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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Do you want your horse to relax his jaw?? Use exercises that will truly engage his hind legs. That solves the problem at the root cause (which is a tense, rigid back, and hind legs which are not properly carrying the horse and rider), rather than solving the problem at
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“Bad jumping can happen at any speed. I have watched some of the most brilliant, stylish jumping I have ever seen at the Maryland Hunt Cup, where the fences vary from 4 feet to 4-foot-10 in height and the average speed for this 4-mile race is about 800 meters per
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Every correct step in shoulder in increases the carrying ability of the horse's inside hock.
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"Don't be distracted by criticism. Remember the only taste of success some people have is when they take a bite out of you." ~ George Morris
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From Facebook fan Joan Dunlap ~ "You must conquer your own fears, lack of knowledge and short-comings before you can even start to help your horse with theirs."
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Think "uphill" in your lengthenings. Yes, the horse should be allowed to lengthen its neck slightly into the lengthening, but you still want to feel like you are on a motorboat - nose up, butt down.
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Remember that even a cow can jump a 3 foot fence from a standstill - if it wants to. So never worry about whether or not your horse has enough scope to do lower level eventing or jumping. The bigger issue is whether or not you can keep him balanced
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The smoothest and easiest canter to walk transitions come when the horse can canter at walk speed.
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"When you relax your arms and feel the reins softly you need to feel that your horse wants to step into the contact. If you do not then he is behind your leg and seat." ~ Yvonne Barteau
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When doing movements like turn on the haunches, pirouettes, haunches in, and half pass, even the most experienced riders have to remind themselves to sit over their inside seat bone throughout the entire movement. Consciously thinking about stepping into the inside stirrup every couple of strides during these movements is
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Quote from Bert de Nemethy ~ "When I think of the rider's aids, I am reminded of an anecdote that is told about one of the world's great pianists, who was asked how difficult it was to learn to play the piano as he did. "
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If you don't ride well into the corner, it will have a negative effect on the next movement. The short sides and corners are what set you up for every movement.
