5 Ways to “Relax” While Riding A Horse

On the ground or in the saddle, the one thing that we can't do around horses is relax. They often say that some of the worst horse-related accidents happen when the horse has been standing around quietly and people have let down their guard, not expecting anything to happen. That's because just by virtue of their sheer size, horses can hurt us in one unfortunate moment.

The same goes for when we're in the saddle. Too much relaxation can prevent you from being athletic and aware enough to ride through a sticky situation.

So what's the alternative? Here are some suggestions. Every time someone tells you to relax, replace the word (and concept) with some of the tips below.

Release or loosen.

I think the words "release" or "loosen" are much more accurate in terms of what we should be doing while we are on the horse's back. Focus on one area of your body (say your elbows, lower back or knees) and try to release the joints. You might not even have to release or loosen all the time - just in short duration that last as long as your horse's strides. Find your horse's rhythm, and loosen in sync with the rhythm.

This allows you to support your weight and balance, keep your contact without fully letting go, but still find moments when you can allow the horse's energy through your joints and body.

If you can loosen after being tight for some time, you might feel a dramatic softening of your horse's tension, or maybe a surge of energy forward. Often, the horse will sigh or snort or just look more content.

Tone.

Remember that little kid that could make herself feel almost weightless when you went to pick her up? Maybe you were one of those kids when you were younger. Those children can make themselves light as a feather by tightening their bodies and wrapping their arms and legs around you once they're "on board". You can probably carry those children for a long time without feeling tired - because they are doing half the work for you.

Try doing that while you are riding your horse. One of the ways you can look like you are relaxing on your horse is to NOT be a blob. In other words, hold yourself up. Be tall, be strong through your core, don't slouch and avoid falling to every imbalance. Trust me, for those of us who are not used to holding our bodies in a toned manner, it might be difficult at first. But give it a try. See what your horse thinks of it. If you do it long enough, it becomes easier. And maybe, your on-the-horse toning might become more of a habit even when you're off the horse.

Harmonize with the horse.

One of the key methods to relaxing on the horse is to harmonize. If you can ride in better coordination with the horse's movement, everything becomes easier for both you and the horse. Nothing makes you appear to be more "relaxed" than being in sync with your horse to the point that an onlooker cannot tell where the aids come from.

Feel for your horse's footfalls. Time your aids according to the horse's strides. Find the best rhythm for your particular horse. And do your best to move within the horse's movement.

Breathe.

And I don't mean big long yoga breaths while you meditate on your deepest secrets and passsion! No, this type of breathing is much more practical. Make sure you are taking in a breath and releasing a breath in rhythm with your horse's movement. This is the kind of breathing that keeps circulating oxygen to your muscles and brain, so you can think and stay in balance! 🙂

If you find yourself huffing and puffing after a few minutes of trotting or cantering, chances are that you aren't breathing "enough" for the energy output you are producing. This usually happens when you are focusing on one aspect of riding so you forget to breathe. Until your body can automatically breathe regularly while you get down to riding, you need to have a strategy that will teach your body how to breathe while you ride.

I know it sounds silly, but try this. Think of a song that is easy for you to sing. I usually tell riders to sing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star -or pick a song that you know off by heart! But try it. You don't even have to sing exactly. Just say the words out loud enough that you are forced to breathe.

Do it while your horse is moving, and say the words in rhythm with the horse's movement. That's the key. Find your horse's rhythm, sing according to the gait, and keep riding. If you do this enough, your body will start to take over and breathe on its own.

Lengthen your leg.

Tension radiates through your body if your legs are tight. If you knee grip and contract through the thighs, your body automatically becomes less supple and more reactive to the horse's movements. I know how hard it is to loosen and lengthen the leg in movement. But it doesn't mean you can't try over and over again until it becomes more automatic in your muscle memory.

So there you have it. Looking relaxed on a horse can be a difficult and often lengthy process of developing your riding skills to the point of maintaining good basic equitation. The next time people tell you to relax while riding, tone your core, lengthen your leg, harmonize and breathe. They won't know any different!

What is your take on the word "relax"? Do you have any other alternatives? Comment below.

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

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

Available as an eBook or paperback.

Try This Exercise to Improve Your Rein Contact

Take enough pressure to feel the "horse" (on right).

Regardless of whether you are just beginning to ride, or if you've ridden for years, there is a way to develop your horse's trust and confidence, especially as it relates to his mouth and head.

As we progress in our skill and coordination, we eventually learn that we can ride from our seat and core first, before we use the hands. But the hands are the first thing we tend to want to go to, especially when we find ourselves in a sticky situation.

So this article is about how you can "take contact" in a predictable, consistent manner. Although we are talking about the reins in this article, bear in mind that nothing in riding is done in isolation, including taking up the reins. Whenever you use the reins, you should first be riding forward from the seat and legs. However, we will focus on just the reins at this time.

If you can learn to give and take the bit in a calm, sure way, the horse will always benefit. It doesn't matter if you ride in a snaffle bit, a curb bit or riding bitless - the technique works the same way on all reins and on all rein lengths. If you are not already doing this when you develop your contact, give it a try and see what happens.

Try This Without the Horse

Play with the feel of contact and rein pressure with the help of a friend. One of you is the horse while the other is the rider (you can take turns).

1. Take up the pressure to a point that it feels good for the "horse". Not too much but also avoid leaving the reins too loose. Have the "horse" pull on you left and right, and practice moving your hands with the pull in a way that doesn't increase the pressure regardless of what your horse does. In reality, your horse won't be pulling in this manner, but it is a good way to develop steady contact regardless of what is happening.

2. Then give the reins incrementally in a way that the "horse" doesn't feel like she was dropped suddenly with nothing in the mouth. You create space with the reins but you don't just give it all away at once.

Rein pressure 3 — The slight give - almost not noticeable to the onlooker, but the horse will certainly feel the difference.

3. Now just for fun, try dropping the reins. Take up the pressure and suddenly let go. This will let the "horse" feel what it's like to suddenly have no pressure on the "mouth". Also try jerking - sudden pulls and drops in the rein. This is exactly why you don't want to drop the reins suddenly, or jerk the rein contact on and off.

rein pressure 2 — The sudden drop in the reins.

The give should be so slight that it's almost not possible for an onlooker to see the difference in rein length. What she will see if you are riding a horse, however, is the response of the horse - he will round, soften in his head, neck and eyes and generally appear less tense or forced into position.

Now Try It on the Horse

Take a steady and firm hold of the reins. How much you want to shorten the reins depends on your bit and riding style. Let's assume you are riding in a snaffle bit. Shorten the reins enough that you have some pressure on the horse's mouth, as required by your horse and the situation. In most cases, a light but steady pressure is ideal.

Keep your hands in front of the saddle and shorten the reins enough so that you can feel the horse's mouth. Maintain an even pressure regardless of what the horse does, or what your body does to balance. Avoid increasing pressure unless necessary.

Try giving the reins. There are many occasions when you want to "release" the reins to the horse.

Maybe your horse softened his poll or jaw or lightened the pressure on your hands. You want to let him know he's right by giving a little in the reins.

Maybe you want to give him a little "space" to move forward to the bit or lengthen his neck. By giving him this slight release and forward aids from your seat and legs, he can step deeper underneath his body and increase in impulsion.

In any case, give the reins smoothly and steadily forward. It should feel like you are almost pushing the reins forward rather than dropping them. Avoid making an abrupt change of pressure. You can always give the reins out more and more (as in the case of a stretchy walk, trot or canter) as the horse reaches forward toward the space you have created.

With a little experimentation, you can find out the amount of pressure your horse likes the most. Some horses want very little rein pressure while others feel secure with more pressure. While you want to always work toward the least amount of pressure necessary, don't feel that you can't take pressure.

As long as you do it smoothly and calmly, your horse will learn that he can trust the hands at the end of the reins!

What are your thoughts on rein pressure? Comment below.

Buy the Book! 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.

Get in Rhythm… Stay in Rhythm

At Horse Listening, we are emphatic life-long learners of all things horsey. You will be reminded time and again about how there is so much to be learned from horses and other horse people, if only we listened.

This guest post is by Patricia Pitt, better known as The Dressage Tipster on Facebook. She is the author of "The Crystal System - Dressage, clear and transparent - like crystal" which will be launched in Spring 2015 and has been developed from her award winning blog at www.likecrystal.com.

Get In Rhythm … Stay In Rhythm

Imagine your horse ambling along in walk, jogging instead of trotting, stumbling through a test constantly breaking the three beat canter. Not often do you see all of these faults in one horse but sure as night follows day you will experience these faults, at least to some extent, if you have not focussed your training on rhythm. Because in this small, rather oddly spelled word (should be ritham, right?) you have wrapped up a whole host of skills you and your horse must master; energy, even tempo, clear and regular paces, balance, rein contact … the list goes on!

Rhythm If you consider that impurities or irregularities in the rhythm, tempo and stride length are serious flaws in your horse’s ability to perform you can begin to appreciate that not only should you begin to focus on rhythm, but you should remain focussed on rhythm throughout your riding career.

The walk is the gait that is most prone to impurities. You can have considerable influence on the way your horse walks which means that you can induce faults too. So, if you over ride the walk and push your horse into a faster, bigger walk than he is capable of, he will fall onto the forehand and tighten his back. Likewise if you attempt to collect more than your horse is capable of, his back will tighten and the walk will become irregular.

Consider your ‘free walk on a long rein’. Your horse needs to show a clear, pure, four-beat walk and most likely is able to – as long as the rider is not touching reins. Then immediately the rider picks up the reins, the horse responds with unequal strides. This happens as a result of the rider using too much rein; not enough leg support and usually too heavy a seat. Go figure! Relaxing more and reducing the demands will in most cases restore the clear four beat rhythm.

The safest way out of jigging is to start the working trot afresh, if it is a walk push the horse up into a working trot, establish the rhythm and relaxation and when the hind legs have started thrusting and the back has started swinging again, the walk will most likely be improved as well. The important point I would like to make here is, as with many, many other issues, you will not be able to regulate your horse’s paces without a good forward thrust, so first of all check that you have a forward thinking and willing horse, otherwise you will not have anything to work with.

The majority of young horses and horses that are being retrained need to be reminded periodically not to slack off the forward propulsion; left to their own devices they will gradually fade after a few strides with good effort and that means the power with which their hind legs propel decreases, the gait loses its intensity and becomes dull. The result? the horse’s back stops swinging and the trot deteriorates into a jog, loses its gymnastic value and the horse’s musculature development over his haunches, back and top line is hindered.

Rhythm This, coupled with the potential issue of losing forwardness on the corners if the horse is not strong enough or trying to avoid the flexing of his joints (seeSlowing Down and Speeding Up – Check the Flex) you may have to go back to basics and that means rhythm.

Most untrained horses assume that the leg aid means ‘speed up’, so they increase the tempo as soon as the rider asks, thus losing rhythm. It is up to you to ‘clarify’ with your horse that the leg aid means ‘put more effort into your work, but keep your tempo’. This is achieved using an effective half-halt. (see Heavy on the Forehand for more tips about the half halt). So it is through systematic training that the horse should learn to adjust the tempo, adjust the stride length and adjust his energy levels independently of each other.

Loss of impulsion and slowing of the tempo often happens because keeping the impulsion and tempo requires more strength from the horse. Pay really close attention to the regularity of the tempo, stride length and energy level throughout all exercises, patterns, and movements in order to develop the purity of the gaits to the highest level and to develop the horse’s strength and suppleness to its fullest potential in the process.

You have to be progressive in your training. Your horse will respond with little and often. It will take six weeks for him to build the muscle power and stamina required to be able to efficiently execute new and demanding exercises. Too much too soon could result in injury.

Here’s some food for thought, like your heartbeat is the ‘rhythm of life’ so rhythm is to your horse’s gymnastic development. Without it … not gonna happen!

Patricia – The Dressage Tipster

This article was originally published here.

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

Available as an eBook or paperback.

Heel Healing: Here’s An On-the-Horse Leg Stretching Exercise

I've already written about the heels of the rider before. In that post, I explained why I think we should not be forcing our heels down while we ride. Even though we've been told again and again to get those heels down, and it might in fact look good to an uneducated observer, forced heels cause all sorts of problems for the rider and even for the horse.

From collapsed heels to tightened calves and thighs to stiffened seat and lower back, forcing your heels down can affect the clarity and effectiveness of our aids to the horse. And while I said in my article that forcing ain't the way to go, I didn't mean that we should placidly accept the fact that we can never ever get the heels to be lower than the stirrup.

There is one main reason to lower the heels - to lengthen the leg and position it so that the rider's center of balance is evenly distributed on the horse. Many people explain that the rider's legs should be hanging softly in line with the hips, so that if the horse were taken out from underneath the rider, she could still be in a balanced enough position to stay standing up.

So what can we do if our heels don't drop on their own, if we shouldn't force them down?

Do we completely give up on the concept and hope that it's fine to ride along with a stiff leg with tight ligaments and tendons? Well, not really.

In my previous article, I did mention an off-the-horse technique you can use to develop more stretch through the backs of your legs. However, there is an exercise you can do on the horse that will also be of benefit. Try this especially in walk, then canter and finally the trot (yes, even if you post the trot).

You can try it first at the halt just to get the feel.

The secret to dropped heels is in the release of your muscles, ligaments and tendons from your hips all the way down. Here's how.

1. Stand up in your stirrups.

Stand right up. Get your knees straight and go high enough that you are well off the saddle.

2. Lean forward.

Slowly tilt your body so that your thighs are resting toward the pommel. At this point, your thighs will hold your balance for the moment.

3. Let your feet go as far back as possible.

Once you have balance on your thighs, your feet will be free to slide back. Your knees should still be straight at this point. Push the feet past the girth just for a few seconds.

4. Sit down straight in the saddle.

Now sit toward the front of the saddle (don't lean back into the cantle). Make sure you aren't leaning forward or backward.

This is obviously the point where you allow your knees to bend again. But keep your feet in the same position you had them when you were still leaning forward. This way, your hips open enough to allow your feet to fall naturally (well, it might not feel very natural!) under your seat. Ideally, if you had a plumb line drawn from your hips to your heels, your heels would line up with your hips.

Your knees should be straighter now than before. The angle in your knees will be more open, and your leg will feel longer.

5. Allow your heels to drop.

The key is to allow.

Don't let your toes go right through the stirrups. Make sure the balls of your feet are on the stirrups.

At this point, if you were able to really lengthen out your leg, straighten your knees a bit and sit toward the front of the saddle, you should be able to let your heels take up the extra length by dropping below your stirrups.

And voila, you will find a magically longer leg with heels that want to hang toward the ground! 🙂

I often like to hold on to the bucking strap (or the horn in a western saddle) to really stabilize my seat toward the front of the saddle. This allows me to open my hips more and free my legs to do the stretching that is needed.

Now what?

Well, keep your new position in each of the gaits! Easier said than done, I know! But you won't get there without the practice so get on with it!

You have absolutely no excuse at the walk! Every time your horse is walking, you check and fix your leg position.

As you get better, you won't have to stand up in your stirrups to establish the open hips and long legs. You should be able to find the "feel" just by briefly taking your legs up off the saddle and then extending your leg down.

You might be able to even correct your leg position within the horse's movement.

If you have a chance to give this a try, let us know how it worked out for you. Or give us other leg position fixes.

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

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

Available as an eBook or paperback.

A Horse Listening Reading Roundup for the New Year

Happy New Year! The festivities are over. The new year has sprung.

What a perfect time to kick back, grab a book and spend some time in quiet contemplation! Do you feel like reading a book?

In previous articles, I have often encouraged you to include reading about horses and riding as part of your "study". In no particular order, here are 9 books that have made significant impact on me over the years.

The books are from various riding disciplines. Click on the images for more information about each book. Some are new and some have been around for decades, but all continue to be relevant and inspiring in their own way.

The Athletic Development of the Dressage Horse by Charles de Kunffy, 1992. Howell Book House, New York.

This book is one of those all-time go-to books about horse training and dressage. And if you're an avid reader of this blog, you might notice that I mention Charles de Kunffy books repeatedly. They have made an incredible impact on my understanding of riding horses and dressage.

I've had this book for too many years to mention. But what has amazed me is that I've gleaned new information from each and every reading. Initially, I read through the whole thing, even the parts that were far beyond my scope at the time. Then as I came back to the book year to year, I would be able to understand more and relate better to the concepts of feel and timing that he discusses.

What is special about this book is that although there is considerable discussion about some of the basic aspects of dressage such as training, instruction and the rider, the majority of it is dedicated to "manege patterns" that develop the horse's suppleness, engagement and gaits. You can use the patterns at different points of development. They begin with basic gymnastics and move on to more advanced patterns at the end of the book.

Get this book if you are looking for quality training exercises.

The Poetry of Horses - A Collection by Olwen Way, 1994. J.A. Allen, London.

If you're into poetry, this book is for you! It's not just any book with a bunch of horsey poems. This is a thorough collection of poems that have been written over the generations. You can find the likes of Yeats, Blake, Lawrence and Kipling, all the way to Homer, Shakespeare, Chaucer, and even lesser known authors.

What I like most about the book is that unlike horse poetry where there is a token horse mentioned in an otherwise non-equine related verse, these works are entirely horse-centered. You read about horses by authors who knew horses.

This book is for you if you are lyrically inclined and love horses.

Horse Gaits, Balance and Movement by Susan E. Harris, 1993. Howell Book House, New York.

Aside from the fact that I was lucky enough to watch Susan Harris in action several times over the years, her books are clear and complete and superbly illustrated. Besides being a fantastic author, she is also an equally accomplished artist, and the drawings in this book tie in to her explanations in a way that books rarely do.

Susan Harris was one of the first to demonstrate "painted horses" with the bones and muscles drawn on live horses. She simply drew the horse's bones and muscles on each side of the body and then put him in motion. Then she explained his movement and how conformation relates to gaits.

This book is an indispensable resource about horse conformation, biomechanics, gait and balance. Read it if you want to learn more about the intricacies of horse and rider movement.

Go the Distance: The Complete Resource for Endurance Horses by Nancy S Loving, DVM, 1997. Trafalgar Square Publishing, North Pomfret, Vermont.

This book is a throwback to my endurance days. One of the most important things I learned from long distance trail is how to properly condition a horse. This book covers everything from tack to nutrition and conditioning principles to how to maintain health and soundness. Although the book is endurance specific, the goal of the author is to help the you assess and create a program for your particular horse.

Whether you ride endurance or not, every horse benefits from a carefully developed conditioning program. Done properly, you can use a well thought-out schedule to help keep your horse healthy and performing well over the long term.

Read this book if you want detailed information about horse health, performance and soundness from a trail riding perspective.

That Winning Feeling! A New Approach to Riding Using Psychocybernetics by Jane Savoie, 1992. Trafalgar Square Publishing, North Pomfret, Vermont.

Jane Savoie is one of my all-time favorite clinicians and authors. I like this book in particular because although the title leads you to think that the book is about competition dressage, the contents lend themselves to everything else including just how to get along better in life. The author has an easy way of explaining many things critical to goal setting, evaluating your beliefs and values, and understanding how mental training affects physical performance.

Although the book is all about horses, riding and showing, it's also all about personal development and training. I've often mentioned how horse riding is a vehicle for self-development, and this book is like a blueprint that takes you through the mental and physical path of becoming successful at horse shows, but more importantly, at everything else in life!

Balance in Movement: How to Achieve the Perfect Seat by Suzanne Von Dietze, 2005. Trafalgar Square Publishing, North Pomfret, Vermont.

The rider's body.

This book is all about you. How to use your seat. How to be more balanced on the horse. How to become more flexible.

Get this book if you want to learn all about leaning, collapsing, chair seat, proper use of aids and much more. Although there is no replacement for an eye on the ground to help you develop correct feel of your body, aids and balance, this book can fill in any gaps of understanding you might have about how you can find your way to riding "as one" with the horse.

There are practical exercises you can try on your horse to develop flexibility and balance. There are specific analyses of various body types and corrections for common problems.

It helps that Suzanne Von Dietz is not only a top-level dressage rider, but also a physiotherapist. She brings both her riding and anatomical understanding to the topics in this book. Read this one if you want to develop your own skills and physical awareness.

*****

So there you have it. These are a few of the books that I have in my bookshelf that have made significant impact on my understanding of riding, training and horses.

What books have impacted your riding life? Let us know in the comments below.

Happy New Year!

Cyrus thanks you for a fantastic Horse Listening year! Super spectacular wishes for a wonderful 2015 of swinging backs, flowing strides and heartfelt snorts!

Happy new year

#1 Rider Problem: Confusing Aids

Rider Problem 2014 — Photo Credt: NBanaszak Photography

We often talk about harmonizing with the horse. In fact, one of the most desired goals of riding is for the horse and rider to "be one" in movement, rider and horse traveling as if with one mind and body. The communication is so seamless that it appears that the horse is a mind reader and the rider simply sits there and does nothing.

What we rarely discuss is how we get to that level of connection. And one of the most overlooked aspects of harmonization comes not from the horse becoming one with the rider, but within the rider herself.

A Physical Language

Horses communicate almost entirely through physical means. Watch a herd for a little while and you will see herd members send signals through their body language. One horse steps into a horse's physical space to tell him to move over. Another horse swings his head in a rotating movement to indicate his excitement. The horse that lowers his head in the proximity of another demonstrates his trust. The "keeper of the herd" (the one who watches out for everyone) lifts his tail, raises his head straight in the air with flared nostrils and lets out an electrifying snort that warns the others of impending danger.

And so in order to be effective riders, we must learn to communicate to the horse through physical means.

In our initial riding education, we are taught how to use our various aids in isolation from each other. There is a good reason for that. During the first several years of riding, your body must learn to coordinate itself in a way that it has never had to otherwise. Just staying in movement with a horse requires so many micro-adjustments in the body that it takes quite a lot of energy and attention to learn to begin to follow the horse.

By teaching single aids, your instructor helps you break down the control that is required to get your body to communicate effectively with the horse. Move your inside hand this way. Shift your outside seatbone that way. Inside leg means this. Outside leg means that. Upper body can control the horse's balance. And so it goes on and on.

Separated Aids

The problem occurs when the rider continues using single aids long after her body has developed the enough coordination. At some point, we have to move away from separating our aids and becoming more "holistic" with our messages.

Single aids send single messages in a disjointed manner. One aid in and of itself can be compared to a word in a sentence. So if your hands are saying one thing, your leg another and your seat still something else, you can imagine the resulting communication that the horse feels: confusion!

A word can communicate one aspect of a thought, but a sentence puts it all together into a concept. And so it is with the aids.

Once your body can coordinate all the aids, you convey a much more complete, unified idea to the horse. (Click here to tweet that if you agree.)

Two Steps to Avoid Confusing Aids

United. Attached. Together. Coherent.

These are all words that describe how it feels when your whole body is expressing one complete thought to the horse.

It seems like it takes years for you to become efficient enough to have those body parts move together rather than one at a time. But it does happen.

1. Start With the Seat

Everything starts with the seat. So if you want to turn right, sit on the inside seat bone and turn your entire torso in the direction of the turn. If you want to halt, start the half-halts at the seat. If you want to do a flying change, change seat bones from right to left.

You get the picture. Don't start with the hands, head or legs. Start with the seat!

2. Position

The rest of the aids follow the seat and must work in conjunction with it. ALL of them should be in alignment with what the seat has initiated. If you are turning right, turn your whole body, from the seat, to the right. The head, hands and legs should point in the direction of the turn. The reins will automatically fall into place and the legs will position accurately on their own, simply because of the positioning of the body.

That's it, really! If you can begin everything at the seat, and support the seat with the rest of your aids, you will send one message.

When to Separate the Aids

There are times when you need to pinpoint the use of one particular aid. Let's say that you notice that your horse is drifting to the outside of the circle, "bulging" through his outside shoulder. You can probably change just one aspect of your aids to bring him back into straightness. In this case, an effective half-halt on the outside rein might do the trick.

But the key is that this aid is a correction and is quickly applied and released as soon as possible. It simply redirects the horse.

The rest of your aids should continue to be positioned into the correct bend of the circle.

The moment you have the desired response, you should go right back to being "as one" in your aids - all asking for a bend toward the inside of the circle.

So, the next time you feel your aids giving separate signals to the horse, try to unify through your own body and see what you horse thinks of it. If he strides deeper, swings better through the back, snorts and/or softens through the body, you know you are on the right track.

If you feel somehow more cohesive yourself, you know that you are on your way to riding with better clarity.

If you liked this article, and would like to download a free pdf eBook of all the #1 Rider Problem series (a total of 5 articles), click here for more information.

What do you think about riding "as a whole"? Let us know in the comments below.

6 Steps To A Well-Balanced Change of Direction

turn — Photo Credit: NBanaszak Photography

How often have you seen a horse and rider negotiate a change of direction, only to flatten out through the curve into a straight line, causing a sharp, imbalanced scramble far misplaced from the original intended location? In mild cases, the rider hangs on adeptly, perhaps unseated but still able to negotiate the inaccurate change of direction. However, the sharp turn always runs the risk of unbalancing the horse to the point of tripping or stumbling, and the rider falling off.

How often has it happened to you? If your horse is used to leaning into a change, or dropping a shoulder or cutting corners, then this article is for you!

Changing directions smoothly can often be as challenging as achieving any well-balanced transition. Most horses are stronger on one side than the other, much like their human counterparts. Suppling the horse enough to be able to bear weight equally on both sides takes time, quality practice and a solid understanding of how the aids can assist the horse in maintaining balance while remaining loose and athletic through a turn.

There are many types of turns - a change of direction across the diagonal, several changes of bend through a serpentine, a teardrop that starts toward the end of the ring and arcs back to the rail, and so many more. They can be done at all gaits and require the same sort of balance change regardless of location or type of turn.

The approach to any change of direction can be narrowed down to 6 steps that are similar regardless of gait or placement of turn. Let's use this most basic change of direction as an example. I call it the "S change" (because it looks like an S and spans from one end of the arena to the other). I'm assuming you are riding in a 20x40 meter arena but please feel free to modify based on your own needs.

Let's say you are approaching a change of direction at X (in the center of the ring). You are on the left rein at A and you will go through X to turn right.

1. Approach a straight line - still bent in the original direction.

This means that you are using your left turn aids - weight on the left seat bone and body pointing slightly left. At this moment, you are riding the turn more as if it were half of a 20-meter circle, even though it won't be a full circle. You do not go into the corner of the ring. You hit the rail just past F but then come off the rail withing 3 strides, back to the original 20-meter circle. However, instead of continuing on the circle, you head for X.

Your horse should be both flexed and bent to the left. Make sure he is looking in the direction of the turn (flexion) and also lightly bent to the left through the rib cage. Only flex and bend enough to be riding in line with the curve that is needed (in other words, don't overbend the horse).

2. Half-halt (usually on the outside rein).

Several strides before you come to X, apply a half-halt. This helps to rebalance your horse and lets him know something is going to change.

3. Straighten.

Now, instead of continuing on the original left circle, you are going to head right.

BUT - at this point, many people make a mistake. They often go directly from the left bend to the right. It's almost as if they are driving a car or a bicycle and turning the steering wheel (or handlebars) from left to right. This gives the horse no time to reposition his legs or carry his weight.

Instead of just switching your aids left to right, wait for a few strides. Straighten the horse and allow him to get his hind legs underneath him. As you go over X, be straight! If you give yourself 3-5 strides of straightness, your horse will be able to be much more balanced going into the turn. So imagine that you should be straight two strides before X and two strides after X. You can always cut the number of strides shorter as your horse gets better at rebalancing into the new turn. But at the beginning, give him plenty of room.

4. Half-halt (usually on the outside rein).

Yep. Use another half-halt at or just past X. There is going to be another change to the new direction. Again, the half-halt helps him rebelance to the hind end and gives him a hint that something new is coming.

5. Flexion and bend to the new direction.

I like to break this part down into two quick stages. First, use your new inside aids (right) to get your horse looking to the right. This is flexion. Then, use your turn aids to bend the horse to the right. Note: You are still moving straight over X at this point - do not actually turn yet.

6. Turn.

Once you have your flexion and bend, simply allow the horse to complete the change of direction. The new bend should be in line with the new curve and you will proceed to hit the rail for 3 strides, then come off the rail. Don't go into the corner but head to C as if you are on a new 20-meter circle.

These six steps take a matter of seconds to complete. There isn't much time, so know what you're going to do ahead of the S, and then just do it!

I know what you're going to say. These 6 steps complicate matters far too much!

In fact, the steps simplify things for the horse. I know we all want to just sit there and let the horse handle everything, but when we can break things down into mini-steps, the horse almost always benefits - in a physical, mental and even emotional way. So riding actively, helping the horse navigate through the change of bend through a straight line, and rebalancing with half-halts invariably sets your horse up for more success in the long run.

Practice these steps in your changes of direction over and over again. If your horse has a habit of leaning into the turns, it might take a month or more of gentle repetition to see significant changes. But if you do stick to the plan, one day you just might notice that your horse flows through direction changes as if he were just born that way!

Try this over the next while and let us know how things went in the comments below.

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A Horse Listening Reading Roundup for the New Year

The Athletic Development of the Dressage Horse by Charles de Kunffy, 1992. Howell Book House, New York.

The Poetry of Horses - A Collection by Olwen Way, 1994. J.A. Allen, London.

Horse Gaits, Balance and Movement by Susan E. Harris, 1993. Howell Book House, New York.

Go the Distance: The Complete Resource for Endurance Horses by Nancy S Loving, DVM, 1997. Trafalgar Square Publishing, North Pomfret, Vermont.

That Winning Feeling! A New Approach to Riding Using Psychocybernetics by Jane Savoie, 1992. Trafalgar Square Publishing, North Pomfret, Vermont.

Balance in Movement: How to Achieve the Perfect Seat by Suzanne Von Dietze, 2005. Trafalgar Square Publishing, North Pomfret, Vermont.

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Happy New Year!

Cyrus thanks you for a fantastic Horse Listening year! Super spectacular wishes for a wonderful 2015 of swinging backs, flowing strides and heartfelt snorts!

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6 Steps To A Well-Balanced Change of Direction

Finally! The Ultimate Rider-Centered Program!

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