Strides for Success

Tag: rider skills

  • Rider Skills Necessary to Train or Retrain Your Horse

    Rider Skills Necessary to Train or Retrain Your Horse

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    It’s one of those things that, initially, can sound both amazing and terrifying at the same time.  Training your own horse. And maybe you have been thinking about undertaking this journey yourself, yet feel a little apprehensive about what’s required.  Because let’s face it, it can be a daunting goal to set.  Not only do you have to be ‘able’ to do it.  You also have to commit to following it through…

    In this episode of the Daily Strides Podcast, I will lay out exactly what you need to be able and ready for if you do decide to train or retrain your horse. To decide if you truly have both the rider and trainer skills to make this work for you both.

     1. Basic Independent Aids

    Okay, the most obvious – yet often overlooked!  Now, I am not suggesting that you are the world’s greatest rider… However, for many ‘newbie’ riders, there can be an all-consuming ‘enthusiasm’ when it comes to what they realistically can do!

    I would say a good rule of thumb is that you can ‘hold’ your own posture, position, and balance ‘most’ of the time… And that you can regain any of the above quickly and quietly when you do have a ‘whoops’ moment. 

    Let’s be honest, having independent aids makes it so much easier for you to communicate.  And for your horse to actually understand your communication.  This is a huge part of training.  If you are still moving your hands when you use your legs. Or you’re losing your balance through transitions or around corners, I would say your aids and basics are in need of a little more attention before you begin working on your horse.

     2. Humility, Patience, & Compassion

    We are all going to feel frustrated or irritated along the way when it comes to developing ourselves as riders. This can become amplified when we are also training our horses. And there’s nothing wrong with those feelings if, or maybe when, they show up.  What is important is how we respond to them.

    When you can approach your training ‘challenges’ from a place of compassion and practice patience, it will almost always result in a quicker long-term positive outcome for the situation. 

    Adding a great big dash of humility in there will also keep you open to the fact that you may not be asking or responding in a way your horse understands.  Remember, training is a conversation.  It’s a two-way street.  It will take both of you being on the same page for it to truly resonate and ‘stick’.

     3. Self Awareness

    This is being able to catch yourself in a situation and question what you are doing, how you’re doing it, and why you’re doing it.  As riders who step into the role of full-time trainer, it can be so easy to just focus on the horse.  What the horse needs in their training, and what exercises will help develop the horse.

    It’s important to remember that you too are on a journey.  You are also learning, developing, and growing as a rider. And your horse’s overall development will be very much tied to your own development as a rider…

    Being able to see both perspectives is part of this.  And the ability to ‘pause’ for a moment and simply ‘feel’ or ‘experience’ what you are doing is also something we must learn to do. The more self-awareness you can bring to each situation, the better you will understand and ‘feel into’ your horse’s responses.  And this is what true ‘training’ is built on…

     4. Facilities & Resources

    Now, I know the whole topic is ‘rider skills’… However, I honestly feel that ignoring this part of the equation will negate most, if not all, of the above-mentioned aspects.  Let’s be frank; you NEED somewhere suitable to actually work your horse.  The best riders in the world will become frustrated if they are trying to work their horse in a space that doesn’t facilitate the training.

    A ‘flatish’ space with good footing is essential.  How big the space is can be debated.  Good fitting, comfortable, and safe tack and equipment are also essential.  As is time… 

    I often think that the idea of keeping a horse at home or saving money by boarding at a barn with few facilities can cloud some rider’s judgments.  You need the proper tools to train your horse.  Facilities and resources (time or money) are part of those ‘tools’.  Be realistic and honest with yourself here.

     5. Commitment

    Finally, if you have all of the above in order, you need to make the commitment!  It sounds like the easiest thing in the world.  And yet, it’s the ability to show up when you don’t feel like it that will often determine your results in the long run!

    I would suggest that all riders who are considering ‘training their own horse’ start off with a 3-month or 90-day commitment.  This is long enough to see results, but short enough to change track if necessary. 

    Training alone is not for everyone.  It can be hard to continue to show up consistently, especially when things are not going your way! However, it is also part of the journey. Showing up will not only help you to build trust in yourself and confidence in your skills, but it will also allow your horse to begin doing the same.  And this is a vital part of the skills necessary for training your own horse.

    Happy Riding
    Lorna

    Seeking Founding Riders…

    If you are considering training your horse at home or alone (boarding at a barn, but don’t have a regular coach or trainer), make sure you check out the details of my upcoming brand-new program.

    I’m looking for a limited number of riders to work in-depth with me and my team as we go through this program for the first time.  Get on the waitlist to be the first to find out all of the information… We start in early September. Join the Waitlist HERE (no obligation to join the program, just be the first to know all of the details :) )

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  • Horse Riding Skills You Must Develop to Successfully Train Your Horse

    Horse Riding Skills You Must Develop to Successfully Train Your Horse

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    Many riders have a desire to school and develop their own horse. Yet, a lot of these riders don’t actually know what horse riding skills they need in order to make this a reality.  The fact of the matter is that you are always training your horse. Every single interaction.

    Through your actions, intentional or not, you are always communicating to your horse.  Telling him about what is allowed and what is not.  What is ‘acceptable’ and what needs to change. 

    However, if your horse riding skills are not consistently improving and developing, it stands to reason that this will eventually impact your horse.  Riders are often the cause of the plateau many horses reach in their training. Their own lack of development becomes their horse’s glass ceiling.

    So, in order to maintain the horse riding skills necessary to help your horse develop, you must revisit, upgrade, and develop certain skills regularly. 

     1.  Understanding ‘Why’ – The Nitty Gritty

    For many riders, when they initially learn to canter, they know ‘what’ to do.  Outside leg back makes up a big part of this ‘what’.  However, the vast majority of these riders don’t really know ‘why’.  When they learn why they put their outside leg back to ask for the canter, they also begin to understand the sequence of events.  Which leads to them learning about timing the aids for the canter.  The next obvious step is to begin using the more subtle aids to ask the same question; weight and seat.

    And all of these progressions become possible when the rider is interested in finding out ‘why’ in the first place.  

    Doing things for the sake of doing things won’t help you to improve your riding.  In order to consistently develop the necessary horse riding skills to develop and train your horse, you must go deeper into growing your knowledge first.

     2. Develop Your Actual Horse Riding Skills

    Just like your knowledge of ‘why’ you are doing things needs to grow, so too does the actual horse riding skills to do it! Knowing something conceptually and actually taking action and doing it is different.  Developing your aids is an ongoing, never-ending process.  There is always more that can be done to improve coordination, timing, and the balance of aids.

    It helps to try and ride more advanced horses every now and then.  This is especially true if you are working on training a young or green horse.  The more advanced horses will help to keep your riding skills ‘tuned up’. 

    Many riders experience a deterioration of their overall riding skills when they only ride a young or green horse.  Horses can truly invite you to ride badly! Part of your responsibility when training your horse is to ensure your skills are improving.  Not remaining ‘so-so’ or, even worse, deteriorating.

     3. Create a Feedback Loop

    Reviewing your progress is absolutely essential when you’re working on developing your horse.  This is one of those horse riding skills that many riders fail to see the value in.  And this is such a pity, as this is truly the only way to really begin identifying what is working and what’s not.

    A feedback loop can be something as basic as a riding journal.  Or it can be taking regular videos of your riding and reviewing them. 

    Working alone with your horse can often feel lonely and confusing.  You may find that you’re not quite sure of what to do.  Or what not to do, or stop doing.  It is for this reason that I suggest all riders begin having regular reviews in their riding.  It allows you to see things from a different perspective.

    If you are training your horse alone, you need to begin playing the role of trainer.  Trainers give feedback. 

     4. Be Intentional with Your Riding Plan

    Whenever you begin learning something, there will be a system in place to help you.  Honestly, think back to the last 3 things you learned.  Whether it was gaining a diploma or degree, cooking a meal for the first time, or assembling a piece of furniture…  There was a system created to help you achieve your goal.  Curriculum, recipes, and instructions are all systems.

    It stands to reason that if you are teaching your horse new things, you will also need a system in place in order to get consistent results. 

    Winging it might get you there every now and again.  But I’m going to assume here that you want more than just now and again.  You want to consistently move forward with your horse and his training. Taking time each week to review your goals is important.

    So too is creating a plan for each upcoming interaction that will help him to consistently learn new things and feel confident in doing more while being ridden.

     5. Your Suppleness

    Lack of suppleness in the rider is one of the biggest roadblocks to a horse’s development and training.  Suppleness is both physical and mental.  A rider who physically blocks their horse’s energy from flowing will also hamper any progress in his training.  All of your horse riding skills will require you to regularly upgrade your suppleness.

    Suppleness also is about how you think of both yourself as a rider and of your horse.  Mental suppleness means that you can overcome challenges while remaining calm and focused. It is a skill that must be developed! 

    It is important to regularly notice what you are telling. yourself.  The internal conversation.  Noticing where you are becoming ‘stuck’ in your thinking will allow you to consciously develop your mental suppleness.  This is one of the absolutely essential horse riding skills you will need to successfully train your own horse.

    Successfully Training Your Own Horse

    One of the most rewarding and fulfilling things you can do as a rider develops a horse.  Bring it on.  However, it is also one of the most challenging things to do.  You will question if you are good enough and able more times than you will want to!

    By consistently upgrading, developing, and learning your horse riding skills, it is possible.

     

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