As a colour, gray gives variance to the spectrum between black and white.
But with horses, "being" gray leaves too much unsaid, too many questions, too many options to choose from.
I'll tell you why gray doesn't work.
Gray Is
- wishy-washy
- unclear
- muddy
- unsure
- insecure
- confusing
Gray is simply too much in the middle.
Horses
- do better with a straight yes or no
- want all the wrong options eliminated
- gain confidence from a confident rider
- prefer clarity
It is true that horses are constantly communicating with you. Through their physical interactions, they ask questions and answer yours. This regular interaction is the foundation of your training program. One of the most critical personal attributes a good rider has is clarity of aids and requests.
Often, the horses that find leader-humans are the happiest, most content horses to ride. They can rely on their partner to be clear, concise and sure. There is no guesswork required of the horse.
So how does this impact your regular riding routine?
Be Black and White in Riding
If you ask for a canter, get that canter. Don't let the horse trot away faster and faster until you finally just pull him up. If he trots off, slow the trot, ask for the canter again. Repeat. Be clear. Be concise. Maybe you need to reestablish the inside bend. Correct a dropped shoulder and then ask again.
If you asked for a turn, follow through when the horse drifts to the outside. Catch the horse's outside shoulder with the rein, use your outside leg to encourage better straightness from the rib cage, and encourage more impulsion from the hind end with your seat and leg aids.
Timeliness is the key when it comes to clarity. Don't wait ten, twenty, thirty or more strides before following through on your request. The quicker you can respond, the easier it will be for your horse to make connections.
If your horse needs to do something more basic, change the plan. But be specific in your intentions and reinforce/review/change the approach as required.
I don't believe in putting my work behind a paywall. But there are expenses in every venture. If you really liked this article, consider tipping us! Your tip will help me keep producing more riding TIPS (pun!) with free access to everyone. With thanks for reading!
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Take Two Deeper Steps Underneath For Better Everything
One of the easiest, and most beneficial solutions to many riding problems is to teach the horse to move from the hind end. Why do we harp so much on this topic?
Everything starts with impulsion.
Impulsion starts with the hind end.
Every horse benefits from stepping deeper with the hind legs.
If the stride is longer, the hind legs can reach further underneath the body and support the horse's balance with more strength and agility.
The energy derived from the increased impulsion can then travel over the back (topline), allowing for better carriage of the rider and a loftier, bouncier movement, whether it is walk, trot or canter. It can help to straighten the horse. It can resolve "behavior" issues. It can even help to reduce tension in the horse's body.
How to Increase Impulsion
All it takes is two stronger steps, in the same gait, in the same rhythm, tempo and direction. Use two squeezing calf leg aids with a corresponding seat aid for "forward". You may need a half-halt (or two) following the energy surge.
In other words, ask for increased energy but:
- don't let the horse get faster in the gait.
- don't let the horse change gaits.
- don't let the horse scramble because of the extra energy.
- stop him from falling to the forehand.
- help him send the energy straight forward (avoid letting him become crooked).
Teach him to use that burst of energy to lengthen the stride of his hind legs.
For the horse that does not typically, or naturally, use his hind end, taking the two deeper steps might be difficult at first. He might translate the request to mean that he has to move his legs faster, or fall to the inside/outside, or change gait entirely. You might have to learn to coordinate your"go" request with an immediate "no"to help him rebalance rather than to scramble underneath that extra energy.
You know you are on the right track when:
- the stride becomes bouncier
- the strides feel longer (you travel over more ground with less steps)
- you feel less overall tension in the horse's body
- the horse goes straighter (doesn't fall to the inside or outside on a turn or line)
- you get more "air time"
- the horse begins to round (without you pulling back on the reins)
- the footfalls are lighter when the horse lands
- for geldings, the sheath sound disappears
- the horse gives you a heartfelt snort!
The next time you run into tension, leaning, drifting, hollow back, or many other problems that we often think of as resistance or reluctance, try this simple technique. Ask for just two steps of increased energy. Then, evaluate. If you feel there could be more, ask for another two steps.
Increase impulsion in two-step increments, without the expectation of doing more and more and more over the long term.
And see what your horse thinks about it!
Finally! The Ultimate Rider-Centered Program!
Ready for something completely different? If you liked what you read here, you might be interested in the Horse Listening Practice Sessions.
This is NOT a program where you watch other people's riding lessons. Start working with your horse from Day 1.
I don't believe in putting my work behind a paywall. But there are expenses in every venture. If you really liked this article, consider tipping us! Your tip will help me keep producing more riding TIPS (pun!) with free access to everyone. With thanks for reading!
Click to learn more.
Buy the book for many more riding tips! Horse Listening – The Book:Stepping Forward to Effective Riding
Buy the books for many more riding tips! Horse Listening Book Collection.
Personally signed books available! Just send me a message.
Would you like to be the rider that all horses dream of?
By following simple, useful exercises, you will be able to develop a better understanding about many topics including:
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.
It happens when the horse turns too soon, cutting the arc of the circle so small that he has to catch himself with his front legs in order to avoid a fall. It can happen in the hunter/jumper ring especially after a jump, on a dressage 20m circle, on a reining or horsemanship pattern or on a trail that winds its way through the forest.
Regardless of the situation, there are several ways to help the horse through the turn. By being an active rider, you can:
1. Predict the lean into the turn.
2. Support before the horse loses balance.
3. Teach the horse to reach straight through the turn.
4. Release (lighten contact and follow the horse with your seat) as soon as possible.
Let's take a closer look at each step.
Predict the Lean
You know it's coming! So instead of waiting for it to happen and THEN trying to do something about it after the horse is off balance, prepare several strides ahead of time. Shorten your reins if they've become too long (but keep the bend in your elbows). Sit tall in the saddle. Use your inside leg more actively before the lean. Keep the horse's neck straight (although the head can slightly flex in the direction of the turn).
Support
Use an active seat, leg and reins to lightly carry the horse several strides past the point where he wanted to lean. Your legs and seat can act as a wall that prevents your horse's rib cage from leaning. You might need a stronger inside rein if the horse is travelling with his head and neck flexed to the outside. You might need a stronger outside rein if the horse is swinging his head to the inside. In any case, keep your horse's neck aligned with his body.
Half-halt once, twice, or several times, at the right time, in order to help rebalance the horse's weight to the hind end. For the horse that rushes, slow his leg speed. For the horse that slows down, ask for more from the hind end.
Straighten
Even though you are on a turn, the horse does not have to feel like he has to scramble through it with a tight, tense body. Break down your turn into a number of straight strides, and ask your horse to go straight longer, and turn for less strides. Imagine that your turn or circle is a hexagon, with many short straight lines attached together.
Find all the straight lines in the circle. Then ride the turn that way.
Make sure you are not leaning into the turn yourself. We often lean without even knowing it. Stay tall, stay straight with your own seat and shoulders, and follow the arc of the turn at the right moment.
Take as many strides as needed to make a better balanced, more controlled turn when you finally ask for it.
Release
Well, this doesn't mean throw the reins away. It does mean that you can stop resisting through your body and flow with the horse. You can lighten the rein contact and encourage the horse to reach forward with a bold stride or two. It also means that he can find his balance once again in preparation for the next turn or movement.
It might take many repetitions before the horse can maintain better balance. It is often more tempting to give in to gravity than to carry one's weight with strength and agility. But it can be done.
Once the horse has better understanding, you will notice that he becomes less tense as he nears a turn. You might feel that he begins to swing through the back better, become bouncier in his gait and maybe even take bolder steps with his hind legs coming further underneath the body. He might snort, soften through the poll and ears, and generally give you a feel-good message.
You will also have an easier time because you can maintain better balance and prepare for the next movement up ahead.
And the onlooker will see a horse that calmly but boldly negotiates a smooth, easy turn without fuss or scramble, appearing to be so athletic that he could turn on a dime - if he wanted to!
Do you help your horse through a turn? If so, how? Please comment below.
Finally! The Ultimate Rider-Centered Program!
Ready for something completely different? If you liked what you read here, you might be interested in the Horse Listening Practice Sessions.
This is NOT a program where you watch other people's riding lessons. Start working with your horse from Day 1.
I don't believe in putting my work behind a paywall. But there are expenses in every venture. If you really liked this article, consider tipping us! Your tip will help me keep producing more riding TIPS (pun!) with free access to everyone. With thanks for reading!
Click to learn more.
Buy the book for many more riding tips! Horse Listening – The Book:Stepping Forward to Effective Riding
Personally signed books available! Give the best gift for the horse lover in your life (or for yourself! ). Send me a message for more information.
From the first book in the Horse Listening Collection: Horse Listening, The Book
"There are many reasons why we enjoy riding horses. Maybe one of the most appealing facets of riding is the sense of freedom: freedom from our own limitations, freedom from gravity, freedom to (literally) roam the Earth. Time stands still while we have the privilege of feeling movement from the back of our four-legged friend.
Riding gives us the place to just be.
Of course, there are other purposes too. Some of us revel in the challenge of learning the skills required to becoming a good team member of this unlikely duo. Riding is like no other sport or recreational pursuit simply because of the equine partner that must not only carry us, but also do so effortlessly and gracefully. As we develop our specific skill sets, we also grow as human beings in character, emotional maturity and mental acuity.
But there is one other motivation that drives some of us to persevere in the never-ending learning process that is horseback riding: improving the horse. As your own skills develop, you begin to realize that not only can you meet your own needs through riding, but also that you can even become an instrument of benefit for the horse."
And so begins the book that reflects the most important learning I have had in all of my riding years: that I want to be the best rider I can be for the sake of my horses.
This book is geared toward the rider:
- the rider's motivations
- the essential skills for the rider
- some specific strategies
- solutions to common problems
- and the results: the great horsey moments we get to experience
Along the way, you will find chapters that discuss everything from the seat to the leg aids to the reins, discussions on half-halts, imbalance, halts, straightness and more!
Special in this book are the "In The Ring" sections that give specific suggestions based on the preceding chapters. Take these to the barn to try with your own horse!
When we ride horses, we often assume that the inside rein is used like the steering wheel of a car or a bicycle. We think that when we pull the inside rein, the horse must obviously turn his nose and then follow it. Right?
Pulling to Turn
In some cases, the turn does happen. The horse's body moves along the direction of the head and he accommodates us the best he can. This is the reason why many of us think we are on the right track by pulling to turn.
However, at some point in time, we begin to better understand the biomechanics of pullingand how it affects the horse's body.
Sometimes, although the horse turns his nose in the direction of the pull, his body continues in the original trajectory. He doesn't easily make the turn. Other times, his body even goes in the oppositedirection (in effect, drifting out) from where we pointed his nose! Has this ever happened to you?
Then we learn about the usefulness of the outside rein in turns. We practice using the outside rein while turning until it eventually becomes a habit.
But there is one other consequence to pulling on that inside rein that has little to do with turning. It isn't as straightforward to identify or visualize. And it affects the horse under almost every circumstance - on a turn, over a straight line, in a gait change, through a half-halt and more.
Blocking the Inside Hind Leg
If you want to prevent the inside hind leg from coming through underneath the body, this is how you do it:
pull back on the inside rein.
The only problem is that the haunches then cannot support the horse's balance.
Without the hind end as the engine, the horse is left to having to initiate movement from his front legs. He must then drag his body (and yours) along from the front, thus losing balance and falling to the forehand. You know the rest: tripping, stumbling, tension, rock-hard hollow back, discomfort and so on.
What NOT To Do
Most people's reaction is to do the exact opposite and fully drop the inside rein. Sometimes, you can even see the droop as if the rider wants to say, "See? I don't even have any contact at all!"
Having absolutely no contact can be counterproductive too, because then there is no way for you to support the horse when necessary. You will end up with an on-again, off-again pull that becomes difficult for the horse to negotiate. In the end, no contact can be as bad as too much contact.
There is always a happy medium.
What To Do
You have three strategies.
#1 is the easiest to do while #3 takes the most coordination. You can probably progress through the steps as you become better able to find that release. Your horse might also have a preference between the three at different times - so you can use the skill that suits him best in the moment.
Please note: these techniques can be used in the same manner on a snaffle bit (short rein length) or any curb/shank bit (long rein length) or anything in-between! Please feel free to try this in your riding style and discipline.
1. You could let out an inch of rein.
Lengthening the rein an inch out might be all the horse needs to get the freedom in the hind quarters. The rein is therefore short enough for us to communicate with him at a moment's notice, but long enough that there is that space for him to reach - from his hind legs, over his topline and through the poll to the bit.
There is no better feeling than when the horse reaches for the bit into the rein space you just gave him!
2. You could maintain the same rein length and let out your elbow.
This strategy gives the horse the same feeling as #1 but you don't need to let out the rein length.
When is it useful to maintain the same rein length?
When you know you need to be able to give clear and timely half-halts in order to help the horse maintain balance through a variety of movements. For example, if your instructor is asking you to negotiate several movements in sequence, you won't have the time to let the rein out and take it back, and doing so will unnecessarily disrupt your horse's balance.
Instead, you just let your elbows out and take them back in the following strides. The effect is the same - the horse gets a release and then a take-up for further communication.
3. You could move better with the horse with the same rein and contact pressure.
This one is the icing on the cake.
If you can move through your entire body, staying in sync with the horse's movements but releasing where and when needed, you will have one happy, confident, bold moving horse. You might need to release through your seat. You might "loosen" through the inside shoulder, allowing the inside hind to reach within a moment's notice. Maybe your legs need to "breathe" with your horse's sides.
In any case, riding in tandem with the horse is something we always aspire to and there is good reason for that. When you both move "as one", the earth stops rotating and you float on that ninth cloud!
Letting the inside hind leg do its job is one of the first keys to riding with the horse in mind!
Try this: ride with the inside hind leg in mind. Even if you regularly let the leg come through, make it a point to pay closer attention for your next few rides. Try one of the above suggestions, or let us know if you have another method that works for you and your horse.
Finally! The Ultimate Rider-Centered Program!
Ready for something completely different? If you liked what you read here, you might be interested in the Horse Listening Practice Sessions.
This is NOT a program where you watch other people's riding lessons. Start working with your horse from Day 1.
I don't believe in putting my work behind a paywall. But there are expenses in every venture. If you really liked this article, consider tipping us! Your tip will help me keep producing more riding TIPS (pun!) with free access to everyone. With thanks for reading!
Click to learn more.
Buy the book for many more riding tips! Horse Listening Book 2: Forward And Round To Training Success
From Horse Listening Book 2: Forward And Round To Training Success
"Regardless of discipline, what would be the most significant effect a rider would want to have on her horse?
We all want our horses to improve in their athletic
development, skill acquisition and connectedness. Much of our rider development and training efforts go into working toward our show or personal goals....
But the best riders aspire to do one essential thing each and every day, regardless of goals and lesson plans: they work hard to improve their horse’s way of going.
Because proper balance and weight carriage is essential to a horse’s longevity. Each and every minute of each and every ride has the potential to contribute to your horse’s health and well-being.
Or not."
Just as with all the Horse Listening Collection Books, this book is focused on helping the rider improve for the sake of the horse. But this book goes deeper into the best training articles from the blog - horse-centered theory, strategies and ideas you can try with your own horse.
The book begins with the horse's hind end (!), considers the horse's back, moves on to rider development, and fills it all in with the fundamentals of horse riding so your horse can be:
* This article is not about a health issue that may cause stumbling; rather, it is about a riding-related loss of balance. If any health problem is suspected, please consult with a veterinarian.
Do you have a horse that seems to regularly trip or stumble, either in the front or hind end?
The footing is good. The path is clear. There were no sudden changes to your direction.
The horse is sound and you know the tack fits well. His feet are trimmed. You've had the vet out and she confirmed that there are no other underlying physical issues.
Yet your horse stumbles here, trips there, and as time goes on, you learn to just quietly ignore it. After all, the horse is trying his best and there's nothing you can do, right?
WRONG! 😉
If you listen carefully, you might even discover that you are more a part of the equation than you give yourself credit for.
Be anactive riderso you can help your horse through these moments. Your strong problem-solving skills are just the ticket to helping your horse develop better balance during riding.
Reasons for Stumbling
The root problem might be one, or a combination of these ideas.
1. Horse is heavy on the forehand.
We know the tell-tale signs for that. The horse is heavy on the bit. The front leg strides are bigger than the hind leg strides. The horse might even feel like he is on a downward slope, leaning in to the ground rather than up away from it.
2. Horse's outline is too long and low.
This might come hand-in-hand with #1. Often, we feel we are being "nice" to let a horse stretch his neck up and/or down, because we are taught that a longer rein leads to a softer, lighter contact that is kind. What we aren't always told is that the horse might have to brace his back and tense his muscles to hold a longer body position, especially in order to deal with the weight of a rider in the saddle.
Add to the "strung-out" outline - a hind end that is no longer able to support the weight (because the hind legs have stretched beyond the horse's croup, thereby not allowing for adequate weight carriage) - and there you have it folks - the stumble!
3. Horse speeds up faster and faster in the same gait.
A horse that tends to move his legs faster and faster when you ask for more impulsion or a gait change is a good candidate for a stumble. Again, his weight (and yours) falls forward and the front legs have to carry the majority of the impact.
4. Inadequate engagement.
The opposite can also be true. The horse that "sucks back" is bracing with his front end, effectively pushing backward or lacking enough energy to maintain balance while progressing forward in space. This active tension can be a cause for stumbling.
5. Horse needs extra help on one side.
A horse with a weak side (for example, a weak left stifle) could have trouble bringing that hind leg up with the same amount of strength and fluidity as the rest of the body. After the true source of the problem is identified and addressed (i.e. call a veterinarian!), you can support that side with more active riding aimed at building up the muscles around the joint.
6. Horse is overly crooked.
Some horses are particularly stiff to one side. This might be influenced by a natural cause (born that way), or from previous incorrect riding. In either case, much attention needs to be given to at least straightening the horse (even if it is too difficult to get a true bend) while he is moving.
7. You shift your weight to the horse's forehand.
Riders often lean forward in movement. As bi-peds, it is what we are naturally programmed to do! However, "listen" carefully to your horse when he stumbles. If he tends to trip when you lean forward, you know the reason why. In this case, you will need to hold your weight back, even if you want to ride in two-point or go over a jump. You can hold your weight and change your posture - just be aware!
4 Steps to Prevent Stumbling
1. Leg on for impulsion.
Even the fast-footed horse can be disengaged and needs to bring his hind end underneath him. So put your legs on and be ready for more movement! Lighten the contact as you apply the legs.
2. Commit your body to the energy surge.
The horse should lurch forward a bit. This is good. Go with him. Be sure you don't stop the forward inclination by pulling back during the lurch moment.
3. Straighten the horse (if needed).
Use the energy surge to straighten the horse, left or right as needed. Just guide the energy into straightness, don't stifle it.
4. Half-halt.
This is key. Without the half-halt immediately after the energy surge, you tell the horse to run away. You don't want your horse to flee your aids, so within a moment after your legs and straightness, you half-halt should come on (brace your seat, back, arms momentarily) to control the energy you just created.
*Then release.
The idea is to re-balance that energy surge to the hind end rather than let it run out the front end. Think half-halts and use them as often as necessary to help your horse maintain balance. Constantly work on that re-balance - you may need to do the whole thing three, four, five times in a row, inrhythm with the horse's strides, to help the horse understand he needs to sift his weight backward.
This might be very difficult for a horse (and rider) that is not used to working from the hind end. But it is essential, first, to prevent the stumble, and second, to keep the horse sound long-term. Good luck!
Did you try this? Let us know how it worked out in the comments below.
Finally! The Ultimate Rider-Centered Program!
Ready for something completely different? If you liked what you read here, you might be interested in the new Horse Listening Practice Sessions.
This is NOT a program where you watch other people's riding lessons. Start working with your horse from Day 1.
I don't believe in putting my work behind a paywall. But there are expenses in every venture. If you really liked this article, consider tipping us! Your tip will help me keep producing more riding TIPS (pun!) with free access to everyone. With thanks for reading!
Click to learn more.
Buy the book for many more riding tips! Horse Listening – The Book:Stepping Forward to Effective Riding
From Horse Listening, The Book:
"There are many reasons why we enjoy riding horses. Maybe one of the most appealing facets of riding is the sense of freedom: freedom from our own limitations, freedom from gravity, freedom to (literally) roam the Earth. Time stands still while we have the privilege of feeling movement from the back of our four-legged friend.
Riding gives us the place to just be.
Of course, there are other purposes too. Some of us revel in the challenge of learning the skills required to becoming a good team member of this unlikely duo. Riding is like no other sport or recreational pursuit simply because of the equine partner that must not only carry us, but also do so effortlessly and gracefully. As we develop our specific skill sets, we also grow as human beings in character, emotional maturity and mental acuity.
But there is one other motivation that drives some of us to persevere in the never-ending learning process that is horseback riding: improving the horse. As your own skills develop, you begin to realize that not only can you meet your own needs through riding, but also that you can even become an instrument of benefit for the horse."
And so begins the book that reflects the most important learning I have had in all of my riding years: that I want to be the best rider I can be for the sake of my horses.
This book is geared toward the rider:
- the rider's motivations
- the essential skills for the rider
- some specific strategies
- solutions to common problems
- and the results: the great horsey moments we get to experience
Along the way, you will find chapters that discuss everything from the seat to the leg aids to the reins, discussions on half-halts, imbalance, halts, straightness and more!
Special in this book are the "In The Ring" sections that give specific suggestions based on the preceding chapters. Take these to the barn to try with your own horse!
Just pull back on the reins and the horse will stop trotting. But there are a lot of small details in there that might be overlooked. For example, you might notice the rider yanking back and the horse's mouth opening wide.
You might be able to see the neck come up in an upside-down arch, and the back drop into a hammock-like position.
The most obvious problem that can be visibly identified is the hind legs. When the transition is problematic, the hind legs literally get left behind. The striding is short and the legs seem to be stuck together, causing an imbalance that then gets transmitted to the front end. The horse "falls to the forehand".
There are many alternate aids we can go to, especially for a downward transition. Here are three steps to develop a balanced trot-walk transition with minimal rein pressure:
1. Half-Halt
Several steps before you want to do the downward transition, do three of fourhalf-halts. IN the rhythm of the trot, use a light leg aid to encourage the horse to reach further underneath the body with his hind legs. Then go like this: half-halt, half-halt, half-halt. The half-halt comes mainly from your back and seat, followed by light squeezes from your already closed hands. Brace your lower back and seat against the trot movement. If you are posting in your trot, do the bracing when you sit in the saddle.
2. Walk With Your Seat
Immediately after the half-halt, sit into the walk. Your seat should resist any more trot movement, but also change its rhythm to a walk rhythm. Once your horse knows to expect the change in your seat, he will easily switch his legs to a walk when he feels the walk from your seat.
At this point, if you think using a voice cue would be beneficial, use a low, calming tone to "walk". At some point, though, you want to see if your horse is responding to your riding aids rather than just the voice.
3. Follow Through
If he still goes through your seat and half-halt aids, momentarily close your legs and knees to support the bracing from your back. Push down into your stirrups.
As a last resort, use the reins. But keep in mind that...
Every pull backwards on the reins prevents the horse's hind legs from reaching underneath the body.
But there is more to it.
The ideal transition should simply and easily flow from one gait to the other.
4. Just One More Thing...
Many horses tend to "flop" into the downward transition. Some horses fall heavily to the forehand and eventually change gaits; others simply like to quit. Those are the horses that lurch into the walk, with little effort put into supporting their weight from the hind end.
Ideally, the energy should continue at the same level, irrespective of the gait. So whether the horse is trotting or walking, there should be the same amount of fluidity to the movement.
To ensure continued movement, don't stop your seat when the horse breaks to the walk. Add enough leg aid to keep the energy flowing forward.
Instead, without skipping a beat, swing your seat from the trot into the walk, within the movement of one horse stride. Go with the same commitment and flow as the trot. Encourage with your leg aids if needed, and expect your horse to switch just as easily from the trot to the walk.
Don't be discouraged if you can't get it right away. Instead, practice the "flow" at every opportunity and soon enough, you'll notice that your horse isn't getting stuck in his downward transitions. Then, be sure to pat him to thank him for his efforts!
Finally! The Ultimate Rider-Centered Program!
Ready for something completely different? If you liked what you read here, you might be interested in the Horse Listening Practice Sessions.
This is NOT a program where you watch other people's riding lessons. Start working with your horse from Day 1.
I don't believe in putting my work behind a paywall. But there are expenses in every venture. If you really liked this article, consider tipping us! Your tip will help me keep producing more riding TIPS (pun!) with free access to everyone. With thanks for reading!
Click to learn more.
Buy the book for many more riding tips! Horse Listening – The Book:Stepping Forward to Effective Riding
Horse Listening – Book 4: 20-Minute Exercises To Add Variety To Your Riding Routine
Stop wandering round and round aimlessly!
Horse Listening Book 4 is a compilation of the best patterns that have been shared on the Horse Listening Blog. The book is divided into five sections: Warm-Ups, Left and Right, Straightness, Suppleness and Collection. Each section has specific exercises and theory based on its topic.
But there's more!
There is a Special Center Section dedicated to only Transitions - something that we can all work on throughout our riding careers. And finally, scattered throughout the book are chapters that clearly explain theory, technique and skills that can help improve the featured exercises of teach Section.
And I’m not talking about the panic you might feel emotionally, or even mentally (that’s a subject for another time).
I'm talking more about your physical reaction - the kind that your horse interprets as going into panic mode.
Let's say you are working on transitions. You are going to the left at the trot, and you want your horse to pick up the canter at C, canter through the corner and down the rail to a 20 meter circle at E. This is a standard series of movements for Training Level in dressage, but could be worked on for any discipline..
Has this ever happened to you?
In this scenario, your horse begins to scramble at your canter aid. Instead of reaching deeper underneath the body, rounding through your half-halt and striking off with the outside hind into a balanced canter, he goes faster faster faster, becoming choppy in the trot and heavy in the reins. You feel you need to pull on the reins to maintain your (and your horse's balance), but because you want the canter, you kick again, hoping that his increased energy will send him into the new gait.
He just goes faster still. Maybe at some point, he does canter off, but now his head is high, his nose is stuck up to the sky and his back becomes hollow (and you can feel that because you start bouncing on something that feels like concrete). You have trouble steering, it feels like he's going to break stride any second, and you fight to not lean into his "motorcycle" lean on the circle.
When you go through this series of events that lead to a disengaged movement, it is easy to let everything go and allow the horse to scramble or break stride or maybe even buck! It's also fairly easy to fight the situation by pulling on the reins in attempt to slow down the legs or half-halt - but that results in futility as well because the horse is already so off balance that he simply cannot help you.
Even if you are not thinking "panic", your body may be communicating it by either being completely passive or too reactive after the horse is off balance.
What to do?
1. Stop.
At the first hint of imbalance (probably indicated by legs speeding up), stop.
Pull up the horse.
Stop the legs.
Calm down.
Stop the panic.
Literally, gather yourself up. Gather your horse up. Gather your thoughts.
And immediately after you've stopped, try again.
2. The secret: go right back to what you were doing.
Start your trot again, reestablish correct balance, develop a good rhythm, and ask for the canter again.
Alternately, if you think your horse will have an easier time, canter right off from a walk.
In any case, stay focused on your exercise. If you were planning to do the canter transition, do the canter transition.
3. What not to do.
Don't change the subject and walk or trot around the remainder of the circle.
Don't rest. If you walk, canter off as soon as physically possible.
Don't charge through the process again. Remember that the definition of insanity is to do the same thing over and over again, expecting to get different results! 🙂
Don't get frustrated. Stay calm and controlled.
Don't quit too soon. Although you shouldn't drill something ad infinitum, be prepared to try it a few times to see if there is some improvement. You might be surprised to find that after the fourth or fifth try, the horse somehow just figures it out.
Have you ever stopped an exercise to gather up yourself and your horse? How did it work out?
Finally! The Ultimate Rider-Centered Program!
Ready for something completely different? If you liked what you read here, you might be interested in the Horse Listening Practice Sessions.
This is NOT a program where you watch other people's riding lessons. Start working with your horse from Day 1.
I don't believe in putting my work behind a paywall. But there are expenses in every venture. If you really liked this article, consider tipping us! Your tip will help me keep producing more riding TIPS (pun!) with free access to everyone. With thanks for reading!
Click to learn more.
Buy the book for many more riding tips! Horse Listening – The Book:Stepping Forward to Effective Riding
"But there is one other motivation that drives some of us to persevere in the never-ending learning process that is horseback riding: improving the horse. As your own skills develop, you begin to realize that not only can you meet your own needs through riding, but also that you can even become an instrument of benefit for the horse."
And so begins the book that reflects the most important learning I have had in all of my riding years: that I want to be the best rider I can be for the sake of my horses.
This book is geared toward the rider:
- the rider's motivations
- the essential skills for the rider
- some specific strategies
- solutions to common problems
- and the results: the great horsey moments we get to experience
Along the way, you will find chapters that discuss everything from the seat to the leg aids to the reins, discussions on half-halts, imbalance, halts, straightness and more!
Special in this book are the "In The Ring" sections that give specific suggestions based on the preceding chapters. Take these to the barn to try with your own horse!
The argument goes like this: after a certain point, there is only so much a riding instructor can say to change a rider's skills. Most of the results come from the rider. After all - if the rider chooses not to (or simply cannot) do what the instructor says, then how much can one person do?
Although it is true that most riders go through difficult learning moments at some point in their riding career, and they might be faced with frustration in a different way than in other sports simply due to the nature of riding a horse, it cannot be said that across the board, riders don't want to put in the effort it takes to improve.
Most of us are riding because of our lifelong passion for horses. Most of us want to serve our horses by being the best rider we can be. Most of us are internally motivated in the first place just because we want to do well and love the feeling of good movement.
Most of us want to do the right thing.
So, assuming that the rider is in fact interested in performing well, how much can an instructor really do to help a rider improve?
When Good Instruction Becomes Great
Great instructors repeatedly show characteristics that make positive effects on their students. They are the ones that make a difference in their riders in one single ride. They are able to send the student home with concrete feedback that can then be used to continue developing independently.
What are these traits?
1. Great instruction begins at the student's level.
Great instructors quickly recognize the rider's skill level; then, they meet the student with instruction that works to that level. If the student is more of a beginner, the skills being taught might be simplified so that the rider doesn't become too overwhelmed and can achieve success.
The instructor might focus on one or two main points that need to be developed during that ride. For more advanced students, the instructor may come across as more demanding, more particular, more exacting. In each case (and all those in-between), the instructor assumes a different teaching approach that meets the student's needs.
2. Great instructors can explain the basics of the basics exceptionally well.
There is nothing more difficult than trying to explain the most fundamental skills to a rider. The experience of the rider is irrelevant - if there is something that needs to be addressed, then there is no point in going onwards until the basics are addressed. The learning might be the rider's or the horse's - and great instructors will know what to do in each case. Even the most advanced movements are rooted in the basics.
3. Great instructors have an excellent command of the language.
Communication is key, especially for someone who must stand in the middle (or at the side) of a ring while the student is in perpetual motion. The great instructor can change the rider's behavior with only words - well, ok - maybe in conjunction with sounds, energy, gestures and weight shifts to the left and right! But there can be no replacement for a varied and rich vocabulary that can effectively pass on feels and ideas.
4. Great instructors have relevant personal experience.
"There's a difference between knowing the path and walking the path," Morpheus explained to Neo in The Matrix. The truth to that statement cannot be overestimated especially when the instructor is trying to teach something new to a rider. Having a good feeling of what the rider is going through can make the great instructor relate to the stumbling blocks and find a way around them.
5. Great instructors are great problem-solvers.
Many top level trainers speak of the tools we need to collect on our mental toolboxes to solve problems. But toolboxes are not critical to just riders - great instructors have superior problem-solving tools that they have used in different conditions with different riders. Experience is key - not from just a riding perspective, but from a teaching point of view as well.
6. Great instructors help the student set goals but know when to break them.
There is a certain amount of flexibility involved in great instruction. Although both instructor and rider should be in perpetual evaluation mode, setting new goals and changing them as they are met, the biggest key to meeting goals is the willingness to break from the beaten path when the necessity arises. Despite having a plan for the day, if during the ride, a completely off-topic situation arises, the great instructor will meet that event head-on without any pre-planning.
7. Great instructors are willing to wait.
They are patient - not only with the rider, but also with the horse. Additionally, they teach their students how to have the same patience when it comes to training the horse.
8. Great instructors are ethical.
They maintain the highest standards of care and welfare for the horse and they teach their students to do the same.
I'm sure that I am missing many other ways good instructors become great. Can you add to the list? Please comment below.
Finally! The Ultimate Rider-Centered Program!
Ready for something completely different? If you liked what you read here, you might be interested in the Horse Listening Practice Sessions.
This is NOT a program where you watch other people's riding lessons. Start working with your horse from Day 1.
I don't believe in putting my work behind a paywall. But there are expenses in every venture. If you really liked this article, consider tipping us! Your tip will help me keep producing more riding TIPS (pun!) with free access to everyone. With thanks for reading!
Click to learn more.
Buy the book for many more riding tips! Horse Listening – The Book:Stepping Forward to Effective Riding
From the first book in the Horse Listening Collection: Horse Listening, The Book
"There are many reasons why we enjoy riding horses. Maybe one of the most appealing facets of riding is the sense of freedom: freedom from our own limitations, freedom from gravity, freedom to (literally) roam the Earth. Time stands still while we have the privilege of feeling movement from the back of our four-legged friend.
Riding gives us the place to just be.
Of course, there are other purposes too. Some of us revel in the challenge of learning the skills required to becoming a good team member of this unlikely duo. Riding is like no other sport or recreational pursuit simply because of the equine partner that must not only carry us, but also do so effortlessly and gracefully. As we develop our specific skill sets, we also grow as human beings in character, emotional maturity and mental acuity.
But there is one other motivation that drives some of us to persevere in the never-ending learning process that is horseback riding: improving the horse. As your own skills develop, you begin to realize that not only can you meet your own needs through riding, but also that you can even become an instrument of benefit for the horse."
And so begins the book that reflects the most important learning I have had in all of my riding years: that I want to be the best rider I can be for the sake of my horses.
This book is geared toward the rider:
- the rider's motivations
- the essential skills for the rider
- some specific strategies
- solutions to common problems
- and the results: the great horsey moments we get to experience
Along the way, you will find chapters that discuss everything from the seat to the leg aids to the reins, discussions on half-halts, imbalance, halts, straightness and more!
Special in this book are the "In The Ring" sections that give specific suggestions based on the preceding chapters. Take these to the barn to try with your own horse!
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