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Tip/Quote of the Day # 86
Practicing transitions on a circle allows you to utilize the bend and increased engagement from the circle to improve the connection in your transitions.
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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 # 85
Counting each stride out loud or in your head can help you to maintain a rhythm and an even stride when jumping, and is a great trick to keep the troublesome part of your brain quiet as you negotiate fences.
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Tip/Quote of the Day # 84
"It’s normal to lose momentum when pursuing goals. Sometimes this happens because we’re not truly committed to our goals. Other times, it’s because we struggle to hold ourselves accountable for doing the necessary work… but it’s time to re-focus, re-energize, and re-align
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Tip/Quote of the Day # 83
In training the horse to be more responsive and self motivated, it is better to use the whip than the spur as reinforcement. As if the horse only ever feels light aids on his sides, he will be more sensitized to that light pressure. While reinforcing with the spur might
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Tip/Quote of the Day # 82
The horse's favorite reward is the release of the aid.
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Tip/Quote of the Day # 81
Horses learn by a process of trial and error based on trying to make themselves more comfortable.
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Tip/Quote of the Day # 80
Never let your hand drop below the elbow to bit line, as this makes the bit work in a downward action on the sensitive bars of the horse's mouth, increasing the severity of the bit considerably.
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Tip/Quote of the Day # 79
Always have more time than your horse.
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Tip/Quote of the Day # 78
Temporarily riding with your hands a bit wide can be helpful to prevent the horse from evading the contact. You will be more easily able to follow your horse's movements elastically, and your horse will find the connection a bit more inviting, as wide reins are essentially an
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Tip/Quote of the Day # 77
On straight lines, the principle of inside leg to outside rein still applies - particularly in canter, to keep the horse truly straight.
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Tip/Quote of the Day # 76
The canter is often the most valuable warm up gait, as it can be more effective than the the trot in loosening the horse up and encouraging him to move fully through the back.
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Tip/Quote of the Day # 75
Focus on the horse's hind legs in upward transitions. Look for the feeling that your horse begins to step into the new gait with their hind feet first.