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Some people misunderstand the term "on the forehand," which refers to the shoulders being down and the hind legs out behind the horse - regardless of where his head and neck are positioned. A low head and neck does not mean a horse is on the forehand, any more
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If your upper body is leaning to the inside as you try to bend your horse on a circle or through a turn, you will likely find that your horse won’t bend very well. This is because your leaning to the inside causes your horse to also lean to
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When riding a Dressage test, riding accurately to the letters and making good use of the corners of the ring shows the judge that you are aware, thinking, and have good control of your horse.
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The more a horse relaxes within a lateral movement, the more gymnastic value the exercise will have on his body.
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"Just as the sculptor at first chisels the future outlines of his work of art with powerful blows out of the crude block of stone, and then lets it develop in increasingly finer detail in all its beauty, the aids of the rider must also become more and more
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"I like to think about making my body longer in the front to make me sit up instead of thinking 'shoulders back,' which can make you stiff." ~ Mary King
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On riding the strong OTTB at the gallop or over fences... "The horse might pull quite hard against the bit for brief moments as it seeks balance, but if the pulling is against its own neck then the rider’s balance never shifts and the solution is much easier
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Think of your leg, seat, and rein aids as ways to communicate with your horse. You don't physically push or pull him anywhere, you give him subtle signals. And if he doesn't initially respond to your subtle signals, you need to teach him to. EVERY horse
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The opening rein acts like a vacuum, moving the horse's shoulders easily as desired, especially when supported by the opposite leg and rein.
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"When training, riders should focus on the line, but sit quietly & allow the horse to use its own initiative to jump the fence." ~ Eric Smiley
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Always keep in mind that you do not necessarily need to slow down to rebalance your horse between fences when jumping. A horse can be balanced at just about any speed.You can also change the shape of the canter stride without changing the speed. And most importantly, the rhythm.
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If you think it doesn't matter if your horse drifts a tiny bit one way or the other when jumping, you are wrong. It almost always affects the horse's balance in a negative way.
