Tip/Quote of the Day # 537Every galloping fence is an opportunity to awaken your horse's initiative, and show him how FUN it is to run and jump - and should be used as such.Tip/Quote of the Day # 536Ask, insist, reward.Tip/Quote of the Day # 535"Everything you teach your horse can and will be used against you." ~ Brian SaboTip/Quote of the Day # 534“I like to think about making my body longer in the front to make me sit up instead of thinking ‘shoulders back,’ which can make you stiff.” ~ Mary KingTip/Quote of the Day # 533Always finish each ride on a good note. Do something your horse does well so he can feel good about himself.Tip/Quote of the Day # 532From Facebook Fan Elizabeth Owens ~ "My 'aha' moment... when I finally realized that my horse's lead issues were due to the fact that I sit crooked. It's rarely the horse's fault... look to the rider's faults first." Tip/Quote of the Day # 531Good, correct Dressage is the best physical therapy for horses. Tip/Quote of the Day # 530 When half halting between jumps on course, try to think about doing so in rhythm of the horse's canter stride, rather than at random moments.Tip/Quote of the Day # 529From Facebook Fan Erin Kavanaugh Kirkley ~ "If you don't know how to use your core, look up some core strengthening Pilates moves. You will discover the transversus abdominis and your riding will improve in many ways." Tip/Quote of the Day # 528Fall into using loud aids, and you will always need loud aids.Tip/Quote of the Day # 527The most important part of a half halt is the give at the end.Tip/Quote of the Day # 526Timid horses often love a consistent routine. Bolder/braver horses often need more variety in their training.Tip/Quote of the Day # 525To change behavior, you need to change the incentives that lead to the behavior.Tip/Quote of the Day # 524Generally, the slower you are approaching a jump, the more leg you may need to apply in the final strides.Tip/Quote of the Day # 523The hot horse must learn to control his energy, not do without it.Tip/Quote of the Day # 522
You drive your horse heavily into your hands when you lean back even slightly behind the vertical.
Tip/Quote of the Day # 521"A horse seeks where it's most comfortable." ~ Ralph HillTip/Quote of the Day # 520Always begin each ride with specific goals for that day. Yet be be flexible, and ready to adapt the plan as necessary - based on what you feel at the moment, and how your horse is performing that day.Tip/Quote of the Day # 519Keep the horse's back up into the halt by riding each step from behind into your hand. Tip/Quote of the Day # 518You have to have an organized plan before you can execute one.Tip/Quote of the Day # 517If you and your horse have been having the same problem for a while, chances are the two of you have developed a set of reactions that serve to trigger each others behavior. You will need to figure out what those are to get past it. Tip/Quote of the Day # 516"If the rider can halt his horse in any lateral movement, so that it stands quietly in the same position, or ride straight forward without hesitation, it is proof that the horse was going well between hands and legs." ~ Borries von OeynhausenTip/Quote of the Day # 515Let the turn into the fence be your half halt.Tip/Quote of the Day # 514From Facebook Fan Clarissa Groesbeek ~ "Your job is to ride to the base of the fence, your horse's job is to jump it."Tip/Quote of the Day # 513Too much repetitive motion has a tendency to inhibit muscle symmetry. Always aim to mix things up in your training (whether horse or human), so that you can develop balanced musculature. Tip/Quote of the Day # 512
If you want your horse to look after himself when jumping, you must allow him to do so in training.
Tip/Quote of the Day # 511Throwing the reins away to the point that they are so loose that there are loops in them is not the answer to solving your problem of being too strong/tense/rigid in the hands and arms. You must keep a connection, and learn to be elastic within that connection. That is the only way to advance.Tip/Quote of the Day # 510On the turn to each jump, think about riding forward through the turn with your outside aids, to engage your horse outside hind leg, and help him come into a more uphill balance.Tip/Quote of the Day # 509Horses that don't find trot lengthenings easy often figure out how to lengthen rather than quicken when asked on an uphill gradient. So if you have a hill that you can work on, do a large figure eight on the side of the hill. Work on half halts and downward transitions down the hill, and lengthenings up the hill.Tip/Quote of the Day # 508The horse shouldn't feel punished for trying to escape the connection, they should just feel unsuccessful.Tip/Quote of the Day # 507Test the horse's balance with a half halt and a test for self carriage before asking for any transition.Tip/Quote of the Day # 506A tip from Facebook fan Kathi Knox Hammond on the half pass - "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."Tip/Quote of the Day # 505You cannot train a horse with shouts and expect it to obey a whisper. Keep your aids light.Tip/Quote of the Day # 504To improve your security over jumps, think about sinking into your ankles as you land.Tip/Quote of the Day # 503As you move up the levels, your margin for error decreases sharply. The solidity of your foundation is ultimately what will allow you to pass that test.Tip/Quote of the Day # 502
Riders who ride over fences with stirrups that are even slightly too long are often the first ones to stand up and jump up the horse's neck when they get to a jump!
Tip/Quote of the Day # 501Pay attention to where your whip is pointing when you ride, as that is a good indicator of your hand position.Tip/Quote of the Day # 500The three most important things you should think about to keep your horses sound are: shoeing, footing, and conditioning.Tip/Quote of the Day # 499Rather than simply holding in a combination or when riding down a line of jumps, individual half halts performed in time with the horse's stride will be more effective.Tip/Quote of the Day # 498When you turn your toes out while in a seated position, you tighten the muscles of your seat. Which will inhibit your ability to stay "plugged in" to your horse's back, as it will tend to push you out of the saddle. Tight thighs can have the same effect. Both will also tend to make the horse tighten their back muscles as well.Tip/Quote of the Day # 497The best way to build self confidence is to do what you are afraid to do... one baby step at a time.Tip/Quote of the Day # 496A tip for instructors - Make it a habit to ask your students questions during their lessons. This will help to keep them thinking, improve the accuracy of their feel, and keep them breathing (when they answer you.) It also allows you to more accurately judge where they are at mentally, in terms of their level of feel and understanding.Tip/Quote of the Day # 495“A spur that is constantly touching the horse’s sides does not drive the horse forward but on the contrary, it will make the horse sluggish.” ~ Nuno OliveiraTip/Quote of the Day # 494“For every effect there is a root cause. Find and address the root cause rather than try to fix the effect, as there is no end to the latter.” ~ Celestine Chua Tip/Quote of the Day # 493From Facebook fan Mikki Schattilly ~ "Take a step back and you will often leap forward."Tip/Quote of the Day # 492When jumping, don't package the canter into a shorter stride than you need for each circumstance.Tip/Quote of the Day # 491When a horse is equally laterally supple in both directions, it will be evident in the ease of which one is able to perform changes of bend and direction. Tip/Quote of the Day # 490You need to pay extra attention to the balance of your horse's canter/gallop on the approach when jumping cross country jumps at an angle (even a slight angle.) As if the horse's balance is not good, they are more likely to be slow with their front end on takeoff - which means an increased risk of a fall, since horses need to be extra quick with the front leg that is nearest the jump when jumping at an angle.Tip/Quote of the Day # 489If you are going to make a mistake when jumping, make it coming forward, not pulling back.Tip/Quote of the Day # 488From Facebook fan Kathy Wilson Rowe ~ "When you ask your horse to do something, MEAN it!!! Your horse needs to listen the first time!!"
