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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When riding on slippery footing, think about some of the same tactics that you would use to drive on an icy road. Go a little more slowly and don't make any sudden turns or changes of speed. Also think about stepping a little more into your outside stirrup
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"Working over a single pole on the ground, notice if the young horse prefers to chip in a short stride or stretch for a long stride. Then remember this is the default that they will return to when things go wrong." ~ Eric Smiley
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It is impossible to create a correct rein connection when the horse is not truly thinking forward. You must create a situation where the horse wants to move forward into the connection.
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We must not forget that the horses we ride today are descended from the ones who did NOT get eaten by the mountain lion at the water hole. In other words, it is perfectly normal for horses to be spooky.
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Dressage riders should aim to mix their horse’s schooling up with hacking and even some jumping if possible, as it will help to keep the horse more fresh and interested in his work.
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Frequent quality transitions are the best way to confirm that your horse is listening equally to both the driving aids and the restraining aids.
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It is a good idea to sit back every month or so and assess your training program and its current results. Be ready to add to or change your plan if you are not seeing results.
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You have to have experiences to gain experience.
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I find that many riders are using bits that are too big for their horse’s mouths. While certainly better than a bit that is too small, when a bit is too big there is too much movement of the bit sliding back and forth in the horse’s mouth.
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"The most important thing is for the horse to be thinking on its own. Unless you’re Michael Jung, you make mistakes and things go wrong. You have to teach the horse the stride isn’t always right, the line isn’t always right, and that’s why we
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From member Karen Barbato ~ "Asking my horse to move laterally off my leg is NOT a negotiation. DO IT NOW (and with a happy face!)"
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Great tip from member Sharon Fitzgerald ~ "It is only when you get completely out of your horse's way that you can feel exactly what they are doing and then have a hope in hell of influencing it. Otherwise you might be spending a lot of time just
