riding forward – Horse Listening

5 Quick Tips To Get Out Of That Riding S.L.U.M.P.

What can you do when you eventually fall into that riding slump (we've all been there) when you feel like you've hit a plateau?

You know the one. When every ride feels alike. You end up doing the same things with your horse. You see little progress being made.

Rest assured that this happens regularly to all of us. In fact, it's part of the learning process. There are the times when you seem to improve each ride and then there are the times when nothing changes - or maybe you even regress!

Fear not, dear rider. When you find yourself in this situation, remember the acronym, S.L.U.M.P. Follow these wise tips and see if you can nudge your way out of the plateau a little sooner than later.

S: Simplicity

Clarity is the key to communicating with your horse from the saddle. There's nothing more difficult for the horse than to try to decipher half-messages. Look for ways to simplify your messages to the horse.

Don't be wishy-washy; instead, be sure, convinced that you know what you're asking for. If you wanted a trot from the canter and your horse kept on cantering, try again. Did you miss something in your aids the first time you asked? Did you kick and pull at the same time? Think your aids through and clarify.

Avoid being harsh under all circumstances. It's not about just getting louder and fiercer with your aids. Settle down mentally and see what you can do to change things without causing your horse to become tense or stiff or worried. As the leader of your two-being group, you owe it to your horse to maintain calmness and clarity.

L: Learn

Look to yourself to trouble-shoot any problems. Learn more. Ride more - maybe your body needs repetition to strengthen and coordinate the aids. Be humble and go back to the drawing board if needed. Take lessons, watch videos, ride at clinics. Improve your horse by improving yourself. Each horse will teach you different things, and the key is to be willing to put in the work to take on new challenges.

U: Urge

As in, urge your horse to move. Just go forward. Forward can be the solution to almost every riding issue, whether in walk, trot, canter, laterals or back-ups. Always think forward. Get your horse to step to the bit, engage in the hind end, round over the back and respond to the bit. Then... (you guessed it)... go forward again! Live in forward.

M: Maintain

Then remember to maintain your horse's tempo. Avoid letting the horse's legs just go faster faster faster. After you've infused the horse with activity and energy, control it. Half-halts are the key at this point, not clutch-and-grab the horse's face and hold on for dear life!

Maintain an even tempo using your seat, while posting when you're posting trot or from well-timed half-halts. Breathe! Then let your horse breathe as well. Keep the horse straight to maintain balance and regulate the leg speed.

P: Prepare

When things don't work out, just regroup and give it another go. Although your horse should eventually respond instantly and in balance and strength, maybe it's ok to give him a few strides to prepare for the transition or movement. For now, maybe you can take some time, establish the preconditions for the next movement and then do it when your horse is ready.

Or change the topic, do something you and your horse are good at, then go back to the hard part. Accept a less-than-perfect performance from your horse but make sure you're at your best as much as possible. Put extra effort into being prepared for your ride - mentally and physically. Your horse will improve as you develop.

Whenever you find yourself stuck, remember to S.L.U.M.P your way out of your slump! And as always, once you give something a try, be sure to listen to your horse. He will always tell you when you're on the right track!

Try This to Feel “Forward”

The concept of "forward" in horseback riding is a difficult one to explain, to feel and to be able to reproduce consistently. Before you know what it is, it might appear as though it's some "heebeejeebie" concept that is reserved for people far beyond the regular set. After you can produce it, however, you won't want to go without it, and you'll wonder how you ever rode without "forward" as one of the most basic skills needed to elicit the best movement from whichever horse you ride.

But it is a long road to true forward. Not only do you have to teach and then encourage your horse to move in a forward manner, but you also have to learn to feel and do it within your own body. Just because your horse is able to move doesn't mean that you can. Riders often get left behind when their horse moves honestly, mainly because the extra surge of energy is somewhat unexpected. So the horse moves, you lurch, and he stops all over again because he felt your lack of balance. A strong(ish) core helps correct this problem!

So if you've never felt "forward" before, how on earth are you supposed to learn it? You need a friend to help you with this one. Do it before you ride your horse so you can have a good sense of what you want ahead of time.

You pretend to be the rider and have your friend pretend to be the horse. You both should stand facing the same direction with you behind your friend. Put your hands on your friend's shoulders.

1. Not Forward ("Backward")

First thing to recognize is what "not forward" feels like. As the rider, you go ahead and push your horse (friend) into a walk. The idea is that you push her along, and she moves straight ahead.

To feel "not forward", have your friend push back just a little on you. Her feet still move straight and forward, but there is this slight leaning back she is doing on your arms.

"Not forward" should feel a little quicksand-ish. You're getting somewhere but it's work. The horse feels like she wants to quit every stride. The progression through space is stilted, not necessarily rhythmical and just not free.

When you ride, you might mistake "not forward" for smoothness. In reality, the "not forward" horse is moving flat. He isn't committing his energy honestly through his whole body. He might be blocking in the hind legs, through the back, at the withers, or through the neck (or more than one region at the same time). But the energy is somehow not flowing, not forward, or "backward". (No, the horse isn't actually moving backward. And yes, the back up can be "forward" and also "not forward"! Confused yet??)

2. Forward

OK now start all over again. The set up is the same. This time, your horse (friend) is going to be "forward". When you start to push her, she goes under her own volition. You go along, still with your hands on her shoulders, but both of you move together, lightly and in balance.

What a huge difference! There is no resistance. There is no chance that she'll stop if you release a bit. You don't have to force her nor do you have to tighten through your body and joints. Notice that you get to (have to?) step along sharply to stay with her. You become more able to control your own balance and position.

On the horse, the best way I can think of describing it is that you will feel a free flow of energy. This is when your aids can be light and specific. An onlooker might notice a strong hind end and freely flowing shoulders. Since there is no pushing/pulling on your part, you can both be in better balance. The extra energy that the horse is able to offer helps him in using his hind end better and rounding over the topline more consistently. Your contact likely becomes softer and you can aid through your seat more effectively. You might feel more motion through the horse's gaits - more of a trampoline-y feeling in the back.

3. Running Away

There is one other possibility. Go back and set up with your friend again.

This time, when you go to push her along, she runs away from you. When she acts as the "running" horse, you lose her in no time. The next thing you know, she's far ahead of you and you've lost all your connection with her.

This happens when the horse misinterprets your "forward" aids to mean "faster legs". Of course, it's not that you physically lose the horse (at least most times)! You'll likely stay on and just speed up with him. The key to being "forward" is to create and then contain the energy, not let it run out from under you. Thus, we have to learn all about half-halts in our quest to contain the energy we've created.

When riding, you have to learn to distinguish between the legs moving faster versus an increase in energy. Energy does not mean speed. Say it again - energy does not mean speed! If you think your horse just sped up, you need to be there quickly and promptly to half-halt or even do a full downward transition.

Now that you've read this, you can probably imagine what "forward" feels like. But go out to the barn (or even at home) and try it with someone else. There is no replacement to actually feeling something physically, and blueprinting it into your body. Do each one several times so you have a good idea. Then try to transfer the concept to horseback. Of course it's not exactly the same. But it's a place to start.

Did you try this? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

The One Answer to Most Horse Riding Problems

There are a lot of problems that can occur when riding a horse. Although they all end up looking like different issues, if you think about it carefully, you might notice that there is one common denominator. Click on the image to see a mind map of behaviors that can be improved using one back-to-basics technique, in any discipline and riding style.

Please note: ALWAYS check with your vet and other professionals first to clear out any health or tack-related concerns.

Riding_Problems (1) — Click on image to enlarge

All of these riding problems have many possible solutions and if one technique doesn't work, it is your job as the rider to find out how to approach it from a different direction. However, there is one solution that will improve if not completely resolve the issue - whether it be straightness, slowness, speed, or any of the other problems listed above.

Forward

Not the running faster kind, but the kind that allows the horse to move into strong balance. While you need to encourage the horse to move on, first from your legs and seat, you also should help the horse develop his balance through half-halts so that you don't inadvertently just push him too fast and down on his forehand.

With a combination of energy activation with your seat and legs, and well-timed half-halts, you can encourage (or allow, if your aids have been too tight) the horse to better stride underneath himself and use his own strength to balance.

A truly forward horse doesn't rush. Rather, it feels like he has all the time in the world for his legs to come through for each stride. For the observer, it appears that the horse is in animated movement but it is supremely balanced and in control of his energy.

Just by virtue of moving with energy and impulsion, he straightens out. His legs stride straight ahead. His shoulders and back swing in rhythm with his animated steps. He stops drifting because he uses both sides of his body effectively. By moving "forward", you can dramatically reduce or eliminate his balking, stopping and running backward.

The Result

He has no need to buck, rear or kick out simply because he is confidently moving ahead. The tension in his body dissipates and his ears soften. Because your aids continually give him space to move into, his jaw and poll soften and he begins to respond with increased trust in your aids. He becomes less distracted by objects or other horses and has little to be concerned about other than feeling good in his body and moving.

Suddenly, you discover that your "behind the leg" horse is maintaining his own activity and you have to learn to give him the freedom to move rather than constantly nag with your aids.

Getting There

One of the first things we teach a young horse is how to go forward. But it doesn't stop there. Developing true "forward" (not just forward as in moving ahead) is a lifelong, developmental process that we have to come back to time and again, every time we explore new movements or skills.

Moving truly forward is something you have to work on during your whole ride. It isn't a button you can just press on your horse! Not only do you have to carefully promote it in your horse, but you also have to learn to do it yourself, all the time!

Initially, it seems like an awful lot of work. You might have to become more aware of what you are doing than you have ever been. The tasks of keeping the horse going and then going with him, yourself, are challenging enough to begin with.

As time passes, you become more used to the forward feeling and so does the horse. You both will have an easier time maintaining it especially in the movements that you have mastered. But beware! Every time you learn something new, you need to develop the forward inclination all over again.

Now I'm not saying that forward is the answer to all riding problems. There is so much more to it than the few words I can write here, or anything you might be able to see on a video. But moving in a forward manner is one of the most fundamental aspects of riding.

Developing a true forward feel can only be done with a good instructor who can teach you, give you feedback and then teach you even more after you gain some mastery! But if you give it a try, you might be pleased to see the results - in any riding discipline and style. And most importantly, your horse will thank you.

How do you interpret "forward"? Please comment below.

Stop printing off the articles! Your favorite training articles are compiled in this beautifully bound paperback book. Have everything at your fingertips - this book can be taken to the barn as a quick refresher or leisurely read at home.

From Horse Listening Book 2: Forward And Round To Training Success:

"Regardless of discipline, what would be the most significant effect a rider would want to have on her horse?

We all want our horses to improve in their athletic

development, skill acquisition and connectedness. Much of our rider development and training efforts go into working toward our show or personal goals....

But the best riders aspire to do one essential thing each and every day, regardless of goals and lesson plans: they work hard to improve their horse’s way of going.

Because proper balance and weight carriage is essential to a horse’s longevity. Each and every minute of each and every ride has the potential to contribute to your horse’s health and well-being.

Or not."

Just as with all the Horse Listening Collection Books, this book is focused on helping the rider improve for the sake of the horse. But this book goes deeper into the best training articles from the blog - horse-centered theory, strategies and ideas you can try with your own horse.

The book begins with the horse's hind end (!), considers the horse's back, moves on to rider development, and fills it all in with the fundamentals of horse riding so your horse can be:

happier in his body

happier in his "work"

better balanced all-around

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Horses. Riding. Life.

Tag: riding forward

5 Quick Tips To Get Out Of That Riding S.L.U.M.P.

Finally! The Ultimate Rider-Centered Program!

Try This to Feel “Forward”

Finally! The Ultimate Rider-Centered Program!

New! Horse Listening – Book 2: Forward and Round to Training Success

The One Answer to Most Horse Riding Problems

Finally! The Ultimate Rider-Centered Program!

Stop printing off the articles! Your favorite training articles are compiled in this beautifully bound paperback book. Have everything at your fingertips - this book can be taken to the barn as a quick refresher or leisurely read at home.