rider development – Horse Listening

5 Best Lessons Learned From My Horse Adventures

When you start riding, or taking riding lessons, you think - oh yeah, I'm going to learn how to ride and do things in the ring with horses. Little do you know that if you carry on enough, you will invariably get to experience things you've never even dreamed of.

I think back to my first riding adventures, and I can easily think of SO MANY experiences that are permanently etched in the horsey recesses of my mind - like galloping up a very inclined hill because that's the only way you'd make it to the top, walking through chest-deep (to the horse) snow, swimming with my horse in a lake (no tack - just hang on to the mane and get your legs out of the horse's way!), and passing my Intermediate Rider exams on my self-trained horse... I bet I can think of almost a hundred amazing adventures.

But let's start with just five.

1. Horses Can Lie Down When Picketed

Once upon a time, I went on a four-day camping ride with my horse. We went deep into crown land, which meant that there were no amenities for horse nor humans! The guide, who was very experienced in overnight trips, brought along a wagon pulled by two big beautiful Belgian draft horses, and he loaded everything on the wagon: the food for four days, the tents, the gas stoves, clothes, horse equipment... it was packed.

As we left, I wondered where the horses were going to be turned out overnight. He looked at me, and simply said, "they'll be picketed."

And so I was introduced to the ageless practice of picketing. He had brought thick ropes that he attached between two sturdy trees, and slid in a large metal ring. Each horse got one rope. When it was time to set up camp, we tied the horses to the ring, which was far above their heads. I watched as my mare discovered that she could walk the whole length of the rope. She could eat from the ground, turn around, look at her friends and watch us as we cooked and ate dinner.

And, to my amazement, she could lie down when it was time to sleep! I don't know why I thought they'd have to stand up overnight, but the lead rope that was tied to the ring was long enough that it allowed them plenty of room to bring their heads right to the ground, without them getting caught up in it!

And so, I learned that we don't need a paddock or electrified turn-out, and the horses could be safe and comfortable on a picket line.

2. You Can Get A Pacing Horse To Trot (And The Pace Is Just Fine To Sit To!)

The same mare, Kayla, was a free-legged Standardbred pacer. Although I'd ridden many horses before I bought her, the pacing had me a little befuddled at first. When you ride the pace, you don't have that forward and up thrust of the trot - instead, it's a side-to-side dip and lift! Over time, I learned to sit the pace just as well as the trot. In fact, it was smooth and FAST!

But the time came when I wanted to ride Kayla in lessons, and she sort of needed to trot (at least once in a while). So I went on a learning journey to see if I could transition from the pace to the trot if I wanted to. I reached out to my Standardbred association and found some books (no Internet back then!). Sure you can, they said. Here's how.

Bend!

Pacing requires the horse's body to be straight. If you bend onto a circle or turn, the rib cage will supple and will require the horse to break the pace. You wouldn't want that if you were racing, but a ridden Standardbred can surely benefit from the trot. And so over time, I was able to ask for the pace as well as the trot, much like you'd do for any gait. It was so much fun switching back and forth!

3. Not All Horses Are Trail-Wise

I did competitive trail with Kayla. Incidentally, her pace was amazing for long distances - fast!

She was truly talented for the trail. She had the most beautiful high-stepping gait. She rarely stumbled and always found good footing somehow. She KNEW that she should follow the path ahead of her, and I rarely had to actually "steer" her because she could see the turns coming and adjust accordingly. She snorted and flung her mane and pretended to spook, but in short time, she knew if she went straight ahead, she could outrun whatever scared her. She was actually safer the faster she went.

And so, as you might expect, when I bought my new horse after her, I was caught off guard when this horse would walk OFF the trail and get her legs caught in dense undergrowth. I learned to hang on tight when she deked away from scary squirrels and trees. I had to rate her speed because she'd run fast downhill and stumble. And I learned to carefully steer her through rocky sections so she wouldn't injure herself.

So now I know that not all horses are born for the trail, and some horses need careful training and riding until they become trail-wise.

4. Sometimes You Should Just Call It A Day - Even If You Just Started

This was an important lesson that another mare (and my instructor) taught me.

It was lesson time, and I had my mare groomed and tacked and ready to go. She seemed uncharacteristically tired in the cross-ties, but it was hot and humid. I thought it was completely legitimate to be a little pokey in those conditions.

We started our warm-up a few minutes before my instructor arrived. The mare was definitely not her go-go self at all. We tried a little trot and it was all I could do to get the transition.

My instructor asked me questions to try to figure out why she wasn't herself. We considered food, sleep, bugs... everything was consistent and no different than other days. Then she realized: was she in heat?

Well, yes, I'd noticed her goopy legs. Yes, she was in heat.

"OK, put her away then." I was a little surprised, because I had booked my instructor for two lessons in a row. This meant that she'd only do one lesson (with my next horse).

No problem - she wasn't going to charge me, and we weren't going to try to ride the mare.

"She is probably in pain or discomfort today. Mares sometimes get just as uncomfortable as we do, you know," she said. "I'm not going to charge you, no worries."

I felt SO RELIEVED that I wasn't going to have to make my horse move when she really couldn't. I was also very appreciative of my instructor's decision. For her, it was all about the horses.

To this day, I will "pay it forward" to the horses (and riders) that I teach. I give the horse the benefit of the doubt, and I take it easy in terms of charging my students. And I always remember to listen to the horse!

5. Practice DOES Make Better - With Instruction

Well, you must know this is why I created Horse Listening and the Practice Sessions.

I'm living proof! Most rider problems can be solved with good, intentional practice. Many horse problems can also be solved that way. You just need an instructor or mentor who is willing to invest their time into you and help identify and redirect mistakes. I've been very lucky to have several great instructors.

Mistakes - we can't get away from them. In fact, if we don't make mistakes, I don't think there would be a whole lot of learning going on. Mistakes help guide us toward a better direction. They help us figure out a plan, and help us amass all the things NOT to do, so we discover the things we need to do.

When a rider finds something difficult, I tell her that she just needs to get started - any reasonable exercise will do. Then we whittle away the "loudest" problem and little by little, things get easier. And then invariably, one day, it becomes easy! At that point, I know that the rider has mastered the skill and it's time to move on to the next difficult thing! 🙂

What amazing horsin' around adventures have you had? I bet we can write an entire book on the subject! Comment below if you'd like.

Ready for something completely different? If you liked what you read here, you might be interested in the Horse Listening Practice Sessions.

This is NOT a program where you watch other people's riding lessons. Start working with your horse from Day 1.

Click here to read more and to join one of the most complete programs on the Internet!

Buy the book for many more riding tips! Horse Listening – The Book: Stepping Forward to Effective Riding

Available as an eBook or paperback.

From the book:

"But there is one other motivation that drives some of us to persevere in the never-ending learning process that is horseback riding: improving the horse. As your own skills develop, you begin to realize that not only can you meet your own needs through riding, but also that you can even become an instrument of benefit for the horse."

And so begins the book that reflects the most important learning I have had in all of my riding years: that I want to be the best rider I can be for the sake of my horses.

This book is geared toward the rider:

- the rider's motivations

- the essential skills for the rider

- some specific strategies

- solutions to common problems

- and the results: the great horsey moments we get to experience

Along the way, you will find chapters that discuss everything from the seat to the leg aids to the reins, discussions on half-halts, imbalance, halts, straightness and more!

Special in this book are the "In The Ring" sections that give specific suggestions based on the preceding chapters. Take these to the barn to try with your own horse!

Click here for more information: https://www.horselistening.combook/

Bend: Top 8 Common Mistakes We ALL Make!

You can't say you've never done these things! Still, we make mistakes and then we learn from them!

As horse riders, one of the first things we learn to do is ride on turns or circles. That's likely because many of us ride in enclosed rings or arenas, but also, we begin to learn about the value of "lateral suppleness", which essentially begins with the horse bending left and right.

Initially, we learn that the horse needs to assume a "banana-like curve" in his body - that's the bend. We learn the aids for bend, and then we proceed to apply them. Sounds so simple!

Along the way, we learn through mistakes all about the NOT bends that can happen, and what we have to do to avoid them! Here are some that I'm familiar with (!), from (what I think of as) the least problematic, to the most.

8. Looking too far into the turn

If you're a hunter/jumper, or a western competition trail rider, or if you ride in any kind of obstacle-based event, then yes, your head should turn long before you need the horse to. That is because you have to gauge distances, arcs, strides and balance - all very important things that need to fall into place between obstacles.

However.

If you are doing "flat work" or dressage, and you're interested in developing bend for the sake of suppleness, then it actually helps to limit how far you turn your head. All you need to do is to look through your horse's ears. That's because if your horse is ON a bend, he will already have his head and neck slightly turned in, equal to the arc of the circle.

That's all the rider has to do as well, because too much turn will actually change the rider's position, weight and balance - right down to the pelvis. If you are on a particular circle, all you need to do is look ahead just enough to see the next quarter of the circle.

7. Bend just the horse's head and neck

It's SO EASY to just pull the horse's head around. All we have to do is pull in the direction of the turn, right?!

Over time, we learn that pulling on the rein causes the horse to lose balance, encourages the horse to drift out and bulge his outside shoulder, and even blocks the inside hind leg stride.

The problem is, we often can't tell that we're doing it. On some horses, it's so easy to get that neck into a pretty arc. Then we get tricked into thinking that we have such a great bend going on, but it turns out that the bend doesn't go through the body.

An observer on the ground is very helpful, so they can tell you the actual amount of bend through the body. They can also see how your horse tracks up as he travels over a circle.

6. Not bending into the turn ourselves

Much like horses, we have our "hollow side" and our "stiff side". We tend to overturn on the side that is easiest for us to turn into. Then we (usually) don't turn at all on our stiff side. Watch carefully and you might notice that most riders stay bent in one direction (most often to the left) and they stay bent that way in the other direction too!

As riders, we need to be ambidextrous - not just in our hands, but in our entire body! Ideally, we would turn into the circles equally well on both sides. This means that we need to turn our body from the seat - when we turn right, our right shoulder goes back as our left shoulder comes forward. Our head and neck look in the direction of the turn, and our hands AND legs follow the seat. When we turn left, we change everything to the left side. Here is a great exercise for you to try off the horse.

5. No half-halts

It's so easy to forget the half-halts when we begin a new bend! We eagerly look where we want to go, and then... well, we GO!

But your horse often gets to scramble to stay with you because he had no idea he was going to turn in that moment. He might have been leaning onto the inside shoulder, or heavy on the forehand, or simply just trucking along with the understanding that he was going to follow that rail... forever!

You can use the half-halt to rebalance the horse if he's off balance, or just to give him a small "heads up" that you want him to turn. Do it a few strides before the turn to give your horse time to understand and adjust.

4. Uneven hands/reins

This is a very common mistake that we all make.

It's easy and very tempting to just pull back on the inside rein to turn, or to get that bend! So when we pull, our inside hand goes further back than the outside hand, and thus begins a vicious cycle of crookedness in our own body.

Some people raise one hand, others take a rein wide to their knee, others take a rein across the horse's withers, some twist the rein... in any case, the hands and reins become uneven. As soon as there's unevenness in the rider, there will be unevenness in the horse. It's very important to keep the hands in front of the pommel and in line with each other.

Turn using your body aids (not your hands only) and the outside rein, and bend using the same aids too.

Now we're coming down to the most common errors.

3. Collapse through the body

It's also easy to collapse on a bend or turn.

If you look at a rider from behind, the rider's back should be equally tall on both sides. If you see that one side is shorter, or there's a bend in their side, we call that "collapsed" to that side. Many of us have a tendency to collapse because that's how we sit in a chair or in the car. It's an easy problem to be unconscious about since it's hard to feel the collapse in your body.

Once way you can tell if you've collapsed is to look at your knee bends. Is one knee bent more than the other? Fix the knee bend by fixing the position of your seat - maybe bump your seat to the left. You will have to straighten through your side to compensate. Everything else will correct itself along with it, including the angle of your knees!

2. Lean into the turns

Most beginner riders tend to lean going into turns. This is because we're so used to leaning into a turn in a car, on a bicycle or motorcycle, that we automatically do the same thing on the horse.

Unfortunately, the horse doesn't respond the same way as our vehicles, and when we lean, the horse will have to drift out or fall in (depending on the horse's stronger and weaker sides). And so we spend quite some time wondering why the horse makes smaller circles in one direction, and larger circles in the other!

But once we know how to stay upright in our body even while we're on a turn, most of the leaning problems dissolve away on their own.

1. Hands only!

And finally, the number 1 mistake we ALL make, especially early in our riding career, is to try to turn the horse by pulling his nose in one direction. Because, if we just pull him around, the rest of his body will follow, right?

Well, after some experience, we realize that no, it doesn't work that way! Horses can surely turn their heads one way and carry on in the opposite direction - much to our initial surprise! Oh, what to do?!

Over time, we learn all about the other aids. We learn how to keep the horse "between the legs and reins" and we realize that we don't need to use our hands as much as we thought! In fact, the less we pull, the better the horse can go.

We can rely less on our hands and more on the other aids.

***

And that rounds up the 8 most common rider errors when it comes to circles and bends.

One of the biggest recommendations I can make for all these errors is to get videos of yourself! It can be quite eye-opening compared to what you feel while you're riding. Of course, there's also no replacement to an educated eye on the ground as well.

If you enjoyed the information in this article, you will find much more in the Horse Listening Practice Sessions.

Finally! The Ultimate Rider-Centered Program!

Ready for something completely different? If you liked what you read here, you might be interested in the Horse Listening Practice Sessions.

This is NOT a program where you watch other people's riding lessons. Start working with your horse from Day 1.

Click here to read more and to join one of the most complete programs on the Internet!

If you’d like a structured, but personal tool to set goals, take a look at the new Goal Setting for the Equestrian: A Personal Workbook. The pages are designed for you to set and keep track of your progress over the course of a year.

Included in the book:

design your overarching goals
long- and short-term planning,
debrief your special events such as clinics or shows
reflect on, plan and evaluate your goals
sample goals and pages

The Workbook is available for instant digital download so you can print the pages right off your computer. There is also the option of a paperback version if you’d rather have a professionally bound book to hold in your hands.

Click here for more information.

How Am I Supposed To Find A New Feel When I Don’t Know What It Feels Like?

I know- that's a long title and totally not recommended for a blog article. But this is a very common and legitimate question. It's also the question I had when I first discovered that "feel" is a thing.

My answer is based only on my experience as a learning rider, and then later, as an instructor trying to teach riders new feels.

I've narrowed it down to three ways that we can learn new feels, whether we're new to riding, or whether we've already developed a wonderful repertoire of feels from years of learning. There's ALWAYS more to learn, and there's ALWAYS more feels.

Let me start by telling you that the way you know a "feel" is good is by listening to your horse. (Honestly, that's where the whole concept of Horse Listening came from for me.) Your horse will tell you. You will know because suddenly, your horse will be smoother, rounder, more energetic, or simply just happier. So while you're questioning what you're doing, or what your instructor is telling you to do... you'll know if you're on the right track because of what your horse tells you in response...

So how can you find a new feel?

1. Keep trying new things on your own, in your own time.

I call these the "freebies", because once in a while we're lucky enough to figure out something new on our own. It does happen.

This is probably what most of us do when we don't or can't have access to an instructor. I bet we've all done it at some point. But in the long run, we realize that it's pretty hard to make any significant changes - simply because we don't know.

When you don't know what you don't know, you end up in this reinventing-the-wheel kind of cycle. You might actually learn new skills that will bring about new good feels, but it will take a long time, many mistakes, and would have probably been learned much quicker and even easier if you had a good instructor.

Now, there is a situation when trying things out on your own is very beneficial, and that's AFTER you've had one or a series of lessons and you want to consolidate your learning. We all need to "practice" and it can often be helpful to make your mistakes on your own, ride more independently, and fine-tune your skills until the next lesson. But you still need the feedback, theory and new challenge over the long term.

2. Learn From An Instructor or Mentor

This is by far the easiest and most time-efficient way to learn anything new.

There are three things that an instructor can do for you:

watch you and let you know what you're actually doing!
give you ideas on new things you can do (teach new skills)
DO IT FOR YOU

I want to talk about the last option a bit.

There is no replacement to finding an instructor, or mentor, who has a schooled horse, or is willing to school YOUR horse, and will let you ride the horse after they have ridden, so that you can feel (at least, to some extent), what something feels like.

Let me give you an example.

When I was learning about flying changes, I needed to learn the aids, the timing, the balance, the body position. If I had tried to do all that with my own horse, we would have gone through many a wreck and discomfort (especially for my horse) through the process. Plus, I bet that I would not have been able to learn the intricacies and details to make me good at changes.

And so, my instructor would let me ride her horse, after she did a few to warm up her horse and get him in the groove, so to speak. And THEN, I'd get on, and basically let him do his thing while I did my best to follow. It was the horse that taught me how to time the aids (well, with lots of tips from my instructor too!). It was the horse that allowed me to find my balance, because he was balanced himself. Wow! You can imagine the many feels from those experiences (it didn't all come at once).

I could never have done that by myself, on my own horse.

And it might have taken years, if at all, to feel all that on a horse that didn't do flying changes to begin with.

Now, if there is no school master, then an instructor could get on your horse, improve something for you, and then let you feel it immediately after. Plus the bonus in this instance is that your horse gets additional training.

3. Lunging Sessions

They're so hard to find in this area of the world! But lunging lessons can teach so much - especially the feels you need to find in your own body.

You might be forever stuck in your canter departures because you repeat the same movements and fall ahead or behind the horse.

If you could find a well-balanced horse, not have to deal with controlling him, and have someone coach you from the ground, you might be able to change your aids significantly over a short period of weeks or months.

What Next?

Finding the feel is just the beginning! It does help a lot to know what it feels like.

But then...

You have to be able to reproduce the conditions that brought about the feel. In this stage, you work on the feel until it becomes easier and more automatic.

And finally,.. you can move on... to a new feel!

If you’d like a structured, but personal tool to set goals, take a look at the Goal Setting for the Equestrian: A Personal Workbook. The pages are designed for you to set and keep track of your progress over the course of a year.

Included in the book:

design your overarching goals
long- and short-term planning,
debrief your special events such as clinics or shows
reflect on, plan and evaluate your goals
sample goals and pages

Click here for more information.

Giveaway Winners!

So 30K came and went so quickly!

Thank you so much to the people who commented with a goal for this year - I can relate to them all! I wish you all the best horsin' around success in this year of 2020!

In my Goal Setting book, I write about the investment we put in as riders - to learn the skills, to keep learning new skills (even after we think we know it all!), and how every time we improve, our horse will also invariably improve.

But there's so much more benefit to this investment. Because everything you learn from your one horse will be carried with you to every new horse you ride:

Everything you learn on one horse can be transferred to other horses. Whatever skills you develop, based on your horse's abilities and needs, will be with you as long as you ride horses. You will be better able to influence other horses thanks to what you learned from your horse.

So it's worth it all! The time, the money, the energy, the frustration and even the plateaus.

This is where something like the Goal Setting book can be so very helpful. If you're like me, you like to keep track of things by writing them down, having something to look back on, and a place to write down your dreams and aspirations for the future. Even if they don't happen they way you dream it, documenting the intention itself will help you maintain focus and determination. Because it's all about knowing what you want to do, and then showing up - day after day after day.

And for us, of course, it's also about our deep love for the horse, the wonderful barn environment and the great outdoors, and the constant connection-building we are gifted with when we get to spend time with our favorite equine.

Here are the winners of a digital copy of Goal Setting For the Equestrian: A Personal Workbook.

The names were randomly drawn - all the comments (entries) you left on the post are included. If you have won, please send me a quick email, with the same email address you used for the comment, at fwdnrnd@gmail.com

Congratulations to...!

Jennifer Mullin: Well, the horse I love to ride isnt mine, not by the long shot – but my Marley man is my favorite, and while I love him to the moon and back, I definitely need to work on my control. I have a weak leg, and he is very much a “follower” – if the horse in front of us goes, he goes, and trying to get him NOT to go can be difficult. I need to work on not using my hands as much, and communicate better with him.

Don’t miss a single issue of Horse Listening! If you like what you are reading, become a subscriber and receive updates when new Horse Listening articles are published! Your email address will not be used on any other distribution list. Subscribe to Horse Listening by Email

Buy the book for many more riding tips! Horse Listening – Book 4: 20-Minute Exercises To Add Variety To Your Riding Routine

Available as an eBook or paperback.

5 Reasons Why A Horse Might Hollow His Back

People often talk about the negative repercussions of a horse that moves with a hollow back. It's fairly easy to see once you know what you're looking for: the swayed-looking back, the dropped underbelly, and sometimes, you can also see an awkwardly neck jutting up and out. Some horses show obvious signs of discomfort but often, horses get used to working in this posture and generally truck along, legs moving but back tight and tense.

So the first thing to do is to understand how it looks and then, why it happens. Because only when we know WHY, will we be able to begin to do something about it.

What makes a horse hollow his back?

1. Conformation

Some horses could have a sway-backed conformation. The only way you'd know it's truly conformation (rather than having been developed through riding) is if you were able to see the horse as a youngster, long before he was ever ridden. Was he born with a longish back? Are there any specific areas of weakness over the back? It is possible.

The good news for these horses is that with proper work, you can actually build enough top line and supporting muscling that will allow the horse to be ridden in health for the length of his ridden career. But it's good to know when there's a conformation factor, because then you can understand and address the root cause.

Other than conformation, there are many rider-influenced reasons that the horse might hollow his back. Let's look at a few ways that our riding can impact the horse's movement.

2. Restricted "Forward"

I would say that lack of impulsion is probably one of the most common reasons for the horse to have to maintain a hollow back. If he moves with little activity and thrust from the hind end, the horse has to support himself with the front end. He also has to initiate movement from the front end, which will result in the front end pulling the hind end along.

When there is little reach of the hind legs underneath the horse's body, there is little he can do to maintain his own balance, never mind the balance of his rider's weight too. And so the hollow back is the result.

3. Effectiveness of the Aids

The aids are the rider's way of helping communicating with the horse and helping him maintain his balance even while doing movements that require him to change balance all the time. However, if the aids aren't timed correctly, are too harsh (so they block or stun the horse), or too vague (so they do nothing), then once again, the horse's balance is not maintained.

Luckily, the horse has four legs and so won't literally fall to the ground (well, not usually, at least). Instead, he might hollow his back and brace.

4. Riding "The Front Of The Horse"

This one is common and takes a lot of time to unlearn if it's a habit. We always do things with our hands and so it's easy to get into the mindset that the horse needs the most help from your hand aids. But too often, what we do with our hands stop the horse, block the energy, interfere with balance, or just plain pull the horse's neck out of alignment with his body!

5. Rider's Seat (and Position and Technique)

Well, it goes without saying that what the rider does on the back makes a whole lot of difference to the horse. So much of dressage training is rooted in the concept of developing a "good" seat, one that allows the horse's back to rise and fall, allows energy "through" the horse's body, and actually encourages the horse to work more from the hind end.

I'm sure there's more reasons why a horse might hollow the back. As I'm not a vet, I haven't even mentioned all the possible physical problems that could contribute to a hollow back. I'm only looking at this from a riding/training perspective. And I know what you're probably thinking: these are fairly broad generalizations that take years for the average rider to improve and overcome. It's true! (*See the links below if you'd like to read articles I've written about how to solve some of these concerns.)

The problem is that there is no magic pill, or "buttons" you can put on a horse, that will give you any short cuts on your way toward resolving the hollow back issue. It really is all about time, effort, $$ for lessons, making mistakes and learning from them. And the horses are saints, because they usually give us the time we need to develop these skills, even to their own detriment.

But when it happens - when you feel that first swinging back, or that first "real" impulsion that helps to send the horse's energy forward (not fast!) - it's just the most amazing feeling!

And then you build on these feelings and go step by step into a direction that not only helps you improve your riding skills, but also helps your horse move freer, more healthily, and even more happily... then, you'll realize how valuable your learning path is! Because the next horse you ride will benefit from your knowledge.

Buy the book for many more riding tips! Horse Listening – Book 4: 20-Minute Exercises To Add Variety To Your Riding Routine

Horse Listening Book 4: 20-Minute Exercises to Add Variety To Your Riding Routine

Stop wandering round and round aimlessly!

Horse Listening Book 4 is a compilation of the best patterns that have been shared on the Horse Listening Blog. The book is divided into five sections: Warm-Ups, Left and Right, Straightness, Suppleness and Collection. Each section has specific exercises and theory based on its topic.

But there's more!

There is a Special Center Section dedicated to only Transitions - something that we can all work on throughout our riding careers. And finally, scattered throughout the book are chapters that clearly explain theory, technique and skills that can help improve the featured exercises of teach Section.

Use these 20-minute exercises!

Available as an eBook or paperback.

Available as an eBook or paperback.

Top 7 Ways To Spot An Effective Rider

Riding effectively can mean many things to many people. The Merriam Webster Dictionary defines the word "effective" to mean: "producing a decided, decisive, or desired effect"

But in riding horses, it's often difficult to know which part is the horse's doing, and which part is the rider's.

Or is it?

As riders, we are occasionally lucky enough to have a more skilled rider (or trainer) get on our horse. Then we can begin to understand the power of effective riding, because suddenly, our own horse develops far advanced skills - in a matter of minutes! That's when we witness for ourselves the effect the rider has on the horse.

For many, this "journey" toward effective riding is what drives them to keep practicing, keep learning, step out of their comfort zones, try new things, listen to new people, and essentially, try to become better riders. I don't think we can ever reach perfection when it comes to developing skills.

One of the key tips I've learned along the way is that you can develop an eye to detect the truly effective rider. And it's not always evident in their riding position (although many people look good AND ride effectively).

In fact, once again, it's the horse you can turn to. Learn to listen to the horse, and you'll know when someone is an effective rider.

You just need to know how to "read" the horse. Here are the top 7 ways you can spot them.

7. The horse is moving freely and energetically.

It's a feat in itself to be able to get the horse moving well, but then also stay out of his way. One way you can spot the effective rider is to notice how easily the horse can move.

Is he restricted in some way? Does he have an inconsistent tempo or unusually heavy footfalls? Is he rushed, or is he uncomfortably slow? Does he seem to know where he's going?

Or is it all the opposite? He steps forward boldly. He shows no sudden changes of balance. He's fairly light on his feet and keeps a consistent tempo no matter what he's doing. It all looks simple.

All that "freedom" is testament to the rider's ability to go with the horse, not interfere, and work with the horse.

6. Both stay in good balance.

The effective rider is a student of balance, both for herself and her horse. The reason? Balance is literally one of the most fundamental aspects of riding, no matter the discipline. Developing balance is a key focus at all times. Maintaining balance makes everything seamless and easier for the horse.

The effective rider can first create good balance in the horse, and at the same time, maintain her own body position in such a way as to enhance the horse's movement. Good balance is an accumulation of many little aids that add up to keeping the horse from falling to the forehand.

And again, it looks like she's doing nothing.

5. Easy transitions.

Another way to know the effective rider is to consider the quality of the transitions.

Are they lurchy or flowing?

Does the horse fall to the forehand, or maintain balance to, through and after the transition?

Does the energy stop through the transitions, or does the horse step through boldly?

Does it look like the horse is prepared for the transition, and knows what he is doing and where he's going?

The rider has influence on all of the above factors, and there's no doubt about it - the horse can only transition as well as the rider can ride!

4. Everything is getting done! (straight lines straight, circles accurate, transitions in place, bold movement).

Accuracy is a bit of a trickster because when everything goes right, it all looks so easy. The educated observer knows that when the ride is flowing and the movements occur where they are supposed to, there is a lot of fantastic riding going on by the rider.

Somehow, she has earned the teamwork of her partner, and the result is evident in their impeccable communication.

3. Rider looks like she's doing nothing.

When there's effective riding going on, there is little to be seen. Quiet riding is a key clue to knowing just how effective the rider is, especially when there are little disruptions, and lots getting done. If you see the horse moving boldly in balance, you know that the rider is up there doing some amazing things. And the more boring it appears, the better!

2. The rider improves the horse as she rides.

There is nothing more amazing than watching a horse transform into a majestic equine just minutes after the effective rider gets on.

Tension? Gone.

On the forehand? Not after the rider re-balances the horse.

Rushing, short jagged steps? All smooth and longer after a few minutes.

1. The horse looks happy.

When it all comes down to it, there is no other way than to describe it: the horse simply looks happy! He is confident in his movement. If he was tense to start, he is relaxed and calm at the end. There is a distinct absence of pinned ears, tension in movement and expression, and a calm, flowing side-to-side tail as he walks.

Now, it must be said that it takes years and years to become this sort of effective rider. And we all progress at our own rate, and go through learning stages and plateaus as we develop.

But after you've learned the fundamental skills, you can begin your "effectiveness" journey fairly early in your riding career. You might not become effective in all areas, but you will begin to find that you can influence the horse in the above ways in some areas.

It just takes practice!

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When Feel Becomes More Important Than Technique In Horse Riding

The beauty about horse riding is that feel can become more important than technique. The opportunity is there.

But before we can go on autopilot, we do have some homework to do. Once the rider has finally developed correct muscle memory, she can slowly let the body take over, and allow the mind to take a step back. The micro-movements of the rider's muscles have to be so automatic that there is no thinking involved. Simple as that.

It might not be so simple while you are in the learning stages. You have to think to use your inside leg at the same moment as the inside rein. You have to think that the horse needs impulsion - now! You have to think about the fact that you have to center your seat in the saddle rather than tilt through the turn.

And thinking takes time. In fact, it almost takes too much time because by the time you've thought, then you've done -- the horse is already long gone into the next movement and you have to play catch up. But there really is no other way at first.

How can a rider go from technique-based riding to feel-based riding? Here are 6 steps.

Practice

At first, technique reigns supreme. You really do have to put in the repetition and time, in order to be able to develop the muscle memory in the first place.

If you've already developed muscle memory, but it's hindering the horse... then you have to not only learn better muscle memory, but undo the old ones in the process. This takes even more time than learning things correctly in the first place. But many of us find ourselves in this group and really, there's nothing to do but get on with the correct practice.

Make The Mistakes

Invariably, we have to make mistakes. And each time we ride a new horse, we will learn new things and make new mistakes because of the opportunities that horse brings. But there is no getting away from mistakes, and instead of thinking of them as mistakes, think of them as learning stages. Because it's as important to know what NOT to do as it is to know what to do.

Correct The Mistakes

Then there's the whole learning what TO do after making the mistakes! The good thing about this stage is that as you learn, you'll begin to discover "good" feels! You might feel what a nice trot really feels like when the horse is finally ready for sitting trot. Or you might have that first "aha!" moment when you realize that you can open your seat into the direction of the turn - and the horse turns so easily!

These will fuel your motivation and keep you trying even harder because then you'll know that you're on the right track. Your horse will be happier with you (and happier with being ridden in general), and the movement will feel out of this world, especially at the beginning!

Get Faster

Over time, your body will develop quicker responses and it won't take as much effort on your part to direct and then stay with the horse. What used to seem almost impossible now becomes the norm and you will start to set your sights on new and even more complicated figures or movements.

Think Less

You'll know you've "arrived" when you realize that you're not having to think your body parts into motion anymore. They just do what they need to do on their own, and you can let your mind just be. You'll have an easier time thinking ahead to the next movement, planning what's coming up, and you'll start to be able to look around and enjoy the atmosphere even while you and your horse are dancing along.

Let the Body Take Over

And then one day, you'll be able to feel the whole thing at once. Let's say you want to get a bend. You won't have to think about the inside leg, outside rein, etc. You'll just feel that bend into place. Then you'll feel the change of bend to the new bend.

What once was pieces is now a whole movement. Your movement is fluid, easy, and in time with the horse. And this is when people talk about being "at one" with your horse.

This is when riding becomes art. It's when feel becomes more important than technique.

I'm not sure if you can create "art" out of every ride. But I think you can approach art often, once you've found it.

And one more thing: I don't think you have to ride at the top levels to ride with feel.

In fact, I know I've seen many beautiful, artistic rides with horses and riders at even the most basic levels. It's just that they were so well prepared at that level, that they were working in the "feel" phase of their movements, and not in just the "technique" phase. Perhaps they were still working hard on acquiring good technique at higher levels. But they were able to ride in that "feel" zone at the level they'd already mastered.

Buy the book for many more riding tips! Horse Listening – The Book: Stepping Forward to Effective Riding

From the book:

"There are many reasons why we enjoy riding horses. Maybe one of the most appealing facets of riding is the sense of freedom: freedom from our own limitations, freedom from gravity, freedom to (literally) roam the Earth. Time stands still while we have the privilege of feeling movement from the back of our four-legged friend.

Riding gives us the place to just be.

Of course, there are other purposes too. Some of us revel in the challenge of learning the skills required to becoming a good team member of this unlikely duo. Riding is like no other sport or recreational pursuit simply because of the equine partner that must not only carry us, but also do so effortlessly and gracefully. As we develop our specific skill sets, we also grow as human beings in character, emotional maturity and mental acuity.

But there is one other motivation that drives some of us to persevere in the never-ending learning process that is horseback riding: improving the horse. As your own skills develop, you begin to realize that not only can you meet your own needs through riding, but also that you can even become an instrument of benefit for the horse."

And so begins the book that reflects the most important learning I have had in all of my riding years: that I want to be the best rider I can be for the sake of my horses.

This book is geared toward the rider:

- the rider's motivations

- the essential skills for the rider

- some specific strategies

- solutions to common problems

- and the results: the great horsey moments we get to experience

Along the way, you will find chapters that discuss everything from the seat to the leg aids to the reins, discussions on half-halts, imbalance, halts, straightness and more!

Special in this book are the "In The Ring" sections that give specific suggestions based on the preceding chapters. Take these to the barn to try with your own horse!

Available as an eBook or paperback.

Horses. Riding. Life.

Tag: rider development

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