Forward – Horse Listening

Archives – Lessons/Training

Lessons and Training

Look through these articles for tips and recommendations on common horse riding problems. Let us know in the comments sections if you tried something and how it worked out!

How to Ride the Stumble Out of Your Horse: Do you have a horse that seems to regularly trip or stumble, either in the front or hind end?

How to 'Flow" From the Trot to Walk: Although we rely on our hands too much and initiate all movements from the horse’s mouth, there are many alternate aids we can go to.

Why You Don't Need to Panic When Your Horse 'Falls Apart': Even if you are not thinking “panic”, your body might be communicating it by either being completely passive or too reactive after the horse is off balance.

When Good Riding Instruction Becomes Great: How much can an instructor really do to help a rider improve?

5 Steps to Effective Short Reins: Just as with any other movement and technique that is taught to horses, short reins can be very beneficial to the horse when applied correctly.

Find the Space Between the Give and Take in Horse Riding: As with so many other things in life, we need to find the happy medium.

16 Ways to Not Become Bored During Your Ride: Here is a list of just a few ideas to keep ring riding fresh and interesting for both you and your horse.

Why Rising Trot Is Not Rising At All: How to rise in the trot so that you move in tandem with the horse.

'Go and No': The Connection Between Forward and Half-Halt in Horse Riding: How to develop the two seemingly opposite aids.

Can You Recognize the Sewing-Machine Trot? It is easy to get fooled into thinking that the sewing-machine trot is a good trot.

Why A Release Is Not A Let Go in Horseback Riding: Many people interpret the term 'Release' literally - but that's not what really means.

Here's How (and Why) You Should Ride With Bent Elbows: How to avoid an on-again, off-again contact with the horse’s mouth.

Use the "Canter-Trot" to Truly Engage the Hind End: Many riders think that kicking the horse along and making the legs move faster is the ticket to engagement – but there is nothing further than the truth!

How to Halt Without Pulling on the Reins: There is a way to get your horse to stop without pulling on the reins.

What to Do When Your Horse is Being Naughty: Though we’d love to have that perfectly compliant horse all the time, the reality is that even the sweetest horse finds something to say once in a while.

Why You Should Ride the Left Side of Your Horse Going Right: In order to help straighten the horse (and elongate the muscles on the right, and help the horse bear more weight on the left hind leg), we need to work on the left side going right.

Stop Kicking the Horse! Kicking your horse only stuns, disturbs, imbalances, and hurts. Once you have better balance in your seat and a more consistent contact with the bit, aim toward using your legs with more purpose.

Why Would You Bother to "Scoop" Your Seat Bones? Learning to use your seat effectively should take a lifetime to develop, so we will begin with just one basic aspect: how to move the seat bones.

How to Ride Your Excited Horse in 5 Easy Steps: Let’s face it – horses aren’t always calm and accommodating. There are times when they can be… shall we say… a little over-exuberant!

The #1 Rider Problem of the Year - The Leg Aid: You probably know from experience – kicking the horse along often does not get the response you really want.

Riding Straight Through the Turn: Although it sounds like an oxymoron, travelling straight through a turn is essential in maintaining the balance of the horse.

Stepping Out of Rein Lameness: Often, problems caused by riding can be fixed with riding. It is just a matter of knowing what to do in order to counteract the problems.

Drawing A Circle (In Sand): Regardless of where you position the circle in the arena, it should be evenly spaced and round.

Rarely Considered, Often Neglected: Lunging to Develop the Riding Seat:

Interpreting the Half-Halt: This topic is a tricky one but here is a shot at it.

Do A "Forward" Back-Up! Tricks to developing an easy and rhythmical back-up.

Top 10 Ways to Reward Your Horse: A happy horse is a willing partner, and many horses will give everything they have if they feel your acknowledgement and generosity of spirit.

Demystifying "Contact" in Horseback Riding: Does “contact” have other-wordly connotations? Here is why effective contact is within reach of the average rider.

From a Whisper to a Scream: How Loud Should Our Aids Really Be? Should we be “loud” in our aids, or should we be working as softly as we can in hopes that our horse can respond to lighter and more refined aids?

Do You Make This Timing Mistake When Riding Your Horse? Have you ever given your horse an aid and got nothing in return? There could be one other variable that you might not have considered...

Secrets to a Great Turn (a.k.a. Shift Out to Turn In): Can you tell if your horse uses his hind end before taking the first step in the new direction, or does he feel stiff and awkward, almost like he’s leaving his legs behind the movement?

Don't Mistake the Halt For a Stop! Don't do it! Don't mistake the halt for a stop. They are two entirely different maneuvers.

How the "Not Canter" Can Drastically Improve Your Transitions: Every time you ask (with the correct aids), the horse resists. The situation becomes ugly – you have a hard enough time just sitting the bounciness, never mind getting the transition. What to do? This article remains one of our most popular posts of all-time.

The #1 Problem of the Year: The Outside Rein! The outside rein is the most underused and poorly understood of all the aids, and here’s why.

6 Ways to Unleash the Power of Your Riding Seat: As you become more subtle in the aiding process, you will begin to discover just how powerful the seat can be in guiding the horse without disturbing and interfering in his movement.

To Lesson or Not To Lesson? That shouldn't even be a question!

The 99% "Lucky Rule": The 99% Lucky rule is very simple – when you’re around horses, and particularly in dangerous situations, you are lucky 99% of the time. That is a good rule – unless it happens to be the 1% of the time that you might be ‘un’-lucky! Then, it’s no fun at all.

Speaking "Horse" (a.k.a. "Pushing the Envelope"): Horses send messages out as much as humans do. Once you know how to listen to your horse, a whole world of communication can open up for you.

No Middle Ground in Riding Horses

Yes, it certainly is possible to drift through all your riding days with nary a thought to how your horse is moving. There are many people far and wide who either choose to ignore their horse's "way of going", or are truly ignorant of the differences in the horse's movements. They are also likely unaware of the implications of their lack of attention.

There really are only two possible results to riding:

1) Improve the horse.

2) Harm the horse.

The unfortunate news is that there is no middle ground between the two.

Either you are contributing to the proper development of the horse (physically, mentally, emotionally) or you are causing damage. Unfortunately, the path to damage isn't always obvious or easily identified.

However, deterioration of the horse can become evident to the educated eye; you just need to know how to spot the clues and draw accurate conclusions in order to know what to do about it.

But the message here isn't about what NOT to do. Instead, the idea is to learn, develop, try and keep working at it, especially when the going gets tough. Don't obsess over the "damage"; rather, take note and change what you are doing.

How to spot the "healthy" horse

When observing the horse without tack, you will notice:

- a short coat with a glowing sheen (assuming the horse is already brushed and clean);

- a soft, almost slippery feel to the coat when you pet the horse (the coat feels "alive");

- evidence of good foot care and saddle/tack fitting;

- a bright, alert, even sensitive, inquisitive demeanor;

- a good appetite, rare to no bouts with stomach problems (and colics);

- when standing still, without tack, the back appears "rounded" in his top line muscling (rather than a flat back or having a sway in the middle of the back);

- a muscled hind end that is filled out in the hamstrings.

Under saddle:

- is free moving and willing to stride out;

- rarely missteps or trips up in either the front or hind end;

- round, rolly-polly croup (behind the saddle) with hind legs reaching deep underneath the body;

- looks "filled out" in the front (thick neck muscles, swinging shoulders) as opposed to lean, thin and awkward-looking in the head to neck to shoulder area;

- appears confident in the rider, rarely pinning the ears or swishing the tail.

Good (a.k.a. responsible) riders are constantly looking for ways to improve their riding, and how their horse uses its body. If nothing else, the main goal of riding is to improve the horse's weight-bearing skills.

Proper movement leads to increased circulation in the horse's musculature, joints and skeleton. Good movement leads to good health and longevity in the horse - something all riders should be aspiring toward.

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

Available as an eBook or paperback.

You might also enjoy:

Too Good to be True? Finding Your Horse’s “Happy Place”: Did you know that through riding, you can help your horse achieve a happy, content outlook on life? Sounds ridiculously far-fetched? Too good to be true?

What You Ought to Know About Instant Gratification in Horse Riding: Do you expect riding to come as easily as other sports?

Top 10 Ways to Reward Your Horse: A happy horse is a willing partner, and many horses will give everything they have if they feel your acknowledgement and generosity of spirit.

Speaking “Horse” (a.k.a. “Pushing the Envelope”): Horses send messages out as much as humans do. Once you know how to listen to your horse, a whole world of communication can open up for you.

How Do You Know Your Horse Is Using His Back?

First off, (from our last post) why even bother?

Let's face it: we see many people riding their horses with sunken backs, disengaged hind ends, and heavy footfalls. If they do it, why shouldn't we? Are we being conceited, ostentatious, pompous or pretentious?

Are we simply just too picky?

No, it's none of the above.

It's because we care.

Enough.

To put in the work.

Because it's a fact: learning to feel the back of the horse, especially in movement, is not for the weak-hearted.

It requires hours of dedicated practice, oodles of lesson dollars, numerous requests for forgiveness from the horse, and perhaps most difficult of all, countless adjustments to our internal neural pathways, both physical and mental.

Is all this worth it?

OF COURSE IT IS!

In the long run, our primary motivation for self-improvement in riding is for the sake of the horse's health. We want horses that live well, staying strong and vigorous long into their old age. And a horse that uses his back is carrying the rider's weight to his best advantage.

Feel it.

The active back feels loose, bouncy, rolling, supple. It feels like the horse is having an easy time carrying your weight. He is less on his front legs and more on the haunches.

He gives you the impression that he can stop on a dime or turn on a thought. He is forward, active and content. The energy from the hind end easily flows through the shoulders and you notice larger, longer strides, and bouncier, more active gaits.

If you have trouble loosening enough to sit the normal trot, (you might be shocked to discover that) with some horses, you might have even MORE trouble riding the trot if he's using his back. This is because the horse's natural gaits become amplified when the back moves freely and it might be more difficult for you to stay with the loftier movement. You'd be better off posting so that you can encourage your horse to keep his soft, active back.

The same is true with the canter - the strides are more exaggerated and you feel more swing in the ride. Be prepared to let your lower back flow with the activity - anything less and you'll be stifling the horse's enthusiastic offering.

Basically, if you feel the gaits getting bigger, rounder, and bouncier, then you know you are on the right track!

The Tight Back...

... feels just that - tight.

... restricts the movement of the legs.

... creates short, choppy strides that lurch and jerk.

... prevents establishment of a good forward-flowing rhythm.

... causes the horse to move on the forehand, taking the brunt of the concussion on the front legs.

... can be the culprit behind sore backs and "mystery" lamenesses.

The irony is that the horse can appear to be more "comfortable" to ride, in that the movement is smaller and shorter and thus easier for most riders to follow. If you think your horse feels smooth and comfortable, consider whether or not the smooth feeling is caused by the horse locking his back and preventing movement. Your first clue will be in the size of the stride - if it is a short stride, particularly in the hind legs, then the horse in NOT using his back.

One last secret: the horse's back is often a reflection of the rider's back. If the rider is tight and short in her movement, the horse can't help it but stay tight and short. Just make sure you don't override the horse and swing too much through your back. The happy medium with tone and swing is where it's at - even for the rider!

It might take many months of finding the "feel" in your back and then learning to maintain the required movement just to allow your horse's back the freedom to swing and let the energy through.

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

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.

Signed Author Copies available - they are perfect gift for the rider in your life!

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."

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

Available in digital or paperback versions.

Stepping “Forward” in Horse Riding

The term 'forward' is used liberally in horse riding but is often misunderstood. We tend to think a horse is forward when the legs are moving and the horse is flying along - but this picture is far from the truth. So if forward is not an increase in tempo (the speed of the footfalls), then what is it?

Imagine a mother/father and child walking along holding hands. There can be several variations in this scene:

- both parent and child are walking along in tandem, progressing through space at a mutually accepted pace, reaching for each other's hand willingly and confidently

- the child is pulling ahead of the parent, thereby pulling the parent off his/her feet

- the child is pulling behind the parent, thereby causing the parent to slow down/stop

- the child is pulling sideways from the parent but the parent isn't letting go; this causes the parent to be dragged left/right, again causing a disturbance in the progression

The only 'forward' scenario is the first. The parent and child move along in tandem while holding hands, matching stride for stride and walking/running in a cooperative, mutually beneficial manner.

Similarly, when a horse is 'forward', it is reaching ahead of itself, gamely assuming a forward space each stride, reaching confidently to the bit, and showing a calm, confident, round and overall happy and willing demeanor. The horse can reach forward for the bit in the same way that a child offers his hand to be taken. Of course, the hand of the rider must be as accepting and gentle as the hand of the parent, inspiring the horse to want to reach even more and settle into a comfortable "happy place".

A horse can be forward while slowly progressing through space - so speed is not a variable in being forward. In fact, a horse can be moving backward and still be 'forward'! Confused yet?!

Even though being 'forward' is primarily a secretly hidden feeling kept between the horse and rider, you can actually see 'forward'.

What does it look like?

- the horse is round, calm and athletic looking: it appears as though the horse can stop/turn/change gait at a moment's notice

- the horse has soft (not perky), forward ears; it looks like he is eagerly moving to somewhere he wants to go

- the hind legs are freely reaching deep underneath the body (as far as conformation allows)

- there is a sense of graceful power; the horse can float into upward or downward transitions without losing balance

- the horse is off the forehand; he is neither heavy on the hands and heading into the ground nor is he hollow-backed with a 'giraffe neck' sticking upward at an awkward angle

- the tempo of the gait is strong, powerful, supple and almost leisurely - there is no scrambling for speed nor does the horse look like it's stuck in quicksand

- most importantly, the horse looks to be comfortable, confident and enjoying the moment

Realistically speaking, we spend most of our riding time NOT being in a forward state. Many factors contribute to a horse being 'backward' including rushing/being lazy, scary spots (spooking), distractions, uneven footing, and even the mood of the horse or the rider. In fact, being forward results in an improved psychological and physical state - for both the rider and the horse.

Do you have a better word for it? How would you describe being 'forward'?

Buy the book for many more riding tips! 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.

Horses. Riding. Life.

Tag: Forward

Archives – Lessons/Training

Look through these articles for tips and recommendations on common horse riding problems. Let us know in the comments sections if you tried something and how it worked out!

No Middle Ground in Riding Horses

The unfortunate news is that there is no middle ground between the two.

How to spot the "healthy" horse

Finally! The Ultimate Rider-Centered Program!

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

How Do You Know Your Horse Is Using His Back?

It's because we care.

Feel it.

The Tight Back...

Finally! The Ultimate Rider-Centered Program!

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

Stepping “Forward” in Horse Riding

Finally! The Ultimate Rider-Centered Program!

Buy the book for many more riding tips! Horse Listening – Book 4: 20-Minute Exercises To Add Variety To Your Riding Routine