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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A horse must first be able to travel in a connected long and low frame before a proper higher head carriage can be achieved. If you struggle with lengthening your horse's neck while still maintaining a soft contact - be sure to master this connection before moving on
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"Nothing is as impressive or as valuable for the training as being able to control the impulsion and the desire to go forward to such an extent that the rider is able to bring his horse to a standstill from an extended trot or canter without the slightest effort
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While it is important to have a plan when riding, you should be ready to adapt that plan as necessary. Ultimately, you ride the horse and not the plan!
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If you shorten the reins when your horse is not yet thinking forward, he is likely to become even more stuck and behind your leg. Always get him thinking forward first!
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Generally the fastest way to get where you're going is to take your time.
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If your horse is heavy on one rein... and empty in the other - fight your instincts to take back on the heavier rein. It won't help. Instead focus on engaging the hind leg on the heavier side to put the horse more up into the opposite rein.
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Immediate, accurate feedback is necessary for a horse to learn if what it is doing is right. The timing is absolutely crucial, as there is a window of only a few seconds for the horse to make a clear connection between its behavior and the feedback that the rider provides.
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You can learn so much by watching the warm up areas at shows and events. Spend some time there, and you will see a multitude of lessons and techniques. You can educate your eye by making predictions on how each horse and rider will perform in the show ring or
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From Facebook fan Kathy Wilson Rowe: "When you ask your horse to do something, MEAN it!!! When you give an aid, your horse needs to listen the first time!!"
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Try to give your horse a short vacation now and then. Horses appreciate a break from their jobs just as riders do.
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Many riders mistakenly believe that they have achieved lightness when the horse is not connecting with the bit, when what they are often actually feeling is emptiness in their hands due to lack of a proper connection over the back. True lightness does not come from the horse learning not
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To successfully maintain the elusive "forward feeling hands", imagine that you are pushing a shopping cart as you ride forward into the bit.
