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Tip/Quote of the Day # 675
The most successful riders stay very much "in the moment", and are very attuned to feeling exactly what their horse is doing at any given moment.
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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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Tip/Quote of the Day # 674
A very common mistake riders make when performing the movements haunches in, half pass, or turn on the haunches is sitting too much towards the outside of the movement. To prevent this, think about stepping into the inside stirrup at the beginning of each of these movements, and again every
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Tip/Quote of the Day # 673
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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Tip/Quote of the Day # 672
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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Tip/Quote of the Day # 671
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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Tip/Quote of the Day # 670
"Rein aids don't work if your horse is not ahead of your legs." ~ Yvonne Barteau
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Tip/Quote of the Day # 669
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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Tip/Quote of the Day # 668
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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Tip/Quote of the Day # 667
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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Tip/Quote of the Day # 666
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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Tip/Quote of the Day # 665
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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Tip/Quote of the Day # 664
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.