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An exercise to check if you are sitting straight and putting your weight equally down into both stirrups is to stand straight up for a few strides, and notice which stirrup you have to consciously put more weight into to keep yourself balanced.
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Always think about the depth of the water when deciding how fast to approach and negotiate a water obstacle. Riding too fast in deep water can easily cause the horse to lose his balance or even fall.
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“A horse is not ready to start work until he neither hurries forward nor holds back” ~ Peter DeCosemo
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From Facebook fan Gina Riedmuller: "Riding on undulating ground really helps one develop a seat." I agree! Once you feel secure enough, get out of the ring! Riding out on uneven terrain will further your riding considerably more than merely going round and round in a perfectly manicured
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On Event horses: "The worst of them sense our fears and take advantage of us. The best of them sense our dreams and take us there." ~ Jimmy Wofford
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To 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 sport will
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"The most repeated mistake is the riders' weight taking off before the horse and often with catastrophic results - The rider that learns to look after the Engine, Line and Balance of his horse on the Approach and allows his horse to make the decisions about where he takes
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"For nine out of ten horses, the canter helps the trot." ~ Stephen Clarke I think one thing to take from this quote is to actually think about using the canter to improve the trot. If your trot needs improvement, rather than working endlessly in the trot, intersperse bits
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Keep breathing. It is much easier to remember a Dressage test or a course of jumps with the benefit of a little oxygen. If you have difficulty with this, try talking out loud while on course, or in your head during a Dressage test. This will help you to relax
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Problems can only truly be fixed by finding their root cause, and addressing that rather than merely addressing the symptoms. Address the symptoms alone, and they will keep coming back - or new symptoms will develop.
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Always remember that horses are herd animals, and that they read the emotional status of their herdmates to know when there’s danger lurking. Every time you ride or handle a horse, you become a part of your horse’s herd. When you tense, he expects trouble. When you keep
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With any related distance, make any needed adjustment early on in the line, and then focus on riding the rhythm and quality of the canter, while patiently waiting for the jump to "come to you".
