Recent Articles in Tip/Quote of the Day!

When your horse is messing about with his leads or tossing his head between jumps on course, don’t let it distract you from what is most important - his rhythm.

"Infinite repetitions of one and the same problematic movement are usually a sign of insecurity in the rider and serve no purpose other than self-satisfaction. The horse doesn't gain anything from it. It leads to an overwrought horse and causes muscle fatigue and nervousness. Here, a trainer must intervene and go back to easier exercises rider and horse have already mastered." ~ Klaus Balkenhol

Shoulder in is the single best secret weapon when it comes to improving the horse's walk.

The more a horse relaxes within a lateral movement, the more gymnastic value the exercise will have. 

The more stable you are able to keep your outside rein connection, the more quickly your horse will learn to accept it. Stable, yet elastic... like a bungee cord. 

Ask, insist (if necessary,) and then reward.

"It's the rider's job to make his horse sensitive enough to anticipate half halts, for it is the anticipation factor that makes horse and rider harmonious. The use of the horse's anticipation should work greatly to your advantage in daily training and in riding a dressage test. For example, most dressage movements follow the riding of a corner in the arena. When you ride a half halt before every corner throughout the course of a horse's life, he anticipates that he is going to be more balanced and uphill before, during and after every corner, and then the corner becomes the half halt. Because the horse's brain and body are already in harmony with the rider in the corner, all you have to do is concentrate on the movement that follows." ~ Oded Shimoni

You may need to "do whatever you need to do" to get things done sometimes in competition, but in practice you should aim to always do things the right way, with no shortcuts.

"Contact doesn't only refer to the hands, reins, and bit, but to the whole rider. A rider must give the horse contact through his entire seat. This means that his legs must lay gently against the horse's body, his seat must be balanced and supple, and his arms and hands must follow the horse's movement quietly and evenly. This create a smooth cycle of movement as the horse takes the rider with him. Only this then creates contact." ~ Klaus Balkenhol

From Facebook fan Clarissa Groesbeek ~ "Your job is to ride to the base of the fence, your horse's job is to jump it."

From Facebook fan Kathi Knox Hammond ~  "If I look AHEAD toward where I want to end up, and quit looking down and worrying about whether I have enough bend and am angled correctly, things kind of work together on their own. I finally 'get' that looking down kills energy."

If you merely practice your bad habits, you will wind up making the same mistakes perfectly.

Balance and rhythm go hand in hand. Focus on maintaining an even rhythm, as every time the rhythm changes, the balance changes.

You need to decide that, from this day on, your horse will respond to light aids. If you don't expect him to, and don’t give him the appropriate feedback, he probably won't ever be as attentive and responsive as you would like him to be.

"I've always believed that if you put in the work, the results will come. I don't do things half heartedly. Because I know if I do, then I can expect half hearted results." ~ Michael Jordan

"Incorrect training is as if you buttoned a sweater wrong. In order to fix it you must unbutton it and start over again." ~ Reiner Klimke

No matter how balanced a horse is moving, he will never be in self carriage if he has a rider that is hanging on his mouth.

Riders who get the best out of the sensitive type of horse are good at being tactful.

"A good trainer on a Thoroughbred will spend lots of time reassuring the horse that all is well." ~ Steuart Pittman

Transitions act as a test of your connection. If the quality of your connection is lacking as you begin a transition, it will be particularly evident as you execute it.

One of the most important things for you to think about during your Dressage Test is to maintain a consistent rhythm and tempo in each gait throughout. Even if other things are not perfect, maintaining that consistency will produce the best possible score.

In a good connection, you should strive to feel your horse's hind legs in your hands.

"The horse is the fastest learner of all domestic animals—including children. If you stay alive by running away, you better learn fast." ~ Robert Miller, DVM

"Don’t ride to a jump, looking for a spot.  You don’t jump a spot, you jump a jump." ~ Unknown

The short side of the arena is a great place to show your horse's movement off to the Dressage judge. If your horse is in lovely self carriage, push your hands forward a bit and show it off!

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

From Facebook fan Jodi Waldrip ~ "I've learned that a saddle that truly fits can give you a totally different horse to ride."

Your horse can feel whether or not you have a strong, detailed plan of how to ride your jumping course or dressage test. And he will gain confidence in you if he feels you are confident in your plan.

From Facebook fan Barbara Martin ~ "What happens on the ground is just as important as what goes on in the saddle. Make sure you are giving clear signals to your horse as to who is in charge. We forget this sometimes, I think!"

"I was riding in a warm-up ring with Bill Steinkraus--you know, the greatest rider America has ever produced? That Bill Steinkraus?--and I asked him, on average, how many fences on a course of ten does he get to accurately. He thought about it and said "Seven." I said "Oh." But I was THINKING: "Oh. What does that say about ME?!" ~ Jimmy Wofford 

From Facebook fan Joan Dunlap ~ "If your horse's SI joint is compromised so is their ability to come through from behind with any ease."

-- This is SO important, as most horses with sacroiliac issues don't show a lot of signs, so pain in this area is often missed. If your horse is reluctant to really use himself or carry weight behind, and/or has canter lead issues, or displays bucking or balking behavior - get his SI joint checked out by a well qualified lameness vet. 

When a horse is crooked his energy gets stopped up like water in a hose with a kink in it.

If your horse is behind your leg or inattentive, he is challenging your authority to some degree.

There is no point in working on flying changes until you have the right canter. Start before they are truly ready, and you run the risk of making the flying change forever an anxiety filled movement for the horse. 

From member Sharon Fitzgerald ~ "I have learned that if I want my horse to be steady and up to the bridle then I have to provide a steady target [quiet hands] and use leg to keep him up there."

Speed magnifies mistakes. Therefore your basics had better be fairly solid before you start jumping at speed.