Counter cantering is different from merely cantering on the wrong lead. The counter canter can be used as a body control exercise that will teach the horse to better listen to your aids. Here I will give you a few exercises to improve collection, suppleness, and responsiveness in your horse. Continue reading Counter Canter Lessons
Riding correct transitions allows you to learn feel, control, and timing. Moving between gaits only when you ask gives you control of his feet, which is necessary in any riding discipline. Transitions are also a great opportunity to learn how to feel what your horse is doing underneath you, and will help you learn timing of the aids. Continue reading Precise Transitions
In the second section of this two part series, I will give you more tips on how to improve your riding skills by riding at faster gaits as well as over fences all without the aid of stirrups. Continue reading Stirrup-less Lessons Part Two Advanced Work
Riding without stirrups can greatly improve your position and seat. When riding without the irons you must make sure that you are riding correctly. Sometimes when your feet come out of the stirrups you feel insecure, and may improperly grip with your legs or adjust your seat to this new feeling. Here I will give you some tips on how to properly practice stirrup-less to improve communication between you and your horse. Continue reading Stirrup-less Lessons
All good riders have one thing in common…an excellent lower leg position. Having the correct angles in your lower leg help to absorb the concussion of riding, give proper cues, and hold you securely on your horse’s back. Knowledge of this important ingredient of riding is invaluable and sometimes overlooked. Continue reading Riding From All Angles Part Two: Lower Leg
Even if you aren’t a hunter/jumper or competing in trail classes, working your horse over ground poles will help you work on control, timing, and rhythm. Here I will outline the basics of getting your horse comfortable crossing poles at a walk then we will progressively get your horse walking, trotting, and cantering confidently over poles. Continue reading Pole Progression: The Walk
The turn on the haunches, hindquarters, or spin which are all essentially the same movement at different speeds, bend, and degrees on a circle. For clarity, I’ll refer to the movement for this article as a turn on the haunches. Training the horse to turn on the haunches benefits all riders and horses. Reining is all about body control, as is dressage, therefore any maneuver featured in these two disciplines will be helpful to all riders. Continue reading Turn On the Haunches
Maintaining a consistent speed and changing directions at the cue of the rider are two basics that all horse should know and respond to. However, many horses will anticipate what the rider wants, or worse completely ignore the rider’s cues. Sometimes cues may be confusing to the horse such as constant contact on the reins, yet the horse is expected to stop when pressure is applied. This pattern will separate specific cues, making the correct response easy and the wrong one hard. Doing so allows the horse to figure out exactly what is wanted of him. Continue reading A Pattern For Speed and Directional Control
Haunches in provides another element of control over the horse’s body. This comes after you have already established the basic cues and can yield the hindquarters from the halt, both with your horse’s neck bent and straight. Haunches in is one of the easiest lateral movements to teach and I like to teach this lesson to my horses first, followed by other exercises like leg yielding and shoulder in. Teaching haunches in is also the first exercise used to start teaching canter departures from a walk. Continue reading Teaching Haunches In
This pattern is just as it sounds, a four leaf clover. Great for improving your horse’s steering and will balance out a horse’s speed so he stays at a consistent pace. Fast horses will slow down and lazy horses will speed up. All around, the cloverleaf is a good pattern for every type of horse. Continue reading Cloverleaf Pattern