We can all think of a rider we know that seems to always do well, has calm, happy horses, and steadily improves their horse's physical and mental state in an almost effortless manner.
We watch and admire from afar, but in fact, we can all stand to learn from their regular habits and "way of being" in order to develop our own horse riding mantra.
What do great riders have in common that makes them appealing to watch, steadily develop their riding skills and become role models for others to aspire to emulate?
1. Persistence: Great riders are willing to try, try again. They know that there will be more rides, more days, and the slow and steady approach always wins the "race".
2. Open-mindedness: Great riders know there is something to be learned from everyone, even if to see proof of why NOT to do something. These riders are not discipline exclusive, and are always aware that good riding is good riding is good riding, regardless of the saddle or style.
3. Patience: Great riders are willing to wait to reap the rewards. They know that even if something falls apart today, there will be more days to come and small steps even backward are more beneficial than quick fixes or shortcuts.
4. Quitting: This may seem counter-intuitive, but great riders quit while they're ahead. They ride for short periods of time to their highest ability and then call it a day. They seem to intuitively know when enough is enough.
5. Effectiveness: Great riders seek maximum effectiveness with minimum harm. They make every step count, and they resist overriding the horse for the sake of performance.
6. Self-Improvement: Great riders regularly seek toupgrade their riding skills and general horse education. They are willing to spend time, money and humility in the quest for constant self-improvement.
7. Seeing the Big Picture: Great riders enjoy the "work" and the path as much as they do the goal achievement. They know that each day and each step is as important as the other and is a natural progression in development.
8. Role Models: Great riders know great riding when they see it and seek to surround themselves with those who will not only help them improve on a riding level, but also on a more personal and inspirational level as well.
9. Problem Solving: Great riders can trouble-shoot through problems to come to gratifying solutions. They have many tools in their "tool-boxes" and know there is more than one way to approach a situation. They are always willing to try new things.
10: Horse Listeners: Great riders are expert horse listeners! They are sensitive to the feedback from their horses and adjust their responses accordingly.
It's as simple as that! 🙂
And now that I have humbly created my own ten habits of a competent rider, please take a look at the following video for a much more eloquent description. I was so thrilled to find the new Facebook page of one of my most revered writers and riders of all time, Charles deKunffy, that I thought I'd share it here for your viewing and educational pleasure. He always has a depth of understanding that surprises, even in answer to the most simple questions, and this video is no exception.
Now it's your turn. What is missing from this list? Please add to the comments below.
Finally! The Ultimate Rider-Centered Program!
Ready for something completely different? If you liked what you read here, you might be interested in the Horse Listening Practice Sessions.
This is NOT a program where you watch other people's riding lessons. Start working with your horse from Day 1.
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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!
If you "listen" carefully, can you feel your horse's subtle weight shifts when you begin a turn? Can you tell if your horse uses his hind end while heading into a turn, or does he feel stiff and awkward, almost like he's leaving his legs behind the movement?
Most horses will enter a turn in the latter manner, if nothing is done to "set up" the turn in the first place.
What You Don't Want
You will know this type of turn by identifying these signs:
He will brace against the reins. You might find that he increases the pressure on your hands, gets hollow in his back, and shortens his stride length (in the hind end) as he goes into the turn.
He may throw his shoulder down into the ground. This looks and feels like the horse goes momentarily "stick-legged" - rather than flowing easily underneath you, the leg feels rigid and unmovable. Generally, he will "lose steam" through the turn - it looks like he is lazy and unwilling to go forward.
Finally, he will probably lift his neckand head in an effort to counteract the imbalance to the forehand.
It is likely that he will continue through the turn, and the legs will take you where you want to go, but the posture and balance of the horse is compromised through the entire movement.
What You Do Want
"Stepping out" into the turn
In contrast, the well-prepared turn looks and feels very different:
Before beginning the turn, the horse shifts his weight, steps further under his body with his hind legs, rounds his back, and reaches for the bit.
He increases his impulsion (even if it appears like no change to the onlooker) and appears to be eagerly (not necessarily quickly) moving forward.
When he begins the turn, the change of direction seems effortless and intentional. The legs just flow in rhythmical, ground-covering fashion.
And as always, the rider appears to be doing nothing!
4 Steps to a Great Turn
Step 1: Shift the horse's weight to the outside (using the inside rein and leg).
Step 2: Support the bend with the outside rein and leg.
Step 3: "Bounce" off the outside aids (inside rein should be light and almost unused).
Step 4: Inside front leg reaches in to the first turn step, followed lightly by the body.
Step 5: Half-halt, right through the turn. This last half-halt helps your horse stay in balance after the turn.
Step 1 and 2: These occur on the straight line before heading into the turn. This is also the moment of engagement - when the horse reaches further underneath the body, lifts the back, rounds and reaches for contact. The weight shifts to the outside just enough to allow the inside of the horse to free up to step into the turn. Once Step 2 is complete, the horse is prepared with a nice light bend, ready to take the first turn step.
Step 3: The "bounce" is the result of your outside aids becoming active. It feels like first you embrace the horse as he fills your outside rein and leg, and then you become active and gently urge him to step away from it all. Through this step, you maintain an inside flexion first with your inside leg and then with your inside rein.
The perfect Step 3 feels like you have a fluttering contact with your inside rein, and the horse is lightly wrapped around your inside leg but pleasantly swelled to the outside. Your own body is exactly in balance with the horse - your hips and shoulders open into the turn in parallel with your horse's shoulders.
Step 4: The horse is now taking his first step into the turn. It is as if you set it all up, and now you are setting the horse free! Here, you just follow - with your seat, hands and balance.
Step 5: A half-halt shortly after the first turn step will help the horse stay in balance rather than give to gravity. Keep riding - don't stop your leg, seat and hand aids just because you started the turn.
You now have a choice - take another step into the turn, or come out of the turn.
Don't be in a rush!
In general, it may take several strides to achieve Steps 1 to 3. Your horse may continue to brace/throw his head/drop the shoulder, maybe even worse than before you tried to set him up. Learn to wait through the upheaval. Keep your aids on calmly but insistently and wait for the moment that you can reward him - even for a small change in the right direction.
Try this at the walk, then trot and canter. Your horse should always enter a turn the same way - shift out to turn in.
One last thought: do not rush the turn, for the turn itself is not the end goal. The goal of this (and any) movement is to help your horse achieve balance within the movement. The movement itself is a breeze after that!
Finally! The Ultimate Rider-Centered Program!
Ready for something completely different? If you liked what you read here, you might be interested in new Horse Listening Practice Sessions.
This is NOT a program where you watch other people's riding lessons. Start working with your horse from Day 1.
How many times have you caught yourself pulling on an already tight inside rein? Have you ever noticed your horse swing his neck to the inside, while you find yourself drifting out toward the rail (thank goodness for that rail, since without it, you would probably drift to oblivion!)? We've all been there and done that (and I have the T-shirt)!
The circle is used so frequently, not only in dressage, but in almost all disciplines, that we would be remiss to not include it in our "studies" about riding and training. The quotes below come from dressage sources, but you can surely find similar information in writing from any discipline.
"Every [dressage] test contains circles: large ones, small ones, some placed in difficult spots, some very easy ones, and some placed before or after a transition into the next movement. But all of them have a number of requirements:
- Circles must be round and executed exactly as stated in the test. This means the rider has to know where the "points" are. The rider must touch these points for one stride only.
- They must be ridden on one track. This means that the horse must be able to bend and have sufficient freedom of the shoulders and hips to accomodate the requested size of the circle without the hanuches falling out or the horse 'popping' his shoulder.
- The regularity of the rhythm must be the same throughout the circle, including engaggement and impulsion, while the horse stays on the bit. As a matter of fact, the horse should be in a better frame coming out of the circle than going into it."
Riding a circle is not just following the path of the circle (although that can be difficult enough) - it is more about helping the horse improve the use of his hind end, teach him about flexion and bend, and to enable the outside aids to become more effective. The aids for the circle come not only from the rein and leg aids, but even more importantly, from the seat and balance of the rider. Your shoulders and hips should be aligned with the horse's shoulders, while your weight is distributed slightly to the inside. Other things to be aware of:
- your inside seat bone is slightly more weighted than the outside, and is moving within the movement to encourage the horse to use his back.
- the outside hind is as engaged as the inside, because the outside has further to travel!
- the inside rein is softly maintaining flexion but that is all - don't let it interfere with the horse's movement.
- half-halts at every "point" of the circle help the horse to improve his balance and become more round and free-moving.
"One can say that a horse is on the aids and correctly bent on the large circle when he applies an even tension to both reins, when both hind feet tread in the tracks of the forefeet, when the crest tips over to the inside, and when the horse maintains the bend when the rider surrenders the contact with the inside rein.
One should not, however, expect the horse to maintain the bend on his own for any length of time. To keep him precisely on the line of the circle, the rider must remain extremely attentive and continuously though imperceptibly, alternate between shoulder-in and travers-like aids according to the tendency of the horse to fall in or out from the prescribed line."
They say that the greatest riders look like they are doing nothing at all. The more you ride and you begin to feel the success that comes with the refinement of the aids, the more you will know this to be true. The secret to looking like you are doing nothing is to do a lot in tiny little increments. Once you get used to the subtle movements that are required, it will feel like you are doing nothing - but in fact, your body is making constant minute adjustments to ensure that it is either following the horse or helping the horse to maintain balance.
__________________________
"Excessive bend is wrong and creates tension rather than making the horse more supple. Another common fault, especially in lateral work, is excessiv flexion. Too much bend in the head and neck prevents the horse from bending through the ribs as required, and therefore also makes it impossible for the horse to be evenly bent throughout its length. The horse's neck is 'broken' just in front of the withers.
Exaggerated bend can also result in the horse falling sideways instead of answering the rider's inside leg. This defeats the object of the exercise, which is to bend the horse."
We know we should not be pulling on that inside rein, yet we continue to do it all the time. The trick to "unlearning" the reliance on the inside rein is to take a look at the neck. Just look down! I know everyone says not to - when you look, just don't tilt your head downward, so you can maintain your balance. But take a glance and actually see where that neck is. Learn how the "cranked" neck appears from above - it looks like the neck is disconnected at the withers area. The body seems to go one way while the neck is headed toward the middle of the circle.
When you see that, lighten the inside rein. Work on using a more active inside leg, use your seat to help rebalance the horse to the outside, and take up the (very likely) loop in the outside rein. Then allow the neck to straighten (note: don't just pull on the outside rein!). Straighten the horse's body, and start the circle again and see if you can continue on the circle without pulling on the rein.
And that's all there is to the circle! 🙂
What other tips do you have for us about riding the circle?
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More Listening Corner posts:
Contact And "On The Bit": I've tried to pick out the most relevant sections for today's quotes, but please go to the original books to get a much more in-depth analysis. Enjoy!
Riding Goals Defined: At some point, you're going to find yourself wondering: why am I riding? No two answers are going to be the same, and your own answer might change as time goes on.
The Rider: Although the world around the horse has changed over the years, the horse itself remains essentially the same, and therefore the requirements of riding are essentially unchanged.
The "Art" Of Riding: . We know 'art' when we see it - the performance transforms from just plain effortless and technically correct to evoking an emotional response, moving us in the depths of our beings and reminding us why we are so enthralled by the power and magnificence of the horse.
Confucius might well have been writing about "feel" in his quote above. Just replace the word 'wisdom' with 'feel' and you will get a generally good idea of the path.
Born to feel?
Many people say that it is impossible to learn how to 'feel' in riding. They say either you have it, or you don't. They insist that people who can 'feel' are essentially born with it, and others will never find it regardless of their attempts.
But you know this can not possibly be true. You have likely watched as people improved their riding skills over time and witnessed for yourself that (correct) practiceDOES make perfect (or at the very least, significant improvement).
Of course, certain requirements have to be in place:
- you need regular instruction.
- you must commit to consistent practice.
- you must be willing to hear and respond to repeated feedback.
- you must have the intrinsic motivation to strive for more at all times.
Most importantly, you need to have the openness of heart and mind to 'find' that feel - especially during the first time, since you will not particularly know what the feel feels like!
How to find 'feel'?
Do like Confucius said!
First, you must start with an idea. Before you will even know what to feel for, you must get some input from a more experienced source. Perhaps you have an instructor that puts emphasis on describing the feel for you. Maybe you can read about the feel from an expertly written book or article.
The difficulty about this stage is that you don't know what you don't know... and to break the cycle, you need to reach out to someone who does know. The road to knowing (or feeling, in this case), is trusting that there is something "out there" that you don't even know exists! Then you need the teaser idea to get you started, to start (figuratively) groping around to find that feel.
Second, watch, learn and do. There is no learning that is more successful than having a chance to watch someone ride, and then trying it yourself. Imitate! Ideally, you would be able to ride in the company of other experienced riders and try to mimic their actions. Even better, ride with your instructor and listen to her as she explains what she is doing, what she is feeling, and what the end result looks like in the horse.
Then it is your turn to try and search for the feeling that will produce the final result. Unfortunately, you will have to get it wrong many times before you get the first taste of correct feel. At long last, after your instructor explained the skills, and then the feel, you might get a brief moment when it all falls together - and you FEEL!
Then, it all falls apart again!
Now you need to develop experience. After you get it that one time, you might not get it again for a while. You have to trouble-shoot - hit and miss - until you find the feel the second time. Each time, it gets easier to repeat, and you can duplicate the feel sooner and more frequently. Sometimes, you will go through a stage where you simply cannot reproduce the feel (and result) without your instructor's steady guidance from the ground. You might be successful for the last twenty minutes of the lesson, but not be able to reproduce the skill on your own.
It WILL get worse before it gets better. As Confucius indicates, learning through experience is "bitterest!"
Be patient. Getting to a point where the feel becomes part of your blueprint takes time and repetition. Persist through the uncoordinated moments, try again, and keep searching for that evasive feel. It really does get easier with time and practice.
If you can ride with feel, you will be able to respond immediately to your horse's needs, be able to avoid problems before they occur, and be present in the ride but out of your horse's way at the same time. And, to top it off, your horse will thank you for it!
How did you, or are you, developing 'feel' in horse riding?
Finally! The Ultimate Rider-Centered Program!
Ready for something completely different? If you liked what you read here, you might be interested in the Horse Listening Practice Sessions.
This is NOT a program where you watch other people's riding lessons. Start working with your horse from Day 1.
I don't believe in putting my work behind a paywall. But there are expenses in every venture. If you really liked this article, consider tipping us! Your tip will help me keep producing more riding TIPS (pun!) with free access to everyone. With thanks for reading!
Click to learn more.
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. fwdnrnd@gmail.com
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!
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We can all think of a rider we know that seems to always do well, has calm, happy horses, and steadily improves their horse's physical and mental state in an almost effortless manner. 
