Does your horse need more forward?

Have you been told your horse needs more forward?

Do you think that means it needs more speed?

There’s a good chance your horse doesn’t actually need more speed, which is what we are inclined to think and try to do, but it actually needs more power!

When we ride our horses for more speed it pushes them out of their naturally stride, rushes them on the forehand and makes the stride short and choppy. This makes the ride less pleasant to watch but more importantly makes the horse less structurally sound.

The forwardness that we are looking for is power and the horse tracking up (prints of the hindquarters stepping into the prints for the forehand).

The power and tracking up that allows the power to travel through their body, lifts the forehand and develops impulsion. This connectedness and lift of the whole body engages the horses’ core postural muscles and improves their overall long term soundness while in the frame. It does this by:

• Shifting their weight off the forehand thereby reducing the concussion on the forehand.

• Getting them to lift their tummy muscles so they hold from their core instead of bracing their back.

• Lengthening their neck thereby reducing the compression and pain through the neck and pole.

• Increasing overall freedom of movement, elasticity and tone.

So to get more forward we actually need more slow!!!

Say what?

To build the strength and power of the hindquarters and also tune the sensitivity to legs mean go, we need to ask our horses to slow, wait and sit into their haunches and then drive forward out of it kind of like squats.

So now not only are you using an exercise that BUILDS your horses ability to give you that forward but also an exercise that TUNES your horse in to the aid.

And this is how we like to work at Equestrian Movement.

It doesn’t matter how good you are at applying an aid, if your horses can’t physically do what you’re asking it won’t respond to it until it is. So we use exercises that build our horses musculoskeletal system to ride a frame, and incorporate the aids within the exercise that will be our cues or words that we will use with our horse once they are physically ready.

This way, we are NOT desensitising or deadening our horses to the aids, but we ARE developing them for longevity of their career.

Interested in how we do this?

Check out our course Green to Self Carriage, where we break down all the aids and exercises so that they build on top of each other all the way through to your horse working in a working frame for soundness & longevity.

When the correct rising diagonal feels wrong...

Why does the correct rising trot diagonal sometimes feels wrong?

Maybe you sometimes think you’re on the correct rising trot diagonal and look down to check and its wrong?

Or do you find every time you swap over to the correct diagonal, your horse throws you back over to the incorrect diagonal?

I have a little secret for you…

What you are feeling when you are feeling for the correct rising trot diagonal is the inside hind coming through. When it comes through, it lifts your inside hip higher than the outside hind.

If your horse has dropped the inside hip and disengaged it, it actually makes it feel like you’ve got the incorrect rising trot diagonal when you actually have the correct rising trot diagonal.

This is because the outside hind is coming through and supporting your weight.

Furthermore, if your horse also has a weak back, they will be trying to balance you with their shoulders or the outside hind.

So you can be finding that every time you switch over to the correct rising trot diagonal it feels wrong or jarring or your horse itself gets uncomfortable and bounces you back onto the other diagonal (I’ve met a couple of these!)

These horses in particular will also most likely have trouble with getting one of their canter leads.

That’s why, sometimes, the correct rising diagonal feels wrong.

Want some more help with understanding what you’re feeling in the saddle?

Make sure you’re on our email list for our Riding with Heart Workshop, where we will be giving away a bunch of free tips on developing feel and connection in the saddle.

My Horse Is Leaning On The Bit!

Help! How do I get my horse to stop leaning on the bit?

It was a question posed recently by one of my students, and inspired me to provide more information.

The short and simple of it is that a horse that is leaning on the bit is on the forehand.

They either haven’t learnt how to properly engage their topline and pull their forehand up by coming up into self carriage, or they are taking advantage of you not knowing how to ride up hill.

All green horses have to go through the transition of going from working on the forehand, pulling themselves with their chest and shoulders, pushing off of and out from the hind legs to transferring the weight onto the hind quarters and establishing relaxation, throughness and swing. It is a difficult transition for most horses to work through.

Most behavioural issues under saddle will pop up when the horse is learning this because it is so hard on them.

For the rider, you need to learn where your independent seat is and be able to ride your horse legs seat to hands. Any forward tip in your upright seat will result in putting your horse on the forehand.

It is important, therefore, that you aren’t gripping with your knees and your thighs and able to keep your pelvis rotated up. Griping with you knees and thighs rotates your pelvis down, tips your upper body forward and pivots you at the knee, pushing you away from the horse. 

Some exercises specific to horses that lean are:

• transitions,

• rein back,

• leg yield and

• changes of frame, working from long and low and back up to working again.

This step is so important in our horses physical development and crucial to the continued development of self carriage and further. It is why I use the training methods that we have created into a self-paced online training program, that you can use to scale up and down as your horse develops and tailor the training to suit your skills and horse’s phase.

What to know when our Green to Self Carriage Program will be released? Click here!

What the toss? 8 Reasons Why Your Horse May Be Head Tossing

We all see beautiful images of horses working in a self-carriage frame, and then come across a horse that tosses his head or needs to hold it high. It can be frightening, frustrating and unbalancing when we ride these horses.

Understanding why this might be happening can improve our chances of correcting this unwanted behaviour.

Dental and bit issues

Mouth pain created by an incorrectly worn bit or dental issues can lead to head tossing, particularly when you put the bridle on or apply a reign aid – strong or soft. The best way to see if this is the cause of your horse’s head tossing is to have a discussion and examination with your dentist.

Development Issues

A horse that is working hollow is generally going to carry his or her head higher (unless being forced into a frame, which will be uncomfortable and limit the development of your horse). A horse that has poor strength and elasticity through their top-line will also need to use their shoulders and neck to lift, which will bring their head high. Ensure to work through the training scale to maximise your horse’s capability for self-carriage is the only way to fix this, and it will take time.

Anxiety

Horses that are anxious are naturally inclined to have their heads held high on the lookout for danger. Some horses may have anxiety related to one particular issue, and others may be living in a chronic state of anxiety. The best way to deal with an anxious horse is to help them get past the ‘fight or flight’ stage of the anxiety to where they can begin to mentally process their decisions, while at the same time encouraging them to follow you as their calm leader – if you are not anxious, they shouldn’t be either. This may require professional assistance.

Training Issues

A horse that doesn’t understand or becomes frustrated may toss his head to communicate his confusion. They will usually attempt to do what you ask but become repeatedly confused as we continue to not give the release they were expecting. You may have to work with your trainer to ensure the aids you are applying have been developed from the very basic to the more advanced (as they learn).

Conversely, a horse that knows the training but is trying to avoid putting his head down will react opposite of your aid and lift his head. This may be because the head in frame is too hard to maintain too long, or because he is testing us. Use the pressure/release method to encourage and reward the correct behaviour, and gradually increase the number of strides he has to maintain this.

Saddle Fit

Sometimes, an incorrectly fitting saddle that pinches or rubs may create a number of ‘naughty’ habits, including head tossing. A poorly fitted saddle would be like wearing a bra that is 3 sizes too small in one cup and 2 sizes too big in the other. These naughty behaviours are your horse’s way of telling you they are uncomfortable.

Poll Pressure

Some horses, particularly as they develop, or if they have dental issues, may have a sensitive poll. This is usually due to a tightening of the neck and/or the jaw muscles. Ear twitched horses may also be extra sensitive to this area, as ear twitching creates pain and can damage the muscles in and around the ear. Some great stretches to release poll pressure include low carrots stretches and between the knees carrot stretches. It’s also not a bad idea to review this at your horse’s next chiro visit.

Insects

If you are in a particularly high insect area or time, you may notice your horse tossing his head a lot more. Use some insect repellent on a grooming mitt to gently apply to the areas of the face, ears and neck to help reduce this.

Learned Behaviour

Unfortunately, some horses may have figured out that when they toss their head high, they can scare their rider or owner out of doing what they are asking for, and therefore it has become a learned response to get out of something they deem unpleasant. It takes some time, patience and consistency to break this behaviour, and a lot of pressure/release practice. But persevere – I promise that with the right approach it can be overcome!

overcome problem behaviours with our easy to follow method

Click here to access a free training on the Holistic Horse Handling Methodology

Getting Your Horse “on the Bit” is Easy...

Getting Your Horse “on the Bit” is Easy – Keeping Your Horse There is Hard

?rel=0

Katie discusses how to ride “on the bit” (transcript available)

Riding your horse on the bit is both one of the easiest and hardest things you will do in your riding career.

The reason it is easy is because to get the horse to be on bit and flex at poll is the use of pressure & release to get your horses to give to the bit pressure.

The reason it is hard is because of the way the horse has to engage its core to do it well – which gets harder when we start moving!

In the same way that we can stand still and engage our postural muscles, it’s easy - but then you are asked to move, or run, or dance – not so easy.

These are the things we are expecting of our horse – to move gracefully forward with acceptance of the bit.

The actual teaching of the acceptance of the bit, to be on the bit, is easy; the hard part is conditioning the involved for the horse to maintain it easily and with forward movement.

Issues with attempting to get your horse on the bit when they aren’t conditioned to it:

False flexion

False flexion. Note the bend at the 3rd vertebrae.

The horse breaks away at the 3rd vertebrae as opposed to flexing at the poll and bringing its head on the vertical. This puts its head too deep, leading to them working on the forehand, pulling with the shoulders and then working behind the bit.

You will still get rewarded in your dressage test for your horse being slightly behind the vertical or slightly on the vertical but still on the forehand, but you will have comments like lacking forward or lacking impulsion. And that’s essentially because you have pulled the horses head down without learning how to ride them forward through to contact.

That is the conditioning work that we do to maintain the horse in frame while on the bit in forward movement.

Twisting Pelvis or Dropped Shoulder

We use bend to establish the suppleness for the horse to be able to put its head down in the first place. So rather than bending through the rib cage, they will twist through the pelvis or drop the shoulder. This allows them to put their head down without technically having to engage their postural or self-carriage muscles.

This further enhances them travelling on the forehand, pulling with their chest and shoulders,  working with false flexion and working behind the bit.

Tips to work your horse to truly be ‘on the bit’

What being on the bit actually is is between being too hollow and too deep.

What I teach my students is to ride them forward, hands out of their mouth and let them be hollow. Then use their half halt (which you have taught them to give to bit through pressure/release), and they might come behind the bit slightly, or your just asking them to tuck their chin in, and then you want to ride them forward out of that again. You are using your circle work to keep them nice and supple. Eventually, the horse will develop its core strength and the stability of its postural muscles to be able to ride forward, into contact. So that when you ride your half halt, they don’t come behind the bit, and when you ride your forward, they don’t hollow.

What happens, though, is we get super excited that our horse is on the bit, and we want to keep them there, not change up the exercise or allowing strengthening. In doing that we end up with our horse coming behind the bit, behind the leg, and going on the forehand.

So it is important for us riders, in these first few stages where the horse is learning and developing how to work on the bit, to allow them to go hollow, and then bring them back in again, then letting them go hollow, and bring them back again.

You have to give your horse the 12 months it needs to condition their body to that exercise.

Using the half halt to bring them in and then letting them out forward and hollow allows the correct toning for the muscles during the development stage

It takes 6-8 weeks to develop the coordination and balance, followed by 3-4 months of muscle conditioning – the muscles they need to develop to actually hold their head there (we want it to feel natural and good for them to hold their head there while they are moving) – and finally, 6-12 months for bone and ligament density, so that this environmental stress that we have created in their bodies becomes part of their conformation. That’s when you can just hop on your horse and they are already there.

The ‘on the bit part’ is quite easy. The conditioning part is the hard part, where you are giving your horse the time and the environmental exposure for their body to adapt to it and be able to do it easily and maintain it consistently.

Obviously, part of that is you, as the rider, understanding how to apply the pressure release so their head can come down, but also having the sensitivity to know when your horse has come behind your leg, or when its dropped the hip, or fallen out through the shoulder, or when it’s not moving forward to your hands, or when it is not moving forward with thoroughness.

All of these parts of part of your journey as a rider to learn, so that you don’t inhibit your horse’s range of movement.

You don’t want to stress about whether the horse’s head is on the bit or not, you want to learn the foundations of how to work the horse correctly into contact. And once you learn those foundations, and apply those exercises, the horse will come onto the bit.

The ‘on the bit’ part is just the last piece of the puzzle of good self carriage from your horse.

Foundations of Equine Development Green to Self Carriage program is coming soon - register your interest here

Is Your Horse Bridle Lame?

Is your horse perfectly sound on the ground when lunging (no muscle soreness, nothing picked up by the vet, chiro, masseuse or acupuncturist), but as soon as you start riding, it’s lame?

It could be saddle fit, but it could also be bridle lame.

A bridle lame horse is sound on the ground, in the paddock and the saddle fit is fine. There’s no heat, no issues with the hooves or abscesses, looks fine and not muscle sore. The lameness only shows up when ridden and looks to be somewhere in the front end.

A horse becomes bridle lame when it has become restricted in movement due to bridle pressure. This can be because they aren’t stepping through properly underneath themselves from behind. It can be because they aren’t extending properly through the shoulder. It can also be from tightness through the neck and jaw, or some combination of all the above. It usually is the result of being asked for a frame before they are ready.

The working frame should be the result of good self carriage.

However, due to the emphasis put on the overall frame and picture in competitions, this process can be rushed and compromised for the marks. When the horse is worked from front to back instead of from the hind to the hand, it doesn’t learn how to move freely within the restriction of the frame, doesn’t distribute its weight evenly and doesn’t engage the core. Instead they will load their weight into one shoulder more than the other - and in some horses this can make them look lame. This results in an irregularity of the stride which short term make them look lame, but long term ridden like this will MAKE THEM lame.

The only way to correct this before permanent damage is done is to take their training back down the training scale and retrain them back into true self carriage. The complication to this is the fact that the horse has already been incorrectly trained to respond to a particular cue (put your head into a frame without engaging the core or distributing the weight equally through all four limbs), and you are now tasked with re-teaching these cues, allowing the horse to first learn to flex through the hind legs, lift through the core before placing its head into the frame.

And the only way to prevent Bridle Lameness is to train them correctly in the first place, no matter how long it takes.

Would you like to know more about our Green to Self Carriage training course, which takes you through all the very early training stages for your horse up to the development of self carriage? We are looking for Beta-Testers - click here!

6 Reason You May Be Stumbling Through Your Ride (And What You Can Do About It)

A horse that stumbles can give us quite a momentary shock, but when your horse stumbles regularly, we need to start looking into the root of the issue. Here are a few reasons why your horse might stumble and what you can do to help.

Training

A horse that is riding hollow with his head high is unbalanced and on the forehand, and may stumble more frequently. Same can be said for a horse that is leaning on the bit like a fifth leg, as soon as the pressure on the bit is released they may stumble, which is their attempt to avoid faceplanting in the dirt.

The fix

Ensure you use the correct exercises for true self-carriage. If you horse is unable to engage his core, go back down the training scale and start again.

Conformation

Some horses are born with abnormal conformations, especially in the legs, may be more prone to stumbling than others.

The fix

There may not actually be a fix for this, but ensure you horse has the best self-carriage training to minimise the issues. It is also worth consulting with your chiropractor to see if there are any physio exercises to improve the issue.

Injuries

Current injuries may create pain and result in limping and stumbling as a result. Also, past injuries, particularly long-recovering ones to the hips, shoulders, legs or feet, may have put the horse off balance as they favoured the injured side.

The fix

For current injuries, rest, recovery and possible farrier/veterinary attention are recommended. For previous injuries, have a chat to your chiropractor.

Fitness

A horse that is not fit will tire quickly and stumble. A horse that is also pushed to his fitness limit will tire and stumble.

The fix

Recognise the level of fitness of your horse. Identify when you start to feel him tire and allow him to rest. Gradually increase his fitness by extending his training to the point where he is just starting to tire then allow rest again.

Arthritis

Horses with arthritis will tend to be less able to move the joints fluidly or less comfortable fully weight-bearing on one limb over others, and can lead to stumbling.

The fix

Unfortunately arthritis cannot be cured, but we can alleviate the pain with good supplementation or under veterinary advice. Also ensure you use gentle warm up exercise (this may take longer than other horses) and train for self-carriage. Regular gentle exercise is a must as is regular rest. You can read our article on how to manage arthritis here.

Hoof Maintenance

Hooves that are poorly maintained or too long can create stumbling issues.

The fix

Maintain regular farrier visits. Ensure the farrier is cutting to the right length and angle. If you are unsure or unhappy with your farrier, seek a second opinion.

What is a Quirky Rider? Find Out if it is You!

The quirky horse rider is the person who rides to develop themselves and not to prove themselves. The quirky rider sees their relationship with their horse as an evolution of who they are and uses the lessons learnt in the saddle to better understand themselves, their relationships and their purpose at a soul level. They apply the lessons they learn from the horses to their everyday life and see each trial and tribulation with their horse as a way to develop their strength of character and better define their ethos and purpose. 

The quirky rider accepts every challenge faced with faith and determination to see it through and understand that no matter the result, they are where they need to be at this very moment in time. They whole heartedly love their horse and understand that their behaviour is an expression of their personality that is not to be squashed and dominated but encouraged to flourish and grow. 

The quirky rider understands that there is a deeper meaning to be understood in their relationship with their horse and their horses actions. They take the time to reflect what their horse is trying to communicate in its actions and how best to integrate their riding goals with their horses personality.

The moment I became a quirky rider

This moment is burnt into my memory forever. For a while I was embarrassed about my actions, but I vowed from here on out I would always be the voice for my horse and not let anyone pressure me into doing anything to my horse that I thought would be disrespectful or that would offend them.

At the time I had a good relationship with my instructor, I had learnt so much from her and she was the person who built up my skills to be an instructor and a EA competent competitor. I respected her advice and took her word as gospel. At the time I was riding a stallion who wasn't always the most well behaved but had a heart of gold, a beautiful nature and mostly tried his heart out, occasionally deciding that the arena was terrifying and not concentrating on anything other than spooking for the length of the arena. She taught me to be a strong and heavy handed rider, she taught me that was what I needed to be to ride a stallion. Something deep inside me knew this was wrong, but I respected her judgement and worked as she asked me. When I look back now I know what was lacking was not my strength as a rider but my communication skills. He wasn't trying to be naughty, he just didn't know what I wanted, I didn't really understand what I wanted. As our lessons went on, more and more I pretended to be doing what she asking me without trying to do it because it felt so wrong. One of our lessons I vividly remember being taught to run him into the wall of the arena to get counter flexion. I let her push me to keep running him into the wall until he yielded off my outside leg. Bless him he figured it out, through no help from me he learnt to yield off my outside leg so as not to be run into the wall. I have to make mention that this is also one of the gentler instructors I've had in my riding career. I have definitely been pushed by instructors to do a lot worse to my horses. 

One day, mid lesson, I can't remember what we were bullying him into, there were so many things we bullied him into, but this was the day I stopped and said to my instructor there had to be a better way. She told me I was unteachable and walked out. I was in shock, I had just lost my mentor, my coach and my inspiration. It all fell down around me but I knew in my heart I had done the right thing for me and the right thing for my horse. This was the day I vowed to always stand up and be my horses voice because he could not. This was the day I vowed to understand his behaviour instead of bullying him into what was expected of him to perform like a circus animal. This was the day I said I would find a better way whether someone was able to show me the way or not and so I started to listen to my horse. I discovered that when I wasn't trying to bully him into submission he was actually a very good teacher. He knew better than any instructor what was in his best interest, what made his body feel good when it worked and what didn't and I let him tell me when he didn't understand what I wanted. Sure our competition quality suffered temporarily but only because I went back to square one and decided to relearn the whole training process as taught by the horse. I loved this little dude, he opened my heart and my mind to a better way of training and he is the foundation for how I ride today. I'm still a working progress and each horse teaches me something new, but I always allow myself to be the voice of a misunderstood horse first and a trainer second. 

Are you a quirky rider? Join our mailing list for more training tips

Making time to ride: 7 ways to fit it in

Making time to ride doesn’t have to be so difficult – does it? As we each live busier and busier lives, sometimes it seems next to impossible to make our riding commitments stick. Here’s a few things you can try to help you get out in the saddle more often.

List it

Ever heard of the Eisenhower Matrix? It’s a great way of prioritising your activities ranked by level of importance and urgency for your day, week or even month.

Grab a piece of paper, and divide it into 4. Top left, decide what is Important and Urgent. Generally, this is crisis, emergencies or important deadlines, but would also include feeding animals (and family). These should be ticked off your list quickly.

 Top right is Important and Not Urgent. This section often includes relationships and family, and is likely where your horse riding will fall. Allocate a large amount of planned time for these activities.

Bottom left in Not Important and Urgent. These items need doing soon but are not important to you – so can you delegate them? If not, get them done quickly and don’t spend too much time on them.

The final quadrant is Not Important and Not Urgent. Usually television, games and social media fall into this category. In September 2016, Mediakix  estimated the average time a person spent on social media PER DAY was almost 2 hours!! But let me ask you – if it’s neither urgent nor important, could it be nothing more than a time waster, which you could be using more productively, for example, riding?

Negotiate like Samuel L Jackson in, well, the Negotiator

Nearly all of us are required to work to be able to afford our general expenses (most of which goes to our ponies, dare I say!). While not possible in all cases, there is a chance that you can negotiate with your boss for some flexibility in your work day. Here are a few suggestions that may work for you, depending on your work situation:

Can you start/finish earlier, or perhaps even later, to take advantage of some time with your family and horse?

Can you negotiate some of your break times to be at the end of the day, to leave earlier?

Can you negotiate time in lieu in place of overtime, and spread those hours throughout your week/month?

Look after your health

 It might sound cliché, but the better your health, the more energy your have and the more productive -you will be. Ensure to get a solid sleep, eat well and make time for exercise – remember, horse riding is exercise!

Save your daylight

Horse riding is an activity that favours sunlight, unless you are lucky enough to an undercover arena with lights. Have a look over your Eisenhower matrix, and highlight the activities that can be done in the dark, such as housework, meal prepping or (in my case) writing.

Organisation is key

When your time is limited, organisation is key to getting maximum value. Having your tack shed organised in a way that allows quick access to everything you need for a short ride will be guaranteed time saver.

At the same time, organising your desk can save you precious time that should be used wisely - riding, of course.

It’s time for a new mantra

When we become busy our focus can shift off our important priorities and onto random, unimportant tasks. This not only wastes our time but starts to change our views of the important tasks in our lives, in essence negating their higher priority.

This doesn’t mean that you should beat yourself up when other, urgent and/or important activity take away your ability to ride, but is definitely something to think about if your time is being absorbed by non-urgent and unimportant tasks.

Put some effort into making your horse more receptive to your training

Spending time now training your horse will save you loads of time when you really are short on time. Think about it - how much time do you waste:

• Trying to avoid being shoved around by your horse at feed time?

• Trying to put a bridle on the sudden giraffe?

• Chasing your horse around the paddock because he doesn’t want to be caught?

Spending the time to make sure your boundaries are respected & your horse enjoys spending time with you will save more time than your realise.

Actively involve your horse in your training!

When our horses feel a part of their training, they are happier to work with you! Click her to learn more

What tips do you have for making more time for riding?

 

Stop The Frustration of Your Riding Journey

When we set out on our adventure with our horse, we have a goal in mind.

That goal is the bright and shiny object that will believe when we achieve it we will be happy.

We don’t realise when we first start out how many things we need to learn to achieve the bright and shiny object. We think it’s gonna be a piece of cake. And when our first road block pops up we google “why is my horse…”; we get through that, then the next road block pops up we get frustrated and ask some friends, “why does my horse…”?

You go to a clinic that works on that problem and you get through that. Then the next road block pops up… cue the cry of frustration.

The next thing you know its 1 year, 2 years, 5 years later and you still feel like you’re no closer to your original goal. You feel like giving up on yourself and your horse, you’re never going to get there. Maybe you should just quit?

This is where we have to remember WHY we do this in the first place!

Your horse is your happy place and as much as they can drive you crazy they are also your sanity. You are at your happiest on the back of a horse. It makes your heart sing. If days go by and you haven’t spent time with your horse you know it… and so do the people around you!! So how do you find your happy place with them again?

You need to enjoy the journey and not make it all about the destination. Your riding isn’t about being the best but being better than the person you were yesterday.

That doesn’t mean that you need to give up on your goal. It just means that you need to let go of the result and enjoy the process. Allow you and your horse to achieve that goal when you and your horse are ready. Because let me tell you, the same day you achieve it you will say right that’s done, now whats next without even taking a second out of your day to reflect and be grateful for all that you and your horse have achieved together. 

So today’s message is let go, enjoy the process, be with your horse because your horse is what makes you happy, let the journey unfold and shape the person you will become and your horse into the horse you’ve always dreamed of.

Wish there were a way to fast track the goal? Download our free guide on the exercises that you can do the lead to a stronger bond with your horse here.

Are you a Quirky Rider?

The quirky horse rider is the person who rides to develop themselves and not to prove themselves. The quirky rider sees their relationship with their horse as an evolution of who they are and uses the lessons learnt in the saddle to better understand themselves, their relationships and their purpose at a soul level. They apply the lessons they learn from the horses to their everyday life and see each trial and tribulation with their horse as a way to develop their strength of character and better define their ethos and purpose. 

The quirky rider accepts every challenge faced with faith and determination to see it through and understand that no matter the result, they are where they need to be at this very moment in time. They whole heartedly love their horse and understand that their behaviour is an expression of their personality that is not to be squashed and dominated but encouraged to flourish and grow. 

The quirky rider understands that there is a deeper meaning to be understood in their relationship with their horse and their horses actions. They take the time to reflect what their horse is trying to communicate in its actions and how best to integrate their riding goals with their horses personality.

The moment I became a quirky rider

This moment is burnt into my memory forever. For a while I was embarrassed about my actions, but I vowed from here on out I would always be the voice for my horse and not let anyone pressure me into doing anything to my horse that I thought would be disrespectful or that would offend them.

At the time I had a good relationship with my instructor, I had learnt so much from her and she was the person who built up my skills to be an instructor and a EA competent competitor. I respected her advice and took her word as gospel. At the time I was riding a stallion who wasn't always the most well behaved but had a heart of gold, a beautiful nature and mostly tried his heart out, occasionally deciding that the arena was terrifying and not concentrating on anything other than spooking for the length of the arena. She taught me to be a strong and heavy handed rider, she taught me that was what I needed to be to ride a stallion. Something deep inside me knew this was wrong, but I respected her judgement and worked as she asked me. When I look back now I know what was lacking was not my strength as a rider but my communication skills. He wasn't trying to be naughty, he just didn't know what I wanted, I didn't really understand what I wanted. As our lessons went on, more and more I pretended to be doing what she asking me without trying to do it because it felt so wrong. One of our lessons I vividly remember being taught to run him into the wall of the arena to get counter flexion. I let her push me to keep running him into the wall until he yielded off my outside leg. Bless him he figured it out, through no help from me he learnt to yield off my outside leg so as not to be run into the wall. I have to make mention that this is also one of the gentler instructors I've had in my riding career. I have definitely been pushed by instructors to do a lot worse to my horses. 

One day, mid lesson, I can't remember what we were bullying him into, there were so many things we bullied him into, but this was the day I stopped and said to my instructor there had to be a better way. She told me I was unteachable and walked out. I was in shock, I had just lost my mentor, my coach and my inspiration. It all fell down around me but I knew in my heart I had done the right thing for me and the right thing for my horse. This was the day I vowed to always stand up and be my horses voice because he could not. This was the day I vowed to understand his behaviour instead of bullying him into what was expected of him to perform like a circus animal. This was the day I said I would find a better way whether someone was able to show me the way or not and so I started to listen to my horse. I discovered that when I wasn't trying to bully him into submission he was actually a very good teacher. He knew better than any instructor what was in his best interest, what made his body feel good when it worked and what didn't and I let him tell me when he didn't understand what I wanted. Sure our competition quality suffered temporarily but only because I went back to square one and decided to relearn the whole training process as taught by the horse. I loved this little dude, he opened my heart and my mind to a better way of training and he is the foundation for how I ride today. I'm still a working progress and each horse teaches me something new, but I always allow myself to be the voice of a misunderstood horse first and a trainer second. 

Are you a quirky rider? Join our mailing list for more training tips

Keep updated

New episodes right to your inbox.

Subscribe

Loading...

Subscribe

Loading...

Thank you!

You have successfully joined our subscriber list.

4 Reasons You Horse Evades Your Aid

Have you ever wondered why your horse isn’t listening to your aid?

It is a common occurrence, and actually easy to recognise. In fact, there are only 4 reasons a horse is not doing as you ask:

1.      It doesn’t understand what you are asking

2.      It physically can’t do what you are asking

3.      It is trying to do what you are asking but not able to perform at 100%

4.      It is actively challenging you

1.     The horse doesn’t understand what you are asking

A horse that doesn’t understand what you want will be trying lots of different things in response to your ask. They may stumble across the correct answer occasionally, but they will keep trying different things if they didn’t pick up on that that was the correct answer - for example, if you missed your timing for the release of pressure. Even if they do figure out what the “correct answer” is they will still keep trying different things. This is because they learn differently. They learn by deciding which response they like best from you. This is also how we can accidentally teach the horse the wrong behaviour. 

For example if we are trying to teach our horse to walk on from halter pressure, their initial instinct would be to lift their head. Once they realise this doesn’t result in what they want they will try other behaviours. What happens if I paw or strike out? What happens if I rear? What happens if I lower my head? What happens if I step forward? If we release the pressure (what the horse wants) for the rear we are conditioning the horse to rear when pressure is applied to the halter. If we release the pressure only for the horse stepping forward, than the horse will decide if it likes that (the release of pressure) and then it will try the other things again to see if your responses are what it likes until it decides” ok I like the response I get when I step forward”. The horse will then keep choosing to step forward to pressure because that gets it what it wants.

In a nutshell, if your horse is trying lots of different things and occasionally gets it right, it doesn’t understand what you want and you have to think outside the box of how best to communicate it.

2.     The horse can’t physically do what we ask

We see this when we start asking more of our horse. It is trying but not succeeding and they often get frustrated with themselves. This could be when we ask them to walk off for the first time under saddle, when we ask them for the first time through poles or jumps and when we introduce increased expectation and exercises of them.

Here we need to reward the horse when they attempt to do as we ask, and allow time for the proper build up of condition and understanding. The rule of three (repeat the exercise 3 times then move onto something they really understand) is essential here.

Also consider if your horse has had a spell and is being brought back into work, we have to adjust our expectations, and if they have been over worked they may need a spell.

3.     The horse can do what you want but not to the level of quality you want.

Your horse is trying and understanding what you are asking of it but you have repeated the exercise more than 3 times and it’s not as good as you wanted. We will go more into this in getting 100% from your horse. But if you have got it by the third ask your horse will slowly become more mentally and physically fatigued and go sour on the aid and stop trying. So lower your expectations and working on the conditioning exercises a step below what you are trying to get.

4.     Your horse is actively challenging you.

As we spoke about earlier your horse will always instinctively challenge you - no matter how well trained they become and how well established your relationship is. It is in their best interest to always be checking in and assuring themselves that you are still ‘the best man for the job’ when it comes to that leadership role. In fact the more confidence you instil in your horse, the more they will challenge your leadership role because you are developing the exact skills in them that they need to be a good leader. 

In a nutshell, if your horse is actively challenging you they are generally choosing to do the opposite of what you ask. You ask them to stop? They go. You ask them to go? They stop. You ask them to go right they go left. They know what you want well enough to know what they opposite is, they can do the opposite of what you are asking to be able to do what you’re asking. 

A lot of trainers will say you have to push them through it and make them do it! I find that this is not the best advice because your horse generally challenges you in an exercise that you are finding hard and not doing confidently. My advice is you have to revisit discipline by doing an exercise that you are confident in and finish your training on a win where you are back in that leadership role - even if you have to get off the horse. 

Oh my god did I just say you are allowed to get off the horse when it isn’t doing as it’s told?!? 

Yes - as an instructor for lots of beginners and green horse and riders it is far better when you lose your horses confidence in your leadership skills to finish on a good note where you can re-establish your boundaries for their behaviour and get yourself back in that leadership role than push your horse in an exercise that you are not comfortable or confident with and have to hold on to the ratty behaviour your horse will give you when challenging you. I always prefer my horses to not even think that bucking, rearing, bolting, biting or kicking is an option than riding through it. I have been that person that has ridden through but for the safety of everyone involved and for the optimal conditioning of our horses behaviour I believe discipline and good behaviour is best established in an exercise the trainer is comfortable and confident with executing. 

Are you struggling with your horse evading? Perhaps it is time to work on re-establishing your leadership.

9 Things No One Tells You About Owning A Horse

Owning a horse is amazing. The intimate bond of horse and human, the ability to ride whenever you like, a place to escape to when home or work is too much... right? 

Honestly, it is amazing. But there is a side to horse ownership that no one truly discusses. Here is a list of what we think most horse owners are experiencing but not sharing:

1) People will call you a crazy horse person

But seriously, who cares? If a person can't at least respect your personal preference for your 4 legged friend, well let's just say that's exactly why we prefer them!

2) You will get asked if other people can ride you horse. A lot.

"Oh, you have a horse? Can my cousin's best friend's son's girlfriend's half sibling ride it?" It's amazing how many people come out of the woodwork.

3) Insects are a part of life.

Equestrian life is not one for those that suffer Entomophobia or Arachnophobia.

4) You will constantly check the weather.

Can I ride after work? Which rug am I using tonight? It will become an obsession.

5) Baling twine. The next WD-40.

Seriously. It fixes everything. Fences, rugs, even broken bridles. If you don't have baling twine in your pocket, can you really say you own a horse?

Either get my bailing twine or label this the latest in fall fashion...

6) You will become an expert at fence repairing and rug repairing.

Why did my high school have to make me choose between home economics and woodworking?

7) Your horse will have better and more expensive 'clothes' than you... and you wont care.

Well, I do need a different saddle for each discipline, plus more rugs and saddle cloths than one horse can handle. Plus, blingy brow bands - how can you pass them by?

8) Sheath cleaning, Udder cleaning and Beans

Seriously didn't even know this stuff existed til I had a horse. These are the true reason we have latex gloves in the first aid kit. And if you need help, there are heaps of youtube videos available (yes, I checked).

9) You will wish you were taller on many occasions.

"Hi Mum - wait, is that a worming paste? Let me show you my impression of a giraffe!" Ring any bells?

Did we miss any? Tell us below!

Is Walking Boring? (7 Reasons To Reconsider)

When did riding at a walking become boring?

Many non-equestrians imagine horse riding to be all about chasing cows, jumping logs and galloping up gloriously green hills towards the sunset. Many equestrians love the idea also, whether they are ready to ride at that level or just dream of the day. It’s the thrilling of the horse exerting powerful bouts of energy under you, the feel of the wind across your face, the sensation of working together.

Considering that, it can be easy to see why riding at a walking pace is less ‘fun’ in some peoples eyes. Here are 7 reasons why walking is better than galloping:

1. Your horse can maintain a walk for longer

Imagine you have to carry a 15kg brick strapped to your back. Now imagine running with it for 20 minutes. If you are anything like me, you would have dropped that brick or dropped the run within 2 minutes.

This is exactly what our horses face. It takes more energy to run, so our horses can maintain more exercise at a walking pace, and this will help build their fitness and tolerance to exercise.

2. It is easier to learn at a walk

Funny story: I discovered I could write on a clipboard while walking around. So I immediately assumed I could do some work on the treadmill. Three almost-falls later, I decided it was one of the stupidest ideas I’d had - ever.

It is harder to do ANYTHING at a faster pace, until you have it well established at the walk. This goes for our horses and ourselves. As a rider is developing new skills, it is next to impossible to start that skill at a trot, canter or gallop, and much easier in a walk (unless we have an amazing horse that has been schooled to know which buttons we are trying to push, has enough insight to guess what we are trying to tell them, and is enthusiastic enough about work not to try to pull one over us - and how many of us can say we have that horse?).

3. Walking is safer to ride in mixed groups

It is a great lot of fun to spend time riding with other equine enthusiasts. But not all riders, nor or horses, develop equally.

In any group ride that I have ever been in, there always seems to be a mix of green riders, green horses, experienced riders, experienced horses, nervous riders, nervous horses, riders that have never left the arena, horses that are on their first trial ride, horses dealing with herd bonding issues, or people that have never ridden.

It literally meant that some horses and some riders where not suited to going faster than a walk, and the more experienced horses and riders are better suited to be in charge - which means not galloping off into the sunset.

4. We can begin redeveloping our horse at a walking pace

The training scale, and the way our horses learn and develop, insists that we spend more time learning and strengthening exercises in a walk. A green horse, or a horse that is being redeveloped, will find all the aids applied confusing or frustrating if they are not first well established at lower paces. It is why the training scale spends so much time on groundwork, then walk, then trot, before canter.

Interested in learning how to use the training scale to develop your horse? Register for our online training course Green to Self Carriage here.

5. More leisure time with your horse

I don’t know about you, but if I can personally spend more time on a ride with more horse, the more I love it!

Simply put, a bit of walking, which can be intermittently broken up with a few trots and canters, is a much more leisurely way to ride than a ride that is full of a faster pace - which will only get me to my end destination much quicker anyway!

6. We can help avoid soundness issues

When our horses lack development at any stage in the walk, they cannot progress with it in the trot or canter. If we try to push it, we can end up damaging our horses, either physically, mentally or emotionally.

7. Our horses will thank us for it

When we give our horses a chance to learn, let them spend some more relaxing time with them, not force them to always work harder and avoid injuring them, I can guarantee your horse will love you more.

What do you say? Comment below if you have another reason that walking is better than galloping!

4 Causes of the “Girthy” Horse – and How to Rectify Them

Have you ever seen a girthy horse?

The one that seems to dislike the saddle the minute you place it on, ears back, non-friendly nose nudges or even nips as you do up the girth? Or perhaps the horse that tosses his head and thrashes around, rearing or even falling?

It’s not fun.

As an owner of one of those horses, we want to make them as comfortable as possible, but we still want to ride them – so how can we overcome the issues?

Your horse could be telling you he is uncomfortable, he is in pain, or it could be behavioural.

The way to overcome a girthy horse is to first know the root cause of the problem.

Here are 4 common reasons horses become girthy, and what you can do.

Poor tack fit

If the saddle or saddle pad are not fitted correctly, the tree of the saddle is twisted, or the girth is regularly pinching the skin, this could result in the unwanted girthy behaviour.

The Fix: ensure all tack is properly fitted. Do some research or even get a professional to reevaluate. You may have to invest in new or additional pads or specialised equipment, such as shoulder relief girths.

Abdominal Pain

Some horses may be living with chronic abdominal pain, such as that caused by ulcers, and the simple action of tacking up can create more discomfort.

The Fix: Identify if there are any other signs of abdominal discomfort, such as loose stools, dry stools, fussy eating, difficulty maintaining weight, or poorly digestion (evidence of grain in the manure). If there is, consult with your veterinarian about appropriate treatment, which can include further investigation, dietary changes or supplements.

Chiropractic Issues

If you horse has poor alignment across the back, shoulders, ribs or pelvis, you may get some negative reactions when tacking up. This could be a combination of currently pain or remembered pain.

The Fix: Chiro review is in order regularly for any horse, but applying training scale correctly can reduce the likelihood of misalignment occurring. Register here to find out  more about our course Foundations of Equine Development Green to Self Carriage.

Behaviour

Horses are often a lot smarter than most people give them credit for. They have a strong memory, so painful or scary moments, such as improperly introducing them to the saddle when they were being broken in, could create lingering issues.

Also, horses have an incredible ability to learn behaviours that give them the release they seek. In the case of a horse that may be girthy, it may have started out as an attempt to get out of work, and once that worked, they repeat.

The Fix: Behaviour issues can be difficult and lengthy to fix, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t possible. And when you understand the basis underlying the correct behaviour training for horses, it becomes a simpler process (although it may not take any less time, it just depends on the issue). A horse that is fearful will often stop breathing (read about these horses here), and you will need to help them overcome that. If you have a horse that has learnt these behaviours because of positive stimulus, training on pressure/release is ideally suited (read more here).

Girthy horses can be annoying, and sometimes dangerous, but we shouldn’t give up.

What if your horse doesn't want you to ride?

Have you ever wondered what your horse is trying to tell you when they are:

• Bucking

• Rearing

• Bolting

• Flinching

• Tail swishing

• Stomping

• Ears pinned

• Swinging their heads at you as the girth gets done up

• Kicking their belly

• Running away when you try to catch them

Are they sore? Do their teeth need doing? Is their tack ill fitting?

All of these questions are very valid and must be ruled out but I’m about to give you the one answer you don’t want to hear.

You’re horse doesn’t want you to ride it.

Oh no!! Shock, horror!! How dare I say that!?! Surely every horse should be filled with gratitude and happiness at the very idea of you riding it!?! No they do not.

 Need support getting started on helping your horse love riding again? Click here for the free mini-training!

Your horse wants 3 things from you:

1.     Stop jabbing it in the belly with your legs and pulling it in the mouth with your hands.

2.     Stop making it work

3.     Get off, feed it, scratch its butt, give it some treats.

This is a very hard realisation to come to as a horse rider because it now puts our beautiful companion - the one that makes our heart sing to be on its back, galloping off into the sunset with the wind blowing in our hair - at the level of slave. They have to do this because we say so.

And this brings up some strong feelings of guilt and shame that our pleasure is at the expense of another animal (well, hopefully that comes up for you). This came up for me when I figured this one out for myself.

After ruling out all the issues my horse possibly could have it came down to the last variable, ME. And it floored me. As a professional instructor and trainer, how could I possibly continue working in this industry with the idea that I was creating slaves for our happiness? This was a tough one, and for a while the main thing that kept me going was that just because I quit wouldn’t mean that industry abuse would stop or that people would stop riding. It would just mean that I had given up doing what I love.

To get the right answer you have to ask the right question.

So the question changed.

If I were to not quit but instead continue riding and advocating riding as a sport and hobby, how could I do this in a way that would get the horse to want to be ridden?

Which left me with 3 principles that has founded the rest of my training.

1.     Create a relationship with your horse SO THAT it enjoys your company

2.     Make the education process and learning fun and engaging SO THAT the horse wants to learn

3.     Make movement feel good SO THAT they want to move and train.

 This is not something magical that happens over night. It means consistently showing up for your horse every day, advocating for the life it deserves, being aware of its wants and needs are and only putting just enough pressure on them that they can grow and flourish.

In the short term this takes time and patience. But its well worth it for the gifts our horses give us.

This is our horses gift to us:

• Don’t worry about the time it will pass anyway (and what better way to spend it than with our horses)

•  Don’t become emotionally engaged in the results, instead use the results to learn from the experience

• Have trust and faith in the process that you and your horse are exactly where you need to be in this moment, and you don’t always get what you want but you do always get what you need.

• Just breath.

With these gifts the horse has given us we get to meet the person inside of us that is happy, at peace and ease with themselves and their lives who knows what it feels like for their heart to sing with glee. You know this person, you’ve met them before, it’s why you are a horse rider, it’s because you know that’s where you can find this person inside you. This person is the best version of yourself and when they come out in the saddle your horses heart also sings and you can make beautiful music together that is a pleasure to watch. Anything else is a bonus.

If you want this experience PLUS the acknowledgement of your peers and judges that you are a good rider we can get you that too. After all the training scale that dressage is based on IS the exercises that your horse needs for moving to feel good.

Need help getting your horse to love riding again? Check out this free mini training, available now!

The secrets behind your dressage scores

Have you ever thought about what the judges are actually marking you on in your Prelim test?

When you are in prelim, the foundation skills needed for prelim are rhythm and tempo, making your horse work in front of you leg, and keeping them into contact.

The judges are looking for the application of the training scale – how well you implementing the training scale at home for your horses’ physical, mental and behavioural development. They want to see that the test flows: one movement should flow easily into the next without resistance, which shows good behavioural training and exposure.

They are also looking for accuracy in the test – the diameters of you movements, the correct shape on the course.

If you can ride an accurate test without any behavioural issues you should get at least 50-60% in your scoring. This shows you have put enough training in at home to be able to navigate the movement in the arena without your horse being silly.

Obviously, this can depend on your horse’s previous exposure and at what level you are competing at – for example, if you are riding at an official day they would expect a higher standard than at an associate day.

The next thing your judges are looking for is your rhythm and tempo. This should be consistent and fluid throughout the test- it shouldn’t be hurried but it should be active.

The next is connection and working frame, particularly the consistency of the frame throughout the test, and that you can ride your horse with bend. When we achieve this, we should be starting to see our marks getting up to 60-65%. It shows that we are implementing our training scale well, that our horse is understands how to work with self carriage, connection, and knows how to carry that through transitions and onto the movements.

We can start pushing those marks up when our horse starts working with thoroughness and swing, and that they are not working on the forehand but they are pulling through the shoulder.

Lastly is impulsion. Once we start working with impulsion, we can see our marks pushing the 70%, or maybe even the 80%, depending on the quality of the horse and the level of competition that you are at.

Keep in mind, your scores can also be influenced by the first horse that competes (as he sets the bar for the rest of the day), and what level you are competing in.

So when you complete your test, receive your results and are seeing comments give us insight into what areas we should be working with.

More forward – know more about how to keep you horse in front of your leg without rush; how to create more forwardness in your rhythm and tempo.

More bend – we need to learn how to ride our horse more around our leg.

More frame – your horses’ development in being able to work with rounded connection and into your hands, having the sensitivity to the bit and the suppleness through the back to be able to maintain the connection.

When you achieve these ‘mores’, you would be at the next level of competition – and once you get there, there will be more ‘more’ to achieve!

And that is why dressage is an ever improving sport.

A Trick to the Reins - the Independent Seat (Part 3)

If you haven't already read our blog the Independent Seat (Part 2), you probably should before you continue reading this.

As we improve our independent seat you will notice that you will need to use your reigns less heavily. In fact, the reigns will maintain light, even sided contact and conversation instead of being the heavy steering wheels and brakes they once were - your seat is now doing most of the "driving".

However you may notice times when the reigns become heavier and your contact needs to shift. A shift in the horse 

Tip #1:

Which ever rein you feel the most weight in is the hind leg the horse has left behind that you need to ride through. If your right rein feels heavier, they have disengaged the right hind and dropped through the pelvis. If you left rein feels heavier they have disengaged the left hind and dropped through the pelvis.

The trick to fix it is as follows:

Your butt cheek (on the same side as the heavy reign) should also squeeze to bring the hind leg through.

So not only do you need to learn how to use your hands and legs independently of each other but also each butt cheek! (As shown in the exercises on the fit ball in “3 weeks to improving your riding”).

Tip #2:

If both reins feel heavy they have disengaged both hind legs and are balancing on their forehand. If they are working behind the vertical they have disengaged both hind legs and are balancing on the forehand.

The trick to fix it is as follows:

Use your seat to cuddle your horse back into contact and into their hindquarters.

We are trying to create even balance of engagement to self carriage to thoroughness/ impulsion to frame. When we have too much rev or too much clutch we don’t have balance.

The Independent Seat (part 2)

Using your seat as a tool for communication

This article is best to read after you have done our course “3 weeks to improving your riding”. In this course we go into depth about the angles and lines we need in our posture that allows for maximum range of movement in both ourselves and our horses and also how to move and follow our horse. It includes 3 weeks of exercises designed by a personal trainer to help you hold this posture easier. This will also only work if your horse is working correctly in self carriage and connection. --Katie

Everything we are trying to do with our horses is to create more engagement, more self carriage, to create a stronger, more elastic top line so that our horse can move more freely, move with more power and agility, to reduce the concussion of the movement on their body and develop their core strength and soundness for a long and healthy riding career. The tighter we are through our thigh and the more we pivot at our knee and our hip in our dressage seat, even if we are trying to lean back to keep our upright, the more we are putting our horse onto the forehand. This is why all the angles and lines we discuss in “3 weeks to improving your riding” is so important. When we break these lines and angles we distribute our weight away from our centre of balance and then try to counter balance ourselves. Our horse then tries to counter balance our imbalance and both ours and our horses posture “shrinks and curls” to try and protect our balance. If we start with our center of gravity and work out, engaging the same balance points as we do on the ground we have the best opportunity of maintaining our posture and guiding our horse to maintain their balance, posture and center of gravity.

Once we understand how to do this and our connection is established we can then start to use our seat to communicate. This is our ultimate goal. The more we can communicate from our seat, the less we interrupt our horses flow and balance with our hands. If we do this exercise describe below without having established connection our horse will “jack up” and potentially also rear. Our horse needs to know how to sit into its haunches and lift through its tummy so that it is shortening its body in a way that lengthens the crest. Which is why we have our foundation exercises of self carriage that ensure our horse can first do all these things and that we also have an adequate feel of how to distribute the horses weight and balance effectively. Once these skills are established this is very easy. If these skills aren’t established your horse will let you know if you try this exercise. Make sure you listen to your horse and get help by someone who understands these principles if you are unsure.

Establishing a half halt with our seat.

Katie demonstrating the correct position in the saddle to improve your independent seat

First have all the prerequisites of self carriage established. Tempo changes, bend and changes of bend, transitions within the pace and pace to pace, shortening and lengthening the frame, rein back over a pole, trot poles and canter poles, introducing leg yield and shoulder fore.

Have the angles and lines of an independent seat as described in “3 weeks to improving your riding”.

At the halt:

• Cuddle your calves

• Squeeze your butt checks together like you are trying to hold a poo in

• Lift through and rotate through your pelvis like your practised on the fit ball in “3 weeks to improving your riding”

• Draw your shoulder blades together and open your chest

• Increase the angle through your elbows, taking your hands towards your hips gently, keeping a straight line elbow hands reins to bit.

The end goal is that the horse squeezes together and their head comes onto the vertical. Release the pressure for this.

To get this right you want to balance the amount of energy you are creating with your legs to the amount of wait you’re are creating with your hands.

Think about driving a manual car if you have the clutch out of gear it doesn’t matter how much you put your foot down on the accelerator the car won’t go. In a horse that understand self carriage and connection the contact is like your clutch you are balance the revs (forwardness from your legs) with the amount of clutch that is engaged (contact). If you don’t engage the clutch (contact) as you rev (legs) the car won’t accelerate with power (your horse will be strong out on the forehand). If you have to much revs (legs) to clutch (contact) your car will accelerate uncontrollable and do a burn out (your horse will take the bolt and spit you out the side). We are trying to find the balance between just enough rein add to say wait without stopping and just enough leg aid to say stay moving powerfully forward without rushing and this creates impulsion. When we go into this level of detail you can see why our foundations need to be so clearly established for both ourselves and our horses.

What we are trying to do here is establish this aid above which is our half halt by tightening and lifting through our seat to squeeze our horse together and lift the forehand.

We are not going to be riding like this all the time it is an add. We cuddle, squeeze, lift and draw our horse up and to us and then relax and allow our horse to move. We are creating a controlled tension which shortens, bounces and re-energises the stride and riding forward out of it.

As we ride forward our horse will going onto the forehead and we also have an opportunity here to create acceptance of the bit. As we relax and allow our hands forehand we are asking the horse to follow our hands forward out of the frame, to poke its nose out. Just before it gets to strung out, we cuddle, squeeze, lift and draw our horse in and up to us and then relax and slowly inch our hands forward encouraging our horse to poke its nose out seeking the contact. Rinse and repeat. This is your new half halt. The more often you ride this aid combination the stronger your horse will get through the chest and the shoulders and the more impulsion you will create.

This ability to shorten and lift into you is also your prerequisite to collection and why the transition from novice to elementary is so hard for some. If you have learnt how to get your horse into a frame by grounding them and putting them more onto the forehand you have to go back to scratch and relearn how to work your horse uphill into the frame if you are to achieve collection. The impulsion is a natural progression of self carriage that becomes collection.

Activating this seat aid is part of the puzzle. Your horse can only come uphill if you do first.

What is an independent seat, and why should you be aiming to achieve one? (Part 1)

The independent seat is a terminology that is thrown around a lot in riding. While the words conjure up a vague image of what it should be, do you truly know what it is, how to get one and how to tell when you have it?

What is an independent seat?

The independent seat happens when a rider can move one part of their body independently of other parts of their body and independently of the horses’ movements, while maintaining balance. The rider is moving with the horse but still maintaining a level of independence so if the horse stumbles or transitions gait the balance is maintained. There is a level of softness to the contact and aids, with no added pressure.

The independent seat is not legs jammed down into the stirrups with your ankles locked and knees firmly in contact, it is legs that are relaxed that naturally sit lightly in the stirrup and hug but don't grip the horse. The independent seat is not a rigid, inflexible posture, it is upright and balance and fluid in movement while at the same time lacking unnecessary movement. The independent seat is not hanging onto the reigns, but instead soft contact with the mouth that alters slightly in response to the horses actions and desired outcomes.

The independent seat is a beautifully communication with your horse that makes it look like you are both working as one. It is what we, as riders, would call an amazing feeling, and I’m sure our horses would agree.

But an independent seat is not a naturally easy achievement. It can take years of practice and correction of bad habits, both on the ground and in the saddle. An independent seat can also be tested, challenged or perfected by riding different horses.

How to achieve an independent seat

As a rider you need to remember first and foremost that you are an athlete. A weight lifter does not go from beginner to 180kg lifts in a short period of time – they use different exercises over a long period of time to condition their body and prepare for the end goal. It is with that in mind you need to consider what your end goal is: if you wish to compete or even just work on your horses’ fitness, you need to be fit as well.

To achieve the highly sought after independent seat you require:

• Balance

• Good Posture

• Core strength

• Coordination

• Positive and action oriented mindset

• The knowledge of how to use your aids to communicate with your horse

As you may see, a large part of your athletic development can occur outside of the paddock, in the comfort of your own home, with refinement of these techniques in the saddle. It is also something we need to consistently work at until it becomes second nature.

Do you need help with your independent seat? Check out our 3 Weeks to Improving Your Riding course, which focuses on the exercises you need to improve balance, core strength, posture and mindset, both on the ground and in the saddle.