In a movement like shoulder in, where the horse is likely to try to evade the difficulty of bending his body by swinging his quarters out, it can sometimes be helpful to bring your dressage whip forward, and touch the horse with it right in front of the saddle. This helps to reinforce your inside leg which should be up at the girth, and shows him to yield in that specific part of his body.
“Why not ride your dressage movements out in the open, in the field or the back paddock? Chances are your horse will be brighter, more forward, and focused.” ~ Michael Jung
There are some trainers who teach "lifting" the horse with your hands on the takeoff of the jump, to assist the horse off the ground. This is somewhat of a slippery slope, as the more you offer to lift the horse, the more the horse will rely on it and lean into it. Instead, create the type of canter that will allow your horse to rock back and lift his front end easily for himself. Then stay out of his way and let him do just that. This will help to produce a horse that wants to jump clean on his own, rather than one that needs micromanaging.
Balance and rhythm go hand in hand. Focus on maintaining an even rhythm, as every time the rhythm changes, the balance changes.
Tip/Quote of the Day # 1020"Horses are easier to train than people, especially Thoroughbreds because they are always thinking." ~ Steuart PittmanTip/Quote of the Day # 1019In hand work is a great way to teach the horse the concept of moving away from pressure. When the horse knows how to yield to pressure anywhere on his body on the ground, you will be able to apply it to under saddle work.Tip/Quote of the Day # 1018“We want to make sure we don't pinch with our thighs and knees, because that can pop the rider out of the saddle like a clothespin on a bowling ball.” ~ Lauren SprieserTip/Quote of the Day # 1017Be careful not to drill movements. Doing so can be both mentally and physically irritating to the horse, and sets them up for repetitive strain, soreness, and injury.Tip/Quote of the Day # 1016“My horse follows the bit to a solid contact. Warm-up is not only for loosening but also for developing this steady contact with the bit. From the beginning, when I pick up my reins in the walk and posting trot I expect my contact to be steady. I don’t like loose reins or keeping the horse behind the vertical. It’s very important that your horse be low in the neck and reaching forward toward the bit.” ~ Hubertus SchmidtTip/Quote of the Day # 1015“The secret in riding is to do few things right. The more one does, the less one succeeds. The less one does, the more one succeeds.” ~ Nuno OliveiraTip/Quote of the Day # 1014Riders who take the time and effort to learn theory will go much further in this sport.Tip/Quote of the Day # 1013Don't forget to ride the last stride before every jump… don't "jump ship" and freeze up on your horse just when he needs you the most.Tip/Quote of the Day # 1012"If the horse does not enjoy his work, his rider will have no joy." ~ H.H. IsenbartTip/Quote of the Day # 1011“It’s really important with the piaffe that I can make it easier for the horse by allowing him to travel forward. If I was to keep him on the spot all the time, it’s a tremendous amount of strain. If I did that every day, the horse would never last.” ~ Charlotte DujardinTip/Quote of the Day # 1010When you halt and salute the judge at a competition, remember to smile! This will send the judge the message that you are confident about your performance, which can impress the judge and may even influence your scores in a subconscious way. Tip/Quote of the Day # 1009Lateral movements are not an end in themselves, but serve to stretch the outside of the horse's body, make the horse more laterally supple, improve straightness, and encourage the horse to carry more weight behind by engaging whichever hind leg is being targeted by each specific movement.Tip/Quote of the Day # 1008“Thoroughbreds tend to thrive on physical movement, and they are, like all horses, hypnotized by their own rhythms. Repetition of success creates a sense of peace.” ~ Steuart PittmanTip/Quote of the Day # 1007Turn on the forehand is a great tool to improve your connection and to teach your horse to engage the inside hind leg. Used early on in your warm up it will mobilize your horse’s lumbar back and hips, and will give you a chance to improve his response to your lateral aids.Tip/Quote of the Day # 1006A little trick for those of you who need to be more stable with your outside rein connection, and your outside hand in general, is to try the temporary exercise of holding onto your saddle pad with the fingers of your outside hand. Stabilizing your outside hand in this way will also help you to learn to better use your body, rather than your hands, to turn your horse.Tip/Quote of the Day # 1005The halt must come from the rider's seat aid, not the reins.Tip/Quote of the Day # 1004"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
And for this reason, you have be very careful that you are teaching them exactly what you want them to learn, instead of things that you don't want them to learn! Tip/Quote of the Day # 1003“I like to think of the tension in a Thoroughbred’s body as it seeks to learn the meaning of our aids as an intense desire to please us.” ~ Steuart PittmanTip/Quote of the Day # 1002Always keep your spine stretched upward when riding. When you slump, your head and shoulders will become "heavy", and your horse will likely become heavy in your hands.Tip/Quote of the Day # 1001"Good contact is like having a conversation with a friend in a cozy coffee shop. Bad contact is like being hollered at by a stranger at the DMV.” ~ UnknownTip/Quote of the Day # 1000The 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.Tip/Quote of the Day # 999"Correctly understood, work at the lunge line is indispensable for rider and horse from the very beginning through the highest levels." ~ Egon von NeindorffTip/Quote of the Day # 998“I start by stretching the horse and trying to make him relaxed and supple. It’s a bit like gymnastics with a horse, dressage is. You wouldn’t expect a gymnastics person to just go and start their workout; they do a nice stretch in the warm-up first.” ~ Charlotte DujardinTip/Quote of the Day # 997“When you train at home, do one thing at a time. Pirouette one day and half pass another, so you have time to do each thing with quality. You might choose canter work on one day and trot work on another.” ~ Kyra KyrklundTip/Quote of the Day # 996The quality of your walk to halt transitions will tell a lot about the quality of alll of your work.Tip/Quote of the Day # 995"Good riders ride the approach, but great riders ride the landing." ~ Brian SaboTip/Quote of the Day # 994It can be a clever time to work on the beginning of a piaffe, or "half steps", when you are out hacking and your horse gets a bit excited and "prancy." Take advantage of the moment, to ask them (and allow them) to do what they are offering you in their excitement. And don't forget the reward.Tip/Quote of the Day # 993When preparing for a jump from a galloping position, one should always sink down into the heel before any touching of seat in the saddle, and only then should you take the mouth if necessary. Taking back on the reins first will almost always cause resistance.Tip/Quote of the Day # 992"Stop being a passenger, and start being a pilot." ~ Mark ToddTip/Quote of the Day # 991The horse that is the fastest on cross country is often not the one that is allowed to gallop at a greater rate of speed, but rather one that is highly adjustable, and is ridden on economical lines.Tip/Quote of the Day # 990When schooling a green horse through complexes where the last element is a tricky jump (skinny, angle, corner, etc), it is smart, if possible, to school the last element first. This will set you up for success as you then jump through the whole complex, as your horse will be more likely to put his eye on and correctly read the jump coming out.Tip/Quote of the Day # 989Horses that have a smooth and naturally balanced gallop stride often have longer careers in this sport. Keep that in mind when looking for an Eventing prospect.Tip/Quote of the Day # 988Riders are often incorrectly told to lean back and against the reins when their horses get strong. Not only will this not work, but it will usually make the horse even heavier in their hands.Tip/Quote of the Day # 987Doing the same thing day after day hinders growth. Think about how that might apply to your riding.Tip/Quote of the Day # 986Even if your horse is beginning to distract you with fussing against the bit, or tossing his head when jumping, keep your top priority on maintaining the rhythm.Tip/Quote of the Day # 985There are some horses that will have a hard time jumping show jumping jumps cleanly at the bigger jumps when ridden like a hunter. A much higher, "jumper" type frame, will help them jump their best.Tip/Quote of the Day # 984Do you want your horse to relax his jaw?? Use exercises that will truly engage his hind legs. That solves the problem at the root cause (which is a tense, rigid back, and hind legs which are not properly carrying the horse and rider), rather than solving the problem at the symptom (which is the horse feeling rigid in the jaw.)Tip/Quote of the Day # 983“Bad jumping can happen at any speed. I have watched some of the most brilliant, stylish jumping I have ever seen at the Maryland Hunt Cup, where the fences vary from 4 feet to 4-foot-10 in height and the average speed for this 4-mile race is about 800 meters per minute. At the same time, I have watched novice eventing riders skidding around like a hog on ice at 350 mpm. The thing I want you to remember is that speed and balance are not mutually exclusive." ~ Jimmy WoffordTip/Quote of the Day # 982Every correct step in shoulder in increases the carrying ability of the horse's inside hock.Tip/Quote of the Day # 981"Don't be distracted by criticism. Remember the only taste of success some people have is when they take a bite out of you." ~ George Morris
