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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Great advice for professional instructors: "You will teach and sometimes you will hate it. You will be tired, you will be disappointed, and you will be hot, cold, bored, and sometimes scared out of your wits by horses and riders experiencing "learning opportunities." New parents to the
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"Infinite repetitions of one and the same problematic movement are usually a sign of insecurity in the rider and serve no purpose other than self-satisfaction. The horse doesn't gain anything from it. It leads to an overwrought horse and causes muscle fatigue and nervousness. Here, a
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Lightness is not the looseness of the rein contact, it's the way the horse moves over the ground.
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Everyone knows that we need our horses to be relaxed to perform well. But that starts with our own relaxation! A rider must be relaxed to give clear and precise aids to their horse, and to set the tone for the horse to be able to relax.
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If you feel like you absolutely need to wear spurs when you ride, it would be a good idea to go back to the basics in your training to revisit the concept of your horse answering your feather light leg aids. EVERY horse can be taught this!
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When your horse is more difficult going to the left because he wants to carry his body too "curled" to the left, (and therefore tends to fall through the outside shoulder when going that direction), this is often best addressed by schooling on the right rein, rather than
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A word about the double bridle: The curb bit should be a tool for increased refinement of the aids, not for applying a stronger force on the horse's mouth. If the double bridle is used because the rider can't otherwise ride their horse on the bit
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Don't forget to ride the last stride before every jump… Don't "jump ship" and freeze up on your horse just when he needs you the most.
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"The distance between your ears and shoulders needs to be as big as possible." ~ Bettina Hoy So keep your head tall, and your shoulders down and relaxed.
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Make sure you finish every ride or training session on a good note, so that you always put the horse away happy. That will set the stage for a more positive attitude in your next ride.
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Spend enough time on the basics, such as straightness and suppleness, and the more difficult movements will fall into place naturally.
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To make your leg longer in Dressage, think about letting your KNEES drop.
