As a colour, gray gives variance to the spectrum between black and white.
But with horses, "being" gray leaves too much unsaid, too many questions, too many options to choose from.
I'll tell you why gray doesn't work.
Gray Is
- wishy-washy
- unclear
- muddy
- unsure
- insecure
- confusing
Gray is simply too much in the middle.
Horses
- do better with a straight yes or no
- want all the wrong options eliminated
- gain confidence from a confident rider
- prefer clarity
It is true that horses are constantly communicating with you. Through their physical interactions, they ask questions and answer yours. This regular interaction is the foundation of your training program. One of the most critical personal attributes a good rider has is clarity of aids and requests.
Often, the horses that find leader-humans are the happiest, most content horses to ride. They can rely on their partner to be clear, concise and sure. There is no guesswork required of the horse.
So how does this impact your regular riding routine?
Be Black and White in Riding
If you ask for a canter, get that canter. Don't let the horse trot away faster and faster until you finally just pull him up. If he trots off, slow the trot, ask for the canter again. Repeat. Be clear. Be concise. Maybe you need to reestablish the inside bend. Correct a dropped shoulder and then ask again.
If you asked for a turn, follow through when the horse drifts to the outside. Catch the horse's outside shoulder with the rein, use your outside leg to encourage better straightness from the rib cage, and encourage more impulsion from the hind end with your seat and leg aids.
Timeliness is the key when it comes to clarity. Don't wait ten, twenty, thirty or more strides before following through on your request. The quicker you can respond, the easier it will be for your horse to make connections.
If your horse needs to do something more basic, change the plan. But be specific in your intentions and reinforce/review/change the approach as required.
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
Take Two Deeper Steps Underneath For Better Everything
One of the easiest, and most beneficial solutions to many riding problems is to teach the horse to move from the hind end. Why do we harp so much on this topic?
Everything starts with impulsion.
Impulsion starts with the hind end.
Every horse benefits from stepping deeper with the hind legs.
If the stride is longer, the hind legs can reach further underneath the body and support the horse's balance with more strength and agility.
The energy derived from the increased impulsion can then travel over the back (topline), allowing for better carriage of the rider and a loftier, bouncier movement, whether it is walk, trot or canter. It can help to straighten the horse. It can resolve "behavior" issues. It can even help to reduce tension in the horse's body.
How to Increase Impulsion
All it takes is two stronger steps, in the same gait, in the same rhythm, tempo and direction. Use two squeezing calf leg aids with a corresponding seat aid for "forward". You may need a half-halt (or two) following the energy surge.
In other words, ask for increased energy but:
- don't let the horse get faster in the gait.
- don't let the horse change gaits.
- don't let the horse scramble because of the extra energy.
- stop him from falling to the forehand.
- help him send the energy straight forward (avoid letting him become crooked).
Teach him to use that burst of energy to lengthen the stride of his hind legs.
For the horse that does not typically, or naturally, use his hind end, taking the two deeper steps might be difficult at first. He might translate the request to mean that he has to move his legs faster, or fall to the inside/outside, or change gait entirely. You might have to learn to coordinate your"go" request with an immediate "no"to help him rebalance rather than to scramble underneath that extra energy.
You know you are on the right track when:
- the stride becomes bouncier
- the strides feel longer (you travel over more ground with less steps)
- you feel less overall tension in the horse's body
- the horse goes straighter (doesn't fall to the inside or outside on a turn or line)
- you get more "air time"
- the horse begins to round (without you pulling back on the reins)
- the footfalls are lighter when the horse lands
- for geldings, the sheath sound disappears
- the horse gives you a heartfelt snort!
The next time you run into tension, leaning, drifting, hollow back, or many other problems that we often think of as resistance or reluctance, try this simple technique. Ask for just two steps of increased energy. Then, evaluate. If you feel there could be more, ask for another two steps.
Increase impulsion in two-step increments, without the expectation of doing more and more and more over the long term.
And see what your horse thinks about it!
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
Buy the books for many more riding tips! Horse Listening Book Collection.
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:
* This article is a featured interview onThe Dressage Radio Show! Click hereif you want to listen to my commentary about many of the points made in the article below.*
At first, horse riding is just like any other skill you want to learn. You put effort in and eventually become more effective as time goes on.
At some point, things begin to change. Somehow, without you necessarily knowing about it, the seemingly sport specific skills the horses have taught you take on more meaning. "Horsey" skills become relevant in your daily activities, even when the circumstances have nothing at all to do with horses.
While we develop as riders, we also grow as human beings. Not only do we grow in terms of physical ability, but perhaps even more so, we grow in character.
Situations that used to affect us one way no longer bother us in the same manner, not because the circumstances themselves are any different, but more due to how we have learned to deal with them.
Then we realize that the true teachers are the horses themselves. All we have to do is learn to listen.
Horse riding becomes life when...
1. The patience you develop working with your horse becomes the patience you use with your friends and colleagues.
2. The body language you use to communicate with the horses becomes your source of confidence in group activities.
3. The coordination you learn on the back of the horse keeps you safe from unexpected physical mishaps.
4. Heavy lifting/pulling/pushing/hoof cleaning develops your strength enough to allow you to fluidly function during physically taxing circumstances.
5. Facing your fears while on another's four legs teaches you how to have courage in the face of life's many difficulties.
6.You learn to temper your (often over-scheduled) daily routines by slowing down to meet the simplicity of horse life.
7. The leadership skills your horse teaches you carries into your work and relationship interactions.
8. The self-confidence you develop from knowing you can influence a powerful animal seeps into every interaction you have with people.
9. You learn from horses that it's okay for things to get worse, because after things get worse, they always get better.
10. You discover that taking shortcuts might not be to your benefit in the long run; some things have to take the time they need to take.
11. When certain maneuvers get a little difficult (like riding through a corner), all you need is a little extra impulsion to smooth things out.
12. Sometimes, you just have to let go (especially when the horse bucks and bucks)!
13. In general, riding (life) isn't about brute strength - it's about gentle technique and strategy.
14. There is no such thing as a day off - you begin to value the rewards that hard work reaps.
15. The work has to get done whether you feel up to it or not - invariably, you learn to prioritize responsibilities and get it all done.
16. You understand completely how asking nicely is always better than demanding.
17. There is no such thing asinstant gratification. There is only hard work and step-by-step development.
18. You seek perfection, but realize that you can rarely reach it!
19. The path is more important than the end result.
20. Although we all have our own "conformation faults" that might work against us, we can overcome almost anything with skill, time and effort.
There must be so many other examples of how horses sneak their ways into our daily lives. Feel free to keep adding to my list (in the comment section 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 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.
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!
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!
You know exactly what you want to do during your ride. Your horse is prepped, you have all the gear you need, and you head to the riding ring with high hopes and a set plan.
You get on, get going, and then discover that your horse has something entirely different in mind!
At this point, you have two choices: keep going with what you were planning to do, or scrap it and work on what your horse needs to work on.
Goal Setting: Step-by-Step Development
There is no replacement for goal setting in the quest for improvement in riding. When you have an idea of the path you want to take, and the skills you want to develop, it is always good to plan out what you want to do before you get on the horse's back. Each ride should be a development from the last, setting up a series of successes for (yourself and) your horse as he progresses in his training and education.
What are you going to work on today? What went well last ride, what would you like to develop, and what movements will your horse enjoy? How will you warm up? What is the "lesson" for today? How will you cool down? Make your time count, make it a quality ride and then get off.
You need to know what you want to do during a ride. There is nothing worse than wandering around and around in circles, aimlessly pounding legs into sand for little purpose other than perhaps a little conditioning for the horse.
Be clear on the basic skills your horse needs, develop them into the intermediate levels and then finally (over the course of a number of years), move up to the highest levels of training in your discipline.
When to Scrap the Plan
However, goal setting can only take you so far. Even though you are inspired to get that horse to do the next cool thing, your horse might simply not be ready.
Alternately, he might be able to do some parts of the new movement, but loses the basic, most fundamental aspects to riding - enough that the movement becomes labored, difficult and unappealing. Maybe the horse puts up a fuss and even quits.
This is when you should scrap your grand ideas, and get back down to the business of the basics.
Many of the basic movements, like maintaining rhythm, looseness, or the simple act of moving forward, are integral to all levels of riding and therefore should be worked on regularly even if you are also working on something else at the same time.
It is much more important to develop solid basics - and only after your horse is fluidly performing those, move on to more difficult exercises. Have the patience and awareness to reestablish the important aspects of movement.
Because the basics are where it's at. Without the fundamental skill set, there will never be soft, fluid, responsive, enthusiastic work from your horse.
Have you ever scrapped your plan and listened to your horse? Tell us about your ride in 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.
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.
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
Without forward, there is no half-halt but without half-halt, there is no forward. (Click to tweet this if you agree.)
Photo Credit: NBanaszak Photography
Let me explain.
Has it ever happened to you that after you kicked (or preferably, didn't kick but used more seat/leg for energy), the horse flew out from under you, running faster and faster until he fell to the forehand and perhaps had to scramble his way back to balance?
Or conversely...
Has it ever happened that you went to half-halt (or check) and the horse braced his neck against your pressure, slowed the rhythm and reduced energy until you thought you were stuck in quicksand?
In both cases, there is one aid given to the horse but the other is missing. And there seems to be no other way: if you want to control energy, you have to have energy in the first place. If there is no energy, there is no controlling.
What to do?
We have to learn the coordination between "go and no" - all the while, keeping our balance to give the appropriate aids while not pulling on the reins.
Try this:
Teach your horse to kick (not literally!) into gear when you use a light leg and encouraging seat (that floats right into the movement that your horse offers). Then, before it's too late and he loses balance completely, use a restricting seat, contact with your (probably outside) rein, and a little leg to help the horse's hind end to come underneath his body.
See if he steps deeper underneath his body, rounds more, becomes bouncier, and breathes deeper (or gives you a well-earned snort). Look for more swing in his stride, more reach through his shoulders, and a lighter contact pressure on the reins.
The rhythm should be unaffected. A half-haltis a re-balance; it isn't a "putter down into the slower gait little by little and let the energy peter out." Therefore, the idea isn't to interfere with the horse's gait and tempo. Instead, your aim is to celebrate the energy your horse gives you and redirect it not only straight forward, but also a little upward, so the overall balance tilts a little to the hind end.
Keep your balance.
Encourage more energy.
Keep the tempo the same (not faster or slower).
Get the "go", then get the "no".
And let us know how it works out in the comment section below.
****
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
6 Ways to Unleash the Power of Your Riding Seat: As you become more subtle in the aiding process, you will begin to discover just how powerful the seat can be in guiding the horse without disturbing and interfering in his movement.
Top 10 Ways to Reward Your Horse: A happy horse is a willing partner, and many horses will give everything they have if they feel your acknowledgement and generosity of spirit.
Release your legs when the horse moves away from pressure.
Release your aids to reward the horse.
Release the inside rein to allow the horse to bend deeper to the inside.
Sometimes, we use the word "give" in place of release. Please use it interchangeably here.
In horseback riding, we can release any aid at any time: the reins, the seat, the legs. Regardless of riding discipline, we have to release our horses for hundreds of reasons. We use that word so many times in so many ways. But do we know what it really means?
Many people interpret the term literally as it sounds like it should be - a freedom, a giving away or a letting go of the aids. But in riding, a true release is more complicated than simply dropping everything!.
****
Let's change topics for just one minute to illustrate the point.
Do you watch any of the world figure skating championships? As I admire the exquisite coordination of the pairs and dance skaters, I am reminded of the level of harmony we need to produce with our horses to show a similar fluidity of movement (of course, anything I watch becomes somehow related to horseback riding - hehe).
So here is the scene: the guy lifts the girl, they do an intricate twist and thingy in the air, and then he "releases" her back to the ice. When you watch them, you see how carefully he carries her back down. What he doesn't do is drop her - or, simply let go.
****
The horse has four legs and he won't fall when you let go. It is true. We see riders "let go" of their horses all the time, and rarely do the horses fall to the ground (although some might stumble or trip). Thankfully, the horses hold their own and make up for the rider's lack of timing or aids or knowledge. But what does suffer is the horse's (and by extension, the rider's) balance.
Some horses lose confidence in their riders. Others learn to tune their riders out and just truck along on their own. Many plod along on their forehand year after year, doomed to some sort of lameness due to incorrect movement.
In any case, communication suffers, sometimes without the rider even knowing it.
What to do?
What not to do: let go.
Don't let go of your reins. Don't let go of your seat. Don't take your legs off the horse. Don't flop in the saddle.
Instead, work on a gradual giveaway.
Slowly reduce the pressure.
Leave your legs on but become less active.
Hold your own body but go more with the horse.
Keep a soft, delicate finger contact on the reins so your horse knows you are still talking to him.
Under all circumstances, maintain your balance.
Look for any and all reasons to release your aids.
Don't we all wish we could ride in lightness and complete balance? Just be weary of stopping or giving away or letting go completely.
Try to ride with the horse and work towards harmony and connectedness. Listen carefully to discover when your horse needs your support and when you should allow him to find his own way. There is a happy medium somewhere in between let go and absolute control.
If you can find it, you may also find a happier, more confident horse!
Finally! The Ultimate Rider-Centered Program!
Ready for something completely different? If you liked what you read here, you might be interested in the 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.
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
Riding Straight Through the Turn: Although it sounds like an oxymoron, travelling straight through a turn is essential in maintaining the balance of the horse.
Stepping Out of Rein Lameness: Often, problems caused by riding can be fixed with riding. It is just a matter of knowing what to do in order to counteract the problems.
Secrets to a Great Turn (a.k.a. Shift Out to Turn In): Can you tell if your horse uses his hind end before taking the first step in the new direction, or does he feel stiff and awkward, almost like he’s leaving his legs behind the movement?
Have you ever watched riders going around the ring with straight, stiff arms?
What have you noticed?
The exact opposite of what they probably want is happening. Although they are likely trying to be quiet and still, their hands are in fact bouncing up and down with the horse's movement. The end result is an on-again, off-again contactwith the horse's mouth - in other words, a pull/release repeated over and over.
Some horses truck along and find ways to hide behind the pressure, and other horses complain through head shaking, rooting of the reins, or shortening their strides till the movement minimizes. In every case, the communication between horse and rider suffers.
The ideal arm position is one that keeps a vertically straight upper arm. Essentially, the upper arm belongs to your body. In other words, if the upper arm comes off the body either forward or backward, the arm is interfering with the horse in some way.
The arms (and hands) should only aid in conjunction with the seat and upper body aids anyway. Therefore, keeping the upper arm on the body helps to prevent what we would naturally like to do - move the arm forward and backward in attempt to influence our horse.
2. Create A Light "L" Shape in Your Elbows
While your upper arm stays on the body, your lower arm comes off the body toward the horse's mouth. The arm takes the shape of a soft "L", hands staying in line with the reins that go to the horse's mouth.
Elbows can not point out ("chicken elbows") nor pull backward (pulling).
In this way, your arms will position your hands quite naturally a couple of inches in front of the saddle pommel. That is the ideal place for the hands.
3. Put Some Life Into the Elbows and Wrists
Now all you need is to find lightness in the joints. It is almost counter intuitive that stillness comes from movement(but it does make sense if you think about it). At first, it might feel awkward while you try to figure out how to move your elbows so that your hands can stay still on the reins.
Try This Trick
Hold your reins with your hands in front of the pommel with the light "L" shape in your elbows. Get the horse moving (walk, trot or canter). Put your pinkies down on the front of the saddle pad and work out how you must move your elbows to keep the hands steady on the pad. Once your hands are fairly steady, lift them off the pad and keep the elbows active in the same way.
After you have discovered soft, moving joints in your arms (all the way from the shoulder down), you will wonder how you ever could go with straight or pulling arms. You will discover so many benefits. Your horse might move forward more eagerly, start to swing through the back and maybe even give you a snort or two. All your aids will "go through" softly and with less interference, making communication suddenly easy and matter-of-fact.
But the bottom line is that your horse will benefit from a kinder, gentler bit that communicates rather than punishes. And isn't this what we are always working for?
Finally! The Ultimate Rider-Centered Program!
Ready for something completely different? If you liked what you read here, you might be interested in the 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.
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!
"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!
The difference between effective and ineffective contact in horseback riding is immense. You know what "bad" contact looks like:
- horse with mouth open wide
- frantic rider on runaway horse
- disengaged hind end and hollow-backed movement
- above the bit/below the bit/rooting the bit
- rider jerking on the bit
I'm sure we can all conjure up pictures of what we don't want to see or feel in riding.
However, if you're like me, you probably also are well aware of the conundrum of developing a compassionate yet useful contact - one that keeps you first of all, safe on the horse, and second, able to give the horse such good "feels" that every horse you ride is inspired to be their best.
There is so much to be said about the concepts of contact and "on the bit" in horseback riding. Many of the great riders of the past have elaborated on the idea and even the feel of on the bit, but without educated guidance on the ground while you're riding, true contact can become a long-awaited and distant dream. So although we can benefit greatly from the words below, it falls to ourselves to be forever on the quest of discovering an honest and effective contact with our own horses, making the act of riding pleasurable not only for the human, but also for the horse.
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!
****
The connection between the rider's hands and the horse's mouth is called "contact with the bit." This contact governs the guidance and collection of the horse.... To be correct this contact should be consistent. The rider should have the feeling that he is connected to the horse's mouth by means of an elastic ribbon. As the reins are made of leather and have no spring, this elastic connection can be brought about only by the supple flexion of the horse's jaw combined with the sensitive and light touch of the riders hands, which depends on flexible wrists. A perfect contact is possible only when the horse is in absolute balance, carries himself, and does not seek support from the reins. It may then be said that the horse is "on the bit."
Unlike popular perception, acceptance of the bit has very little to do with the frame in which we ride the horse. It is more that wherever we place our reins - long, short, or to one side - the horse follows them without evasion. Acceptance of the bit could also be called "the confidence of the horse in the rider's hand."
Riding a horse in a very short and cramped frame in front has nothing to do with being on the bit. Neither does work with draw reins, martingales, curbs, chambons and other artificial aids (based on inflicting pain) help to achieve it. The acceptance of the bit is a demonstration that the horse has been taught to find his balance and to carry himself willingly in front of the rider's leg, accepting the reins and the bit as communication, rather than a threat of pain or support to lean on.
Only when a horse has accepted the bit can he begin to carry himself. And, as the engagement improves, the horse will become lighter and lighter, without the rider having to use any artificial aids or excessive rein action.
When one drives the horse forward towards the bit, the bit should ever so slightly elude the horse's "arrival" on it, his taking hold. This allows the horse to step forward without fear of hindrance by pulling (and the accompanying pain). The horse's forward (but not running) thinking very much depends on his courage in working towards the bit. The bit must represent to him a suggestive and resilient opening, a yielding and elusive communication, rather than a literal contact. A tense, restraining, pulling rein results in an open jaw, tense neck and back muscles, and ugly, apprehensive, stiff, pussy-footing strides.
What do you think about when you consider contact and having your horse on the bit?
********
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Riding Goals Defined: At some point, you’re going to find yourself wondering: why am I riding?
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.
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Privacy Overview
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
