lessons/training – Page 3 – Horse Listening

Leg Yield/Shoulder-Fore – A Great Way To Your Horse’s Back

We know why we want a supple back.

Think of the back as the gateway to all things good in horse riding. A supple back allows energy through the horse's top line. It releases tension, loosens muscles - allows instead of blocks. The up-and-down action of the back creates space for the hind legs to reach underneath the body, which will in turn promote better balance - whether on a turn or straight line.

But most importantly, the supple back allows the horse to carry you, the rider, in a more healthy fashion. Which is something we should all be interested in.

Consider the opposite: the clenched, unmoving back. Tightness. Rigidity. Blockage. Hind legs out behind the horse's center of gravity. Lack of balance. Bracing neck and on the forehand.

That image should be motivation enough to make you want to put in the effort it might take to learn how to get the horse to "work through the back."

While there is definitely much more to the supple back, the exercise below can help you get started at a basic level. These two movements combine to give you a sort of road map, if you will, to begin to find your horse's back.

1. Start with the leg yield.

Do it on a circle, in trot.

Use your inside leg at the girth, and stay evenly balanced in the saddle. Leg yield outward so that the circle becomes a little bit larger, bit by bit. The idea is to get the horse to lift through the rib cage (in response to your leg), lift the inside shoulder and shift weight to the outside. The horse's legs may or may not cross over each other - in this exercise, the cross-over is not required. Just a shift to the outside is fine, especially at the beginning.

You might notice that it is somewhat easier to get a bend to the inside if you can get the leg yield going well. The horse will already be reaching underneath the body deeper with the inside hind leg, and will be able to maintain better balance into the bend. Without too much fuss happening from your hands, you should feel the bend begin mostly thanks to your leg aid.

So now, your horse is stepping outward and the inside bend is developing.

Enjoy this for a few strides. Lighten your contact at this point, lighten your seat, and allow more energy through the horse's body while still stepping out and bending.

You're looking for a bouncier feeling, a swingier back... basically, more freedom of movement and energy.

Once you feel you have a nice bend and some easy steps outward, you might find that your outside rein "fills up" on its own, and suddenly, you have this wonderful neck rein on the outside rein, which will naturally lead you right into #2.

2. Shoulder-Fore

Now that you've activated the hind end, you can see if the front end can become lighter and straighter.

The shoulder-fore is a basic but excellent way to line up the horse's front end so that it leads slightly to the inside (and works on the bend again). Click here for the shoulder-fore aids.

Using your outside neck rein, bring your horse's shoulders just a little ahead of the hind leg tracks. In other words, the horse's front leg tracks should fall slightly to the inside of the hind leg tracks.

You're still on the circle, you just did the leg yield out, developed a bit of a bend, and now, using the outside neck rein and outside leg behind the girth, you bring the shoulders back in towards the middle of the circle - just a little.

If the leg yield was going to create a bulging outside shoulder, this shoulder-fore will quickly avoid the problem altogether. You'll notice that the outside shoulder straightens up a little and the front end lightens a little.

The straightening action will align the horse's spine and once again, you'll feel the trampoline-y feeling of the back that is active, round and engaged.

When You Get Good

Try it on one side first, then the other.

Then, switch sides - go right, then left, then right. Go off the circle and make it fun by finding new turns and circles in different places in the arena. Use serpentines, tear drops, S-changes... get creative!

Common Problems

When you first start with the leg yield, many horses will misunderstand the leg aid to mean speed up. If your horse quickens the legs instead of steps out, half-halt the speed, and regain your initial tempo. Then try again. It may take many repetitions for a horse to learn to step sideways away from a leg aid. Be patient, clear and reward often.

Another common problem is that the horse will continue to lean into your leg as you apply the leg aid. Many horses naturally lean into pressure. If your horse leans into your leg, come to a walk. Apply your leg aid again, and get the horse to leg yield at the walk. When the horse is responding, go back to trot.

While finding your horse's swinging back might be a difficult challenge, the feeling of floating energy that comes with suppleness is something you'll never want to go without ever again after you've found it for the first time. The bonus is that if you can listen carefully enough, you will realize that your horse will appreciates it too!

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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:

happier in his body

happier in his "work"

better balanced all-around

Click here for more information.

Horse Leading Essentials – In 5 Minutes Or Less

Leading Horse — Photo Credit: NBanaszak Photography

You can do this before AND after your ride, to and from the field, or whenever you have a chance to be at your horse's side.

It's nothing special really, as it should be part of your regular handling routine.

But as we all know, we tend to let our expectations slide from time to time, then more regularly, until at some point (maybe when we get pushed into or dragged off with), we remember that we really should be doing this ALL. THE. TIME.

If you're familiar with Showmanship in the Western Performance Classes, then maybe you actually DO do this all the time! But I'm sure most of us don't!

What is it?

Well, it's a simple leading routine. But I wonder how many of us do this regularly?

Exercise 1

The goal of this exercise is to get your horse to walk with you, at your side.

For the sake of clarity, I'm going to be very particular:

horse's head is at your shoulder
horse walks at your speed
horse doesn't go ahead of you
horse doesn't lag behind
no pull on the lead to make the horse go (visual cues only)
no verbal cues (yes! Get the horse tuned into your body language)

Walk on:

Your horse should start walking as soon as your shoulder starts to move forward. So the horse's cue is that you start walking (no leaning forward or giving any extra indication that you're going to walk - no, not even a cluck verbal cue). He should stay with his head at your right shoulder at all times.

If your horse isn't familiar with this and needs some help to understand to "tune in" to your shoulder, you may need to carry a crop with you to urge him forward as you start walking. I would hold it in my left hand and tap him from behind me, while the right hand continues to be steady on the lead. However, the end of the lead rope is likely just fine. Swing it behind you and that will probably get your horse walking on.

Halt:

The only cue for halting is that you stop walking.

Again, the horse's head should stay at your shoulder. So he shouldn't keep walking after you've stopped.

If he does keep walking, use the lead rope and pull back until he stops. Repeat many times until he responds to your shoulder.

Once your horse responds regularly, you can move on to:

Exercise 2

After the halt, do a back up.

The goal is to have the horse backing up without fuss - no pulling on the lead - sharply, straight and using diagonal pairs of legs.

your body is positioned slightly to the left of the horse (exactly where you were leading from)
the horse walks at your speed backward
his body is straight and your line of travel is straight
your lead stays in the right hand, ideally no extra pressure or shaking of the lead
horse uses diagonal pairs of legs (as in, slow, stilted steps are not what we're looking for)

To initiate the back-up, halt first. Then s-l-o-w-l-y turn your body to face the horse. This will give the horse time to see that you are no longer going forward, and that you are preparing for the back-up.

As you turn, your left shoulder will start to turn into the horse's space.

The horse should then back out of that space, at the speed of your walking steps. Go fast enough for him to use diagonal pairs as he's backing.

If your horse needs help getting started, once again, I use the end of the lead rope and swing it in the direction of his chest, right between the front legs. The motion of the lead is usually enough to get the horse to start moving his feet.

Back up enough steps to

a) get the horse out of your space

b) build momentum

c) go straight

The key to getting a good back-up is to have lots of energy. Again, the final picture is that the horse should literally start backing up as you turn your left shoulder into "his space."

Well, that's it!

Sounds really simple but I wonder how many of us are that particular when we're leading the horse....

Do it when your horse least expects it. Walk forward, stop, turn to face the horse, back up, stop, face forward and walk on. Again and again until your horse is your shadow. Play with the speed - slow, then fast, then slow. Be sure to praise all his efforts.

Why do this exercise?

Most of all, it's for the safety of the ground person. It sets up a bubble for you ("my space") and a bubble for your horse to be in ("your space"). It teaches your horse to walk alongside you - which we all know is so important especially when leading outside.

The ultimate result would be when the person is leading her horse and has to suddenly stop, and the horse instantly stops right alongside the person. No yanking on the lead rope necessary.

Or if the horse and leader are stuck in a situation where they have to back up and it's all done with grace, poise and calmness.

It also teaches you to be consistent in your expectations and to develop a rapport with your horse.

Do this anytime, anywhere. It literally takes less than 5 minutes!

Horse Listening Book Collection - beautiful paperbacks with all the excellence of the blog - in your hands! Click on the image for more information.

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!

Click here for more information.

Keep This In Mind For No Stirrups November

I logged into Facebook today just in time to be reminded that November is No Stirrup Month. It seems that people think that no stirrup work is essential to developing an effective, deep seat. They also credit no stirrup riding for improving the rider's balance and strength.

It is true that riding without stirrups helps develop muscles you never knew you had - do it a few times in a row to really feel those burning inner thighs and hips! If you like the no pain, no gain thing, by all means, go ahead and ride as much as you can without those stirrups.

However.

There are a few things that you need to keep in mind as you try to match your friend's no stirrup shenanigans. Because riding without stirrups might be counterproductive if you want to consider what can happen to your seat - and your horse.

Here are three pitfalls to riding without stirrups. Keep them in mind to make No Stirrup November really improve your riding.

The Old Knee Grip

The first thing that usually happens when you drop the stirrups is that your body goes into gripping mode - it might be completely reflexive. So while you think you're working on your seat, your knees are gripping tighter and tighter.

The problem with tight knees is that while you feel like you're keeping yourself in the saddle, you're actually pinching the horse near the shoulders. This will prevent him from being able to reach with the front legs, which will also block any energy coming from the hind end.

Then, the tighter your knees, the tighter your back and the harder your seat. If you feel like you're having a more difficult time following the horse's back with your seat, check your knees first.

The Over-Bent Pelvis (Chair Seat, Anyone?)

The tight knees also lead to the chair seat. As you tighten the knees, they will likely begin to creep upward. Higher knees means closed hip angles.

You're probably already familiar with this one (I have spent years trying to undo this muscle memory). The hip angle closes and as you assume the ever-famous "fetal position," you invariably end up being out of balance with the horse's movement.

Holding On To The Horse's Mouth For Balance

Once you're out of balance (whether falling forward or backward), chances are, you'll hold onto the reins to keep yourself more with the horse. This will cause unintentional pressure on the reins, causing all the negative results that a pulling rein can have on the horse.

When you put them all together, it's no wonder that horses often go worse when the riders go without stirrups. We need a lot of extra strength and core balance needed to maintain the amount of dexterity needed to not interfere with the horse while keeping a strong but supple position.

But it can be done.

If you want to give it a try, here's what you can keep in mind.

Keep your knees toned but also soft. You will need to grip with them in rhythm with the horse's movement (especially on the down stride in canter), but try to be very aware of how hard you're holding on. Soften when you can. You can do a lot of your balancing with the seat, through the inner thighs rather than your knees. Keep your upper body on top of your seat.
Lengthen the legs. Aim for a soft bend in the knees, just as if you are using stirrups. If you notice your knees creeping up, push them down again at the next opportune moment.
Build up your no stirrup work. Start with shorter intervals and stop before you get really tired. Or try going without stirrups in increments through your ride. You don't have to go all-or-nothing right from the beginning.
Get lunged! There is no better way to go without stirrups!
Use a bucking strap. Get one of those straps that attach to the front rings of an English saddle (or just hold on to the horn of a western saddle). Use one hand on the bucking strap (usually the outside hand) while the inside hand is used to keep your horse's flexion. You can use your arm strength to pull yourself deep into the saddle to teach your seat to move with the horse. Make the reins long enough for the horse to be comfortable while you hold on with your hand. You can always take your hand off to control the horse as needed.
Have a knowledgeable person watch you as you ride without stirrups so they can help you identify when your legs creep upward or when you're getting too tight in the lower back.
Aim to allow your horse the same level of comfort as when you ride with stirrups. If you find that you're causing the horse to hollow or brace or tense, put your feet back in the stirrups, re-establish good movement, then try again without. Gradually lengthen the time you ride without stirrups.

Like all things horse riding, going without stirrups well is an art form in itself. If you can truly ride with an independent seat, without holding on to the horse through the reins, and with soft, "draping" legs and knees, you are surely on your way toward developing a deep, effective seat. Give the no-stirrup work a good try, but build your way up with minimal discomfort to the horse. As always, listen carefully and let your horse be your guide.

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

Riding gives us the place to just be.

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!

Available in paperback or digital versions.

Available as an eBook or paperback.

7 Essential Aids For An Epic Canter Transition (Video)

Your canter departure doesn't have to be a rocket launch!

These 7 steps help you set up your horse for a smooth, forward canter transition from trot.

Read all the details in the original post.

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Now is the time to re-evaluate your goals and path to riding success!

If you’d like a structured, but personal tool to set goals, take a look our Goal Setting for the Equestrian: A Personal Workbook. The pages are designed for you to set and keep track of your progress over the course of a year.

Included in the book:

design your overarching goals
long- and short-term planning,
debrief your special events such as clinics or shows
reflect on, plan and evaluate your goals
sample goals and pages

The Workbook is available for instant digital download so you can print the pages right off your computer. There is also the option of a paperback version if you’d rather have a professionally bound book to hold in your hands.

Click here for more information.

Read more here:

12 Riding Quick Tips - #10: How To Canter Instead Of Just Trot Faster: Does your horse just go faster faster when you ask for the canter? Don't worry if it happens. Just know what to do, and work through the situation to improve the transition in the long term.

Wrong Canter Lead? 5 Ways To Fix It: Do you have trouble getting the "correct" lead when striking off into canter? It helps a lot if you know different ways to encourage the horse to strike off in the correct lead.

How To Improve YOUR Canter-Trot Transitions: What happens to you and your body when you head into a canter transition from a trot?

What Are The Leg Aids For Canter? A detailed breakdown of the aids for canter.

Use The "Canter-Trot" To Truly Engage The Hind End: Energy from the hind end is the prerequisite for horse riding heaven and we all know that! We need to find out how to ask the horse to reach deeper underneath the body without throwing their weight to the forehand, and without speeding up the leg tempo.

When We Want To Actually Ride From The Hind End, But Get Stuck On-The-Forehand

This is a tough one. I bet we've all been stuck with on-the-forehand at some point during our riding career (probably longer than we'd like to admit).

So how do you transform on-the-forehand to (more) on-the-hind-end?

Learning the feeling of movement from the hind end takes time, and lots of practice. Because it's based on feel, it's more difficult to "find" than a simpler riding skill, like an open rein, or the outside leg back. Not only do we need to learn the feel, but there are seemingly never-ending levels of feel as we progress through our learning stages.

But let's start at the beginning. Let's assume we're working in the trot, but really, it's the same at all gaits.

Leg Aids

One of the most common mistakes we all make when we first want to access the horse's hind end is to let the horse go faster. So we squeeze with the legs and the horse speeds up. Faster means stronger, and stronger means hind end, right?

Not really.

The thing is, that the faster the legs go, the more the horse falls to the forehand. By sending all the energy to the front, the horse has to actually brace with the front legs (to avoid literally falling forward). Sometimes, the head goes up, the base of the neck drops and the back hollows. Sometimes, the horse trips or has a mystery lameness. But not all the time. Some horses can stay somewhat flat or round "looking" and still truck along with most of their weight on the forehand.

"Catch" The Energy

Sometimes, people call this "recycle" the energy but I find the term "catch" can be clearer when you begin with this concept. Pick a rein length that you feel is reasonable for your horse's level of education and keep it the same length while you ask for more movement. If the horse throws the head, reaches down, changes gait or runs faster, we must keep the hands steady and not-let-go-but-not-pull.

So we create the energy with our legs, but we must catch the energy with our reins.

Because if we let the energy "out the front end," we invariably have created the conditions for on-the-forehand.

So we catch but we don't pull. We also don't hold the energy for very long.

So far:

use legs for energy
catch the energy so the horse doesn't just speed up

Then Release

It's not a release like letting your reins slip out of your fingers or straightening your arms in effort to give more rein. It's more a release of your joints - your shoulders, elbows, wrists - enough that there is a small space forward that you invite your horse into, after the "catch" part. In terms of space, you might only let out half an inch of rein. The rest of the release comes from your body. (*Note: You can do this on long reins or short reins.)

The idea is to allow freedom of movement, allow the hind legs to reach further underneath the body, and ideally, have a soft, light connection with the horse that allows you to direct the energy lightly, softly and promptly.

What Does It Feel Like?

You might have to really tune in to your horse to be able to feel the hind end at first. This is likely because we are always so fixated on the front end. But if you work at it, and maybe get someone to help you from the ground, you will be able to identify what movement initiated from the hind end feels like.

Here are some thoughts:

- You might initially feel a really powerful surge behind the saddle. Sometimes, it might turn into a small buck. This is good because it's the horse trying to "come under" but doesn't yet know exactly how much. Don't reprimand the buck or the lurch. Just ride it through and thank your horse by doing your best to stay balanced and gentle in the aids.

The horse might breathe harder, deeper and/or louder. He might snort once or twice. This is also a sign that you are on track, because it is much, much harder for the horse to carry his weight rather than to let it run through onto his front legs. Again, give thanks and ride on.
The horse might miraculously feel straighter. If the horse usually leans on one shoulder or another, and suddenly, that all disappears - you're on the right track.
The horse might also stop pulling on your hands, or leaning forward and down with the neck. That too is a result of lack of hind end power, so once you really achieve energy from the hind end, the quality of your contact will likely improve dramatically.
Head bobbing/tossing might disappear. Same reasons as above.
Tripping and mystery lamenesses might also improve.
If you notice that your horse is moving with better expression (ears forward, looking ahead), more freedom in the gait, and seems generally more confident, you're on the right track.

The thing is, getting the horse off the forehand is something that takes time to learn, and then time to teach the horse. It's not something you can make happen in one day. Many horses don't even know they can move in this manner until they are given the opportunity. But you can make small steps of improvement. Occasional success will become more regular and one day, you'll notice that the horse is mostly initiating movement from the hind end - just because.

If you enjoyed this article, there is much more ready and waiting for you in the Horse Listening Practice Sessions!

Buy the book for many more riding tips! Horse Listening Book 2 - Forward And Round To Training Success

Signed Author Copies available - perfect personalized gifts!

From the book:

"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."

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:

happier in his body

happier in his "work"

better balanced all-around

Instantly order online. Click here to learn more.

What’s The Difference Between The Inside Rein and The Outside Rein?

While we generally want the reins to act and feel the same during our rides, they do have different uses and techniques. The better we get at riding, the more subtle these aids can be. However, there are still different things each rein can do at different times to maintain the overall balance, power and straightness of the horse.

How are the inside and outside reins used? What is the difference between them?

Inside Rein

Slightly open for flexion

When you are on a turn or circle, the horse should be looking slightly to the inside, in the direction of movement (flexion). We often see horses either stiffly pointing their noses straight out and against the reins, or even pointing to the outside and turning in the opposite direction! While there are leg, seat and torso aids involved in truly bending the horse in the direction of movement, the inside rein is also a key player in maintaining flexion.

Keep the inside rein slightly off the neck (open) to maintain better flexion.

Slightly open to create room for the inside shoulder

The slightly open inside rein also allows the inside shoulder space to move into. While you don't want the horse to fall to the inside because you opened the rein (use your inside leg to prevent this from happening), you also don't want to block the inside shoulder from being allowed to reach forward in the stride.

People often close the inside rein in attempt to stop the inside shoulder from falling in. Do the opposite. Take the rein only a few inches off the neck and allow the shoulder to move forward. Stop any lean with your inside leg instead.

Give/release often

The inside rein is the giver! Release as soon as you get some desired response from your horse - whether you wanted flexion or better rounding.

The release can be from your elbows or shoulders. Push the reins forward without letting the reins slide through your fingers. Ideally, the inside rein will have tiny fluttering releases as you ride along.

No pull

Avoid pulling back on it. Pulling on the inside rein creates many problems including loss of balance, crookedness, blocking of the inside hind leg, and much more.

Create contact through a "hold" on the reins rather than a "pull." And then look for opportunities to release.

Outside Rein

Indicates a turn (neck rein)

One of the main uses of the outside rein is to initiate a turn. We often think that we need to pull on the inside rein to turn, but the outside rein is the preferred method because it helps keep the horse much better balanced.

Click here to read a detailed breakdown of how to create a neck rein that turns the horse.

The horse should understand to move away from the pressure of the neck rein.

Prevents the outside shoulder from bulging

The outside rein can also work on regulating just how much the outside shoulder can "step out". Many times, the horse will turn but drift out in the opposite direction. It is the outside rein's job to block the drift.

Prevents the neck from pointing too much to the inside

The final use of the outside rein is to keep the neck from swinging too much to the inside. This is also important for balance and control. The rider must help the horse keep a straight body even while bending around a turn.

Hold the outside rein steady when turning and make sure your inside rein isn't forcing the horse to swing his neck too far to the inside.

Steady contact

The outside rein is responsible for maintaining steady contact. It steadies the horse and helps to maintain the horse's overall body outline. This rein should have a "feeling" give to it but much less than the inside rein. The rein should stay fairly straight and consistent in length most of the time.

Half-halt

The outside rein is also usually the half-halt rein, although as mentioned before, the hands are the last component of the half-halt. In general, the half-halt helps to maintain balance and a improve connection.

A few parting notes

Do not cross either rein over the neck (no pull across the neck either)

We often try to prevent the horse from leaning one way or the other with our reins. Have you seen someone take their rein up and across the horse's neck in attempt to control the inside shoulder? Unfortunately, this will never work and actually causes the horse to lean even more on the shoulder.

The pull will block the inside hind leg from coming under the horse's body (thereby preventing him from being able to balance better) and will actually twist the horse's head and neck away from the body - and this will also affect his balance negatively.

Instead, try to use the slightly open rein to prevent leans, drifts and dropped shoulders.

Keep the neck between both reins

One of the oldest sayings about the reins is to "ride the horse straight between the reins and legs." It's true!

Even contact and hand positions

Strive for developing an even contact - not one rein stronger than another. Also keep your hands parallel to each other, in front of the saddle. While you may need to venture away from the front of the saddle area at times, come back to "home base" as soon as possible. In our dreams, the hands stay there just beside each other all the time.

The seat, weight and leg aids

I didn't mention the rest of the aids here because I wanted to highlight just the use of the reins. But there are many other aids involved in all of the turns, straight lines, changes of bends, and transitions that will be included in each of your rides.

Horse Listening Book Collection - beautiful paperbacks with all the excellence of the blog - in your hands!

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.

Use these 20-minute exercises!

Available as an eBook or paperback.

Click here for more information.

Jelly Elbows & Clutched Elbows & The In-Between

Maybe I should call this article something like, "How To Maintain Quiet Hands."

That's because we are more likely to notice the hands of the horse rider more than anything else. We likely never notice the elbows at all but there is quite a lot to be said about the elbows (see my previous post here).

This time, we're going to take a look at the two extremes of what can happen in the elbows, and then see what the in-between can do to help us keep quieter hands, more subtle rein aids, and generally become more stable in our riding position.

The Jelly Elbows

These elbows are often so willing to open that the rider often goes around the ring with straight arms. Jelly Elbows open whenever there is any pressure on the reins. Sometimes they close when the rider feels that there is little control of the horse, but then then they open again. Sometimes, they open wide even when the horse isn't pulling or falling to the forehand (and thereby putting pressure downward). You can get a feel for the confusion that these elbows can create just by reading through the above description!

When the elbows are inconsistent, the horse ends up feeling the result in his mouth. On-again, off-again contact often ends up being reflected in the horse's head. If you notice your horse bobbing his head up and down repeatedly, it might be due to on-and-off contact. Which might be due to jelly elbows.

The Clutched Elbows

These elbows are exactly the opposite of the the Jelly Elbows. These elbows stay tight and strong constantly. They usually have a strong "L" shape to them, and sometimes, they might be so tight that the rider can actually hold the horse's head and neck in place regardless of the amount of pressure on the bridle.

You won't see the horse doing much head bobbing with these elbows, because the pressure is consistent. But what you might see is the horse going around with a tighter, shorter neck outline. You might see the horse bracing through the jaw and neck because invariably, the horse is stronger than the rider and can capably hold that kind of pressure with the front end.

Some horses and riders go along seemingly fine for years and years in this manner, and many horses (but not all) comply without too much fuss. The thing is, if the rider tries to work on more demanding or advanced movements (like lateral movements or collection), there will be major stumbling blocks to overcome.

The In-Between

Well, this third alternative is absolutely the most difficult to achieve. This is why it might take years to develop really, truly "supple" elbows that can navigate through the gives and takes - and not change the pressure the horse feels in the mouth. Tiny, not-more-than-needed movement in the elbows is the key to achieving quiet, responsive (but not throw-away) contact.

How To Work On The In-Between

The best thing I know about finding those in-between elbows is to stabilize your hands and let the elbows do what it takes to keep the hands stable.

Try this:

If you ride in an English saddle, place your hands on the pommel of the saddle right above the saddle pad. If you have a bucking strap on your saddle, actually hold on to the bucking strap with both hands.

If you ride in a Western saddle, you have the pommel as well that you can just rest your hands on. Make sure they don't move.

Make your reins long enough that your horse is comfortable, but short enough that you have enough control to be safe (safety first always). Then start riding. (If you ever need to take your hands off the saddle to take up the reins to maintain control of the horse, do so. You can always stabilize the hands again after the horse is moving quietly)

Don't move the hands!

In trot, you'll be amazed at how much your elbows will need to move in order to keep your hands still. In canter, they move slower and more deliberately but your hands can still be steady and sure if the elbows open and close enough.

Don't worry if your horse isn't going perfectly for the moment, and just focus on your hands. They must stay still while the elbows do their job. You'll notice there will be times when the elbows MUST open and then there will be times when the elbows MUST close - all so that the hands can be quiet and calm.

When you get nice and comfortable with the elbow movement, take your hands off the pommel or bucking strap and try to maintain those In-Between elbows. Keep the hands close to each other, near the front of the saddle.

Every time you feel that you're heading back into the Jelly or Clutched elbows, go back to the pommel to remind your elbows of the feel you need. Then let go of the pommel and try again.

The thing is, if you can achieve suppleness through your elbows, you will also free up through the shoulders, the neck and even through your lower back. It's all connected. And guess what? Better contact will also be a part of the aids that free up the horse's poll, shoulders and back too.

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

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!

Available as an eBook or paperback.

How to Fix Your Horse’s Crookedness

Crookedness horse riding — Photo Credit: J. Boesveld

I hate to be the one to tell you this, but it's true. Your horse's crookedness is all about you.

It's just that the more I know, the more I watch riders, and the more I ride horses, I can see that what "they" say is really true.

"They" say it's always about the rider. "They" say that the horse is the mirror of the rider, and it can only do as much as the rider can.

Of course, this means that everything the rider can or cannot do is reflected by the horse. Everything from tension, attitude, and yes... crookedness. Even for the long term.

And for those that say - "Yeah, but my horse CAME that way! He's the one that's crooked!" - I say: the rider has the power to fix all of the horse's misalignments through careful and correct riding.

In a way though, this is good news.

Because then you have the power to change yourself, right?

The tough part, of course, is to make the change happen. But with perseverance and effort, it can be done.

What does it take to actually change your "way of going?"

First of all, we need to identify what it is that allows us to keep doing what we're doing. How is it possible that we're so strong on one side, and so soft on the other, and how can we change it?

Obstacles That Keep Us "Blind"

There's a few reasons why changing the body's muscle memory can be so difficult.

Muscle memory is difficult to change - you just don't feel or notice your crookedness. The body is so very good at duplicating old movements that once we've established the "neural pathways," we no longer feel what we're doing. This can be the case for the large, complex movements that we have to do as riders, such as inside-leg-at-the-girth-outside-leg-behind-the-girth-inside-rein open-outside-rein-neck rein... sounds pretty complicated when it's all written out!
Unconscious movements: It can also be the case for those deep-in-the-pelvis core movements that you can't even feel - until they're sore later! In fact, these movements are the most difficult to change exactly because we don't have the same kind of intentional access to them. I mean, balance is balance. A baby learning to walk doesn't sit around and contemplate the many tiny muscle contractions and releases it will take to make that first walk step. The same goes for us in the saddle.
Your horse's kind compliance can also be a factor. Horses often do what you want, as crooked as necessary, despite the discomfort or difficulties that may cause them. In my experience, horses work through the crookedness or lack of balance as much as they possibly can. So while you may notice signs of discomfort, it takes quite a lot of sensitivity and "listening" to know what the horse is saying.

The Good News

...is that once you know you're part of the crookedness problem, you can fix it.

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It might take a lot more effort than you think you should put into something you already "know", but at least, if you do make these changes consistently, you're sure to see results in the long run.

How? You can go through this mental checklist the next time you ride. Start with understanding the ideas and see if you can make the physical changes you need in order to become a straighter rider.

Feel For Straightness

Can you tell if you're sitting on both seat bones evenly?
Are your shoulders (and belly button area) pointing straight ahead?
Are you looking through your horse's ears?
Do you have even contact on the reins?
Are your hands close to each other and parallel (one is not ahead of the other)?
Do you have even (fairly light) weight in your stirrups?
Are you pointing your whole body straight ahead?

Feel For The Turn

Are you on your inside seat bone?
Is your belly button (and therefore entire upper body) turned into the circle (or turn)?
Are your shoulders pointing to the arc of the circle?
Are your hands moved slightly in the direction of the turn, creating a slight open rein on the inside, and a neck rein on the outside? Are they STILL even and parallel to each other?
Do you have your inside leg on the horse at the girth?
Is your outside leg slightly behind the girth?

***

Of course, there's so much more to developing straightness.

Many people (rightly) are concerned as much with the horse's own innate crookedness as the rider's. And it's true. The rider comes to the horse with some crookedness issues, and the horse comes to the rider with the same. BUT.

If you learn to straighten yourself, you will also invariably straighten the horse. There's no two ways about it.

If you know what "crooked" feels like, and you know what to do about it, your body will straighten, and lo and behold, so will your horse's body. Because in the end, the horse is the mirror of the rider.

You might need to learn a few exercises in the meantime. You will need to become friends with the more complicated lateral movements beginning with leg yields and moving on to shoulder-in, travers (haunches-in) and renvers (haunches-out). You'll need to know how to align the horse's shoulders and rib cage with your aids. If you're not straight for those movements, you will surely realize it because your horse will have difficulty doing them.

A knowledgeable eye on the ground will help a lot because she can let you know if you're on the right track as you ride. You can make adjustments based on the person's input and learn what the new "feel" feels like.

Videos help a LOT! See if you can get a friend to video you from good angles (ones that can show your body position clearly) and then watch it over and over again.

Mirrors are even better! I know most of us don't have mirrors but there really is no better way to get instant feedback than riding in an arena with mirrors. What you see can easily be changed and you can learn to rely more on your visual feedback and literally see what straightness feels like.

Horse Listening – Book 2: Forward and Round to Training Success

If you enjoyed the above article, you'll find many related chapters about training horses and and the rider in Horse Listening - Book 2. Your favorite Horse Listening training articles are compiled in this beautifully bound paperback (or digital) book.

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?

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."

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:

happier in his body

happier in his "work"

better balanced all-around

Instantly order online. Click here to learn more.

Horses. Riding. Life.

Category: lessons/training

Leg Yield/Shoulder-Fore – A Great Way To Your Horse’s Back

Finally! The Ultimate Rider-Centered Program!

Stop printing off the articles! Your favorite training articles are compiled in this beautifully bound paperback book. Have everything at your fingertips - this book can be taken to the barn as a quick refresher or leisurely read at home.

Horse Leading Essentials – In 5 Minutes Or Less

Finally! The Ultimate Rider-Centered Program!

Horse Listening Book Collection - beautiful paperbacks with all the excellence of the blog - in your hands! Click on the image for more information.

Keep This In Mind For No Stirrups November

Buy the book for many more riding tips! Horse Listening – The Book: Stepping Forward to Effective Riding

7 Essential Aids For An Epic Canter Transition (Video)

Now is the time to re-evaluate your goals and path to riding success!

When We Want To Actually Ride From The Hind End, But Get Stuck On-The-Forehand

Finally! The Ultimate Rider-Centered Program!

Buy the book for many more riding tips! Horse Listening Book 2 - Forward And Round To Training Success

What’s The Difference Between The Inside Rein and The Outside Rein?

Finally! The Ultimate Rider-Centered Program!

Horse Listening Book Collection - beautiful paperbacks with all the excellence of the blog - in your hands!

Click here for more information.

Jelly Elbows & Clutched Elbows & The In-Between

Finally! The Ultimate Rider-Centered Program!

Buy the book for many more riding tips! Horse Listening – The Book: Stepping Forward to Effective Riding

How to Fix Your Horse’s Crookedness

Finally! The Ultimate Rider-Centered Program!

Horse Listening – Book 2: Forward and Round to Training Success