persevere – Horse Listening

10 Tips for the Average Rider

Keep Riding — Photo Credit: NBanaszak Photography

Are you an average rider? You know the type - the one who has to work hard for one step forward and two steps back.

Are you the one who has to spend hours and hours finding your seat, or coordinating your hands and legs to finally not interfere with your horse?

Then join the club!

We are the ones who drool wistfully at those riders that seem to just get on the horse and blend into the movement without nary a thought. As Sally Swift wrote so eloquently in her book, Centered Riding,

Many of the great riders have the gift of natural balance and coordination so that they never have to question how to do anything with any part of their body. If they know what they want to do, their body will respond. Because of this innate coordination, they have not needed to know how one makes a leg move, or how one breathes, or how one balances. It just happens. Therefore it is usually difficult for them to explain to the rest of us less-coordinated mortals how to move some particular part of our bodies.

We are the ones who need lessons broken down into small, achievable steps that eventually develop into just one coordinated movement. We practice, practice and then practice some more, even while seeming to make only minimal progress.

If you resemble the above scenarios, don't despair. And enjoy the following tips to get through those average rider moments that we all experience from time to time.

1. Find a good teacher.

I use the word "teacher" because the skill development required at the basic levels requires someone that can impart knowledge as well as technique. A good instructor can break down the physiology of movement. The best instructors can direct you to find feels for yourself. Detailed explanations and clarity of purpose can make the learning curve much easier and even quicker for us average riders.

2. Be patient.

Cut yourself some slack. Then cut your horse some slack. Always seek correct posture, aids, and movements but do it with a sense of humility and gratefulness. Never forget that your horse is working for you and choosing to humor your requests! If something goes wrong, problem solve and patiently redirect your horse's behaviour.

3. Practice.

As much as we would like short-cuts, secret methods or fancy expensive gimmicks that will open the world of riding to us, there is no other way to truly become an effective, compassionate rider than to practice. And so we must.

4. Accept your limitations.

Some of us not-as-young riders discover that no matter how hard we try, some parts of our bodies simply never seem to respond the way we would hope! 🙂

For example, ligaments and tendons become shortened over time and less resilient. Lower legs have more trouble staying still, or releasing our lower backs to follow the horse becomes more of a challenge. We need to acknowledge that developing more flexible bodies will take longer and harder work. We might need to seek other avenues of physical development such as yoga or Pilates to find that release we are looking for.

5. Find your comfortable un-comfort.

Despite knowing our challenges, we need to constantly seek improvement. Beware of becoming the rider who never develops their skills year after year. Always push yourself past your comfort zone and know that confusion and frustration are part of the learning process. Difficult rides are a good sign that you are going to make a breakthrough (sooner or later)!

6. Enjoy the moment.

Even when we struggle, and certainly during our grandest rides, we must enjoy the moments we get to share with our equine friends. For it is the moment that is what we are here for.

7. Persevere.

Sometimes, it might feel like you are never going to make that breakthrough that you've been looking for. The key at this juncture is to be so determined and stubborn that you will be willing to come back and try again tomorrow and the next day and the day after that.

8. Set goals.

Set long term goals, then develop realistically achievable short-term goals. Be flexible but have an intended path. Even if you don't meet your goals, they will serve to direct your efforts and give you perspective.

9. Read, watch, imitate.

Look out for inspiration. Read the books of the masters as well as contemporary riders. In this day and age of the Internet, having access to excellent video footage of lessons, clinic rides, and show footage is at your fingertips.

Watch many riders, define what you like in a good ride and study. Then, go and try it yourself. Imitation is the first step to learning a skill set. Watch and try. Get feedback from your instructor. Once you have developed a skill, you can easily make the skill "yours" by adding something new or specific to your horse's needs.

10. Keep practicing.

Develop a routine. Follow a pre-determined path. Keep at it. There is no other way.

No Middle Ground in Riding Horses

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

There really are only two possible results to riding:

1) Improve the horse.

2) Harm the horse.

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

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

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

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

How to spot the "healthy" horse

When observing the horse without tack, you will notice:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Under saddle:

- is free moving and willing to stride out;

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Take the Credit – Bad AND Good

"The superior man blames himself. The inferior man blames others." - Don Shula

How many times have you ridden your horse and not achieved the results you wanted?

You automatically run through all the possible reasons, and adjust accordingly:

Maybe the higher than normal winds were causing too much tension in the horse?

Was the saddle positioned too far back, or the bit not adjusted correctly?

Did you use your leg aids to support the inside rib cage?

Were your reins were too long, bumping the horse in the mouth?

Did you lean too far forward?

Was the footing too hard?

Maybe your timing was off - were you aiding when the inside hind leg was off the ground?

And it goes on and on. You challenge yourself, correct yourself, question yourself and maybe even chastise yourself. You try, persevere, develop, grow. You do improve, and your horse improves along with you.

Yet, when things go right, do you take the credit?

Or do you put it down to the horse having a good day?

In our quest for balance (not just on the kind on the back of the horse), it is essential for us to look at our achievements from both angles. Yes, when things go wrong, you are responsible to analyze/scrutinize/change what you are doing. On the other hand, when things do go right, you need to relish that feeling of fulfillment/accomplishment/growth and allow it to bolster you to new heights.

Horses have a way of making you earn your progress, but once it happens, the rewards are eternal (on all planes - physical, mental, emotional - but that is another topic). You discover that you can repeat the positive results over again, and better yet, on the next horse you ride. The time you put into this horse will reap rewards for the future - for you and your next horses.

So... take the credit - bad and good, and be sure to enjoy the ride at all times!

* Thanks to J.V. for inspiration for this post!

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Read more!

What You Ought to Know About Instant Gratification in Horse Riding: There is NO SUCH THING! Why not???

Blueprinting: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly: Why is it essential that you learn how to ride correctly in the first place?

Demystifying "Contact" In Horse Riding: Sometimes it feels like the word “contact” has other-wordly connotations.

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

From A Whisper To A Scream: How loud should your aids really be?

We ask ourselves this question repeatedly. Should we be "loud" in our aids, or should we be working as softly as we can in hopes that our horse can respond to lighter and more refined aids?

The answer is not simple. To determine the strength level of your aids, you need to know several factors that go into making your decision:

What is the educational level of the horse? If you are riding a young or fairly inexperienced horse, the horse will need a lot more "support" from you than a more mature and developed horse.

You need to, in effect, be there for him. He will likely be less balanced and responsive than you would like, and your aids will need to be strong and secure enough to clearly explain to him what you want. You do not need to be "punishing", but the amount of strength you put into the movements may be more than you think you should be using.

How sensitive is your horse? The sensitive horses generally do not do well with a "shouting" aid. They are the ones that often resist the aids. They get tense, unresponsive, or outright demonstrate their displeasure through "disobedience" such as kicking out, bucking or even head shaking.

For this type of horse, you really need to "zone in" to your own body language and be absolutely clear on your expectations. Being sensitive, your horse might be over-reactive to your aids in the first place, so you have to be sure to not be too overbearing yet absolutely clear so as not to confuse. Be careful to be firm and clear, but at the same time, look for every excuse you can to be light and respectful. The trick is that you need to be so balanced as to be "on" with your aids all the time without increasing the volume. Sensitive horses do best when there is consistency and clarity. This can be very challenging for a rider.

Analyze your horse's conformation. Believe it or not, your horse's conformation plays a large part in the use of your aids. If your horse is built "downhill", he will probably always have difficulty lifting up through the forehand, and will likely always need support from your aids to be able to maintain his balance in a way that keeps him moving correctly and staying sound through the years. If you are riding a thicker, larger horse, chances are, you might need to be "louder" in your aids to get the same results that you would from a smaller horse. If the horse is built for his job, you might be amazed at how light you can be to get phenomenal movement.

Analyze your horse's previous training. If you are riding the horse after someone else has ridden him, you may have to adjust your aids to the level that the horse is expecting, or blueprinted at, by the previous rider. You might start with the level that is sufficient to be clear enough for the horse and work toward the lighter level that you want to achieve.

How does your horse feel today? Like people, horses change moods and levels of inspiration from one day to the next. On a windy, fresh day, your horse might be enthusiastic and even a touch over-excited. On a hot, humid day, your horse may not be so inspired and would rather be having a sun bath than working in the heat. In each case, you will need to adjust the strength of your aids.

What is your level of training? This one must be said! If you are a beginner rider, your aids will be executed in a very different manner than those of a more experienced rider. You will have to develop the level of coordination needed to be able to become lighter over time. Lightness does not mean you simply let go of all your aids and hope for the best (in fact, an educated horse might be offended by that)! Light aids are very difficult to acquire and even harder to execute. It all comes down to experience and education.

So to answer the question: it all depends! You have to be the judge, and know how to read in between your horse's lines.

The difficulty here is that on different days, the same horse may require a "different" rider. You must step up to the challenge, and be willing to change your "style" to suit your horse. Many horses sigh with relief when they discover that their rider knows what she wants and is willing to put the work in to be clear and consistent.

In the meantime, you are always seeking the ultimate lightness of aids. You are always seeking the moment when you and your horse "become one", moving in harmony, balance and lightness. It will come sooner with some horses than others. The main goal is for you to enjoy what each horse offers each day, in the best way that you can.

So, how do you decide how "loud" you need to be in your aids?

Quit to Persevere

Learning a new skill in riding can be pretty daunting. Not only do you need to coordinate your entire body (including the ever-pervasive 'core' of your body), but you also need to stay in balance while moving, in time, in partnership with the (much larger) horse that happens to be using his own feet while yours are dangling in mid-air! You get my drift....

So at best, it's not easy. When other people tell you that riding is all about the horse and not about the rider, you can be fairly sure that they have never sat on a horse to know what it really feels like. Even with the best horse, at the very least, the rider has to "get out of the way" and to do THAT can be a feat in itself.

Assuming that you have the most willing horse, it may be that your own body simply cannot put all the tiny components together at the same time, at the right time, because unfortunately, it's not only about the physical coordination of skill, it's also about timing within the moment of stride that makes it easiest for the horse to respond. And so communication breaks down even with the best interests in mind.

One of the first 'life lessons' that all of us riders learn from our horses is to persevere. Our mantra is "try, try again." "Keep at it." Maybe one of the repetitions will yield a wanted outcome. Maybe if you do it enough times, your horse will finally get it. Right?

Wrong.

Although repeating the aids and 'sticking with the program' is useful many times, there may come a day when you could repeat the exercise a thousand times to no avail - and end up frustrating both yourself and your horse.

So what are some alternatives?

- Change the topic. Go to something else, 'let it go', and come back to it later in the same riding session.

- Try again - just be sure to control your emotion on your second/third/fourth/etc. tries.

- Quit. Put it to rest. Be done with it. (Did I just say that??)

Yes - there is nothing wrong with 'giving up'. In my many (not saying quite how many!) years of riding, one thing the horses have explained to me is that they have no problem with dropping the subject today and picking it up again tomorrow.

Just make sure that you finish the ride on a good note. You do NOT have to finish on a 'perfect' note in regards to the skill you were building - you just need to go to something that makes you both happy and confident - and finish.

Then come back to it the next day. You'll find that your horse went and did his 'homework' and maybe, just maybe, your coordination (muscle memory) is a tiny bit better. Just keep at it - persevere not by drilling on and on, but by giving yourself permission to quit.

Horses. Riding. Life.

Tag: persevere

10 Tips for the Average Rider

Finally! The Ultimate Rider-Centered Program!

Horse Listening – The Book: Stepping Forward to Effective Riding

No Middle Ground in Riding Horses

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

How to spot the "healthy" horse

Finally! The Ultimate Rider-Centered Program!

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

Take the Credit – Bad AND Good

From A Whisper To A Scream: How loud should your aids really be?

Finally! The Ultimate Rider-Centered Program!

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

Quit to Persevere

Finally! The Ultimate Rider-Centered Program!

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