rider development – Page 2

25 Ways To Make Impulsion Work For You

Pretty much every ride, and every lesson, I'm reminded about the importance of impulsion and teaching impulsion to the horse and the rider. I use it myself all the time, and you'll see why when you read the list below.

Don't get me wrong. It's true that there is such thing as too much energy, but I feel that impulsion isn't exactly the same thing as energy, although energy is a pre-requisite to impulsion. And it's also true that developing "correct" impulsion may take years to fully learn and understand. But that doesn't mean that even the most novice rider can't learn it at the basic level, and use impulsion to help counter or completely eliminate riding problems as they arise.

I've written quite a bit about impulsion over the years. If you want a simple, concrete way to get started, read How Two Strides of Energy Might Solve Your Horse Riding Problem, and Not Fast, Not Slow. So What IS Impulsion? to help with understanding the concept itself.

So why do I keep coming back to impulsion? It's not like I want to harp on the same topic all the time - it's more because the topic keeps coming back to me, through lessons and rides, and solving riding or training problems. So many discomforts of the horse are rooted in not being allowed to really move under saddle. And I love it when I can help an ear-pinning, tight-backed, short-strided horse morph into a bounding, longer-strided, bright-eyed, ears-forward version of himself in one lesson, because all the rider needs is a little encouragement and direction.

Here are 25 problems (or, shall we say, discomforts to the horse) that can be at least improved upon when thinking about impulsion, even while you're doing other things.

Crookedness: You might be amazed that most of the horse's dropped shoulders or hind end crookedness can be improved upon by a straight-positioned rider and a little (maybe not even a lot) of impulsion. Energy that is allowed through the body can straighten the body.

- Down transitions: A horse that is truly forward is better connected through his body and to the rider's aids. And so, balance is better and the horse can respond better. Instead of having to pull the horse into a downward transition, you might only have to use a little leg and half-halt and transition down yourself through your seat.
- Up transitions: If your horse only moves faster in the original gait, and runs/stumbles/pulls your arms forward until you get the gait change, chances are that you needed more impulsion before your upward transition. If the horse has more energy, he has better balance and the hind end is more underneath the body, which will allow a light, skipping transition into the next gait.
- Maintenance of tempo: If you feel your horse go fast and slow and fast and slow, chances are that you have to maintain impulsion through every step.
- Shoulder-in or shoulder-fore: Moving the shoulders takes a lot of energy and strength for the horse (especially in the learning stages) and you might find your horse losing energy when you ask for shoulder-in or shoulder-fore. Ask for a little impulsion before the movement and it might be easier to move the shoulders.
- Hollow back: Allow a little more energy through your horse to begin to send the energy "over the back". This will give the horse better strength to allow the back to swing and move with his strides.
- Haunches-in: The inside hind leg bears more weight with the haunches-in. Ask for more energy going into the movement and your horse will have an easier time staying in balance.
- Halts: Wow, can impulsion improve the halt! I usually don't get too fussed over a horse that doesn't halt square, because I know that once the rider learns to power into the halt (and stay straight herself), squareness will just happen.
- Collection: Well, we all know that collection requires a high amount of energy and strength. In order for the horse to actually tilt the pelvis, those hind legs have to go underneath the body more and bear more weight. You can't collect without impulsion.
- Lengthens: A lengthen can only be as good as the collection that came before it. So impulsion plays a huge role here too.
- Leg-yield: One of the most common problems with leg-yield is a loss of tempo and energy through the movement. Add a little impulsion, maybe even every three strides or so, and see what that will do for your leg-yields.
- Circles: Many horses slow down when coming off the rail and into a circle. Circling requires balance and energy in order for the horse to continue to move freely with a swinging back. Enter: impulsion!
- Bend: The inside hind leg plays a large part in allowing the horse to bend around your inside leg. To help the horse with balance and subsequent suppleness, add a little impulsion.
- On-the-forehand (combined with half-halts): Add some impulsion before your half-halts to help your horse develop better uphill balance. You create energy, and only then you "recycle" it to the hind end.
- Half-halts: It's very difficult to have half-halts that help to balance the horse when there's limited energy. So in all cases, add that little bit of impulsion before the half-halt.
- Balance: It's so much easier for the horse to truck along on the forehand than to carry weight to the hind end. Use your two legs for "go" and see if he has an easier time staying off the forehand thanks to the extra energy.
- Mouth "issues": The first time I saw impulsion do magic with a horse's mouth problems was at a Stephen Clarke clinic. He was absolutely not worried about the mouth (and head tossing). He just worked the rider and got more impulsion, and soon enough, the horse calmed, the mouth softened, and they had a great ride. I've used this strategy many times now and it seems to work with many horses.
- Rooting the reins: Horses can only pull down and forward on the reins if they are leaning to the forehand. Before the horse gets too far, use two legs and encourage forward movement. You might be excited to notice that the horse's head comes right up and away you go.
- Lack of rhythm: Rhythm in horse riding is all about getting the footfalls to be timed correctly for the gait. So a trot is a 2-beat rhythm, the canter a 3-beat rhythm and the walk is 4-beats. If you have trouble keeping rhythm, just add a little impulsion and maybe a few half-halts.

Ear pinning/tension: The horse that is pinning his ears is generally looking and thinking backward to the rider. Send him forward and look for the ears that show that the horse is looking ahead and not behind.
Bucking/rearing/kicking out: The horse can only do one of these moves when there is little to no forward energy. Feel it coming on? Teach the horse that he can move ahead, and use his hind end.
Spooking: Spooking feels very energetic sometimes, but can only happen if the forward energy is replaced by sideways (or otherwise) energy. So send the horse forward at the slightest hint of a spook.
Stopping/balking: These two problems are almost the same as spooking. The horse simply can't stop if he's going forward. It will be your job to teach him that even before he thinks about stopping.
Bracing the jaw or poll: Horses often brace in the jaw or poll when the rider holds on too long or with too much pressure. Some learn to lean into the pressure and just truck along. If you ask for impulsion when this happens, you'll find that suddenly there is room in the reins (as long as you are not actively pulling backward at the same time). Then you can go ahead with a half-halt if needed, and the small release after that. If you can do this often enough, the horse will learn to soften.
Rushing: This one sounds counter-intuitive, because how can rushing be corrected with more energy? But it does work that way with riding, because in general, when a horse rushes, he is on the forehand. And when he's on the forehand, he's NOT using his hind end. So again, asking with two legs and then using a half-halt might help to slow the legs down, increase the stride length, and develop better balance.

Well! If you're still here, thanks for reading all that! I hope this helps you in your riding journey. The role of impulsion in riding cannot be overstated. If you can think of other ways that impulsion can change your ride, let me know in the comments below!

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

"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.

Maybe You Want To Be The Horseless Horse Person

I mean, this is for the person who rides horses but doesn't own one.

What do you do when you don't own a horse? Does that mean that you can't ride or be around horses?

Not at all.

In fact, being horseless can often be a blessing in disguise. What if you give it a good go and decide the whole horse riding thing isn't for you?

It takes years of education, mentoring and even apprenticing to know enough to be responsible for a unique "pet" (some call it "livestock") such as the horse. What could be better than learning all these things on borrowed horses, investing money into your own learning, and spending time exploring different disciplines to know what you really want to do for the long term?

Some people never buy a horse but ride for years on end. It can be done.

Opportunities abound if you take a good look into what you can do when you don't actually own a horse.

Volunteer

The first and surest way to get into the scene is to volunteer your services. If you really have no experience with horses, this is a great way to start. People will happily train you in exchange for your work. You might even get some riding opportunities as you get exposure and become familiar with instructors and barn managers.

You might be exposed to the ins and outs of everything horses. Aside from the physical development that you will gain, what can you learn in a volunteer position?

horse handling - leading a horse, teaching ground manners
horse care - grooming, feeding, leg wrapping, blanketing
equipment - saddle and bridle, clean tack
horse training - lunging, ground training (such as leading), in-hand work
facility management - learn how to run a barn
client/customer relations
I'm sure there's lots more!

You can find volunteering opportunities at riding schools, trail riding barns, horse rescue operations, therapeutic and equine-assisted riding schools, summer camps, and even veterinary facilities. Give these places a call and see what fits with your schedule and goals.

Riding Lessons

Well, I've written about riding lessons so often on this blog. But really, that is the best place to start riding. There is nothing better than having a trained instructor lead you on your horse journey. But there's a lot more to horses than just riding. So when it comes time for you to think about committing more time or (physical and financial) resources into the horse "thing," your riding instructor can be an excellent resource to guide you to your next steps.

By then, she will know you and what your goals are, and she can help you decide on future horses, higher level goals, riding disciplines, and general horse management.

The advantage to riding in a school is that you will be exposed to many different horses and possibly riding styles. You will ride alongside fellow students who are at various levels - maybe newer to horses than you are, or maybe more advanced. You an learn something from watching all of them over time.

This is a distinct perk compared to horse ownership, because once you have your own horse, you will be busy affording, riding and developing that horse only. At a riding school, you might be able to ride the same horse for a length of time, then move on to a new horse later so you can continue to learn and build your skill set.

There is an old expression that a rider should ride at least 100 horses in order to be able to call themselves a horse(wo)man. You might not be able to access a hundred horses, but without a doubt, the more you ride, the more you will learn. Horses are just like people in that they bring different personalities, quirks, skills and talents to the table. Not one is the same as the rest.

Part-Boarding

You might want to ride more often than once or twice a week in a riding school environment, and that is when part-boarding becomes an excellent option. When you think you're ready to ride on your own, work with a single horse regularly, and possibly take either group or private lessons with that horse, you might want to investigate a part-boarding opportunity.

Many horse owners want to share their horse with one other rider - some for the financial help, others because they simply don't have enough time to ride their horse often enough. As a part-boarder, you will be responsible for part of the financial upkeep, but you will have access to the horse more often. You will be able to work with that horse and develop a relationship over time. You might move away from the riding school environment and into more of a boarding facility where most of the people are horse owners.

The advantage of part-boarding goes without saying: if you want to switch horses, move away from the area, change riding disciplines, etc., you can end your commitment (usually with a one month notice) without worry of what will happen to the horse. Many people spend years being part-boarders.

Full Lease

When you lease a horse, you are ready to take on more of a horse ownership role than the above options. However, there is usually an end to that lease when the horse should be returned to the owner. Often, horses are leased out year to year, with the possibility of a renewal term towards the end of the lease period.

When you take on a full lease, you are responsible for all of the horse's expenses. You might also be required to pay a certain amount to lease the horse as well. The more trained, talented or advanced the horse is, the more you can expect to pay for the lease.

But then, you can treat the horse as if it were your own - for the lease period. Many horse owners will visit the horse, or require that the horse is boarded at a particular barn or location, but otherwise, you are the contact person for the horse and with that comes the financial responsibility of vetting, shoeing and board fees. Of course, riding privileges are yours and yours only.

Under certain circumstances, there are huge advantages to taking on a full lease versus permanently buying a horse. If your child wants to ride, she may currently be young enough to ride a pony. But a few years in, she'll be taller and want to move onto higher levels - which might require a specific horse type for the discipline she wants to be in at that time - but you won't know until that happens!

For adults, leasing will allow them to learn in-depth from one horse, then have the option to move on to a new horse - which will offer a whole new set of learning experiences.

Leasing horses will allow you to change horses in the future, without worrying about the horse's security or going through a sale process. This is a luxury you wouldn't have if you owned the horse.

***
They say horse riding is only for the very rich. Well, now you can see how many, many participants in the horse industry can do so frugally, still meet their goals, and share in the incredible experience that is horses and riding.

If you enjoyed this article, you might also like:

https://www.horselistening.com2012/01/03/the-top-8-perks-of-horse-keeping/

https://www.horselistening.com2017/07/04/23-ways-your-horse-is-your-life-coach/

https://www.horselistening.com2017/01/04/12-riding-quick-tips-five-ways-to-set-your-horse-riding-goals-in-20112-7/

https://www.horselistening.com2016/11/02/dear-adult-with-many-responsibilities-horse-person/

https://www.horselistening.com2015/02/22/the-one-answer-to-most-horse-riding-problems/

5 Ways To Be A Confident Horse Rider

We all know that we should be riding horses with confidence.

We know that horses can literally sense our state of mind - not through some heebie-jeebie magical mythical powers, but quite simply because they feel us through the saddle. They feel our aids, our balance... and our hesitance.

But we can do something about that.

It's possible that some riders have more intrinsic confidence than others. But confidence is the by-product of the skills we learn. Here are five ways you can learn to improve your confidence while in the saddle.

1. Let the horse move.

It takes a certain amount of courage to let the horse really move underneath you. Many of us tend to hold back the horse and ourselves using the reins - to slow down, contain, "collect" (probably not really but that's what we're thinking we're doing), and even hang on. Sometimes, we also hold back physically, getting behind in the horse's movement.

I don't mean that the horse should run off and we should do nothing. We should always strive for connection, balance and straightness. We should always be watching to maintain correct rhythm and a good tempo for our horse.

But it's more about letting the horse find his balance, energize enough to be able to use his hind end, and flow in the gait. If you can allow the movement, you might be surprised at first about how much ground a horse can cover in relatively few strides. It might feel powerful and strong.

Your body has to get used to the movement. Sometimes, you might have to consciously work to stay with the horse, especially in the upper body.

2. Never mind the bobbles.

A confident rider lets the bobbles roll off her back. In other words, if the horse takes a misstep, or goes for a little romp, the confident rider has enough skill to roll with the flow, as it were, and still be there at the end to ride on. She goes through all that with little stress and maybe a giggle. The horse feels her confidence and settles.

Now I'm not saying that the confident rider aspires to be a bronc rider. But the bobbles will invariably happen, and the cooler you can be, the quicker you can get back to your rhythm and tempo, the better you and your horse will be in the long run.

Which begs the question: how can you learn to ride the bounce?

Well, you do have to earn the skill to stay on when a horse takes a step sideways or upwards. It helps if you have a great horse (and instructor) to let you develop your seat early in your riding career. Lunging lessons are hard to find but indispensable and the quickest path to a great seat. Otherwise, there is no answer other than ride, ride and ride (many horses if possible). It's about practice, time and experience.

3. Ride with patience and influence.

I've written about patience and how it relates to riding in The #1 Rider Problem of 2016: Patience. Essentially, I feel that riding with patience is a key component of confidence. Riders who can be patient about skill acquisition, practice and self-development invariably become composed, confident riders.

What does patience look like?

the rider who looks to herself to improve the horse's movement.
the willingness to wait a little longer for the horse's response.
knowing that finishing on a good note is more than enough from a day's ride - even if the desired movement was not perfectly achieved.

When a rider has influence over the horse, she can be effective. Influence is evident by the rider's ability to get the horse's calm, relaxed response. She makes immediate corrections (or anticipates problems so that they don't appear in the first place). She uses small aids that "go through." She maintains her balance while she improves her horse's balance. She sets her horse up for success.

4. Stay open in your torso.

You can probably spot a defensive or fearful rider by their posture. And so it is the same with the confident rider.

If you can maintain tone and strength in your upper body, you can stay "open" in your torso. This means that your upper body is tall and stays tall through movement. Your shoulder blades are dropped down and together enough that your shoulders are even and square. Your hips are open enough to allow your core to move freely with the horse's back. Your chin is parallel to the ground and your eyes are looking between your horse's ears.

The opposite is the ever-common fetal position (when the rider hunches over and falls toward the horse's neck), rounded shoulders, looking down and carrying tension in the body.

You can fake this till you make it.

5. Breathe.

Finally, a confident rider breathes. In every gait. Through all the figures.

Because lack of breath pretty much ensures tension, tightness, and being forced to have to stop before you're done with the movement.

If you have to collapse at the end of a canter set (or similar), you know that you're probably not breathing. If you find yourself huffing and puffing, see if you can make it a point to breathe in and out in rhythm with your horse's strides.

If you want, you can try counting out loud, or do what I make my students do - sing along in tempo with your horse's movement. The singing takes you out of your left brain and into your right, makes you breathe and acts as a calming influence for you and your horse.

Horse Listening Book Collection - beautiful paperbacks with all the excellence of the blog - in your hands! Click on the image for more information.

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 in paperback or digital versions.

How Many Aids Are You Using?!

"Which aids are you using?" I routinely ask my students this as they develop a particular skill, especially once they have gained enough experience that they can analyze a problem while they ride.

But here, we can do it off the horse. Let's use this example:

You are in left lead canter, and getting ready to leave the rail to make a left circle. As you head into the circle, your horse drifts out, loses balance and breaks into trot. (If this does really happen to you, don't worry! It happens all the time to all levels of rider and horse!)

It's like he is losing just enough balance that he is unable to maintain the canter. What aids would you use to correct the problem?

(If you like, stop here and quickly think about or jot down the aids you would use. Then read on. I've added links in blue to other articles that explain some of the specific concepts better.)

***

1) Outside Neck Rein

One of the most common errors is to use the inside rein to pull the horse into a turn. When you pull on the inside rein, though, the horse's neck has to follow your hand. So before you know it, the neck is pulled to the inside, which requires the outside shoulder to bulge outward. The horse then HAS to step out in order to manage to stay upright. While you're trying to turn the horse left, he's got his neck left but is actually stepping right.

Use the outside neck rein to catch the outside shoulder that wants to bulge toward the rail. That helps keep the horse's front end from drifting around the turn. The neck rein is also the initiator of the turn.

2) Outside Leg

Use the outside leg to prevent the horse's hip from swinging out.

Another tendency is for the horse to swing the hind end outward. When you are on a turn, you want the horse to turn "straight" (well, not literally, but physically). If you use your outside leg back slightly, you can influence the hind end so that it follows the front end on a single track.

There's got to be more than just those two aids. So let's fill in the details. It takes some concentration and "feel" to break things down even more.

3) Inside Seat Bone

Put your weight on your inside seat bone, swinging it forward on the turn line so that you encourage your horse to come under your inside seat more - to basically keep him on the turn and not drift out from under your seat.

Using your weight aids is something that needs a lot of fine-tuning at first. But with practice, you will be able to first know which seat bone you have more weight on, and then be able to actually direct the weight to where you want it to be. Your weight can have a lot of influence on the horse.

4) Inside Leg

Use a strong downward-stepping motion on your inside stirrup - like you are standing on the ground through the stirrup, in rhythm with the stride.

The stepping down helps the horse have a solid balancing aid on the inside rib cage, which encourages better bend and balance through the turn.

5) Inside Rein

Give a tiny bit with your inside rein as you cross the middle of the arena, to allow the inside hind leg more space to step into. Keep the outside rein fairly steady.

6) Impulsion

Use two legs for forward just before you leave the rail. This helps him engage a little more before he starts to drift, sending him forward rather than sideways.

7) Keep Your Balance

Try to let your seat come through more after you ask for impulsion (don't resist), so you keep your center of gravity over the horse as he moves off. Don't get left behind!

8) Use Half-Halts

Even while you ask for more energy, use half-halts to help the horse stay in balance and not just run faster and onto the forehand. You can try a half-halt before you leave the rail, through the middle of the circle, and then again as you finish and go to the next movement. But it might depend on your horse - you might need more or less.

Pinpointing your aids like this is actually a very interesting exercise, because while we often recognize the most significant aids, we rarely feel everything that the body is doing to produce one result. I bet you can think of a few more to list here as well.

Seriously?? So many aids for one simple movement?

Well, yes. And, not really.

The thing is, once you get the hang of it, it won't be nearly as complicated as it sounds here. If you think about it, we can probably break down every movement into multiple aids and skills like this. The more aids we can control through our ride, the more sophisticated we can be in communicating kindly and gently to the horse.

From Wikipedia:

Automaticity /ˌɔːtəməˈtɪsɪti/ is the ability to do things without occupying the mind with the low-level details required, allowing it to become an automatic response pattern or habit. It is usually the result of learning, repetition, and practice.

I like this word! And I like how it feels when I'm doing this while riding. The less you have to think about things, the easier it gets. But at the beginning, you do have to learn the skills first (practice, practice, practice!), before they become blueprinted into your body.

***

After a few rounds, and a few transitions down to trot and then back up into canter, things should get better. Your outside aids might keep your horse straighter. Your "ask" for impulsion might help him reach further underneath with his hind legs. He might drift less and then not at all. And slowly, his canter might become more fluid, stronger, more balanced.

And even while you know which aids you are using, you won't actually have to think about them. Well, maybe you'll be thinking about only one or two!

7 Essential Aids For An Epic Canter Transition (Video)

Your canter departure doesn't have to be a rocket launch!

These 7 steps help you set up your horse for a smooth, forward canter transition from trot.

Read all the details in the original post.

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Now is the time to re-evaluate your goals and path to riding success!

If you’d like a structured, but personal tool to set goals, take a look our Goal Setting for the Equestrian: A Personal Workbook. The pages are designed for you to set and keep track of your progress over the course of a year.

Included in the book:

design your overarching goals
long- and short-term planning,
debrief your special events such as clinics or shows
reflect on, plan and evaluate your goals
sample goals and pages

The Workbook is available for instant digital download so you can print the pages right off your computer. There is also the option of a paperback version if you’d rather have a professionally bound book to hold in your hands.

Click here for more information.

Read more here:

12 Riding Quick Tips - #10: How To Canter Instead Of Just Trot Faster: Does your horse just go faster faster when you ask for the canter? Don't worry if it happens. Just know what to do, and work through the situation to improve the transition in the long term.

Wrong Canter Lead? 5 Ways To Fix It: Do you have trouble getting the "correct" lead when striking off into canter? It helps a lot if you know different ways to encourage the horse to strike off in the correct lead.

How To Improve YOUR Canter-Trot Transitions: What happens to you and your body when you head into a canter transition from a trot?

What Are The Leg Aids For Canter? A detailed breakdown of the aids for canter.

Use The "Canter-Trot" To Truly Engage The Hind End: Energy from the hind end is the prerequisite for horse riding heaven and we all know that! We need to find out how to ask the horse to reach deeper underneath the body without throwing their weight to the forehand, and without speeding up the leg tempo.

10 Tips For The Average Rider (Video)

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

Enjoy the following tips to get through those average rider moments that we all experience from time to time.

Read the original post here.

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Available as an eBook or paperback.

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If you enjoyed the above post, you might also like to check these out:

When “Good Enough” Just Isn’t Good Enough In Horseback Riding: We come up with all sorts of excuses to explain why we don’t want to or can’t get past the problem.

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

How Do You Develop “Feel” in Horseback Riding? Developing ‘feel’ in horseback riding doesn’t have to be an impossible dream! If you can ride with feel, you will be able to respond immediately to your horse’s needs.

What you Ought to Know About Instant Gratification in Horse Riding: There is no such thing!

Quit To Persevere: Quitting isn’t always a bad thing in horse riding – sometimes, it may just be the ticket!

6 Ways To Compete Against Yourself in Horse Riding

horse lunge rider development — Photo Credit: NBanaszak Photography

It's tempting to watch other horse people and feel either somehow deficient, or somewhat rushed. Many of us end up avoiding new learning because it takes us out of our comfort zones.

However, it helps to think of "competition" not as an aggressive, winner-take-all, loser-get-none scenario, but as a process of self-development and education. In other words, the quickest route to winning might be to "compete" against yourself instead of others - in all areas of riding and horsemanship.

Not just in the show or competition arena, but in everything from horse management, to ground skills, to training and skill development, to doing the most fun things you've always wanted to do with horses - like a weekend camping trip, a trail challenge, or a swim at the beach.

If you regularly look for ways you can expand your skills, you will surely be on track toward making progress as you build in step by tiny step into your regular routines. Here are 6 ways that you can improve by competing against yourself.

Watch Others

In this day and age, you don't even have to watch a rider in person (although you certainly can do that too). Search for your topic of interest and you'll likely find many videos on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok and Facebook. Look for clinic videos, major shows (that are often live-streamed) and training videos put up by professionals from all around the world. Watch them and see what you would like to emulate, and what you would definitely like to avoid doing. Then take some of those ideas back to your horse and start practicing.

Instruction

You can't avoid instruction when it comes to horses. Not even for ground work.

Find a well educated instructor who understands your goals and needs, and commit to a regular riding schedule. If you would like to develop new skills, you have to find the information you need, and then dedicate time and effort into your "homework."

Steps

Break down your goals into small, manageable steps and be satisfied with making incremental progress. Learning is a funny thing. Once in a while, you might make a huge leap in your skill development all at once. Other times, you might have to claw your way through each phase, feeling like it's one step forward, two steps back.

Stay devoted to challenging yourself and build your repertoire of skills one after another.

Routine

One way you can develop new skills is to put them into your regular riding (or ground work) routines. So if you want to work on canter departure, for example, make sure you integrate this specific skill into each and every ride.

You can work on the transition toward the end of your warm-up, in the "lesson" phase of your ride (when you do something new or something you're still working on) and then maybe do a little "pop quiz" at the end of your ride, just before you get off the horse.

In this manner, you can weave the new skill into other more comfortable movements.

Feedback

Get feedback from a clinician or judge (who maybe doesn't know you at all) and work on their recommendations.

Alternately, self-assess. How did your ride go on the trails? How well did you get along with your horse at the beach? All of the results are a form of feedback that you can use to inform your understanding of your progress and training with your horse.

Track It

Finally, it is important to keep track of your progress. Use a journal to reflect on the new skills and plan your next steps week to week. Or use the Goal Setting For Equestrians workbook I've designed specifically for equestrians to document rides and events. Later on, you can come back to your notes to gauge your progress, areas that need special attention, and achievements.

Don't think about competing against everyone else. Rather, compete against yourself, step by step. One sunny day, you may come to the realization that skills which seemed unreachable have become your new everyday comfort zone. Soon enough, you will have to challenge yourself even beyond those levels!

Now is the time to re-evaluate your goals and path to riding success!

Included in the book:

design your overarching goals
long- and short-term planning,
debrief your special events such as clinics or shows
reflect on, plan and evaluate your goals
sample goals and pages

Click here for more information.

“You’ll Ruin Your Horse!”

If you've been in horses and riding even for just a while, you've probably already heard someone say that about how someone is riding their horse. Or they may have even said it about you and your horse.

The theory is that you can "wreck" your horse if you ride poorly. If you do something wrong long enough, your horse will forever be negatively affected, develop bad habits and never, ever go properly after that.

I suppose it can be true. If you are not interested at all in developing your skills, and you do the same terrible thing over and over for an extended period of time (expecting a different result, perhaps?)... then yes, your horse will likely be ruined as long as he remains in those circumstances.

HOWEVER.

Let's say you're not trying to hurt the horse. And despite your best efforts, you are still having trouble with a fundamental skill - for example, you put your horse too much on the forehand. And you're getting negative feedback from your horse: tail swishes, hollow back, pinned ears. And you know it, and you're doing something about it.

The trouble is that it will likely take a long time to change your bad habit, or develop that new skill (or likely, set of skills).

What then? The horse will surely go through this tough time with you.

Will you actually ruin your horse?

My answer is: no!

Here's why.

Same Horse, Different Riders

The horse can only go as well as you can. This is why you might see the same lesson horse go so much better for a more experienced rider than a novice. Even if the horse is "ruined" by one rider, the next rider can help the horse find the stability he needs. Soon enough, the tension and apprehension caused by the first rider will be eliminated.

So it stands to reason that once you get through that learning curve, your horse will go back to being that same happy horse - only better. But you have to learn the skills first.

You Have To Learn At Some Point

The reality is that no matter how hard you try, your learning curve will negatively affect your horse. You have to develop timing, coordination, probably core strength, independence of aids - all over again for each new circumstance. These learning stages have to happen if you are to progress.

And they will negatively affect even the most educated horse.

My suggestion is to take note of the horse's feedback, work to improve your skill set, and beg for forgiveness from your horse. 🙂

The Horse Forgives

I often go back to John Lyons on this one. During his clinics, he often would say (I'm paraphrasing), "Zip is the most patient, forgiving horse. He forgives me for making mistakes. He waits and waits until I get better. Then, as soon as I'm better, he's better! He's been waiting for me to get better all along!"

What an optimistic perspective! Just trusting that my horse will get better when I get better has given me hope and determination during my most difficult learning phases to keep trying, keep working hard at learning a particular skill. Because I know if I can get better, my horse will reflect that change.

What To Do?

Here are some ideas if you feel like you're in a bind.

Get help from a knowledgeable instructor. If you've read my blog regularly, you'll know that I always start here. There is no replacement for an "educated eye on the ground" who can give you ideas, teach you skills and make suggestions you might not even know about.

Be prepared to "study."

The concept of studying might be rare these days in equestrian circles, but there is no other way. Read, watch videos, audit clinics, watch lessons, set goals, ride in lessons. Immerse yourself in learning.

Get a more experienced rider/trainer to ride your horse. This person can help the horse work well and stay calm mentally. She might even be able to teach your horse something he needs to know. Watch and learn what the rider is doing that may be different from what you are doing. Take mental notes and try to duplicate when you ride.

Be patient, especially during the worst times. Cut yourself (and your horse) some slack. Learning takes time. Mistakes have to be made. Do everything you can to reduce the duration and frequency of the mistakes, but know that there is a better time waiting for you ahead.

Practice consistently. This means getting out to ride as often as you can. You have to ride regularly in order to develop new muscle memory. Just one extra ride a week will make a huge difference in your learning curve.

The thing is, every ounce of effort you put into becoming a better rider is an investment in yourself. Every horse that you ride after you have consolidated a skill set will benefit. There really is no other answer. Don't be afraid of ruining your horse. Instead, put all your energy into improving yourself!

Now is the time to re-evaluate your goals and path to riding success!

Included in the book:

design your overarching goals
long- and short-term planning,
debrief your special events such as clinics or shows
reflect on, plan and evaluate your goals
sample goals and pages

Horses. Riding. Life.

Tag: rider development

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