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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.
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Tip/Quote of the Day # 663
Sally Swift gives a good explanation about why the best riders are often not the best instructors: "Many of the great riders have the gift of natural balance and coordination so that they never have to question how to do anything with any part of their body. If they
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Tip/Quote of the Day # 662
Don't feel like you have to stick with the same movements or even the circle size of the Dressage test you are about to do in your warm up. It can be very helpful to utilize some smaller circles and lateral work (if you and the horse are
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Tip/Quote of the Day # 661
"Take your time, but don't waste time." ~ Arthur Kottas