All Blog Posts Tagged 'horse training' (432)

BEST OF WILLIAM MICKLEM – 3 – Racing towards a ‘fifth leg’ (Part One)

A fifth-leg supremo, William Fox-Pitt.

If you want to jump safely, the fundamental aim in training should be to develop your horse’s ability to look after himself. If your horse looks at what he is jumping, makes automatic alterations, and has quick reactions when getting too close or far away from a fence, or when slipping or tripping, he can be said to have a ‘fifth leg’. All horses should have a fifth-leg training programme as part of…

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Added by William Micklem on December 11, 2009 at 4:00am — 1 Comment

Questions and answers about riding to music and freestyles!

Here is a question I get all the time about the riding your freestyle at home vs. riding your freestyle at a show. I thought you might all enjoy it! Ruth

Question:

I have ridden my freestyle a number of times in competition. I have ridden it time and time again perfectly at home and know my music very well.

This is my question. I ride my test perfectly at home but when I get to a venue... I am ALWAYS ahead of the music!!! It's not a big problem because I know… Continue

Added by Ruth Hogan Poulsen on December 9, 2009 at 6:47pm — No Comments

Bomb Proof Your Horse Before The Show:Tackle the Monsters before they Tackle You.

Bomb Proof Your Horse Before The Show

Tackle the Monsters before they Tackle You

With over 35 years show experience I’ve come to know exactly what is going to upset a horse new to competition.

If the horse eating monsters are handled on the front end, you will have a huge advantage while competing, and definitely have a much,much better over all show experience and confidence builder for both you and your partner.

Just because your horse appears to have a… Continue

Added by Colette Sossaman on December 8, 2009 at 9:59am — No Comments

training to neck rein

i have a very weird question when you are training to neck rein you use direct and indirect reins....my question is how do you put the indirect rein on the horse bridle?? anyand all ansers are greatly needed thanks becca

Added by becca on December 4, 2009 at 11:04pm — No Comments

BEST OF WILLIAM MICKLEM - 2 - A good idea has to give way to a better idea.

One of my training cornerstones is the philosophy that a good idea has to give way to a better idea. It makes every sense, it encourages continuous study and effort to improve, and it helps avoid polarisation between different ‘schools’ of thought. I never think you can't do something because it hasn't been done before. I believe it is vital we keep an open mind and search for better ideas, especially when better might mean more humane as well as more efficient.…

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Added by William Micklem on December 4, 2009 at 4:00am — 2 Comments

Gain Your Horse's Respect and Become the "Leader"

I need advice for my daughter and her horse. My daughter is 10 years old and very interested in riding, however she lacks confidence in riding. Her horse has come to figure this out. Cheyenne is a very sweet and gentle horse and a tad bit on the lazy side. I would like to find out information or suggestions on how to teach my daughter to win her horse's respect and have him respond to her commands. When she asks him to walk he refuses. He cocks his back leg and stands there no matter…

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Added by Julie Goodnight on November 27, 2009 at 8:30am — 1 Comment

What Does the Dressage Term "Long and Low" Mean?

Lots of riders seem to be confused by the dressage term "long and low". Some riders even think long and low is different from the stretchy circle in the dressage tests.

Long and low is the SAME as what's being asked for stretchy circles. The stretchy circles were added to the dressage tests to check that the horse's connection was correct and that the rider wasn't fudging things by fiddling with the reins.

To get correct long and low, your horse must be connected…

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Added by Jane Savoie on November 27, 2009 at 8:30am — 1 Comment

Thomas Ritter: On the Bit 1.0

On the Bit 1.0

©Thomas Ritter 2009

I want to explore the notion of riding the horse “on the bit” in the next few entries. It is something that most riders struggle with for a long time. It is something that is considered to be of central importance in dressage. Yet, it is not as well defined as one should think. Opinions on what being on the bit is or looks like diverge. A posture that is considered to be on the bit by rider A may be considered to be above the bit by rider B.… Continue

Added by Thomas Ritter on November 27, 2009 at 8:30am — 1 Comment

Rearing, Bucking or Lazy Horses Need to be Taught to "Think Forward"

Rearing, bucking, nappiness as well as needing "a lot of leg" are all symptoms of your horse not going forward. Many people think that forward only means going forward over the ground. That's the physical expression of forward. That is, going forward is a direction in the same way that going sideways is a direction.

But having your horse "think forward" is even more important if you want a horse that's safe and not exhausting to ride. There are 2 aspects to this concept of…

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Added by Jane Savoie on November 20, 2009 at 10:00am — 3 Comments

The Warm Up: Where the Test Is Won Or Lost

The warm up is the most crucial part of any competition. It's where the test is won or lost.

Too much warm up and your horse may be dull and less reactive to your aids.

Too little warm up and your horse may be more "exuberant" than you anticipate.

In this weeks installment I've listed exactly what you need to do in order to take the mistery out of the warm up.You never know how your horse will react to new settings until you expose him to them.

Don't wait until… Continue

Added by Colette Sossaman on November 10, 2009 at 8:00am — 2 Comments

My Dressage Horse is Stiff to the Right

You can help your stiff dressage horse bend better by gently doing the opposite of what he wants to do with his body.

Few horses are ambidextrous—meaning they can bend as easily to the right as to the left. So your goal is to make your dressage horse's soft side more "stiff" and his stiff side more "soft" and bendable.

How Do I Make the Stiff Side "Softer"?

Dressage riders tend to think that the stiff side is the "bad" side because it feels harder for…

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Added by Jane Savoie on November 6, 2009 at 10:00am — 6 Comments

Thomas Ritter: Accepting the Bit

©Thomas Ritter 2009

The term “accepting the bit” is frequently encountered these days. It usually refers to a quiet mouth and steady head and neck carriage. The Old Masters didn’t really mention the “acceptance of the bit” very often – probably because these qualities have very little to do with the bit or the horse’s attitude towards the bit. Instead, they have everything to do with suppleness, balance, and straightness. The rein contact in general is a reflection of the posture of… Continue

Added by Thomas Ritter on November 3, 2009 at 12:11pm — 19 Comments

Tips to Improve Your Horse Training Sessions and Seat Position

Hello Julie,

I was wondering about the appropriate length of time that a training session with your horse should last. I realize that a lot of that depends on the difficulty of what you are teaching your horse and where your horse is in his learning life. But if I was having a regular, nothing-dramatically-new, riding or lunging session with my horse should I expect him to stick with me for 30 minutes, 60 minutes or what? I want my horses to enjoy our sessions together so I don’t…

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Added by Julie Goodnight on October 30, 2009 at 10:30am — No Comments

I would like to know more about martingales, particularly the German Martingale

Question: What is a German martingale and how does it work on a horse? My horse tosses her head all the time and my friend told me to use one. Are they expensive? How much will one cost? What are other types of martingales and how do they compare?

Answer from April Reeves, Horseman's U.com: Wow, lots of questions here! The German martingale is a specialized piece of training equipment for experienced riders. It differs from other martingales as it allows lateral… Continue

Added by April Reeves on October 20, 2009 at 10:30pm — 4 Comments

Basic Groundwork and Saddle work for the Herd Bound Horse

By April Reeves, Horseman's U.com: I get this question all the time so I thought I would address it here. Herd bound horses can become dangerous if the problem is not nipped in the bud right away. However, it’s one of those problems that many people are unable to deal with as it takes a certain level of skill.

This article is for those who are baffled and need a solution that they can accomplish. It is the longest one I have written to date, and covers some very extensive… Continue

Added by April Reeves on October 20, 2009 at 10:30pm — No Comments

Ride Your Horse Proactively with "The Valium Exercise" To Reduce Shying

Horses shy from tension so there's lots you can do to ride proactively to help them relax. I call one of my favorite exercises "The Valium Exercise" because it's so effective at relaxing a tense horse.

Let's say your horse likes to shy at a particular corner of the ring. Start the Valium exercise well before you get to the corner.

Here are the aids for the "Valium exercise".

THE ACTIVE AIDS

1. The Inside Rein:

• The action of the inside…

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Added by Jane Savoie on October 16, 2009 at 12:00pm — No Comments

Does your horse come above the bit when you make a canter transition?

Does your horse come above the bit, toss his head or climb with his head and neck into every canter transition? If your answer is yes, you should ask yourself the following questions.

Picking up the canter on the bit is a big issue for a lot of riders. In this article, I'll give you some questions you should try to answer. You MAY find the ROOT of the problem!

There is a reason that your horse displays this behavior. Don’t look at the symptom. Get to the root of the problem. The… Continue

Added by Ruth Hogan Poulsen on August 31, 2009 at 1:59pm — 2 Comments

Trouble in you canter transitions- Part 2- questions about physical issues.

Yesterday I posted a blog about rider and training issues concerning your horses canter departs. Today i will be addressing a second list of questions you should ask your self and your veterinarian to help rule out physical issues that could be preventing your horse from cantering comfortably. Many times the bad behavior of your horse is directly related to pain and discomfort.

This second list should prompt you to ask about physical and external issues. An examination or two from your… Continue

Added by Ruth Hogan Poulsen on August 31, 2009 at 8:00am — No Comments

HARNESSING HORSEPOWER? - Don't "put the cart before the horse".

As we all know, the old expression “don’t put the cart before the horse” is a metaphor about making sure that we have our priorities straight. Having said that, what is literal is how tragic it can get when someone arbitrarily assumes that it would be fun to drive their horse in a cart or buggy and that the horse will just agree do his or her job and be okay with pulling the contraption down the road.

Unfortunately, what all too often happens when even the best riding horses are… Continue

Added by Chris Irwin on August 29, 2009 at 5:00pm — 5 Comments

How To Make Your Lazy Horse More Energetic

Are you sick and tired of doing all the work while your lazy horse plods along without energy? Remember that a horse can feel a fly on his side, so logically there’s no reason for him to be dull to your legs.

Here are the steps to put the lazy horse in front of your legs:

1. Give a light leg aid

2. No response, half-hearted response, or delayed response

3. Correct him by sending him forward

4. RETEST

5. 100% response (99.9% isn't good…

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Added by Jane Savoie on August 28, 2009 at 8:30pm — No Comments