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 jumping a fence that is a part of a complex where you feel like you need extra control, don't make the tempting mistake of hanging onto your horse's mouth in the air to try to keep that control. If you interfere with your horse'
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Don't just do trot and canter lengthenings to practice those movements for the test - they are a very important tool for increasing hind leg activity!
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If you get to riding with your reins a bit too long, you will be tempted to use your hands in a backwards way. It is easier to make a connection with truly forward feeling hands when your reins are sufficiently shortened.
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"Rein aids don't work if your horse is not ahead of your legs." ~ Yvonne Barteau
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With horses that get strong or play up after fences, it can be a good exercise to halt after each fence to instill discipline. And whenever a horse is difficult to halt, I add a rein back. This will teach them that they need to be ready to halt when
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Confidence is something you need to build for yourself. It is something you have to actively pursue and proactively work to maintain.
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In your Dressage warm up, it is most helpful to work on the specific exercises which best improve your connection, rather than the particular movements that are in your test. If you can create a good connection in the warm up, the movements themselves will be easy.
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Moving up to a jump by pushing the horse into a longer stride or frame will change the horse's balance at a time when he most needs it to stay the same. Instead, create a canter with sufficient impulsion early on in the approach, and ride forward within
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When things are not going especially well in training, you must go out of your way to find things to reward. This will help to keep your horse's level of confidence in you as high as possible, and will motivate him to keep trying for you.
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Don't lose your good score for your trot or canter lengthenings by not performing a clear, precise, and active transition back to the working gait at the end of the lengthening.
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Sally Swift gives a good explanation about why the best riders are often not the best instructors: "Many of the great riders have the gift of natural balance and coordination so that they never have to question how to do anything with any part of their body. If they
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Don't feel like you have to stick with the same movements or even the circle size of the Dressage test you are about to do in your warm up. It can be very helpful to utilize some smaller circles and lateral work (if you and the horse are
