horses – Page 2 – Horse Listening

Luvin’ the Reader Love!

In my little world, there is only one thing almost as good as listening to horses - and that is reader love!

Horse Listening has recently been nominated for not only one, but TWO, "Versatile Blogger" awards. This award is nominated by readers (and writers) themselves (which makes it an incredibly meaningful award).

So thanks go out to:

Sparrowgrass, who has been a regular reader for some time now and has made very kind comments in the past. Her blog can be found here.

Kathryn Mattson, writer of the blog, Unbridled Bliss.

Thank you so much for considering my blog to be worthy of notice!

In receiving the Versatile Blogger Award, I must tell you seven things about myself.

1) I love all things riding and writing.

2) I own four horses, all of which have been featured in pictures on the blog.

3) An elementary school teacher in my "real life", I write only in my "spare time".

4) Horses became my LIFEstyle after I bought my first horse at the age of 21. Over the years, I have been a boarder, student, instructor, trainer, breeder, and barn manager. I've competed in competitive trail and endurance events, all sorts of Western and English performance classes, and most recently, Dressage.

5) I still have my first horse, Kayla, who just turned 31 years old and still kicks it around with the young 'uns like there's no tomorrow!

6) I believe in the saying, "The more you know, the more you know you don't know" - particularly where horses are concerned. I continue to get lessons from my own instructor regularly, although not as often as I'd like. I am keen to learn from everyone in all disciplines.

7) I am truly amazed at the response that the blog is receiving.

Although the Versatile Blog rules ask for a list of fifteen blogs that I like to read, I have to disappoint as I regularly read only eight.

1. Goins, Writer: Jeff Goins writes about all things writing, and even more about just life in general.

2. The Write Practice: This is a community of writers and the subject is writing - skills, techniques, styles, even word studies. And yes, I do practice (as in, post some pieces there) but not as often as I should.

3. MindBodyGreen: This site has never-ending posts about everything and anything to do with health: healthy eating, exercise, yoga, meditation, weight loss... you name it. I find myself regularly reading their well-researched topics.

4. Writability: This is a blog written by a Ava Jae, a writer. She explores all sorts of topics related to writing.

5. SnarkyRider: I go here when I want a good laugh about all things horse-related.

6. Becky Hart Horsepro: Becky Hart is a long distance rider heroine of mine. I've known of her for years and was thrilled to find her blogging her endurance riding adventures here.

7. Horse Junkies United: There are a group of writers that post for this blog. They go personally to events and write their impressions for their readers. I regularly enjoy their insights and news from equestrian events around the world.

8. Hay-Net: Although not technically a blog, this is a website FILLED with horsey blogs! I post there and read other people's blogs too.

Thanks again for reading!

If you don't already know, Horse Listening has also been nominated in the Top Ten Best Blog list for the 2012 Equestrian Social Media Awards. If you haven't voted for us already, you still have until February 8th. Please go here and select Horse Listening in Category 17.

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

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

Available as an eBook or paperback.

Other awards and recognition:

Horse Listening Receives An Award!

Horse Listening Wins An Equestrian Award!

OMG! HL is a 2014 ESMA Finalist!

HL is an ESMA Top Ten Finalist!

Luvin’ the Reader Love!

Why an Active Stretch is Nothing Like a Neck-Down

Stretchy Walk — Photo Credit: NBanaszak Photography

In the beginning, if I could get the horse to drop his head even just below the withers, I thought I was getting a beginner sort of stretch. I was so pleased that I could influence the horse enough to get him to drop his neck.

Then as time went on, and with my ever-patient instructor at my side, I realized that just getting the horse to drop his neck actually had nothing to do with getting a stretch.

Why not?

Well, that was my burning question after about a month (or more!) of neck-downs and still no real stretch!

The Passive Stretch

In reality, the passive stretch is not really a stretch. It is more of a what I now think of as a "neck-down". The catch is that many people cannot tell the difference between a passive versus an active stretch, and therefore get caught in the passive conundrum without even knowing it.

When you are new to getting your horse to stretch, you don't know what a truly active stretch feels like. Initially, it can even be a little overwhelming to watch the horse as his neck goes down, down, down, seemingly into a never-ending abyss. It can even become a little uncomfortable to feel the imbalance the neck-down may cause, since the horse does in fact fall to the forehand in a passive stretch.

The neck-down comes from the reins. You learn that if you take the contact long enough, the horse will start looking for a release. At one point, the horse will drop his head and you will release. And so - as with anything (right?) - take more contact and the horse will quickly learn to drop his head even lower. Your release at the bottom will reinforce that he did the right thing.

And then your superstar fantastic instructor tells you that you are NOT doing a stretch!

😉

Problems

After many, many more tries, you might start to discover that the problem with the passive stretch is that it is merely a posture. Similar to reaching down for grass, the horse learns to reach down for the pressure release. If the back was hollow before the neck going down, it will still be hollow. If the horse wasn't properly using his hind end, the disengagement will continue and might even become more pronounced.

At the walk, it might not be much of a problem. At the trot, you can begin to really feel the horse leaning to the forehand. If you try a neck-down at the canter, you will really know what imbalance feels like! Beware - the horse may fall to the forehand enough to slip or trip.

The Active Stretch

The active stretch is different in so many ways.

1. It starts from the hind end. The key is that there should be movement. So without initiating impulsion from the hind end, there will be no stretch.

2. The energy travels over the top line, and because of that energy, the horse reaches forward to the bit. If the horse is being truly energetic - from the rear - he will spontaneously want to round, release the tension in the top line, and begin the stretch.

You might feel a surge of energy (I think of it as a mild whip-lash effect) which ends in the horse's desire to reach forward and down. How far he reaches forward and down depends on the depth of your release.

3. Finally, the major difference is that your release of the reins encourages the horse to reach down even more. Therefore, other than the original level of contact, there is no more taking up of rein or tightening or pulling or moving your elbows backward.

During and After the Stretch

The other major difference between the active and passive stretch is level of activity. While the horse is stretching, he is still with you. In the passive stretch, you effectively drop the horse and let go. Then, you must "take up" again (your reins, contact, energy, connection).

In the active stretch, you are still there through the whole movement. You can half-halt through your seat and reins, you can use your leg aids and you can smoothly resume the usual riding outline once the stretch is over.

The reins are not loopy, or completely released.

There is always a light, effective contact between you and your horse, regardless of where the head and neck is.

Begin to Float

You will know when you have found the active stretch. There is simply no comparison to the neck-down. You will feel:

- the horse's energy surge

- the back actually becoming rounder and stronger

- the strides become larger and bolder

- the body loosen up, the horse become enthusiastic and calm at the same time, and just this overall buoyancy that wasn't there with the neck down.

Combine all the above and you will begin to float, equine-style!

Horse Listening – The Book: Stepping Forward to Effective Riding

Buy the books for many more riding tips!

Personally signed books available! Just send me a message.

Would you like to be the rider that all horses dream of?

By following simple, useful exercises, you will be able to develop a better understanding about many topics including:

- the rider’s aids

- the use of the seat

- the half-halt

- accurate turns and circles

- transitions

- horse ownership and horse care

- goal setting for the rider

- rein lameness

… and much more!

Available as an eBook or paperback.

The Night Before Christmas

I found this beautifully written version long ago on the Internet. It has stayed with me over the years, a symbol of 'horse listening' before there ever was a HorseListening.com.

Horse names have been changed to the names of my favourite four-legged equines!

Thank you, on this Christmas eve, for your readership.

By Doris Elradi

It's the night before Christmas and I'm out in the barn
Blanketing my horses to keep them all warm.
They're eating their dinners, tucked cozy in stalls,
Not aware that it's Christmas, or any day special at all.
They dream of spring pastures from their pine-scented beds.
No visions of sugarplums dance in their heads.
But we people are thinking of merry parties and such
Quickly doing our tasks so we don't miss too much.
This season is special, but the horses don't know.
They munch on their hay safe out of the snow.
I finish my chores and head on inside
To get ready for dinner and my family's yuletide.
It's nearly midnight, the carols are sung.
I remember a story told when I was young
How at midnight on each Christmas Eve
The barnyard creatures can speak to us with ease.
I am called to the barn. I slosh through the snow.
I can't really explain; I know I must go.
I slide open the door, and stand there and smile
Then slowly walk down the dimly lit aisle.
A nicker from Cyrus, a soft snort from Roya,
Sweet, gentle Annahi gives me a wink
Big Boss rustles his bedding, Batique comes into sight
Even Darcy gives a greeting as I walk through the night.
I think about parties bright lit and warm,
The ones we don't go to cause we have the barn
And vacations and holidays that we usually don't get
Cause we have the animals and chores to be met.
Walking all the way to the end of the aisle
I stop to stroke Kayla and linger awhile
She snuffles my face, hot breath on my skin
And I look around at the others, my horses, my friends.
I could be at parties with laughter and mirth
But where I am right now is the best place on Earth.

From Our Barn to Yours.......Merry Christmas....

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.

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

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.

Cultivating Your Multiple (Riding) Personalities

In daily life, assuming different personalities might be frowned upon. However, if you can can channel several different personas while riding, you might actually be doing your horse a favor!

beauty — Photo Credit: NBanaszak Photography

The reason?

Horses, just like people, have different personalities and needs. If you are lucky enough to ride multiple horses, you will quickly realize that what you do for one horse may not be useful for another. If you have the ability to respond quickly and effectively to each horse, you will be well on your way to achieving riding success!

Even if you ride just one horse, you know that you may not meet the same horse every ride. Just like the rest of us, horses have good days and bad days. They have excited days, lazy days, scaredy-cat days and even not-feeling-well days. In order to be the best riding partner you can be, you might need to alter your feel and mood to meet your horse's needs.

The best riders cultivate their ability to switch from one riding "personality" to another, in order to meet their horse's requirements, each time they ride.

The Sensitive Horse

Be gentle and kind to the horse that works hard and tries his best all the time. This is the horse that can hear you whisper if you can be quiet enough. In time, you might even be lucky enough to develop your communication skills so well that it feels like the horse can read your mind. You can use the lightest of aids and he will respond with enthusiasm and internal motivation.

However, his perfectionist nature might cause some difficulties. This horse will likely be the overachiever - you put your leg on, and he explodes into the next gait. You lean a little to the left, and he leans even farther and cuts the corner. You ask for a canter, and although he isn't balanced in the trot, he scrambles, hollows his back and still changes his legs to the three-beat gait. Over time, this horse might be the one that becomes resistant, reluctant and anxious.

Meet this horse with light and gentle aids, and you will develop a lasting friendship. Be kind, release your aids quickly and give this horse the benefit of the doubt. Assume that his "misbehaviours" are not caused by a lack of desire, but from trying too hard. This horse may need you to wait for a response rather than reinforce immediately. Let this horse take the initiative at times and help him develop his confidence by accepting his attempts even if they are not exactly what you wanted. Ideally, you should always be calm, quiet and poised.

The Uninspired Horse

At the other end of the spectrum, you might come across a horse that is simply not inspired to work. This horse might present as being quiet and calm, and might even be the horse that you would choose for a beginner rider. He likely won't be particularly spooky, and he would be the horse that seems content to stand around in the riding ring while you chat enthusiastically with your friends.

Unfortunately, his laid-back nature could lead this horse to regularly resist responding to aids. He might be the one that meets your forward request with pinned ears and swishing tail. He could feel like he's stuck in quicksand, moving only after several nagging aids. You might feel exhausted within the first ten minutes of the ride because you really are doing more work than he is!

To be an effective rider for this horse, you would have to do a complete turn-around compared to the last horse. You might need to be assertive, black and white in your aids, and be prepared to follow-up instantly. It could be fine to challenge this horse more than you would with the last horse, because he will need more external motivation to be responsible for his part of the work.

Go Ahead - Switch Personalities!

Of course, we all know that there are as many variations in personality as there are horses (ain't it the same with people?). In our examples above, riding the "lazy" horse the way you would ride the "sensitive" horse might lead to more problems that you can imagine. The key to riding effectively (and keeping the horses working correctly and happily) lies in your ability to discern the horse's needs.

Then, if you can be prepared to meet those needs, you are well on your way to developing a wonderful riding partnership!

If you enjoyed the above article, you will find many more relevant tips and concepts in Horse Listening – The Book: Stepping Forward to Effective Riding

Available as an eBook or paperback.

Dark Room Doors and Dressage: A metaphor for the learning process.

Horseback Riding the Yoga Way – Practice! Find a balance between achieving and letting go. How to include the concept of “practicing” in your riding.

Riding is Simple, But Not Easy! Let’s face it – all we want is for the horse to do what we want, when we want, where we want, with suppleness and strength!

Take the Credit, Bad AND Good: 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.

10 Ways on How NOT to Buy Your Dream Horse!

Tongue-in-cheek, just-for-fun!

(OK admit it - how many of these have we all done at one time or another??)

dream horse — Photo credit: NBanaszak Photography

Buy your friend's (unridden-for-the-last-few-years) horse -

that she never could ride and can no longer afford to keep.

Buy at a local auction.

Breed your unrideable mare.

Breed your mare to the neighbour's super-friendly-sweet-as-pie

(but when was he ridden the last time??) stallion.

Take the neighbour's (or anyone's) free hand-me-down horse

that hasn't been ridden in two years.

Buy your super horse sight unseen from a picture on the Internet.

Buy him after your rode him once under the best circumstances.

Listen to the now-your-best-friend coach (horse dealer) that you met last week.

Listen to the big-name-trainer who really just wants you to buy a horse for himself!

Find an ad on Craig'slist.

Do you have any other recommendations??!!

*****

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

Browse through our other articles just for fun!

14 Reasons to Love Horseback Riding: There must be hundreds of reasons why people enjoy horses and horseback riding. Here are fourteen.

Top 10 Annoying Riding Habits: Enjoy this tongue-in-cheek list coming from the opposite perspective – things NOT to do while riding!

Horseback Riders Do Nothing Anyway! Well, at least, that’s what “they” say. But we know differently, don’t we?

A Song and My Very Own Chestnut Mare: You will find me bristling at the suggestion that chestnut mares are unworthy.

Breaking the Cycle: It Might Not Be What You DID Do…

... but rather what you didn't do.

Steps — Photo credit: NBanaszak Photography

Time and again, we find ourselves having the same problem with our horses. We have worked repeatedly on a particular skill only to be faced with the identical issue once more. We try to resolve the situation using tools we already know but to no avail; the same result is obtained, and it isn't the one we are looking for.

We blame ourselves.

We blame the horse.

We try harder.

We get emotional. Surely, the horse would do what you want if he wanted to please... right?

Why is he not responding?

And then, we do it all over again. We use the same aids, go through the same exercises, approach the problem from the same angle(s).

Need a Change-Up?

To modify the situation, we need to alter our perspective. The unfortunate part is that often, the change that is needed is not easily accessible or acquired. Sometimes, no matter how hard we try, we simply cannot adjust ourselves in the manner required by the horse, simply due to inexperience or lack of skill.

But that does not alter the fact that the horse needs something we might not be able to give him.

The Essential Instructor

There are so many possible ways to approach a riding problem. Unless we have the opportunity to ride many horses under good instruction for many years, we may not be aware of the approach that is needed for the particular situation our horse is facing. Finding an accurate solution may in fact be impossible for us to reach on your own, especially if the problem is something we have not experienced to date.

Enter the essential instructor: there simply is no other way.

What our horse might need is a completely new perspective. Perhaps we have to learn something new that we would never be able to dream about without the help of an informed instructor.

Practice and Time

Don't kid yourself - new riding skills take time to develop. The necessary change-up may require numerous repetitions until we become proficient and effective enough to be able to change our horse's performance. We need to be content knowing that we are on the right path and that walking the path may take longer than we originally anticipated.

Changing the Rules... Again

Finally, we need to recognize that in changing our own responses to the problem, we are also expecting the horse to change his behavior. Not only will we need to master the new skill, but we also must de-program our horse's responses that WE blueprinted into him, and replace them with new ones. Although we usually find horses to be extraordinarily forgiving and patient, it will nevertheless take time to explain the new rules clearly enough to make changes in his responses.

Listen to Horses

We will know our goals are being achieved by being sensitive to our horse's reactions. If we uncover more tension, insecurity, lamenesses, tail swishing and/or pinned ears, we know we are not quite on the path we are seeking. In contrast, if our horse gives us snorts, bolder, more confident forward strides, strength and roundness and/or soft expressive eyes and ears, we know we are on the right track.

So the next time you get stuck in a rut and don't know what to do, think of what you didn't do, and give that a try!

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

Warning: This post will discuss all things about a region we seldom talk about, never mind actually analyze! So grab a "seat" and come along for the ride...

The Seat

Riding is all about the use of the seat.

No matter how effective you think your seat is, you will likely continue to find a better/more balanced/more sophisticated way to use your seat as you develop your riding skills.

Having said that, you can start "finding" your seat right from the get-go. Before you have even learned to control the horse, you could be developing a secure seat through lunging lessons from a good instructor.

Why Bother With the Seat?

You could argue that you can give all your aids (or cues) to a horse through your hands and legs. You would of course be right - most horses could get by with a basic level of performance by listening to your intentions through your appendages. However, you would always have a sense that something is missing - something more profound and difficult to describe, because the horse will always have moments of disconnection that you won't be able to eliminate in your riding.

You might even catch a horse off-guard and have to overuse your hands to get a downward transition, turn or other maneuver.

Once you discover the true harmony that an effective seat can produce, you may agree that the seat can truly be distinguished as the core of all riding.

If you can free up your hands and legs from creating and maintaining movement, you'll uncover a source of freedom and harmony difficult to describe in words.

Developing a well-balanced and independent riding seat is the task of a lifetime.

Do You Walk, Trot and Canter With Your Seat?

When mounted on the horse, your seat bones effectively become your legs. In other words, your seat bones will do on the horse's back what your legs normally would do on the ground.

If the horse is walking, so too should your seat mirror the movement. Your inside and outside seat bones can walk along with the horse's footfalls, in rhythm, at the same time as the horse's side swings.

In trot and canter, your seat bones move together to follow the arc of the movement of the horse. The better you can release and contract your lower back and seat muscles, the easier it will be for you to follow the horse's back without bouncing against the movement.

On the Lunge

Riding on the lunge is the best way to begin the search for the effective seat. Your instructor controls the horse so you can focus on your balance and coordination. The learning is not mental - in fact, it is purely physical. If you can allow your body to move with the horse's movements, the muscle memory will develop on its own through the repetitive motion of the horse.

Don't get me wrong - it's not like you are going to sit there and let the horse do all the work! That is far from the truth.

Instead, you will be doing your best to allow the horse's movements through your body. You will quickly discover that you must tense and release your muscles, all the way from the top of your head down to your heels, in rhythm, while maintaining enough balance to not fall too far forward or too far backward! It sounds easier than it feels!

However, since you do not have to control the horse, you are free to use your hands to hold on to the pommel of the and pull yourself deeply into the front of the saddle so you can help your core muscles maintain the strength needed for a balanced posture. You can also move the arms and legs into various positions to deepen the looseness in your muscles, stretching your sides one at a time, and creating a deeper seat by moving the positions of the legs.

More advanced lunging can be accomplished through riding without stirrups.Your instructor can teach your body how to deal with sudden lurches from the horse, and even provide opportunities for non-progressive transitions such as walk to canter, where the body has to give through the lower back and seat deeply enough to allow the horse's movements to go seamlessly through you.

There is no other way to finding an effective seat than through lunging, and you will develop an independent seat much quicker than if you have to control the horse on your own. Sadly, there are few instructors who have a suitable horse (a truly steady and reliable lunging horse takes time to develop) and enough marketing clout (to talk beginning riders into going round and round in circles) for the sake of muscle memory.

But lunging is simply the most effective short-cut to becoming the best rider you can be.

Off the Lunge Line

Once off the lunge, you need to learn to control the horse with all your aids. However, thanks to all the work you did developing your muscle memory, your seat will already be willing and able to maintain your balance so you can have better control of your appendages. Because you've already ridden at the walk/trot/canter and handled the non-progressive transitions, there is little left to surprise you when the horse suddenly heads in a different direction or stops without warning. Your seat will take care of any surprises.

Time and again, you can revisit riding on the lunge to maintain or develop an ever deeper and more effective seat. The time you invest on the lunge will be recovered ten-fold through your riding career.

In fact, once you've started working on the lunge, you'll wonder why you didn't do it in the first place.

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

Horse Listening – The Book: Stepping Forward to Effective Riding

Personally signed books available! Give the best gift for the horse lover in your life (or for yourself! ). Send me a message for more information.

From the first book in the Horse Listening Collection: Horse Listening, The Book

"There are many reasons why we enjoy riding horses. Maybe one of the most appealing facets of riding is the sense of freedom: freedom from our own limitations, freedom from gravity, freedom to (literally) roam the Earth. Time stands still while we have the privilege of feeling movement from the back of our four-legged friend.

Riding gives us the place to just be.

Of course, there are other purposes too. Some of us revel in the challenge of learning the skills required to becoming a good team member of this unlikely duo. Riding is like no other sport or recreational pursuit simply because of the equine partner that must not only carry us, but also do so effortlessly and gracefully. As we develop our specific skill sets, we also grow as human beings in character, emotional maturity and mental acuity.

But there is one other motivation that drives some of us to persevere in the never-ending learning process that is horseback riding: improving the horse. As your own skills develop, you begin to realize that not only can you meet your own needs through riding, but also that you can even become an instrument of benefit for the horse."

And so begins the book that reflects the most important learning I have had in all of my riding years: that I want to be the best rider I can be for the sake of my horses.

This book is geared toward the rider:

- the rider's motivations

- the essential skills for the rider

- some specific strategies

- solutions to common problems

- and the results: the great horsey moments we get to experience

Available as an eBook or paperback.

Horses. Riding. Life.

Tag: horses

Why an Active Stretch is Nothing Like a Neck-Down

The Passive Stretch

Problems

The Active Stretch

During and After the Stretch

Begin to Float

Finally! The Ultimate Rider-Centered Program!

Horse Listening – The Book: Stepping Forward to Effective Riding

The Night Before Christmas

Finally! The Ultimate Rider-Centered Program!

Listening Corner – Riding Goals Defined

Theme: Riding Goals Defined

Cultivating Your Multiple (Riding) Personalities

The Sensitive Horse

The Uninspired Horse

Go Ahead - Switch Personalities!

10 Ways on How NOT to Buy Your Dream Horse!

Tongue-in-cheek, just-for-fun!

Breaking the Cycle: It Might Not Be What You DID Do…

... but rather what you didn't do.

Need a Change-Up?

The Essential Instructor

Practice and Time

Changing the Rules... Again

Listen to Horses

Finally! The Ultimate Rider-Centered Program!

Don’t miss a single issue of Horse Listening!

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

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

Why Bother With the Seat?

Do You Walk, Trot and Canter With Your Seat?

On the Lunge

Off the Lunge Line

Finally! The Ultimate Rider-Centered Program!

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