All Blog Posts Tagged 'ruth hogan poulsen' (24)

Questions you should ask BEFORE you get on that horse!

Last month we talked about the

questions that I ask every owner of a new horse coming into my barn.

Young or old, trained or untrained, it's essential to know as much about a new horse as possible.

This month I will talk about the

questions that I would ask BEFORE I (or one

of my staff) would get ON a new…

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Added by Ruth Hogan Poulsen on November 18, 2012 at 3:00pm — No Comments

New information and rules about USDF Freestyle requirements!

Quick tips and facts about the new Freestyle requirements!

1. There is a maximum time limit but NO minimum time. Maximum time limit for all USDF freestyles is 5 minutes. Your time begins when your horse moves off after the entry salute and ends at the final salute. …

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Added by Ruth Hogan Poulsen on June 27, 2011 at 12:31pm — No Comments

How to change a flat tire on your horse trailer!

Yes, it’s true. S**t happens and yes, it happened to us on our trip to Fl. I thought I would share my experience and knowledge about changing a trailer tire so you can be more prepared if it happens to you.

1. Turn on your warning flashers for safety. As soon as you realize that you have blown a tire, start to slow down gradually…

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Added by Ruth Hogan Poulsen on December 10, 2010 at 7:21am — 1 Comment

Team Poulsen exciting news!

VERY EXCITING NEWS FROM TEAM POULSEN!

I have VERY exciting news for you! I have purchased a farm in

Wellington, Florida to be able to continue to give my clients and

horses the best possible training facility and "home away from home"… Continue

Added by Ruth Hogan Poulsen on August 23, 2010 at 2:39pm — 1 Comment

Free dressage diagrams to help you memorize you tests... and more.

Hi everyone... a lot of you have been asking me about how i begin to diagram a pattern or how i start to memorize a test.

I start with blank arena diagrams... I find them useful for a number of things. You can download them from my site. http://www.ruthhoganpoulsen.com/downloads.html

1. Memorizing regulation… Continue

Added by Ruth Hogan Poulsen on May 10, 2010 at 6:00pm — No Comments

Pearls of information from Adult Dressage Horsemanship Camp Week!

GOOD MORNING I posted this on Dressage Mentor

(www.dressagementor.com) this morning , but know some of you guys are not members, and

though you might want to read it! enjoy

I have had coffee and even went shopping for

needed essentials in the house last night. Its the first time since

arriving home that i have had a moment! Having gotten home on Saturday,

then the Everything Equine Event and the directly… Continue

Added by Ruth Hogan Poulsen on May 2, 2010 at 8:30am — No Comments

Dressage And Music Raises Over A MILLION Dollars! International Team Wins First Place For Breast Cancer.

Over the past 8 weeks, I have been working on the music and choreography for

the International Team to help raise money for COTA (Challenge of the Americas) with the proceeds going to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.…

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Added by Ruth Hogan Poulsen on March 22, 2010 at 8:30am — No Comments

Your Seat And Your Saddle

Your Seat And Your Saddle

So many riders find it hard to keep their seat and pelvis in the correct position on their horse. Your own conformation and the conformation of your saddle plays a huge role in allowing your seat to be in the correct position.

Take a look at the conformation of your saddle. Make sure that your saddle allows you to find a neutral pelvic position. Even if your saddle fits your horse, it doesn’t mean it fits you. Just because your… Continue

Added by Ruth Hogan Poulsen on March 4, 2010 at 8:00am — 1 Comment

Masters Dressage Freestyle Night--Drawing Inspiration From Music

The idea of the “perfect riding” music has been in my head since last Saturday night when I was fortunate enough to watch some of the best riders in the world compete in the

Masters Freestyle CDI*****. Eight riders competed, with no two rider’s

music even similar. How amazing and how fascinating. There were composed pieces, there was rock,

there was…

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Added by Ruth Hogan Poulsen on February 21, 2010 at 5:30pm — 1 Comment

The Incredible Shrinking Leg (or How To Avoid Losing Your Stirrups!)

I've been giving a bunch of seat and leg position riding lessons lately, and I've discovered some interesting things about the correlation of the pelvis, lower leg, and losing your stirrups.

Does this ever happen to you?

• Do you lose your stirrups in the sitting trot?

• Does your horse slow down in the sitting trot or when you work without stirrups?

• Does your knee come out over the front of the saddle when you're in the sitting trot or canter?

• Does it…

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Added by Ruth Hogan Poulsen on January 8, 2010 at 4:00pm — No Comments

Did you ever wonder exactly HOW music effects your brain and your body?

Music has well established psychological effects on moods and emotions.

Think about that.

We already know this if even subconsciously. If music did not have a physiological effect on our body and mind, marches would be played at bedtime and not at the half-time of football games. Lullabies would be heard at parades and Gregorian chant would bombard our ears at the grocery store.

Want to know more? Here is the scientific answer to how music affects our physiology and… Continue

Added by Ruth Hogan Poulsen on December 21, 2009 at 5:08pm — 1 Comment

Memorizing tests and FREE DRESSAGE ARENA DIAGRAMS!

Hi everyone... a lot of you have been asking me about how i begin to diagram a pattern or how i start to memorize a test.

I start with these blank arena diagrams... I find them useful for a number of things.

1. Memorizing regulation tests.

2. Learning the exact geometry of the arena.

3. Learning my exact tangent points for movements such as circles and serpentines.

4. Drawing my tests from beginning to end.

5. Drawing each movement according to where the… Continue

Added by Ruth Hogan Poulsen on November 13, 2009 at 8:00am — No Comments

What the judges want to "hear" when they listen to your dressage horse's musical freestyle!

When the judges are listening to your music, what are they listening for?

One of the most frequently asked questions I get is, “How do the judges evaluate my music?”

I’m going to go over the guidelines that are given to the judges so you can be on the same page as they are. In last month’s newsletter, I did an audio clip on what the judges are looking for. But so many of you have asked me to put it in print so here it is.

There are four categories that the… Continue

Added by Ruth Hogan Poulsen on October 30, 2009 at 10:30am — 3 Comments

October News Letter Going Out Tonight!!

Hey everyone... just letting you know that my Oct. News Letter is going out tonight! At midnight!! if you would like to receive this months news letter filled with tips to riding with music, tips from my favorite farrier, audio link about what the judges are looking (listening) for, and more, sign up on my web site...

www.ruthhoganpoulsen.com

I also would love to hear from you on a few topics... so write in and ask you question, or give me you thoughts!! Ruth…

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Added by Ruth Hogan Poulsen on October 1, 2009 at 7:29pm — 2 Comments

Vermont Horse Farm Showcases Dressage and Good Horsemanship.

Horse Farm in Vermont Showcases Dressage Training and Good Horsemanship

www.ruthhoganpoulsen.com

www.easthillfarm.org

Working together

East Hill Farm in Plainfield, Vermont showcases the best dressage training and horsemanship around. Founded in 1976, East Hill Farm is one of the oldest and well regarded equestrian… Continue

Added by Ruth Hogan Poulsen on September 28, 2009 at 5:00pm — No Comments

HOW TO POLISH YOUR BOOTS TO PERFECTION

HOW TO POLISH YOUR BOOTS TO PERFECTION

Ok... I admit I am a little OCD... but its part of my routine when i am getting ready for a show or class... i use the quiet time to go over my test and think about my plan... and boy do my boots shine!! Ruth

1. Start with a clean and DRY boot. (Use a salt remover type product, or water, NEVER EVER a SOAP product. SOAP or oiled products will leave a residue and no matter how hard you try, they will never shine!)

2.… Continue

Added by Ruth Hogan Poulsen on September 13, 2009 at 9:02pm — 1 Comment

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

Can't get your heels down when you ride?

I have been asked a lot recently about why riders have such a hard time keeping their heels down. A heel that is not "down" may not have anything to do with the heel its self, but rather the knee and the calf muscle.

Many times the heel is not down because the calf needs to be stretched. A soft calf allows for the heel to drop below the toe when the foot is resting on the stirrup bar. When the heel is "down" in a rider, it drops just below the stirrup bar. The more important thing,… Continue

Added by Ruth Hogan Poulsen on August 25, 2009 at 6:54pm — 2 Comments

4 more tips for picking out great music for your horse.

I have been getting so may questions about picking out great riding music, i though i would give you a few more pointers!! For more information, sign up for my free newsletter! Its easy, FREE and private!

www.ruthhoganpoulsen.com

1. Choose music that has dynamic changes. Dynamic changes are audible changes within the music (either volume or intensity) where you can make transitions. (for example, the music should FEEL or SOUND like there is a transition to an… Continue

Added by Ruth Hogan Poulsen on August 24, 2009 at 7:07am — No Comments