Tip/Quote of the Day # 288When on a cross country course that is partially on wooded paths, always keep in mind that you are never going quite as fast as you feel you are when you are in the woods. The trees may be whizzing by, but if you slow down too much you may find it hard to make the time up on the more open areas.Tip/Quote of the Day # 287It can be really helpful to get someone to regularly video you while you are riding, so you can actually see what you are doing right or wrong. Sometimes it can be even more beneficial than having someone on the ground. As when you can really see the problem yourself, you will be even more determined to fix it.Tip/Quote of the Day # 286Stiff shoulders cause a rider to have tense, tight hands. To relax your shoulders, take a deep breath in, and exhale... looking for the feeling that your shoulders and elbows drop and become supple.Tip/Quote of the Day # 285Let your plan be... to change and adapt your plan as much as necessary on course. Ultimately, you ride the horse, and not the plan.Tip/Quote of the Day # 284Sometimes on a cross country course, they will mow the grass to form a path from jump to jump. Do NOT get suckered into always staying on that path on your approach to the jumps. If it would give you a better approach to move off of that visually inviting path, then do so.Tip/Quote of the Day # 283Courage is like a muscle. The more we use it, the stronger it gets.Tip/Quote of the Day # 282"Dressage is not just for competition. It is gymnastics for horses and all horses can benefit from it, as they are more likely to stay sound with a long, stretchy neck, soft body and easy movement." ~ Carl HesterTip/Quote of the Day # 281Remember to breathe... it's a lot easier to remember your Dressage Test or Jumping course with the benefit of a little oxygen.Tip/Quote of the Day # 280When a horse collects, his shoulders will come up naturally. Don't attempt to artificially raise the front end.Tip/Quote of the Day # 279Lunge lessons allow you to focus more on learning to feel what your body is doing, as you don't have to worry about controlling the horse.Tip/Quote of the Day # 278"There are many horses that can only be taught through lateral bending, especially second degree bending, to let the rein aids go through to the hind legs." ~ Sigismund v. JosipovichTip/Quote of the Day # 277On roundness - "If you have the body, you have the head - if you have the head you don't (necessarily) have the body." ~ Jack LeGoffTip/Quote of the Day # 276When jumping, imagine that the jump is coming towards you on a conveyor belt... and just focus on keeping the rhythm and the quality of the canter consistent, while you wait for the jump to come to you. Tip/Quote of the Day # 275Always keep your eyes up when walking a course. See exactly what your horse will be seeing for the first time.Tip/Quote of the Day # 274From Facebook fan Gabby Ballin ~ "Just because something went bad once doesn't mean it'll go bad again. If you anticipate a problem, your horse will too."Tip/Quote of the Day # 273We want the horse to understand that he is not to go against the rider's hand. But we do not want him to think that he should give to the hand. If he learns to give to the rider's hand, he will tend to want to tuck his nose when the rider is attempting to create a connection, rather than truly moving into the bit and seeking that connection. Tip/Quote of the Day # 272To steady your horse between jumps, many times it is sufficient to square your shoulders and stretch up your body in a poised way... opening up kind of like a sail on a sail boat. Tip/Quote of the Day # 271"Frankly, everyone from intermediate on can and should learn to jump with a following hand. The crest release may be fine for the beginner, but it is a very limited technique for anyone who aspires to ride really well." ~ William SteinkrausTip/Quote of the Day # 270Under developed muscles need building slowly. Tip/Quote of the Day # 269The more the rider listens to the horse, the more the horse will usually listen to the rider. Tip/Quote of the Day # 268A common cause of knockdowns in the show jumping is the rider being too "handsy" in front of jumps. The more you fuss with the bit in the last few strides, the more you take your horse's focus off of the jump. Try to keep your contact as consistent as possible to allow your horse to stay focused on the top rail of the jumps as you approach them. Tip/Quote of the Day # 267When your horse backs off or gets a little weak over a fence, you must have an immediate reaction. Send him sharply forward on the landing, to help him think more forward at the next fence. To do nothing makes your horse feel like he has a passenger on his back, rather than a confident leader. Tip/Quote of the Day # 266Walk is the "explaining" pace, so whenever possible ride every exercise in the walk first, until your horse thoroughly understands. Tip/Quote of the Day # 265"To get a good flying change, one has to perfect the original canter above all" ~ Nuno Oliveira Tip/Quote of the Day # 264When approaching a plain drop jump with no log (or other defining factor) on top, it is usually wise to trot the last few steps before takeoff, as well as allowing him to look by softening the reins. Cantering off of a plain step makes it more likely for the horse to make a mistake, and mis-judge where the actual edge of the ground is. And this can cause him to be inaccurate with his footwork on the takeoff. Tip/Quote of the Day # 263As my horse's leader, it is my job to always try to be aware that I am the leader, and act accordingly. Tip/Quote of the Day # 262"A good rider rides from transition to transition, a great rider rides from half-halt to half-halt !" ~ Robert Dover Tip/Quote of the Day # 261"If you get left behind jumping up a bank, your horse will HATE you!" ~ Jimmy WoffordTip/Quote of the Day # 260A tense, tight back is a blocked "bridge" for the energy that should be moving from the horse's hindquarters to the rider's hands.Tip/Quote of the Day # 259"Your back must stay strong in a canter/walk transition, but your hands must stay low so that your horse will stay through." ~ Stephen ClarkeTip/Quote of the Day # 258It is not wise to add pressure to the situation when the horse is already tense. Use quiet, soothing exercises that the horse is already familiar with, rather than push for anything difficult, to help him relax.Tip/Quote of the Day # 257"You know it ́s impossible to achieve great riding success with a horse that ́s stiff, crooked, weak, and unbalanced, but have you ever stopped to think that a horse has just as difficult a time achieving great success with a rider who ́s stiff, crooked, weak, and unbalanced?" ~ Daniel StewartTip/Quote of the Day # 256To get the best canter to walk transitions, you need to have a canter so collected that you can canter at walk speed.Tip/Quote of the Day # 255Always keep in mind that you need to engage your horse's brain to get him to truly think forward. Your goal should not be to merely get his feet moving, but to ignite the area of his brain that makes him decide to want to move forward. Only when your horse really wants to go forward do you truly have a forward horse... no matter how fast you are actually traveling. Tip/Quote of the Day # 254 "Success isn't magic or hocus-pocus - it's simply learning how to focus." ~ Jack CanfieldTip/Quote of the Day # 253Always remember that horses are herd animals, and are experts at reading the emotional status of their herdmates to know when there’s danger lurking ahead. Every time you ride or handle a horse, you become a part of your horse’s herd. When you tense, he expects trouble. When you keep cool, he takes confidence from you.Tip/Quote of the Day # 252What you are used to doing will often feel right to you. However it is worthwhile to make sure it really is correct, before you practice that way so many times that it becomes an ingrained habit that will be difficult to change.Tip/Quote of the Day # 251Lunge lessons are extremely invaluable, as they allow you to focus more on learning to feel what your body is doing, since you don't also have to worry about controlling the horse.Tip/Quote of the Day # 250One of the most important things for you to think about during your Dressage Test is to maintain a consistent rhythm and tempo throughout. Even if other things are not perfect, maintaining that consistency will produce the best possible score. Tip/Quote of the Day # 249If you don't take the time to do things right, you will usually have to take the time to do things over.Tip/Quote of the Day # 248Don't "sort of" have a contact. Try to either ride with a connection, or with a loose rein. That "in between" area, where there is sometimes a feel and sometimes not, is where horses learn to fear and/or evade the contact.Tip/Quote of the Day # 247Great quote from Facebook fan Lisa Hamilton-Smith ~ "Contact is a living breathing thing. It's elastic from the elbow and has little to do with the hands. Imagine your elbows are holding the rein, and that your contact is then held by your seat/trunk rather than the hand in any way. The hand merely holds the rein."Tip/Quote of the Day # 246If your horse tends to lean heavily on his inside shoulder when making transitions, think about a few steps of spiral outbefore asking for the transition. Tip/Quote of the Day # 245The key to training horses is patience and consistency... stick with it and you will get there!Tip/Quote of the Day # 244Remember to take advantage of any hills you may have to build your horse into a stronger athlete. Progressive hillwork done several times a week, with days in between for muscle recovery, will build your horse up to a peak level of strength... which of course will make his job easier for him. Tip/Quote of the Day # 243When learning movements like shoulder in and haunches in, always start out with minimal angle and focus more on the quality of the bend. Tip/Quote of the Day # 242Asking a horse to bend before instilling a basic understanding of lateral aids is like asking a child to read sentences before he first learns the alphabet. Tip/Quote of the Day # 241For those of you who don't get a lot of riding time, but want to build up strength in your legs, riding in a standing position while pedaling on a bicycle works the leg muscles in a similar way to riding.Tip/Quote of the Day # 240From Facebook fan Anna-Lindsay McIntyre ~ "If my abs don't hurt throughout my ride, I know I'm doing something wrong."
Of course this may not be true once you are really fit and strong, but it is always a good sign when you can feel your core muscles after a ride. :)Tip/Quote of the Day # 239"A three-day event is not a test of speed and endurance, it is a test of character." ~ Jimmy Wofford
