Have you ever ridden in an open space, a large open space? A space with no boundaries, or fences, or hedges, or any natural ‘this is the end of this space’ obstacles. It takes a lot more focus to ride accurate shapes and straight lines. We tend to ‘wander’… So many of us forget how beneficial an artificial aid the…
It can feel bumpy, right? A little more space than what you’re used to feeling. And, if there are two or more poles, well, it can all get a little unbalanced! For you and your horse. I preach all the time about the benefits of groundpoles when used correctly. And, one of those benefits comes from riders learning what to…
You know that feeling when you try something new and you get it right. Maybe your trainer or instructor is with you. Or maybe you just prepared. But, for whatever reason, you got it right. You feel like a better rider. Good feeling, hey? Until the next time you try… Maybe on your own. A couple of days later. Aaaannnnndddd…
Timing… It’s an important element of great conversations. You can give all the correct responses, but if the timing is off – they are not as meaningful. And this affects the connection and flow. Horse riding is the same. After all, horse riding is just a word we use to describe the conversation between the rider and the horse. As…
Landing on the correct diagonal can be hit and miss for many riders. Let’s face it, there’s a chance you’ll get it right 50% of the time! And while most riders are pretty well versed on their diagonals in the trot… It’s ‘feeling’ the diagonal that causes confusion. Trotting has a two-time beat. The 1,2,1,2,1,2,1,2,1,2 that you experience and feel…
It can often sound like a jackhammer… Rrrrrrrrrrrrrr. Instead of the 1,2,3…1,2,3…1,2,3… that the canter should produce when you listen for the rhythm. And once either a horse or a rider has become ‘used’ to a different way, it can be a real challenge to get things back on track. Or on beat, as the case is when the rhythm…
