What goes up, must come down. For every upward transition you ride with your horse, you will follow it, at some point, with a downward transition. For many riders, these can prove a little more complex to balance. Having to prepare and then guide both yourself and your horse ‘downwards’, while continuing to maintain forwardness, tension, and energy… It can…
There is an energy that we experience when we are out on the trail with our horses. It can feel like an added enthusiasm from both horse and rider. And, maybe, blended with the thought of unlimited possibilities. Whatever the reason for it, as riders we can begin to use this energy to develop our horse’s training and our own…
It’s a big question, and it’s a question that so many riders wonder about. “Can I train my horse, alone?”. For many riders, they will answer this question with another one; “An I a ‘good enough’ rider?”. There are millions of riders all over the world, all with different combinations of skills and talents; being a ‘good’ rider is relative!…
![[Training Scale Series] Part 6 – Collection; Starting Today?](https://stridesforsuccess.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Copy-of-training-scale-i-1_jpg-770x433.jpg)
For many riders, collection can feel like an exotic and luxury destination that they can only dream about visiting. It can feel very much outside the realms of possibility when they consider their riding abilities and their horse’s abilities as well. Now, the flip side of this is that there are also a smaller group of riders who feel entitled…
![[Training Scale Series] Part 5 – Developing True Straightness](https://stridesforsuccess.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Copy-of-training-scale-i-2_jpg-770x433.jpg)
When I was first starting out as a rider, I thought that straightness was a simple and easy concept. I remember the first time someone told me that one of the hardest things to do on a horse was to ride a straight line. I didn’t believe them! However, turns out they might just have been right… This is part…
![[Training Scale Series] Part 4 – Creating True Impulsion](https://stridesforsuccess.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Copy-of-training-scale-i-3_jpg-770x433.jpg)
How do you know if you have actually achieved true impulsion? What makes this ‘real’ impulsion different from simply running around the arena like the energizer bunny with your horse? This post is the fourth in a series I have created about the training scale. I suggest also checking out the previous posts on rhythm, suppleness, and contact. At ‘Step…
