Guest posting is a great way to share the wealth, so to speak! True Horse Listeners are always willing to listen to others as well as contribute to others' web pages.
Here is our newest guest post! Lindsay Day, registered equine massage therapist, felt that this article would be beneficial for her particular line of work:
"I am thrilled to have Kathy from Horse Listening as our FIRST guest blogger here on EQ!
When the horse is using their back properly the large longissimus muscle, which runs along the length of the back, contracts in a wave-like pattern as the horse transfers impulsion from the hind-end across the back. In a state of complete contraction the longissimus has the action of hollowing the back – preventing the horse from really being able step under themselves and engage the hind-end. In this post Kathy talks about feeling the difference as a rider, and why it matters to your horse."
We're excited to present our new guest post written exclusively for Ecoliscious Equestrian, suppliers of natural horse care and grooming products! Please pop over to their website to read all about training your horse while grooming.
"You know that in EcoLicious Equestrian we’re all about grooming. And it’s not just about products. Did you know that grooming time is a great way to establish a tone for things to come? I am very excited to share with you the below guest post by Horse Listening. I’ve been enjoying this insightful blog for a while now and highly recommend it, so make sure to stop by and check it out."
Horse Listening was invited to do a guest post on www.proequinegrooms.com - read to see our “listening” twist to grooming (and lost more good info on the site too)!
Little Known Qualities of Great Farriers, by K. Arbuckle, professional farrier: The farrier, though required to scientifically balance and shoe a horse, is an artist working with a living canvas.
Scoring the Hunter Round, by L. Kelland-May, senior judge: Have you always wondered how the hunter class is judged? Read it here straight from the judge's perspective!
Enjoys Being Brushed! by SnarkyRider: Read this hilarious take on a sales ad from craig'slist.
Standing at the sidelines of a dressage show, I was watching riders as they warmed up their horses for their next classes. They were riding at all different levels - from the most basic level, Training, up to the higher levels. Through it all, I could see a common thread, regardless of riding or training level. Some riders just looked good.
I turned to my friend (and mentor of all things horse), and said, "I wish I could look that good," indicating to one of the riders that seemed to have it all together - heels in line with hip and ears, strong upper body, seat following the horse.
She looked at me and asked, "WHY?"
The rider looked simply elegant - spectacular vertical line from ear to heel, strong upper body with light rein contact, almost floating above her saddle while her trusty steed carried along virtually unaided. I expressed my perception to my friend.
She told me to look again.
Although I had been looking at the rider, I had failed to recognize the lack of correct movement in the horse.
With some prompting and a more discerning eye, I began to notice some missing parts in the overall picture.
The horse appeared to be labouring. The movement was heavy on the forehand, and the hind end was long and flat. Short, choppy strides and an almost too quick rhythm caused an inconsistent contact, resulting in head tossing and ear pinning.
The rider had developed the correct "look", but the horse was telling a different story. The horse's tale showed a lack of effectiveness and correct aiding.
In many athletic pursuits, form means function.
In some sports, athletes spend their entire lifetimes working toward developing the ideal "outline" for good performance. You could spot the best athlete simply by the picture they can draw with their body. Unfortunately, this is not always the case in horseback riding.
Yes, it is true that some people can develop both form AND function over their riding careers. "Looking good" on our horses is always part of our aspiration in equitation. Developing the correct body posture through the movement of the horse can be achieved over many years of practice, particularly if we start riding at a young age when the body is malleable and easy to manipulate.
But looking good should not be our only goal.
In the case of equestrians, our athletic pursuit involves a living, breathing animal that depends on us for his health and quality of life. Therefore it is imperative that we take our responsibility for improving the well-being of the horse through riding seriously.
Being an effective rider means:
- riding in a way that is therapeutic for the horses, suppling and strengthening both sides of the horse
- teaching the horse to find his "happy place" while moving, so that his work may become more like play
- strengthening the horse so he can carry his rider more comfortably
- teaching the aids in a patient but clear manner so the horse can develop trust
- carrying yourself in a way that is least obtrusive to the horse, while at the same time, most helpful
- riding with a generous attitude, always giving the horse the benefit of the doubt, but also responding in the most responsible manner when it is necessary
- making changes in the horse's way of going, always seeking for stronger and improved weight bearing
I looked at the story the horse was communicating through his body language. My friend was surely correct with her interpretation of the scene.
It was then that I realized that it doesn't really matter how a rider looks.
The most important part of riding is what you are doing to the horse. Some riders have a physical conformation that is entirely contrary to the 'ideal'. But you will find many who can compromise for their physical appearance by using their aids in a way that always makes the horse they are riding move better and with a more content expression.
My friend turned to me with a glint in her eye and said, "You can even ride backwards, but if you can ride effectively, you know you are on the right track!"
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Buy the book for many more riding tips! Horse Listening – The Book:Stepping Forward to Effective Riding
A Cautionary Horse Tale: Once you decide to ride horses, you put into place a domino effect of consequences, which will occur whether you are conscious of them or not. It’s like a rule of nature.
How Do You Develop “Feel” in Horseback Riding? Developing ‘feel’ in horseback riding doesn’t have to be an impossible dream! If you can ride with feel, you will be able to respond immediately to your horse’s needs.
"The superior man blames himself. The inferior man blames others." - Don Shula
How many times have you ridden your horse and not achieved the results you wanted?
You automatically run through all the possible reasons, and adjust accordingly:
Maybe the higher than normal winds were causing too much tension in the horse?
Was the saddle positioned too far back, or the bit not adjusted correctly?
Did you use your leg aids to support the inside rib cage?
Were your reins were too long, bumping the horse in the mouth?
Did you lean too far forward?
Was the footing too hard?
Maybe your timing was off - were you aiding when the inside hind leg was off the ground?
And it goes on and on. You challenge yourself, correct yourself, question yourself and maybe even chastise yourself. You try, persevere, develop, grow. You do improve, and your horse improves along with you.
Yet, when things go right, do you take the credit?
Or do you put it down to the horse having a good day?
In our quest for balance (not just on the kind on the back of the horse), it is essential for us to look at our achievements from both angles. Yes, when things go wrong, you are responsible to analyze/scrutinize/change what you are doing. On the other hand, when things do go right, you need to relish that feeling of fulfillment/accomplishment/growth and allow it to bolster you to new heights.
Horses have a way of making you earn your progress, but once it happens, the rewards are eternal (on all planes - physical, mental, emotional - but that is another topic). You discover that you can repeat the positive results over again, and better yet, on the next horse you ride. The time you put into this horse will reap rewards for the future - for you and your next horses.
So... take the credit - bad and good, and be sure to enjoy the ride at all times!
When was the last time you did something just to make yourself feel good?
Have you ever done something around/with/for your horses in a "feel-good" way for YOU?
I bet you did! Realistically speaking, our horses are our moments of doing something for ourselves, even if we are doing it with our four-legged friends. So essentially, everything about horses is about our selves too.
So how do the horses fit in? Do they benefit from our benevolence? Or do they become mere objects of our affections, there to make us happy when we feel like it, and dropped to the wayside when we are done with them?
When it comes to horses, we all have differences in opinions and various ways of doing just about anything. As the saying goes, ask twenty-five horse people the same question, and you'll get twenty-five answers! Often, opposite beginnings result in similar endings, so even if you do things a little differently than others, the end result is similar if not completely identical. It is true that in horse keeping, different paths may lead to the same end.
However, when we analyze why we do things, we realize that there are several justifications behind our decision-making steps. If you are asked to explain your rationale, you have perfectly good reasons for why you do things the way you do them.
For example, you might put a rain sheet on your horse in order to give him that extra protection in the still-cool and possibly rainy days of early spring or late fall. Others might say that horses will "survive" just fine without the rain sheets, but some of us will put the sheets on, if for nothing else, so we feel like we did something to create more comfort for our horses (of course, blankets might also help overall coat and health condition).
How about hand-feeding the horse a treat? Horses generally welcome such "special" moments with their humans, especially when something tastes good! Without a doubt, the horse's reaction to treats is different from the human's response - the horse welcomes the tasty treat simply for the taste, while the human undergoes emotional reverberations thanks to the enthusiastic reception by the horse!
Necessity Versus Pleasure
In each case, what is most important is not what is being done, but why it is being done. Dig below the surface to unearth why you made the decision you did. Was it an essential need of the horse, or did you do it mostly because it made you feel good?
If your answer is the latter, keep these two things in mind:
1. So long as we know why we are doing things, then it is fine to do them. If you feel good when you do something, then it is worthwhile in its own right, if for nothing else, then for the emotional release it gives to you, the horse owner. In this case, you know you are doing it for your own sake.
2. What you are doing does not harm the horse. Flash-back to the hand-feeding scene, and notice that although you are making the horse happy when you give him a treat, you also may be teaching the horse to take nibbling to the next step - and develop a biting response. In this case, the harm to the horse might outweigh the pleasure you feel. When there is possible harm involved to either yourself or the horse, then you should revisit your decision.
This need for us to "feel good" when we do things for our horses can span everything from feeding hay (too much can be almost as harmful as too little) to riding (riding too long can harm as much as riding too little).
Keep the horse in mind. When you make decisions around the horse, are you making them for the sake of the horse, or for your own sake? And if you are making the decisions for your sake, admit it, accept it (in other words, know that the horse could be perfectly fine otherwise), and feel good about it!
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New! Horse Listening – The Book: Stepping Forward to Effective Riding
Speaking Horse: (a.k.a. “Pushing the Envelope”): It is important to know that speaking “horse” doesn’t mean getting all cuddly and cute. Read to find out how to “speak” so that horses appreciate your presence.
How many times have you caught yourself pulling on an already tight inside rein? Have you ever noticed your horse swing his neck to the inside, while you find yourself drifting out toward the rail (thank goodness for that rail, since without it, you would probably drift to oblivion!)? We've all been there and done that (and I have the T-shirt)!
The circle is used so frequently, not only in dressage, but in almost all disciplines, that we would be remiss to not include it in our "studies" about riding and training. The quotes below come from dressage sources, but you can surely find similar information in writing from any discipline.
"Every [dressage] test contains circles: large ones, small ones, some placed in difficult spots, some very easy ones, and some placed before or after a transition into the next movement. But all of them have a number of requirements:
- Circles must be round and executed exactly as stated in the test. This means the rider has to know where the "points" are. The rider must touch these points for one stride only.
- They must be ridden on one track. This means that the horse must be able to bend and have sufficient freedom of the shoulders and hips to accomodate the requested size of the circle without the hanuches falling out or the horse 'popping' his shoulder.
- The regularity of the rhythm must be the same throughout the circle, including engaggement and impulsion, while the horse stays on the bit. As a matter of fact, the horse should be in a better frame coming out of the circle than going into it."
Riding a circle is not just following the path of the circle (although that can be difficult enough) - it is more about helping the horse improve the use of his hind end, teach him about flexion and bend, and to enable the outside aids to become more effective. The aids for the circle come not only from the rein and leg aids, but even more importantly, from the seat and balance of the rider. Your shoulders and hips should be aligned with the horse's shoulders, while your weight is distributed slightly to the inside. Other things to be aware of:
- your inside seat bone is slightly more weighted than the outside, and is moving within the movement to encourage the horse to use his back.
- the outside hind is as engaged as the inside, because the outside has further to travel!
- the inside rein is softly maintaining flexion but that is all - don't let it interfere with the horse's movement.
- half-halts at every "point" of the circle help the horse to improve his balance and become more round and free-moving.
"One can say that a horse is on the aids and correctly bent on the large circle when he applies an even tension to both reins, when both hind feet tread in the tracks of the forefeet, when the crest tips over to the inside, and when the horse maintains the bend when the rider surrenders the contact with the inside rein.
One should not, however, expect the horse to maintain the bend on his own for any length of time. To keep him precisely on the line of the circle, the rider must remain extremely attentive and continuously though imperceptibly, alternate between shoulder-in and travers-like aids according to the tendency of the horse to fall in or out from the prescribed line."
They say that the greatest riders look like they are doing nothing at all. The more you ride and you begin to feel the success that comes with the refinement of the aids, the more you will know this to be true. The secret to looking like you are doing nothing is to do a lot in tiny little increments. Once you get used to the subtle movements that are required, it will feel like you are doing nothing - but in fact, your body is making constant minute adjustments to ensure that it is either following the horse or helping the horse to maintain balance.
__________________________
"Excessive bend is wrong and creates tension rather than making the horse more supple. Another common fault, especially in lateral work, is excessiv flexion. Too much bend in the head and neck prevents the horse from bending through the ribs as required, and therefore also makes it impossible for the horse to be evenly bent throughout its length. The horse's neck is 'broken' just in front of the withers.
Exaggerated bend can also result in the horse falling sideways instead of answering the rider's inside leg. This defeats the object of the exercise, which is to bend the horse."
We know we should not be pulling on that inside rein, yet we continue to do it all the time. The trick to "unlearning" the reliance on the inside rein is to take a look at the neck. Just look down! I know everyone says not to - when you look, just don't tilt your head downward, so you can maintain your balance. But take a glance and actually see where that neck is. Learn how the "cranked" neck appears from above - it looks like the neck is disconnected at the withers area. The body seems to go one way while the neck is headed toward the middle of the circle.
When you see that, lighten the inside rein. Work on using a more active inside leg, use your seat to help rebalance the horse to the outside, and take up the (very likely) loop in the outside rein. Then allow the neck to straighten (note: don't just pull on the outside rein!). Straighten the horse's body, and start the circle again and see if you can continue on the circle without pulling on the rein.
And that's all there is to the circle! 🙂
What other tips do you have for us about riding the circle?
Don’t miss a single issue of Horse Listening! If you like what you are reading, become a subscriber and receive updates when new Horse Listening articles are published! Your email address will not be used on any other distribution list.Subscribe to Horse Listening by Email
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More Listening Corner posts:
Contact And "On The Bit": I've tried to pick out the most relevant sections for today's quotes, but please go to the original books to get a much more in-depth analysis. Enjoy!
Riding Goals Defined: At some point, you're going to find yourself wondering: why am I riding? No two answers are going to be the same, and your own answer might change as time goes on.
The Rider: Although the world around the horse has changed over the years, the horse itself remains essentially the same, and therefore the requirements of riding are essentially unchanged.
The "Art" Of Riding: . We know 'art' when we see it - the performance transforms from just plain effortless and technically correct to evoking an emotional response, moving us in the depths of our beings and reminding us why we are so enthralled by the power and magnificence of the horse.
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Guest posting is a great way to share the wealth, so to speak! True Horse Listeners are always willing to listen to others as well as contribute to others' web pages.
Standing at the sidelines of a dressage show, I was watching riders as they warmed up their horses for their next classes. They were riding at all different levels - from the most basic level, Training, up to the higher levels. Through it all, I could see a common thread, regardless of riding or training level. Some riders just looked good.
