horse training – Page 3 – Horse Listening

Riding Straight Through the Turn

Do you have trouble with your turns? Does your horse flatten out in the corners, falling in rather than going deep into the turn?

Maybe your horse "pops" a shoulder to the inside or outside?

On a circle, do you find yourself drifting out at times, falling in to the middle of the circle at other times or even doing both from stride to stride?

If so, then it is important to focus on straightening your horse through the turns.

Go straight in a turn

Although it sounds like an oxymoron, travelling straight through a turn is essential in maintaining the balance of the horse. Moving straight allows the hind end to step underneath the horse and bear the weight correctly, rather than falling heavily to the front legs.

A straight-moving horse negotiates a turn effortlessly. He can keep his round outline and move boldly into the next strides simply because his able to use his body in an efficient way.

There are many ways to work on straightening, including stepping out and other techniques. In this article, we will focus on one aid to help keep the shoulders stay centered so that the horse's stride can reach forward and through the body rather than fall to the inside or outside.

Keep in mind that this is just one small aspect of the whole aiding process - but a missing rein aid could be just the part that is permitting the lack of straightness.

Keeping the shoulders in the body

1. Lower your hand to wither height.

2. Keep the contact short enough so the horse feels your aid, but not so short that it interferes with the horse's movement.

3. Steady the rein momentarily as the horse begins to fall to the inside or outside. Use a direct rein pressure (rather than indirect). DO NOT PULL BACKWARD!

4. Release the rein aid as soon as the horse's shoulder is stepping forward and through the body.

The trick is to redirect the energy

The idea is to take the same energy that the horse is going to use to step sideways, and redirect it forward and straight. You can think of it as a "bounce" - as in, bounce the shoulder away from the rein toward the center of the body.

As always, the key is in the release of the rein. Remember that this is a correction. As with all corrections, you only use it during the moment that it is needed, and no longer.

If the rein is held too long, the corresponding hind leg may be blocked from reaching underneath the body, and the effect will be directly counterproductive to what you are trying to achieve. So you have to feel for the moment, apply the aid, and then release it as soon as possible in order to allow the free movement forward.

You can use this rein aid on the inside rein or the outside rein, depending on what is happening with the movement. You could even use them consecutively. If the horse is falling in, use the inside shoulder block, and before the horse falls through the outside shoulder (a common reaction), apply the outside shoulder block.

Theoretically, the outside rein should be the rein that provides stability for the horse anyway, so it should be active through the correction.

So there we have it! In real time, this aid takes less than a second and should be used in conjunction with the usual seat and leg aids. As with most corrections, be sure to encourage impulsion at the end of the correction, since without energy forward, there is no point to anything!

Your horse will let you know that you are on the right track if he seems to move freer, swings through the body better (releases tension), rounds and/or gives you a hearty snort!

What other tips do you have for straightening the horse?

Buy the book for many more riding tips!

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!

Available as an eBook or paperback.

Listening Corner – Riding Goals Defined

Theme: 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. Regardless, the moment that you find yourself evaluating your successes and considering your challenges will be the moment that your decisions will be impacting both you and your horse.

In effect, you're going to identify and set some horseback riding goals.

Horseback riding is distinguished from all other sports due to a very unique characteristic that no other sport can match: the relationship between two beings so different from each other seeking to combine into one elegant whole. When setting your sights on bigger/higher/better/rounder, you must consider not only how to improve your own skills (as in other sports), but also how you can be the best possible teacher/leader for your partner, the horse.

Although as the human partner, we have options on what we want to do when, we must keep in mind that the horse does not have a similar choice. In fact, the horse is dependent on the rider's decisions. This is when goal setting takes on even more significance. The rider's responsibility to the horse becomes a key factor in determining the progress (and health) of both partners and should not be underestimated.

Many people have written in the past about developing solid goals - both for the horse and the rider. Below are some short excerpts from excellent authors. Read on for a few thought-provoking tips and suggestions on the whys and hows of goal setting in equestrian disciplines.

First of all, evaluate your horse physically and mentally.... Moderate faults do not ordinarily disqualify a horse, but if you have no idea where you might find the horse's weakest link, it will be more difficult to plan a program.

The second step is to write down some reasonable short-term goals.... The earlier you can start and the smaller and steadier the progressive increases can be, the more opportunity you will have for review and revision.

Thirdly, plan a one-week, a one-month and a three-month program.... Use your one-month and three-month plans as references only. If you look too far ahead, you may miss what is going on under your nose. Review everything once a week and make progressive adjustments up or down in your programs.

Finally, get started today. Since the benefits of progressive training are continuous, any delay could put a cap on your horse's eventual achievement. If your untrained horse is not sick or tired, he can do a little more today than he did yesterday.

Equus Reference Guide, Principles of Successful Conditioning - Training Your Horse For Any Sport. Fleet Street Publishing. (1989). pp.45-47

Ideally, the rider uses the minimum amount of work to the maximum advantage. She structures her sessions so well that each step builds on the last, and this kind of build-up makes even the most difficult exercises seem comparatively much easier. She achieves her aim without any unrealistic goals threatening either herself or the horse, and this requires her to base her work on a recognition of the horse's needs and limitations, rather than focusing solely on her own. Her attention shifts away from herself to the horse. And thoughts such as, I wonder if I can get this horse going as well as I did yesterday, or, I'm not going to give up until I've put those extensions through, are replaced by, He's bound to feel stiff today, so I must work him lightly, or, If he feels ready, I'd like to work again on the extensions.... She has a far more genuine love for the horse and can put herself in second place, knowing that the time she spends preparing the soil will result in a strong and beautiful planet.

Wanless, Mary. The Natural Rider: A Right-Brain Approach to Riding. Trafalgar Square Publishing. (1987). p. 243

Riders must promote their horse's well-being by maintaining their state of comfort, which incidentally, fosters the extension of the horse's serviceable life. Therefore, riding should consist of three goals:

1. RESTORATIVE RIDING is designed to reestablish the purity of the horse's natural gaits, his balance and regularity of rhythm under the added weight of his rider.

2. THERAPEUTIC RIDING aims at developing the horse's ambidexterity....

(a) Straighten the horse by aligning his spine parallel with the line of his traveling on the ground....

(b) Load the horse's hind legs evenly by applying properly functioning driving aids and appropriate exercises....

3. ATHLETIC RIDING goals may be pursued only after the restorative and therapeutic ones have been addressed. However,... these riding goals must be mixed and blended successfully. They overlap, run parallel, and support one another. The art of riding is not severely compartmentalized.

de Kunffy, Charles. Dressage Principles Illuminated. Trafalgar Square Publishing. (2002). p. 123.

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Enjoy more Listening Corner themes:

The ‘Art’ of Riding: When does riding transform from being a purely physical endeavour based on skills and technique, to “sculpting while progressing through space?” (de Kunffy, 1992, p.3)

Studying the Circle: 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 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.

Drawing a Circle (in Sand)

One of the most fundamental exercises in most riding disciplines is the circle. As a newcomer to horseback riding, you will likely meet the circle early on in your career, as it is beneficial in many ways to both the horse and the rider. As a veteran rider, you are all-too-familiar with the smooth curves and rounding suppleness that results in your horse after a series of various sized circles.

But what really is a circle? What does it look like when completed correctly and what figures can be classified as NOT circles?

Moving straight but not really...

It is true that riding round and round the ring on the fence line (or rail) is one of the easiest things you can be doing on horseback. The second easiest thing to do (not necessarily well) is to ride a straight line from end to end of the ring. Just point the horse's nose and hang on!

What is perhaps less well known is that moving along a straight line is in fact one of the most difficult movements a horse has to learn. Although moving along a straight path is an easily completed "figure", moving straight correctly is rarely achieved. Watch carefully and you will notice the horse's hind end pointing toward the inside of the ring, or the hind footprints not falling over the front footprints.

Enter the circle!

Just like people, horses have a preferred side and tend to want to bear more weight to that side. They are just as uneven as we are. Becoming more ambidextrous is as long of a process for them as it is for us to learn to use both sides of our bodies. And perhaps ironically, one of the most effective ways to develop better straight lines is to ride a circle.

Why should you even bother with a circle?

The primary intention of riding a circle is to help your horse loosen in the muscles and develop suppleness in his movement. It evens out the horse's ability to bear weight in the hind end and stretches both sides of the horse.

If you feel the horse stiffening on a long line, change course and head into a circle.

If you find your horse is distracted or spooking at something outside the arena, the circle is a tried-and-true method to bring his attention back to the (boring) center of the ring.

If you find your horse being uneven in his striding, or leaning in/drifting out, or moving in an otherwise "crooked" manner, then the circle is just right to help him straighten out through his body.

If your horse is a runner and speeds up with increasing tension, put him on a circle and allow him to slow down thanks to the increased weight bearing of the inside hind leg.

What does a circle look like?

A correctly ridden circle is even and round. I know - that must sound obvious! However, unless you have spent hours on perfecting the circle, you will agree with me that it is easier said than done!

Regardless of where you position the circle in the arena, it should be evenly spaced and round. You must end the circle where you began it, and the diameters should be even - if it is a 20 meter circle, there should be twenty meters from end to end regardless of where you are currently positioned.

The "NOT" Circle

The "NOT circle" isn't quite nearly as useful as the "NOT Canter"!

There are many variations of the not circle - and all of them are not circles!

A - This circle is one of the most common not circles mainly because of its pseudo-roundness. While you are riding the figure, you are quite sure that you have completed a round figure. That is, until you either look at the footprints in the sand or listen to your instructor's feedback! This circle does not start nor end at the same place and isn't quite evenly round. The horse probably fell in to the middle shortly after the beginning of the circle.

B - This is another common not circle because it is so easy to lose sight of the second half of the circle. Riders often start with good intentions (staying round through the first two quadrants of the circle), and through various inaccuracies - maybe the horse falls in to the middle, or the rider pulls on the inside rein too strongly - the circle ends in an abrupt straight line.

C - Here is another common error - the circle that follows the rail. In the end, you discover that you made a rectangle that basically left one rail and headed straight to another. This figure completely negates the purpose of the circle as the horse doesn't bend through the body. On the other hand, a well-ridden square - OFF the rail - is an extremely beneficial exercise although not at all what we are discussing here.

D - Despite the fact that this final not circle is ever so close to being true, it is not even through the quadrants and therefore ends up becoming more of an oval than a circle. Once again, the horse can avoid bending on the long sides and likely uses the rail as a guideline on where to go.

Parting Thoughts

"The intended effect of working on circles can be achieved only on condition that the correct line of the circle is followed as accurately as possible, but it is difficult to convince riders of the importance of accuracy. Many want quick and easy results and soon lose heart when they discover that riding a correct circle is not as simple a matter as it seems." - Alfred Knophart, Dressage: A Guidebook for the Road to Success (p. 31)

So get out in the ring and be the rider who practices circles to perfection. Work on developing your horse's suppleness and bend, and help him learn to carry more weight on his inside hind leg. Learn the circle aids well and soon enough, "drawing" round, even circles in the sand will become (almost!) second nature!

Perfecting Perfection in Riding: A Lifelong Quest

Let's just face the facts - there is no such thing as perfection in riding!

One step at a time — Photo credit: N. Banaszak

It is simple and true: one merely keeps developing, and once a particular technique or skill has been mastered, the next (absolutely necessary) step must be reached for. It is inevitable - for the lifelong rider, there is no other way.

Often, the fact that perfection can never be attained is the reason we keep coming back for more. We discover growth in so many areas thanks to the interactions we have with the horse. If we can listen carefully enough, we will achieve goals that also transfer into other areas of our lives, making riding relevant not only to our physical development, but also to so much more.

We all have our flaws.

Some people are perpetual "hand riders". They ride more on the reins than with their seat and leg aids.

Many people forever lean to one side, working against tightness or rigidity in their cores. Others have to struggle with a tight lower back and pelvis, always trying to release more than their bodies are willing to permit.

A few of us rush our horses and put them on the forehand, while others ride slow and flat so their horses are unable to use their hind ends and swing in their backs.

Finally, some of us eventually realize that we have several issues that must be overcome (!) before we can reach our potentials as riders.

After a few years in the saddle, you will be able to identify your main weaknesses and strengths, and you will know what you need to work on for a very long time.

The same can be said about our horses.

Some horses are severely one-sided. Some horses have a behavior they revert to as soon as something causes tension: rearing, bucking, head shaking, ducking in or out, balking/quitting, etc.

From an outside perspective, it seems obvious that everyone has something to work on at any one point in their development, and horses are not an exception.

So how does the concept of "perfection" fit into our many inadequacies?

We will never really find the perfect horse, nor will we ever be a perfect rider. However, it would be irresponsible of me to give you the impression that riders don't try to find perfection.

Of course we try for perfect.

We learn new skills, develop our weaknesses, practice over and again. Just when things seem to become insurmountable, and the same problems reappear repeatedly, we learn that it is essential for us to put the pieces together and invest the extra effort it takes to get over the hump.

We begin to revel in the moments of glory when they occur, and then continue doggedly when they disappear. We string together a series of great steps to make one movement shine.

Then we develop performance movement to movement. Here's how.

Six steps to perfection:

1. Take lessons.

2. Identify your "normal" (unconscious?) habits that might be interfering with the horse's movement, and work tirelessly on developing your physical skill.

3. Set goals and change them when needed.

4. Become an active rider and gently but firmly expect the horse to respond to your requests.

5. Watch better riders and analyze their reasons for success. Then try to duplicate.

6. Take more lessons.

Once that's all done, repeat!

Because perfection for you and your horse at that moment is what it's all about!

What do you do to attain perfection in your riding?

The Pinnacle of Horseback Riding

Riding toward the ultimate release - this is the stuff riders dream of.

leg yield — There is more to movement than just movement!

Not the release of the aids - that is a given requirement during all facets of the ride. We ought to regularly create moments of praise/encouragement to the horse during movement through a variety of types of release. We can reward the horse by small gives of the reins, softening the lower back through a movement, lightening of the leg aids or even just harmonizing through the entire body with the horse's motion.

But there is more to the overall scheme of riding than just the take and release that is required to communicate with the horse.

As you develop in riding, you will come to realize that there is more behind any movement than just the movement itself.

(Click here to tweet that if you like the idea.)

For example, developing a true leg yield can be a task in itself at the beginning. The horse is asked to not only travel straight ahead with a good reach from the hind legs, but then is required to cross the legs over each other while travelling somewhat sideways (but not completely sideways) with that same clear hind end stride. THEN the body must also stay straight - the shoulders cannot lead excessively nor can the hind end.

When we have all these things fall together at the same time, the feeling can be close to euphoric (for both the horse and rider).

However, if we practice leg yields on a regular basis, maintaining the basic correct technique throughout, one day we will be rewarded with a release from the horse.

This release is not the one where the horse lightens his pull on your aids, or leans less (although both are by-products). That type of release may happen on a fairly regular basis just through moments of obedience from the horse.

The release I'm talking about is the one where the horse lets go in his body. The best words that describe it are probably "looseness" and "swing". In effect, the horse releases his tightness within his body (not just the legs). We feel this sudden buoyancy that makes us feel like you are bouncing on a trampoline.

The strides seem to take longer, reach higher and farther. The bounce in the movement (whichever gait) amplifies, possibly making it more difficult for us to sit through if we are somewhat stiff through our body and joints. The movement becomes fluid, expressive, easy.

This is when we get into the "quality of the gait" of the horse. It's not just about the figure at hand; it's about how the horse moves during that figure!

Usually, the horse gives a good snort at this moment, confidently moving forward with enthusiasm but also in balance. Often, we will discover soft, even perhaps floppy ears as the horse finds his "happy place".

As the human partners, we revel in this feel that the horse so generously shares with us. The release of the movement of the horse INSIDE his body gives us a sense of freedom and floating against gravity.

And this is the pinnacle of riding that brings us back time and again.

How do you describe the feel of the horse's "let go" in a movement?

Finding Your Comfortable Un-comfort in Riding

She let out a tiny squeal and from the ear-to-ear grin on her face, we knew she had finally figured out what she had to do to get her horse moving forward.

Changing the edge can result in amazing things! — Photo Credit: NBanaszak Photography

"He feels like he's floating!" she announced gleefully. We knew that was horse-speak for the feeling we all get when something goes right and we experience a new "feel". It is the kind of feeling that we are always aiming for but rarely seem to find.

We celebrated with her, knowing how difficult it can be to coordinate all your body parts to get it right that first time. She was still giggling with glee although her horse had already slowed to a stop, sensing that she couldn't keep all her aids active for much longer than a few strides.

But that first time was all she needed to go at it again.

**********

Many of us can relate to the scene above. Have you ever been in that position - the one when you finally discovered what it was that you were doing (or weren't doing) that pushed you just over the edge and gave you the breakthrough you were looking for?

Riding can be like that.

You can never become too complacent because if you are not the one spurring (pun!) yourself to newer heights, invariably, your horse will help you along!

Sometimes, people get comfortable enough to forget that they need to keep learning. At times, we might fall into the trap of believing that we are done with learning in riding.

But the truth is that the learning never stops. There is always something more, a different angle, a deeper feeling.

We can't become complacent in the training process of riding - we must ever strive for more, reach higher, try something new. (Click here to tweet that if you know what I mean.)

We must find the un-comfort in our comfort zone.

In yoga, it's called "changing your edge". First, you find the spot that starts to challenge you. Then you back off 5 percent. In this manner, you progressively reach higher while still working within your limits. You continually push yourself out of your comfort zone, but only just enough to make a small improvement.

Set your goals so that you are just THAT little bit uncomfortable.

If you stay in your comfort zone, you will always ride the same way. The same successes will arrive at your door and the same problems will continue to haunt you forever more. Even if you change horses, the same problems will rear their ugly faces again and again, for it isn't the horse that has the difficulty, but you as the rider.

It behooves us to become better riders, on a continual progressive scale that dares us to progress beyond our current means. Although goal setting is a step in that direction, the objectives themselves can get lost during the riding session if something else pops up that attracts our attention.

So it is with careful reflection that you must decide during the ride how to find that small un-comfort that will drive you to improve the horse you have that day.

Try to let go of your idea of success. Instead, focus on the process of the change you are putting into place. Instead of looking for the result, work on the movement step-by-step, and see how the result turns out. If it is not as good as you expected, don't worry. Just try again. You know then that you are still in your un-comfort zone.

If, on the other hand, the result is satisfying, then you know it's time to find the new edge. Once again, identify your (new) comfort zone, then extend it that much further. Then back off 5%. See if the horse can meet your expectations at that new "edge".

And so it goes - new goals, new un-comfort zones, new accomplishments.

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

Horse Listening Book 4: 20-Minute Exercises To Add Variety To Your Riding Routine 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.

Available as an eBook or paperback.

23 Ways to Solve the Riding Problem

Got a horseback riding problem? Here are 23 ways to solve the problem.

Admit it - you've tried at least a handful of these in your time! (So have I... trust me, I have the T-shirt for many of these "solutions"!)

I'm also quite sure you can think of many other ways to solve the problem.

The message here is not that you shouldn't try some of the strategies above. Of course we should make sure that the equipment fits the horse and there is no underlying physical problem.

We should know if our horse prefers one bit over another. Without a doubt, you might need the help of a friend or a professional throughout the course of your ownership of the horse.

But in the midst of fiddling with the small things, we end up missing out on the bigger picture:

changing ourselves.

The unfortunate part of having to develop our skills is that it takes time. The learning process is slow, strewn with mistakes and less-than-perfects, and at times, even discouraging.

In order to make a true change, we have to dig deep and change our very way of interacting with the horse.

(Click here to tweet that if you agree.)

This is not the stuff that happens in a day or two. Forget instant gratification and prepare to stay for the long haul.

We have to persevere, make mistakes, try something new. We must step out of our comfort zones and use new muscles - physically and mentally.

Aside from the physical discomfort, we have to develop our internal characteristics. We learn to let things go and to forgive both our horse and ourselves. We become more humble, less demanding and more persistent. We learn all about developmental stages, both within ourselves as well as our horses.

And perhaps most importantly, we discover what it feels like to stay the course and really struggle with something difficult, seeing our way through the problems to finally finding the solutions.

Only then do we become empowered in the understanding that if we can "find" the change we need within ourselves, the horse will reward us with a positive response.

And by that time, we will be startled to realize that the problem no longer exists!

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 as an eBook or paperback.

Do A “Forward” Back-Up

How do you get a horse to back up lightly, energetically and rhythmically?

Do it "forward"!

It sounds like an oxymoron, but it's the truth. You MUST make the back-up into a forward movement. That is the only way the horse can move his legs efficiently and diagonally.

The back-up is a very important part of the correct training of the horse. It is the beginning of teaching the horse to tilt his hind end and carry more weight on his haunches. It is the preparatory step for a good walk-canter departure and for many of the upper-level movements. But first, you must teach the horse to step backward without creating tension and sticky steps.

How NOT to back up

You will often see people pulling on their horse's mouth and kicking. The horse might open his mouth, tighten and raise the neck, and step back stiff-legged like his legs are stuck in quicksand.

The first thing to keep in mind is to NEVER pull backward on the reins (not for any other movements either, but especially not for the back-up).

4 steps to a good back-up

1. Shorten the reins so you have contact. How much contact depends on the level of understanding of your horse. If this is a new movement, you might need more contact. If the horse is far enough along, you could get away with a "whisper" of a contact! This is what we are all aiming for. But in the interest of being clear with our aids, we might need to use more pressure at first so there is no guess work for the horse.

However, please note that contact does not mean a pull-back. Although you make the reins short enough to put some pressure on the horse's mouth, the reins are not actively moving backward toward your body.

2. Start with a gentle squeeze of your legs. Do not kick unless you absolutely have to. You might need to kick only if the horse gives no response. Otherwise, a squeeze should activate the hind legs enough to almost take a step forward.

3. As the horse takes that forward step, he leans into the pressure of the contact and realizes that he cannot step ahead. The legs then begin the backward movement. At the same time, lighten your seat slightly to the front of the saddle. The weight shift should be so small that it is not visible - only the horse and you know that you shifted your seat. This frees up the back under the saddle so that the horse can lift his hind legs and tilt the haunches.

4. Once the backward motion has started, lighten the contact (don't throw it all away!) in order to give the horse a release. Stay light in the seat while the horse takes the steps. You stop the backward motion by sitting back into a normal seat. Your seat, followed by light leg aids, then drive your horse forward into the same light contact. The difference is that this time, you walk forward.

Always walk forward out of a back-up. You want to regularly instill a "forward attitude" into the horse, especially after a back-up.

Possible corrections

Beginning horses often resist taking the backward steps as the shift of weight back is unusual for horses to do on their own. Just be patient through the initial stages and insist that the horse moves his legs backward before you stop your aids.

Wait through the confusion of the horse even if he throws his head sideways or up. The legs might drag backwards or you might get one step, then another, then a stop. It doesn't matter; just keep at it until you think he has understood.

It might take several sessions before the horse lightens and begins to understand what you are understanding for. Keep the energy level up, look for diagonal pairs of legs moving together, and work toward keeping a soft neck and poll through the movement. Find the balance between trying again and knowing when it is time to stop.

He will get better with time.

How do you teach your horse to back up? If you tried any of this, let us know how it went in the comment section.

Go straight in a turn

Keeping the shoulders in the body

The trick is to redirect the energy

Finally! The Ultimate Rider-Centered Program!

Buy the book for many more riding tips!

Theme: Riding Goals Defined

Moving straight but not really...

Why should you even bother with a circle?

What does a circle look like?

The "NOT" Circle

Parting Thoughts

Finally! The Ultimate Rider-Centered Program!

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

We all have our flaws.

The same can be said about our horses.

So how does the concept of "perfection" fit into our many inadequacies?

Six steps to perfection:

Finally! The Ultimate Rider-Centered Program!

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

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Finally! The Ultimate Rider-Centered Program!

Buy Horse Listening – The Book: Stepping Forward to Effective Riding

Riding can be like that.

Set your goals so that you are just THAT little bit uncomfortable.

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

Got a horseback riding problem? Here are 23 ways to solve the problem.

changing ourselves.

Finally! The Ultimate Rider-Centered Program!

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

How NOT to back up

4 steps to a good back-up

Possible corrections

Finally! The Ultimate Rider-Centered Program!

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