Unless otherwise noted, all quotes on this page are the work of Lesley Stevenson. Please ensure proper attribution when sharing. Thank you!
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"Flexibility and self-carriage are the source of the horse's agility. Good turns, which develop its agility, are obtained only by making the horse flexible, putting it into balance, and thus giving it self-carriage. This involves not merely the lateral flexion of the entire spinal column
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There is no substitute for eyes on the ground when you are trying to improve your riding - whether that is in the form of an instructor on the ground, videos, or virtual coaching. Things often look very different than they feel.
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The more you can leave your horse alone through gymnastic work, the more he will actually learn from it.
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"You have to always ride up to an oxer-vertical combination." ~ McLain Ward
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"I’m a big fan of ground lines. I think it teaches the horse to have better technique in front. Everything that we do is connected — the way we start on the cross rail to this, it all connects. We're building through our training." ~ McLain Ward
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Tension meeting tension = double the tension. If your horse becomes tense, you must be able to stay relaxed, or you will make it worse.
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Always 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.
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Riding shoulder in steps immediately before the half pass brings the inside hind leg deeper underneath the horse's body, to carry more weight and be a more solid balance point, which allows for a bigger lift and reach across with the legs on the outside of the horse&
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If you don't ride and train in such a way that your horse learns to listen to your seat, you will usually find that you have to use a lot more hand to get things done.
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"Tempo enables dressage to become dancing. Rhythm is the regularity of the pace. Tempo is the speed of the pace." ~ Hilda Gurney
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Feel your horse's rhythm with your whole body when riding. Whether you are doing Dressage, jumping, galloping cross country, or just enjoying a relaxing trail ride, the more you can be in sync with your horse's rhythm, the more harmony you will find.
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"First, [the rider] has to be ambitious. Mentally, he has to be well balanced and consistent. He has to be tougher on himself than on the horse. If he gets after the horse too much, he will not get far. One must really be able to push oneself harder
