Horse Listening

Straight Line to Turn Off the Rail

The tear drop requires you to go up the rail, then turn off the rail. Let's take a moment to analyze just that movement.

First off, you are going down the rail. When you're on the rail, make sure your on the rail. This means that your horse is moving in a straight line, parallel to the rail, with good energy and tempo (not too fast, not too slow but with plenty of energy). Take a look at your horse's body position as you go down the rail. Is he pointing diagonally outward with his shoulders? Does he move in a slight angle pointed out to the rail? Note also your own body alignment. If your shoulders are pointing out to the rail, then you're horse's shoulders are also right there with you!

If so, then be sure to do a shoulder-fore to regain straightness in the horse's body. By bringing your horse's shoulders in toward the center of the ring - even if it's just literally a foot inward - you will help your horse straighten through the spine and travel in a true line. The shoulder-fore will also help set up your departure from the rail into the half circle of the tear drop with a mild bend and flexion.

Prepare to come off the rail with a half-halt. Then leave the track.

Know where you want the horse's feet to go ahead of time. Plan about a quarter circle ahead, and take him there. Now that you're off the track, you need to keep your horse more "between your legs and hands" because there is no rail to help keep him up!

The turn can be simplified if you move your body as a whole. Try to keep as calm and quiet as you can in your body. Don't think too much about your individual hand and leg aids. Do it all together, at once, and it should all fall into place fairly organically. You can always adjust one aid if necessary as you go along.

A common error here is to actually pull on the reins to start the turn. "Steering" with your hands often causes the horse to fall off balance, scramble into the turn even while you're still cranking his head and neck around.

In contrast, keep your hands in front of the saddle and allow the horse to turn more off your seat and leg aids. Your hands should do very little in terms of turning, and only come into play if you need a half-halt if the energy forward is too strong, or a half-halt on one rein if the horse is falling in to the middle or drifting out too far to the outside. Otherwise, keep your hands (and elbows) quiet and soft and staying in front of the saddle just above the withers.

Ride the turn with your own body. Don't lean in any direction but your shoulders can be facing the direction of travel exactly with your horse's shoulders. Avoid getting left behind in the movement or falling ahead of the movement.

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If you like this article, read more here:

What Do Leg Aids Mean?

#1 Rider Problem: Confusing Aids

Why You Don’t Want to Pull on the Inside Rein, and What To Do Instead

In Praise of the (Horse Riding) Hand

What’s The Difference Between The Inside Rein and The Outside Rein?

Suppling Fun! An Exercise

Suppleness is one of those more difficult concepts to explain. Because it relates to "feel", it's one of those things in horse riding that takes a long time to learn to identify and then produce regularly.

To recap, suppleness happens in two ways in the horse's body - longitudinally and laterally.

Longitudinal suppleness refers to how loose and round the horse is over his back. It also relates to how "through" his energy is. If he holds his muscles in tight tension, or he blocks forward energy as you ask for more from your legs, he is likely not "through" and soft over the back.

Lateral suppleness refers to the side-to-side dexterity of the horse. It is involved in achieving good balance around turns, and in the horse's ability to bend. I've written a detailed explanation of how to develop suppleness here.

Both types of suppleness are also involved in the establishment of "connection": that ever elusive goal of becoming "one", or riding in harmony, with the horse. No matter what discipline you ride, softness over the back and left and right are basic, fundamental qualities of good (and healthy) movement.

It All Comes Down To You

Here's the thing. Even when I'm explaining what the horse is (or isn't) doing, it's not really about the horse. It's really all about you. The rider has to learn how to achieve the suppleness that is required and desired. Developing suppleness comes from the seat, the legs, the hands, the torso (= core strength) and quick coordination of all those aids. In fact, one could say that the rider needs to be supple enough to develop the horse's suppleness!

Exercise

Here is today's exercise. I like this one because it can help set you up to "find" suppleness just by virtue of riding through the pattern. You have to be sharp on this one - change your aids quickly to help the horse change the bend, go forward to an upward transition and then back to a downward transition.

Do this exercise after you and your horse have had a good chance to warm up. This can be the "lesson" part of your ride, and be sure to listen carefully to your horse in order to not overwork him too long.

It's a fun exercise because it keeps you hopping, and it really feels nice and flowing once you get a hang of it. The energy is forward but you can't let it go all out "the front end" because then you won't be able to navigate the lateral suppleness that is required to complete the pattern. There are several changes of direction and transitions involved. Click on each image to enlarge. I've divided the pattern into three parts just for ease of explanation. They all run consecutively.

Part 1

1. Start on the rail to the left at trot.

2. Come off the rail before the end of the next corner and proceed to do a teardrop to the left. Make the turn fairly large (approx. 15 meters) so your horse has plenty of energy coming out of the turn and into the straight diagonal line. Prepare for change of bend for the corner that is coming up.

Part 2

3. Bend right, turn right through the corner. You can slightly shorten your horse's strides just before the bend to help him control the forward energy coming off the diagonal line.

4. At C: transition to a canter circle, right lead. Make this a smaller circle if your horse is more advanced, otherwise keep it larger and work on maintaining good energy through the whole circle. Transition back to trot before reaching C again.

Part 3

5. Navigate the next corner, preparing for the upcoming loop.

6. Do a loop coming out of the corner. Notice the diagram shows a fairly narrow loop, meaning that you don't have to go all the way to X at the middle. Gauge the depth of the loop based on your horse's riding level.

Start with a right bend, straighten for 2-3 strides over the middle of the loop, bend left to go back to the rail, and bend right again just before heading into the next corner. The loop can be tricky because it requires a bend to a bend to a bend! This is the end of the pattern because now you will be on the right rein, heading into the next corner.

Keep Going!

Now you can start all over in the new direction. Your canter circle will be on A this time. The teardrop and the loop will end up being on the same side of the ring, regardless of the direction you're going in.

This exercise is designed to give you opportunity to focus on your aids - over and over again! As you get better at the pattern, see if you can sort of "dance" through the direction and gait changes. The idea is to subtly navigate the direction and gait changes while staying on the pattern. Keep up your horse's energy level but don't let him go too fast.

You're looking for keeping good balance as you negotiate each part of the pattern. You may find your horse softening over the back, left to right, and becoming bouncier. If he offers to slow his legs slightly but stay strong and forward in his gait, you know you're definitely on the right track! Make sure you do the same.

Let us know if you try this and how it goes for you and your horse in the comments below.

If you like this sort of pattern work, join my Horse Listening Practice Sessions.

The Practice Sessions is a complete program beginning with exercises like the one above, designed to improve specific aspects of the horse and rider. All set up and ready to go, all you have to do is watch the video, print off the pattern PDF and head to the barn!

But there's so much more! There's quality of movement exercises, theory "Mini-Classes" on specific aids and figures, a private Group page with daily tips, and so much more! Click here to learn more.

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From the first book in the Horse Listening Collection: Horse Listening, 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 in digital or paperback.

Love The Laterals – An Explanation

Once you've got a pretty good handle on "forward", some suppleness over the back and strong, pure gaits with good rhythm, it's time to move on to the side-to-sides of horseback riding. The reason? Well, you need sideways almost as much as you need back to front.

Here are brief explanations (there could be a lot more detail!) of what each movement means and requires the horse to do.

Leg Yield

This is the most basic of the lateral movements, although it is not necessarily easy to develop at first. The horse moves away from your leg with a straight body while his legs cross over in a diagonal movement. The leg yield should take the entire length of the ring so the horse doesn't need to move too quickly. There should be more forward movement than sideways.

The leg yield is done off a straight line. You can start the leg yield at the quarter line, with the horse moving parallel to the rail to help you gauge straightness as you ask him to move diagonally away from your leg. The idea is to keep your horse straight while he moves sideways, front and hind legs crossing over in each stride until he gets to the rail. The horse's head may be straight or slightly flexed to the outside in this movement.

If you have a young or inexperienced horse, you might need to take plenty of time developing this movement before the rest on this list. So just get started but be patient enough to wait for your horse to fully understand what you mean by a leg aid that asks for sideways movement.

Half-Pass

This is a more advanced version of a yield to a leg. The major difference is that the horse is bent in the direction of the movement (not straight). The flexion is in the direction of the movement and the body has a bend to the inside. The front end may lead slightly, to keep straightness. Both front and hind legs cross over until the rail is reached.

This movement is called the "half" pass because there is still considerable forward movement while there is also sideways movement.

Full Pass (Side Pass)

The full-pass is rarely used in modern dressage but it does make a strong appearance in the western disciplines (called side pass) and can be invaluable in the training of the horse. In dressage, it is called the "full" pass because the horse moves completely sideways in this movement. There is (next to) no forward stepping. Rather, the legs reach to the side, both front and hind legs cross over in a steady rhythm, and the horse moves directly sideways.

The full pass can help you "find" your horse's hind legs and encourage the inside hind in particular to lift and step sideways - this is something that is difficult to isolate in other movements.

Shoulder Fore

The shoulder fore is a lateral movement that is generally taught on the rail. It is designed to help you straighten your horse even while he is moving straight ahead. Of course, you can shoulder fore anywhere in the ring, especially when you feel that your horse is moving his shoulder too far to the outside - whether you are on a straight line or a turn.

The shoulder fore is called a "four track" movement. This is because the horse's legs create four tracks as he moves forward down the rail. Each leg has its own line of movement because the horse is on a mild bend (to the inside of the ring) which keeps his shoulders just to the inside of the hips.

Shoulder In

The shoulder in is a "steeper" shoulder-fore, in that it has a deeper angle and more bend in the horse's body. This movement is different from the shoulder-fore because it is a three-track movement.

Because of the increased bend, the horse's legs travel on three lines, with the inside front being most to the inside, the outside front and inside hind on one line, and the outside hind on its own line furthest to the outside.

Travers (Haunches In)

This is a four track movement with the haunches coming to the inside. The front end of the horse should stay parallel to the rail while the hind end steps in enough that there are four tracks showing. The trick here is to avoid letting the horse bring the hind end in while stepping out with the front end, thereby making it a leg yield (with a straight body) with the head and neck pointing to the outside. The horse should be bent to the inside of the ring, with even more bend than the shoulder in.

Renvers (Haunches Out)

The opposite of travers, the renvers teaches the horse to step to the outside with the hind end, while keeping the front end parallel to the rail. You must leave enough room for the hind end to swing out toward the rail in this movement. Once again, there is a bend in the direction of the movement (toward the outside in this case) so the horse cannot be straight in the body or travelling diagonally along the rail.

The lateral movements are at times really difficult to get a good handle on, but at other times - when everything seems to fall together - the best feeling you can get! "Listen" to your horse carefully before and after the lateral movements and see if you can feel the difference. The whole purpose of lateral work is to improve the basic gaits, so feel for better engagement, swing, and bounce to your horse's gait after each exercise. You know you're on the right track when you can feel your horse loosen up and become more supple overall.

Do you have any preferred lateral movements? Which ones are you working on at the moment? Post in the comments below.

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

If you enjoyed the above article, you'll find many related chapters about horses and riding. Your favorite Horse Listening training articles are compiled in this beautifully bound paperback (or digital) book.

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

Instantly order online. Click here to learn more.

38 Moments To Half-Halt

What does it feel like to get on your young horse's back for the first time?

Excitement.

Anticipation.

Nervousness!

If you've owned him since he was a foal, you might have waited two, three or four years before the breathtaking moment!

From that very first ride, to the subsequent weeks of awkward walk, to trot and finally canter - and then for the rest of the horse's life - there is really one thing that needs to be managed at all times while under saddle.

You guessed it: the horse's balance.

Which of course also includes your balance. In fact, everything we do on top of that horse will affect his balance, so we have to be equally obsessed with our own balance even while we help him maintain his.

Balance is a major issue for many reasons:

Physical: Lack of balance can cause all sorts of harm to the horse in the long term. Think of leg and tendon injuries, stumbling, back pain and so much more.
Mental: Sensitive horses especially react to lack of balance. Note the horse's expression when he is on the forehand or tight and tense through the back. Of course, there are more subtle signs like teeth grinding or pinned ears.
Rider Discomfort: Finally, the rider should be able to actually feel the imbalance, whether through uncomfortable movement, jarring through the gaits or general all-over body tension which creates the "cardboard back" that is difficult to sit to.

So how can you maintain balance, you ask?

The half-halt.

We've discussed the half-halt in detail in previous articles. This time, though, we're going to look at when we need to apply the half-halt. If we are interested in preserving balance while we ride the horse, it all comes down to the timing.

Time the half-halt correctly during the horse's movement. In general, you want to time your aids while the inside hind leg is up off the ground (so the leg is free to move).

Also, time the half-halt so it occurs between the various movements. Many people say you should ride "half-halt to half-halt" - as in, the half-halts begin and end each and every movement (= changes of balance). If you think this must mean that you are constantly using half-halts, you're right!

When exactly should you balance (rebalance/catch the energy/give a "heads up")? Here are 38 moments in a ride that you could use the half-halt.

Before the walk to halt
After the halt to walk
Before/after the trot to walk
Before/after the canter to trot
Before/after the trot to canter
Before/after the walk to trot
Before a corner in the ring
After a corner in the ring
Before a turn
After a turn
Before a circle begins
Halfway through the circle
Before the circle ends
A few strides after the circle
Before the "sit down" in trot/canter
After the "sit down" in trot/canter
Before a change of direction
After a change of direction
Before going into a straight line
Halfway through the straight line
After the straight line, in preparation for the next movement
Before going downhill
While going downhill
Before positioning into the shoulder-in/haunches in
During the shoulder-in/haunches-in
After the shoulder-in/haunches-in
Before the leg yield/half-pass
During the leg yield/half-pass (especially to help the hind end catch up with the front end)
After the leg yield/half-pass
Before a spook
During a spook
Any time to refocus attention
Before an increase in engagement
After an increase in engagement
Any time to regain balance
Before any new movement
Before slowing down the tempo (regardless of gait)
Before speeding up the tempo (regardless of gait)

I considered leaving out the "before" and "after" qualifiers but then I decided I wanted to make it very specific. We tend take the half-halt for granted and use it sometimes while forget about it at other times. In this case, I wanted to highlight the frequency that it needs to be used - basically, before and after everything!

Which brings us back to the first ride on the young horse. Even while he is finding his feet and learning about gaits, gait changes and what our aids mean, it is our responsibility to help him maintain the best balance possible during each phase of his education. Introduce the half-halt fairly early in his riding career and keep using it through all of his riding life!

Do you have more to add to the list? Comment below.

If you’d like a structured, but personal tool to set goals, take a look our 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.

Walking the WALK in Horseback Riding

walk horse riding — Photo Credit: NBanaszak Photography

There's the walk, and then there's the WALK. Let me explain.

If you've ever ridden with endurance riders, you'll know what a walk really is. That's because they do it - a LOT!

I learned all about the walk when I had the good fortune of spending a week with some of the top competitive trail riders in our area (many years ago now), when I was a newbie distance rider. You'd think that the horses and riders that do 50-100 miles in a day would spend their practice rides galloping across the fields for hours on end, working harder at home so they were better prepared for competition day.

As I was about to learn from the riders that took me under their wings, nothing could be further from the truth. It was quite the opposite. While there were times during each ride that they'd go for extended trot and canter sessions, they would spend hours on end simply walking their horses to ultimate condition.

You can imagine my disappointment to discover that my first extended conditioning ride was going to be spent mostly at the walk. You'd probably think (as I did): walking can't possibly make that sort of athletic impact for a horse (or rider).

I think it took only that first ride for me to have a much deeper appreciation for WALKING (not just walking). As it turned out, we weren't going to go on a dilly-dallying, sauntering, swinging to the left and right kind of meandering thing. It was quite the opposite.

Lucky for me, my mare, Kayla, already had a supremely active natural walk. All I had to do was let her go, and learn to ride the gait she offered. We worked at keeping up with the others ahead of us, truly "warming" up as time passed. You know, you can break into a substantial sweat this way.

The riders taught me that the walk is physically low impact, but can play a large part in conditioning the horse - something that was key to success in long distance trail. They called it "LSD" - long, slow distance.

I learned the WALK kind of walk on the trails, but never really transferred the concept to ring riding until I began my dressage lessons years later. As I was literally re-learning all about each gait (and specifically, impulsion), I began to connect the dots when it came to walk.

In dressage, we want the walk to be active and engaged. We want the hind legs striding underneath the body. We want a "swinging" back that feels more like a trampoline and less like a rigid board. We want the horse's shoulders flowing freely and reaching straight ahead.

(Just like we did it on the trail.)

This working walk is the foundation for the other gaits, and serves once again as a low-impact way to reach the horse's hind legs, the back, the poll - in fact, the whole top line that should release tension.

The clincher is that we are not on the trail when we're in the ring. The horse might not be as inspired to reach and engage while walking from one end of the arena to the other. This is when it becomes our job as the rider to teach the horse to move with better freedom and regularity, to march like there's somewhere to go.

In the beginning

At first, all you want is the enthusiastic forward-moving response of the horse. You might leave the reins long while you encourage a stronger, deeper stride from the hind end using your leg and seat aids. Any forward response is good and should get a quick "yes" response from you.

Your job, after you've initiated (allowed) the increased energy and movement, is to ride it. But be sure that you move with the horse, and resist swinging heavily on his back. Swing through your lower back but hold yourself through the core to keep your upper body as quiet as possible.

Development

Eventually, especially if you ride dressage or other disciplines that require a more collected movement, you will need to shorten the reins enough to keep the horse round and less strung out.

If you want to add a little challenge, try this awesome walk warm up exercise.

The trick at this point is to try to keep the walk as active and engaged as above. It takes a fair amount of skill and strength from the horse to maintain a free-flowing walk with a rounder body outline. But it feels amazing when the horse is "on the aids" and still moving freely through the body. Your horse will like it too.

If you do ask for this WALK consistently, it will get easier for both you and your horse. Your horse will expect to move with purpose.

If you have a sluggish or tight-moving horse, and you have access to trails, you can develop the walk in the great outdoors. Later, you can transfer it back to the riding ring.

Wishing you a happy, healthy, warming-the-body kind of WALK!

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

From the first book in the Horse Listening Collection: Horse Listening, The Book

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.

Wrong Canter Lead? 5 Ways To Fix It!

Do you have trouble getting the "correct" lead when striking off into canter? You might be new to riding, or your horse might be young or uneducated. In either case, it helps a lot if you know different ways to encourage the horse to strike off in the correct lead.

It's About Balance

Lead problems stem from one main cause. If the horse is unbalanced, he will have more trouble picking up his lead regardless of how athletic he may be. Lack of balance can happen in many ways. The horse might be heavy on the forehand, and instead of changing gait to canter, he only runs faster and faster into a bigger and more scrambled trot.

He may bulge one shoulder or the other rather than step underneath with the hind legs. This will result in sideways movement (either into the middle of the ring, or out toward the rail) when you ask for the canter. He'll likely stay in the trot because of the misalignment of his body.

He may resist moving forward when you apply your aids. You might get tail swishing, a hop from the hind end, or a slowing down in the trot as he braces with his front legs. This may be caused by a true discomfort (tack?) or physical problem, so do get it checked out if it happens often. Otherwise, it might just be confusion.

Regardless of why your horse is struggling, the key here is for you to maintain or resume balance even while you are working on getting the canter lead. The first fix is to try coming back to a controlled, rhythmical trot before you try again.

However, in some cases, slowing down to re-balance may not be enough. You might need to exaggerate your aids to help the horse realize how to take a lead in the first place. The following five suggestions should give you a starting point. We'll start from basic preparation to more advanced.

Outside flexion, outside leg

This is the most elementary way to get an inside lead, mainly because you're going to set the horse up to essentially fall into position for the lead. Use this for the young horse just beginning to canter, or for a horse that is very crooked to the inside (maybe he swings his hip to the inside during the up transition).

Use your outside rein to ask for outside flexion (you should see the corner of the horse's eye toward the rail). Use the outside leg as you normally would, swinging back in a windshield wiper motion just in the moment of the down stride.

Have a soft inside rein so you don't inadvertently pull the horse's head to the inside at this moment. You can always bring the horse's flexion back to the inside after you get the lead.

Inside flexion, inside leg to outside leg

This is a little more balanced and therefore a little more difficult. This time, ask for the horse to look to the inside of the ring (inside flexion). Use your inside leg to stabilize the horse while still in the trot. Then ask for the canter with your outside leg.

Your inside leg helps the horse maintain better balance just before the strike off.

On a turn

It's usually easier for a horse to take the correct lead if he can step into a turn or circle in the same direction. So if you want the right lead, ask for the lead while turning right. See if this helps.

On a straight line

It is usually more difficult to get the correct lead while moving straight, but it might help some horses keep their balance while transitioning. In this case, you will support the horse so that he doesn't lean or fall one direction or the other, and only ask once you feel he is moving straight comfortably. He should be familiar enough with leads at this point so that he can respond to your outside leg aid.

From the walk

This is most difficult for some horses, but it can be helpful to not be running off in the trot in the first place.

In this case, get a good walk, and ask for the canter transition straight out of the walk. If your horse trots a few steps before the canter, just ride it and let him. The difference with this trot is that it is fairly controlled because it's coming out of the walk. Just starting from the walk might be all the help he needs.

***

Regardless of the strategy you use, be sure that you are still riding on your inside seat bone through the transition. If you have fallen to the outside, you will invariably be encouraging the horse to step under you - which means he will pick up his outside lead.

Stay consistent in your expectation to keep a controlled, rhythmical trot before each transition. If the trot gets faster, just break to a walk, regroup, and re-establish the balanced trot. A scrambling trot will never end up in a good canter.

Initially, accept any attempts at the canter. Avoid pulling back on the bit or losing your own balance through the transition, as this will further disrupt the horse's balance. Just sit well, ride whatever you get, and encourage, encourage and encourage.

Finally, remember that these are all "corrections". In other words, you won't be using these strategies forever to get your lead. Once your horse becomes more aware of his canter leads and accurately responds, you will go back to quiet aids to encourage a balanced, straight, calm transition.

What do you do to get your horse's lead? Let us know if you have a different strategy, or if you tried one of the above.

Use this hands-on guide to create your own personalized, structured and organized horse riding goals. Track your progress for a complete 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.

Crystal Clear About Canter Leads and a Quick Fix

Are you crystal clear on your canter leads? Do you know which one is which and when you need to change leads?

It happens to everyone at some point in their riding journey, horse and human alike.

The whole idea of staying on the "correct" lead is important in riding development. The main reason we worry about leads is to maintain balance, especially on turns and circles. If the horse is on the "incorrect" lead going around a turn, he has to work extra hard to bring his canter stride through each step of the way.

Some horses break to a trot because they simply can't maintain the gait while on the outside lead.

Some horses have an easier time and just keep going, getting more strung out and unbalanced, but somehow sticking with the canter gait despite the imbalance. If your horse is one of these, you might have a harder time figuring out if he's in the correct lead or not.

What Is A Canter Lead?

Simply put, the horse will always "lead" with one hip and shoulder ahead of the other while in canter. So if he is on the "right" lead, his right hip and shoulder will be ahead of the left. We often teach beginner riders to look down at the shoulders to identify which shoulder is leading. Over time, you can learn to feel without looking at all.

Of course, the lead is caused not by the front legs, but by the hind legs. If you break down the canter stride, the outside hind leg is the first strike off leg. So, the left hind leg starts off the sequence of footfalls that allow the right hind leg and the right shoulder to lead. This is why we use our outside leg as the initiator of the canter gait.

Which Lead Is The "Correct" Lead?

If you are going right, the right lead is the "correct" lead. If you're going left, the left lead is "correct".

But here's the thing. I've used quotations on "correct" and "incorrect" because really, those are just definitions of sorts. We define the left lead as "incorrect" when the horse is going right. But it's "correct" when the horse is going left. So it's easy to see that the horse may choose either lead, depending on his balance mostly, unless he is well versed in responding to your aids.

Also, as you both progress, you might one day purposely ask for the "incorrect" lead to get a counter canter. The counter canter is a great exercise in suppleness which helps develop hind end strength and flexibility. It also is a way to demonstrate that both the horse and rider can in fact pick up whichever lead in whichever direction - showing that the horse's balance is good enough to allow for either lead at any time.

So really, the "correct" lead might change meaning over time. But for the purposes of this article, we'll stick with "correct" meaning the same lead as the direction of movement.

What If Things Go Wrong?

As previously mentioned, "incorrect" leads happen all the time, especially during the developing stages of the horse or rider. The gait might be asked for at the wrong moment in time by the rider, and the educated horse will just follow by taking the opposite lead. In this case, the rider has to learn the correct timing of the aid to get the desired canter lead.

Alternately, the horse might be in the learning phases and might not know to respond promptly even if the rider's timing and aids are correct. In this case, he might not recognize the rider's outside leg as asking for the strikeoff, trot through the aid and strike off with the inside hind leg, again causing the counter canter.

Fix The Lead

There is a golden rule to stick to when things get discombobulated.

Secret: Slow down that trot!

Chances are, after you got the wrong lead, your horse eventually broke into an unbalanced trot (or you asked him to go back to the trot). In either case, this trot will likely be fast, on the forehand, and difficult to ride.

Your job at that moment is to be the creator of balance. Keep asking the horse to slow down in that trot. Wait for him to "come back under you" - so that he isn't running out while you just try to hang on. There is no point in asking the horse to try to canter on even while he's barely keeping balance in the trot.

So wait for him. Take your time. Teach him that there's no panic even after that uncomfortable canter thing just happened. It's all good!

Wait.

But here's the clincher. As soon as he's balanced, calm and ready - go! Be sure your aids are crystal clear - exaggerate the "windshield wiper" action of your outside leg.

If he only speeds up again in the trot, bring him back to that nice, slower tempo. Under all circumstances, don't kick him faster faster and "hope" he canters off. (There is one exception: while training the young horse, you should accept whatever he offers at the very beginning.)

Some horses can in fact canter out of an awkward trot, but invariably, that canter will be similarly hard to maintain. Always balance the trot before asking for the canter again.

Still Taking The Incorrect Lead?

There are several other ways to work on getting the correct lead. We'll look at those ideas in the next article.

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Buy the book for many more riding tips! Horse Listening Book 2 - Forward And Round To Training Success

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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.

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Why Boring Is Beautiful In Horseback Riding

why boring is beautiful horseback riding — Photo Credit: J. Boesveld

They say horseback riding, especially "flat work" is boring. It's like watching paint dry.

It's true that there is little excitement to be seen when the horse moves in a steady tempo, glides through the gait changes, and seems to be doing everything on his own volition. It's pretty dull to watch the rider that appears to be doing absolutely nothing other than staying on top of the horse.

Bucks and rears? None.

Harsh riding? Nope.

Now I'm not talking about the kind of boring that you might see if someone just sits on the horse and does nary a thing at all. That can, in fact, be quite boring.

This kind of boring requires movement. You go places. The horse floats and glides. The rider is so quiet that we forget that she's there. The transitions happen, the figures come one after the other in perfect succession. While there is definite communication happening, it's subtle and refined.

This is the kind of boring that excites the educated observer. In fact, it is within all the calmness that one can see the true togetherness of the horse and rider. The respect and the compassion goes both ways. This is the stuff of dreams, the quiet that inspires and exhilarates the people who really know what they're seeing.

Why Is Boring Beautiful?

Harmony

The opposite of conflict is harmony. In the riding sense, the horse and rider seem to connect in a way that allows them to "become one". While there is plenty of activity and movement, there is little stop-and-go, and rare bobbles. Negative tension in terms of pinned ears, gaping mouth, tight back are not apparent.

Freedom of Movement

The horse just flows. The shoulders reach, the body is round and the movement is bouncy. It looks effortless and powerful at the same time. The lack of conflict gives the rider so much more time to devote to staying with the horse, communicating and riding.

Confidence

Both horse and rider seem at ease with each other. They can afford to trust in a way that results in a bold way of going that cannot happen if there is tension involved. The horse is allowed to be expressive and take initiative while the rider quietly stays in the movement.

Communication

Boring simply can't happen without a sophisticated level of communication. As soon as the "conversation" breaks down, there will be tension and all the associated problems. Of course, developing a language between horse and rider takes time and education on both parts. Therefore, you might notice your rides becoming more "boring" as you both become experienced in knowing what to do when.

Compassion

There is a certain amount of care and attention that goes into a nice boring ride! Compassion comes in many forms. It is not necessary to be harsher in your aids when something doesn't work out - just take a moment to regroup and try it again. Appreciate the horse's efforts. Be encouraging, speak in a kind voice.

Certainty

There's something purposeful about a pair that is moving together, in confidence, with that subtle communication. It looks like they both know where they are going, what they are doing, and what's coming next. There is no confusion or discord between them.

All of these intangible qualities combine to make the overall picture of the horse and rider a thing of beauty. More importantly, the true beauty lies in the positive experience for both.

To those that walk away: you can keep your exciting rides - I'm going to work on boring!

Horses. Riding. Life.

Author: Horse Listening

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Horse Listening Book Collection - beautiful paperbacks with all the excellence of the blog - in your hands! Click on the image for more information.

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Horse Listening Book Collection - beautiful paperbacks with all the excellence of the blog - in your hands! Click on the image for more information.

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

Wrong Canter Lead? 5 Ways To Fix It!

Finally! The Ultimate Rider-Centered Program!

Use this hands-on guide to create your own personalized, structured and organized horse riding goals. Track your progress for a complete year.

Crystal Clear About Canter Leads and a Quick Fix

Finally! The Ultimate Rider-Centered Program!

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

Why Boring Is Beautiful In Horseback Riding

Finally! The Ultimate Rider-Centered Program!

***If you enjoyed these tips, you can find many more in the* Horse Listening Book Collection, *now available for purchase!***

Finally! The Ultimate Rider-Centered Program!

Horse Listening Book Collection - beautiful paperbacks with all the excellence of the blog - in your hands! Click on the image for more information.

Horse Listening Book Collection - beautiful paperbacks with all the excellence of the blog - in your hands! Click on the image for more information.

Finally! The Ultimate Rider-Centered Program!

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

Finally! The Ultimate Rider-Centered Program!

Finally! The Ultimate Rider-Centered Program!

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

Finally! The Ultimate Rider-Centered Program!

Use this hands-on guide to create your own personalized, structured and organized horse riding goals. Track your progress for a complete year.

Finally! The Ultimate Rider-Centered Program!

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

Finally! The Ultimate Rider-Centered Program!

If you enjoyed these tips, you can find many more in the Horse Listening Book Collection, now available for purchase!

***If you enjoyed these tips, you can find many more in the* Horse Listening Book Collection, *now available for purchase!***