It's the middle of the summer, and there's no greater time to take a small break from all of our riding and horsin' around. Going to the beach? Taking a well-deserved vacay complete with hotel, swimming and night life?
Sounds like the perfect time to take some "me" hours to catch up on what you might not normally have a lot of time for! A horsey summer study session!
Previously, I posted a reading round up of suggested equestrian books.
This time, I decided to let you in on some of my favorite articles and video links straight off the Internet. There are SO many excellent sources of information, demonstrations and actual lessons that we could be watching and benefiting from.
I've selected what I feel are the most relevant topics that may have been discussed here on the blog, as well as some absolute must-sees like the Carl Hester and Charlotte Dujardin Master Class. Even if you are not a dressage rider, you will likely find good basic information here that will be useful for you and your horse in your discipline.
If you have a favorite article or video you'd like to share, please feel free to post it in the comments below.
Enjoy!
Articles:
How To Ride The Walk: Pedaling: Introduces a "pedaling" technique that works with the horse's rib cage swing in the walk.
Quotes From A Master: Nuno Oliviera: Some wonderful nuggets of inspiration from a legendary equestrian.
Inside Leg To Outside Rein: This article explains why it's so important, and what it means.
The Tooth, The Whole Tooth, And Nothing But The Tooth: Veterinarian Dr. David Ramey weighs in on tooth floating.
Understand How To Ride The Horse "Forward Into The Bridle In Balance": This is a very difficult concept but it's critical to all disciplines.
7 Under-Saddle Problems And How To Fix Them: Fast horses, slow horses, stiffness, neck-in, behind the bit, fussy mouth, and developing better contact. We've talked about many of these here before, but it's great to "hear'" it from another perspective.
Correct Body Alignment To Ride Bending Lines: Some great rider position tips.
Videos:
Robert Dover: Passive versus Active Seat
George Williams: 4 Exercises For Getting Your Horse On The Bit
Dressage Mastery TV: What To Do With Your Hands And Reins
Debbie McDonald: Working Through Roundness And Tension
Dressage Masterclass With Carl Hester and Charlotte Dujardin
Ingrid Klimke On Cavaletti Work At Canter
Charles deKunffy Explains Half-Halts
Finally! The Ultimate Rider-Centered Program!
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4 Steps To Help Your Horse Through A Turn: I’m sure you’ve seen it before – there are many situations where a horse turns too abruptly, unbalancing himself and also the rider. Most often, the rider hangs on but other times, she might be unseated, losing balance, stirrups and/or seat.
Ode to the Stretchy Trot: How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
What Do Leg Aids Mean? Instead of relying on them only to get the horse to move his legs faster or transition to a new gait, we might discover more involved messages that can be given with a sophisticated leg aid.
Why you Don't Want To Pull On The Inside Rein - And What To Do Instead: There is one other consequence to pulling on that inside rein that has little to do with turning.
In Praise Of The (Horse Riding) Hand: What goes into developing the type of hands that horses dream of?
How to "Flow” From the Trot to Walk: Although we rely on our hands too much and initiate all movements from the horse’s mouth, there are many alternate aids we can go to.