There are certain things riders hear about and mentally check out – assuming they are for ‘other riders’. Self-carriage is one of them. I think from years of misinformation, many riders think it sounds too technical, or ‘dressagey’. Just too fancy or advanced – and because of this, perhaps a little intimidating! But self-carriage is not just for dressage riders.…
What is it about the idea of a fresh start that is so appealing? You know, a clean slate, a blank canvas. A ‘do-over’! As riders, we often make the crucial mistake of approaching all of our work with our horse, or improving our riding this way. And this can be a mistake because we are not asking one important…
As riders, we can often have a very negative association with tension. Yet, without it, neither you nor your horse would remain upright! Take away the tension and both of you will go limp and become a ‘dead weight’ immediately. So, instead of seeing tension as the enemy – it’s key to begin reshaping your understanding and your ‘practice’ of…
When it comes to horses, riding, and training rhythm is often misunderstood and taken for granted. I think this is because horses are generally good at creating a pattern, but also, we tend to simply accept the first version of rhythm that’s served up to us! And while that version will certainly be a pattern, it’s the quality we need…
Contact is something so many riders want to achieve when working with their horses. However, it’s always worthwhile remembering that your horse was not born knowing how to be ridden. This means that contact is something both of you must learn about and then refine through your work together. For many horses, the challenge is made even more difficult when…
This article was originally published on stridesforsuccess.com in January 2022 by Lorna Leeson How many hours do you devote to training your horse each week? Have you ever considered that you might just be the ‘team member’ that needs more work…? That you might just be the ‘cap’ on your horse’s progress in his training and his development? Regardless of…
