost always faster in the long run to take the time to do it right the first time, instead of having to go back and fill in the holes you missed in your basics. This is true for both horse and rider.
The balance and design of the saddle that you are using will make or break you as a rider that is striving to improve! Once you have become very confident and quite solid in all your skills, you can probably ride well in just about any saddle. But when you are trying to find your balance, trying to learn new skills, and trying to grow into a really solid rider you NEED the saddle that is exactly right for your conformation and what are trying to achieve.
Big horses very often need to learn how to do a shorter, more active canter for the show jumping ring. Make sure you have achieved this before you start cantering courses!
"A significant portion of the art of dressage lies in your ability to differentiate between the positive tension of focused athletic effort, and the negative tension of resistance, fear, and anxiety." ~ Katherine Bateson Chandler
"Riding cross country is against the clock, but this doesn’t mean that you have to go fast. It means that you have to take good lines. Every extra ten feet, or three and a half metres that you travel, costs you one second. So if you can save half a metre on the approach and half a metre on the landing, and there are thirty jumps on the course, you come in half a minute quicker than someone else." ~ Andrew Hoy
"Re-schooling a horse with vices and sending it back to its owner is not enough. The vices will return with unguided riding. Only by retraining both horse and rider can the problem be solved." ~ Firn Hyde
"Is the rider able to ride all the movements with a long rein, long with contact, then as long as possible? It is possible to ride piaffe on a long rein when the rider rides 100% with a balanced body, and the horse is on his aids." ~ Christoph Hess
"Jumpers in Europe use a lot of dressage these days in order to maintain balance and rhythm around technical courses. They need instant reaction to have a hope of doing well." ~ Stephen Clarke
"When the horse is straight, he is in the position of shoulder-fore. Shoulder-fore position is when the horse’s outside hind leg tracks directly behind the outside front leg and the inside hind leg tracks between the two front legs. The horse’s inside hind leg is narrowed stepping toward his center of gravity and can then be in a position to carry the horse’s and rider’s weight." ~ Kathy Connelly
"The inside leg to the outside rein is ancient history. One of my friends is very interested in ballet, and he said to me last year, George, it is opposition in the dance that creates balance." ~ George Morris
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.
"Keep your thumbs together so you know where your hands are. Your elbows loose and more elastic by your side. Stand in your stirrups, stretch down and think about your lower leg being there all the time. Toes out a little, stretch your heel down." ~ Chris Burton
It is possible to have contact without a real connection (in fact, it is quite common unfortunately), but a true connection always involves good contact. The connection involves the horse's entire body… with energy created in the horse's hind legs traveling through the horse's supple body, and into the rider's softly receiving hands.
"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 Wofford
With many horses, it can be helpful to take a deep breath and exhale in a sigh as you begin the walk portion of your Dressage test. This can help to dissolve any tension that the horse may be holding, that might otherwise make for a "jig" step, or an accidental transition into trot.
The outside rein is the key rein in downward transitions and half halts that are used to rebalance the horse. Many riders are well aware of this for Dressage and Jumping. But not everyone realizes that this is even true when you are galloping in a straight line!
Which rein is the outside rein when you are galloping in a straight line? It is relative to the canter lead. If you are on the right lead, the left rein is your outside rein. And if you are on the left lead, it is your right rein.
I hate to hear instructors who just yell, "Push, push, push!" to the riders on lazy horses who need more energy in their gait. To me, this shows a huge lack of experience on the trainer’s part - as this is NOT a productive way to produce forward in a horse, and only makes them more and more dead to the rider’s aids.
"There is one test that has the advantage over all the others, in that it can accompany the horse throughout his entire development… Showing the horse the way towards the ground. It is important that before the rider makes any attempt to perform the exercise, he makes sure that the horse is moving forward with impulsion at the selected pace, in good rhythm and contact with the bit. Then, while maintaining the forward driving aids, the rider should begin by giving slightly with the outside rein by moving the hand forward. As the horse responds by stretching his neck downwards and seeking the bit, the rider should offer the inside rein and again the horse should search to maintain the contact. The rider can then begin to lengthen the reins slightly by allowing them to slip through the fingers. Providing the horse is still being driven correctly from behind he will maintain the contact as he chews the bit towards the ground." ~ Christian Thiess
If you don’t ride and train in such a way that your horse learns to listen to your seat, you will usually find that you have to use a lot more hand to get things done.
"I cannot over emphasize that the rider must keep a soft contact with the horse’s mouth throughout the exercise [stretching down] and never just throw the reins away!" ~ Christian Thiess
"Essential to collection as well is the complete lack of resistances, as well as the maintenance of superior impulsion, and absolute submission." ~ Nuno Olivera
The purpose of transitions is not just to get from one gait to the next. But to do so in a way that further gymnasticizes the horse, and improves his carriage.
"We get the horses as loose as possible before we ask them to do more work in their bodies. if they're not loose in the beginning, they’re not going to be loose and supple in their proper work." ~ Charlotte Dujardin
"The better the rider’s balance in the saddle, the better the communication. There are two things the rider must be – balanced, and supple. The less good the rider’s seat, then the more often the rider is in the saddlery shop buying new saddles, new stirrups. The rider has to find his balance in the saddle, not being held in position by a saddle in which you cannot move." ~ Christoph Hess
Lateral work can be used to steady and improve the regularity of the rhythm of your horse’s gaits. Particularly with horses that want to rush and/or become irregular, asking for a little shoulder in, leg yield, or a few steps of spiral in or out, can help them wait and find more cadence in their stride.
