Tip/Quote of the Day # 781The sport of riding is about 80% mental. Control of your mind is even more important than control of your body.Tip/Quote of the Day # 780Always remember that your horse might be quite different to ride in the show jumping phase when it follows the cross country. You may need to adapt both your warm up strategy and the way you ride on course.Tip/Quote of the Day # 779Secure your reins by keeping your thumbs pinched on top, but keep the rest of your fingers more relaxed. Gripping the reins too firmly with all of your fingers will tend to tighten your forearms.Tip/Quote of the Day # 778For those of you who know you ride in stirrups that are too long over fences (which is quite common), spend some time practicing with your stirrups 3 or 4 holes shorter. Then when you put them down a few holes (leaving them a few holes shorter than your initial length), you will be more comfortable with the change.Tip/Quote of the Day # 777If your horse struggles to maintain a consistent rhythm, think of using your breathing to help him stay regular. This is one reason why counting is so useful, as when you count, you will breathe in that rhythm.Tip/Quote of the Day # 776If you are able to do a good walk to halt transition, you have a good basis for all downward transitions.Tip/Quote of the Day # 775"On the whole, there are only few mouths that cannot be taught a good rein contact by giving the horse the appropriate degree of balance, provided it is otherwise well conformed." ~ Borries v.OeynhausenTip/Quote of the Day # 774Always be aware of the amount of tension you carry when riding, and whether you are breathing softly and evenly, or holding your breath. Talking or humming quietly is a good way to ensure you keep breathing throughout your ride.Tip/Quote of the Day # 773Imagine the rider's body as a tree… the rider's seat and core need to be engaged and strong like the tree trunk, their long draped legs are the roots, and their arms are supple, movable branches. Tip/Quote of the Day # 772You must train your horse to understand that he should stay at whatever speed you put him in until told otherwise. Remember that every time you allow your horse to make a decision about his speed or energy level (or don't realize that he has done so), you are training him to make these decisions on his own.Tip/Quote of the Day # 771If you attempt to teach your horse to jump, to go through water, or to jump over a ditch when the horse is not first trained to go instantly forward from the leg, you are not setting yourself up for success.Tip/Quote of the Day # 770 Imagine an open ditch as a triple bar, so that you come close to the edge on the takeoff, and ride forward across the back edge. Doing so will make the jumping effort easier for the horse, and give him confidence.Tip/Quote of the Day # 769Dropping and picking up your stirrups at all three gaits is a good exercise to test the security of your seat. And you will be glad you practiced this regularly if you ever lose a stirrup at an important moment!Tip/Quote of the Day # 768A good trainer will know what you are capable of, and may sometimes push you slightly out of your comfort zone, asking you to do something that you would probably not attempt on your own. This can be a great opportunity to make a big "deposit" in your account of confidence!Tip/Quote of the Day # 767“The small and ring fingers can yield but never the thumb.” ~ Nuno OliveiraTip/Quote of the Day # 766Lightness is not the looseness of the contact, it is the way the horse moves over the ground - with real hind leg engagement.Tip/Quote of the Day # 765“You need to produce a walk. So work at the walk as well as the trot and canter. Get a good feeling of the body working in the walk. The walk is a mirror of the training of the horse.” ~ Christoph HessTip/Quote of the Day # 764
When working with horses, always be mindful of the feedback you are giving your horse at any given time... whether intentional or accidental. When your horse misbehaves, make sure you don't give him an accidental reward by stopping to regroup (which to him is a rest and a reward.) Keep moving, get the horse to do something (anything) well, and THEN stop to regroup if you must.
Tip/Quote of the Day # 763The outside rein should be similar to a wall... but a soft wall made of rubber. If it becomes too rigid, it will not invite the horse to move up into it.Tip/Quote of the Day # 762An exercise to check if you are sitting straight and putting your weight equally down into both stirrups is to stand straight up for a few strides, and notice which stirrup you have to consciously put more weight into to keep yourself balanced.Tip/Quote of the Day # 761Being a good rider, and being someone who understands the details of the concepts that make a good rider are two very different things. One can be both, but one does not guarantee another. This is why it is not really a good idea to pick a riding instructor based on their ability to ride. Tip/Quote of the Day # 760The mouth is never the real problem, what you feel in your hand is a reflection of what is happening behind the saddle. Get the back relaxed and swinging, and the hind legs active, and the horse will feel like putty in your hands.Tip/Quote of the Day # 759Everyone knows that we need the horse to be relaxed to perform well. But that starts with our own relaxation! A rider must be relaxed to give clear and precise aids to the horse, and to set the tone for the horse to be able to relax. Tip/Quote of the Day # 758"Given all that we ask of [our horses], the least we can do as riders is look after them well and make sure they're as happy as possible. Mine spend a lot of time out in the fields at home. I try to vary their work and not dominate them, to keep them enthusiastic and thinking for themselves." ~ Mary KingTip/Quote of the Day # 757If your horse is the type to sometimes get behind your leg in the jumping, you must start your courses with more energy in your canter than you think you need. I see so many riders starting off with a nice quiet canter, and then run into trouble because their horse doesn't respond instantly to their leg when they need them to. Tip/Quote of the Day # 756"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 # 755You don't really do yourself any favors when you cater to your weaknesses. For example, if you only like to ride with your whip in your right hand, and it feels odd and uncomfortable in your left - you need to make yourself ride with it in your left hand. And if you are uncomfortable riding amongst distractions or with people watching, you only better yourself by seeking out those conditions.Tip/Quote of the Day # 754There is a subtle but distinct difference between the horse "giving" to the bit and truly seeking it. Applying leverage to the bit does not induce a situation where the horse learns to reach into it with confidence. It only teaches him that it is futile to resist against it. And this is why draw reins do not produce the results that some people seem to think they do.Tip/Quote of the Day # 753Quality feedback needs to be very specific. It is not that helpful for an instructor to tell you that something was "good." They should be able to tell you what exactly was good about it, and why that quality is so important. This is the difference between merely stroking someone's ego vs turning them into a great and well educated rider. Tip/Quote of the Day # 752It can help a rider to learn feel by having their rides videotaped and watching it immediately after your ride. This way, you can match what you felt during the ride with what you see happening in the video, while it is still fresh in your mind. Tip/Quote of the Day # 751On riding the strong OTTB at the gallop or over fences... "The horse might pull quite hard against the bit for brief moments as it seeks balance, but if the pulling is against its own neck then the rider’s balance never shifts and the solution is much easier for the horse to discover." ~ Steuart Pittman
This is where the technique outlined here becomes invaluable! Tip/Quote of the Day # 750Even the very best and most natural riders will develop bad habits if they don't get regular feedback about their riding. Everyone needs good eyes on the ground from time to time. Tip/Quote of the Day # 749A stronger bit can be even milder on the horse's mouth if used correctly, as you can get more response from a lighter aid. BUT….. this will not work unless you actually make your rein aids lighter! If you use the reins with the same intensity that you did with a milder bit, there is a good chance that your horse will overreact, and you will not reap the benefits of increased responsiveness.Tip/Quote of the Day # 748"Flex your horse to the outside when necessary to improve the horse's acceptance of the connection." ~ Chris BartleTip/Quote of the Day # 747Pinch your thumbs on the top of your reins to keep the reins from slipping. If you try to grip the reins too tightly with your whole hand, you will tighten your forearms, and your horse will resist you.Tip/Quote of the Day # 746We incorporate circles into our training to promote suppleness and improved balance in the horse. But if our circles are oddly shaped, they will not improve the horse's suppleness, and will instead unbalance the horse.Tip/Quote of the Day # 745When you have an anxious horse that wants to rush, it can be helpful to very deliberately work in a tempo that is much slower than they are naturally offering you. Only when they have settled into a quiet, even rhythm, and are truly waiting for you, should you push them more forward. Tip/Quote of the Day # 744
From member Karen Barbato ~ "You will KNOW when you connect with a gifted instructor - they answer so many questions and fill the gaps."
Tip/Quote of the Day # 743“With the bend on the circles and in the travers, it is important to use as little inside rein as possible. If you need the inside rein, there is something wrong with the earlier work.” ~ Christoph HessTip/Quote of the Day # 742The 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, and with free shoulders. And it is of course more easy to elevate the horse's front end for an upcoming jump in this position as well. Tip/Quote of the Day # 741"Lighten your aids, otherwise you'll need a gas mask at the end of a Grand Prix test." ~ Carl HesterTip/Quote of the Day # 740Move your hips towards your hands rather than moving your hands towards your hips.Tip/Quote of the Day # 739People enjoy their jobs if they are told they are good at what they do, and horses are no different in this respect. Praise your horse often! And especially on cross country, try to make him feel like he is king of the world!Tip/Quote of the Day # 738The less you see a rider do, the better. That means they are communicating with the horse quietly, and the horse is attentive.Tip/Quote of the Day # 737Spend time on the basics, such as straightness and suppleness, and the more difficult movements will fall into place naturally.Tip/Quote of the Day # 736Your seat shouldn't stop the horse's hind legs in half halts and downward transitions, it should send them actively up into your hand to stop the horse on its hindquarters.Tip/Quote of the Day # 735Always look for the feeling that there is more horse in front of you than behind you. How do you achieve this? Two ways… don't get ahead of the horse's center of gravity, and try to keep the horse's neck as long as possible.Tip/Quote of the Day # 734In order to do successful lateral work, a rider must have an independent seat, so their aids can work precisely and independently.Tip/Quote of the Day # 733From Facebook fan Dorothy Smith ~ "In riding, as In a dance, one leads, one follows, but both must love to dance for it to become art."Tip/Quote of the Day # 732In wet or muddy conditions, it can be a good idea to get someone to wipe off the bottom of your boots after you get on. This will help to keep your feet securely in your stirrups, without sliding around as they might do when they are wet.
