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During the excitement of the book release, the Horse Listening blog statistics eclipsed the 1,000,000 mark in all-time views! I've been waiting for this incredibly significant moment to announce a special celebration and - one minute it was here - and then it was gone!
So, in honor of you, the readers who are coming back time and again to peruse the articles of Horse Listening, I'd like to (finally be able to!!) offer you a giveaway!
In celebration of the blog stats, my Facebook account that also just surpassed 5000 likes, but most importantly, the exciting upcoming book release, I'd like to offer a giveaway ofFIVE free, signed copies of Horse Listening - The Book: Stepping Forward to Effective Riding.
The only catch is that winners will have to wait for a while until the book is released, I receive copies, sign them and mail them out.
The giveaway will be selected through a random draw which begins immediately and will end on March 14 at midnight (as stamped on the comment box - EDT). All you have to do is post in the comments below. I'll announce the winners here on the blog on March 15, 2014.
What do you have to write?
In 50 words or less, let us know why you want the book. That's it!
Thanks to the many readers who wrote me asking about a full-size book, I finally listened!
After almost a year of formatting and editing, and over two years' worth of blog writing, I'm thrilled to let you know that Horse Listening - The Book: Stepping Forward to Effective Riding is in its final stages of editing and becoming more of a reality as we speak!
If you have been printing out various blog posts and getting buried in a multitude of loose sheets - stop!
In Horse Listening - The Book: Stepping Forward to Effective Riding, I have compiled over 25 of the most popular and useful articles from this blog, collated them according to four themes, and prepared them in a tidy, all-in-one package for quick and efficient reading (or alternatively - long, thoughtful perusing of deep and meaningful concepts)!
It is designed to be thought-provoking but also chock-full of useful, ring-ready practical suggestions. As with all Horse Listening material, the purpose is to help the rider improve so that the horse can benefit.
New for the book is an "In the Ring" section, which takes the theory from each chapter and gives specific ideas for exercises that you can take with you to your next ride.
Book Release date: March 10, 2014!
More specific details (cost) will be available when the book is ready for release.
It will come in both paperback and Kindle format. There will be photos inside, but I'm still deciding on whether the interior will be full colour or black and white (which will be cheaper than colour). Please let me know in the comments below if you have any questions or suggestions for the book.
Well, I have to confess that it isn't really magic at all. In fact, it's purely physiological and once learned, the results can be duplicated over and over again.
But when you "find" that feel the first few times, it really does feel like magic.
The horse's reaction might be so overwhelmingly positive that you can't believe you didn't know about it before.
So what is it?
It is all about timing.
We talked about timing of the aids in the past, and we also discussed how we should not pull on the inside rein. If you put the two concepts together, it should come as no surprise that the timing of your inside rein aid might mean everything to your horse.
When we ride a turn, our tendency is to pull the horse, however slightly, in the direction of the turn. But if you stop to break down the effect of the rein aid during the horse's movement, you might notice that about half of the time, while you pull on the rein, you are affecting the inside hind leg in a negative manner.
As it lifts off the ground, the inside hind needs to reach forward underneath the horse's center of gravity. The properly positioned leg can help balance the horse especially around a turn, but also on straight lines.
The inside rein plays into the picture when it pulls during the lifting of the hind leg stride. The rein pressure puts a stop into the energy of the hind leg as it reaches underneath the body.
Then, the horse goes off balance, even if just a little. He counters the action by tensing through the top line, shortening the stride of the inside hind leg, falling to the forehand, bracing with his neck and jaw, and/or becoming stiff through the turn. Essentially, he can't help the rider through the turn.
Try This
Photo Credit: NBanaszak Photography
Some people can easily feel the horse's hind end while riding. If you can feel the inside hind as it lifts, you can lightly release the inside rein as it comes through. If you have trouble feeling the hind legs, use the front inside shoulder as a reference point.
As the shoulder starts to move back, release the rein.
As the shoulder moves forward, take up pressure.
During the rein release, squeeze your legs for a short energy burst from the hind end. This will enable the horse to reach further underneath the body as you lighten pressure in his mouth.
If you're on a turn or a circle, be sure to use your inside leg as needed to help keep the horse balanced and NOT falling to the inside. The inside leg will also be a big help in initiating and keeping the bend by getting the rib cage to move away from the leg, to the outside.
But don't let go completely.
There should always be a light "touch" on the rein. Whether you ride on a long or short rein, letting go completely or "throwing the reins" at the horse's mouth can cause the horse to fall to the forehand. So be sure to find the amount of release your horse enjoys the most.
Then when the time comes to pick up the rein again, you can pick up the rein elegantly and in a way that disrupts your horse as little as possible.
When should you take up the pressure?
If you let the inside rein go for a long period of time, the head might start turning to the outside, thereby throwing the horse off balance. You do need inside rein contact to help maintain the horse's flexion to the inside. This keeps the horse looking in the direction that he is going.
Sometimes, you also might need inside rein pressure to help with a turn, especially when the horse still isn't confidently working off the outside rein. In this case, do use the inside rein. Just remember to lighten the pressure each time the inside hind reaches forward.
What about the outside rein?
Most of the time, both reins should be working together. However, the outside rein might need to take pressure for several situations: for a turn, for a half-halt, or to support the outside leg and hip. In these cases, your outside rein might maintain steady pressure.
However, if you can stay aware of the effects of your inside rein, and give mini-releases forward in rhythm with the stride, you will likely help the horse through any movement.
The "Magic"
The results are hard to miss. Even the less experienced onlooker will notice the differences in the horse. The strides might lengthen, the back may round, the horse may travel more uphill. The horse might just flow better, with more energy and engagement, more bounce and balance.
Surely, the horse's expression will soften, he may snort and become more responsive. The stops will come easier and he will travel more boldly when asked to go.
Try this on any length of rein and with any bit. It isn't about the length or the action of the hardware, but more about the pressure. Find your horse's ideal release point and see if you can improve his way of going just through a planned, timed inside rein release.
What do you think about the inside rein release? Give this a try next time you ride and let us know how it went!
Finally! The Ultimate Rider-Centered Program!
Ready for something completely different? If you liked what you read here, you might be interested in the Horse Listening Practice Sessions.
This is NOT a program where you watch other people's riding lessons. Start working with your horse from Day 1.
I don't believe in putting my work behind a paywall. But there are expenses in every venture. If you really liked this article, consider tipping us! Your tip will help me keep producing more riding TIPS (pun!) with free access to everyone. With thanks for reading!
Click to learn more.
Buy the bookfor many more riding tips! Horse Listening – The Book:Stepping Forward to Effective Riding
Personally signed books available! Just send me a message.
Would you like to be the rider that all horses dream of?
By following simple, useful exercises, you will be able to develop a better understanding about many topics including:
Sometimes it is better to focus on just one or two skills than to try to fix everything all the time.
Photo Credit: J. Boesveld
We've previously considered the importance of the riding seat in all things horseback. The seat is the source of all strength, balance and looseness. Without the seat, all other aids become postures at best and completely unusable at worst. So before all else, put your effort into your seat.
However, as your seat develops, and improvement in balance allows you to become more aware of your arms, legs, torso and weight, you can begin to put more emphasis on other areas of your body.
In typical riding lessons, we often break down positional faults into bits and pieces - inside leg/outside seat bone/outside rein/watch your head tilt/dropped shoulder/collapsed hip - and the list goes on and on. It is true that as riders, we need to become as body aware as athletes in other sports that require balance and positional outlines (such as ballet, gymnastics, skating or dancing).
But instead of critiquing each movement into a multitude of positional corrections, it is possible to simplify things to get the best out of your body, in a way that is easy to remember and perhaps even easy(-ish) to do.
There are two essential upper-body skills to learn so that you can maintain an ideal balance and support your horse in his movements to the best of your ability.
1) Position Your Core To the Direction You Want To Go
Think of your belly button area as your core. If you are going straight, your core should be straight. It should also be in line with your horse's shoulders. If your horse isn't straight underneath you, you might need to correct his position with a shoulder-fore, a straighter use of the outside rein, or some other aid that will allow your horse to align his body.
When you go to turn, open your core into the turn. We often tend to point our shoulders too far to the outside, or too far to the inside, depending on the straightness of our bodies. Know your own tendency and work to counter it.
If you know you tend to point your core to the left (regardless of direction of travel), be prepared to put in the extra work to open to the right. You might also have to reduce the "openness" when travelling left, because that direction is likely easier for you to turn into. Try not to over turn in that direction.
Now the key: keep your head, shoulders, elbows and hands aligned with your body (the hands should not have a mind of their own). Instead of letting each body part do something on their own, keep them working in coordination with each other. Become "one".
What to Avoid
- try to keep your shoulders level while you open into the turn; don't tilt into the turn like a motorcycle
- try to stay "tall"; many people have a tendency to collapse through the hip area, thereby dropping their inside shoulder as they negotiate the turn
2) Loosen Through the Lower Back
The second most important skill is to be able to loosen your lower back at will. I'm not talking about being a jelly-backed rider that flip-flops even beyond the horse's movement. But most of us ride with tight, tense lower backs and that controlled looseness takes quite a bit of practice. When your back moves less than needed, you might be restricting the horse's movements without even knowing it. The bigger your horse moves, the more your lower back needs to be able to give.
As your horse moves, your lower back loosens (momentarily in stride) to allow your lower abs to come through to the front of the saddle. This happens in both the trot and canter, although there is more movement when cantering.
If you can move with your horse, you might notice that your horse takes more confident, forward-moving strides. As you develop your strength, you can even dictate stride rhythm through the movement of your seat and lower back, alternating resistance with following.
***
By focusing on just these two aspects of riding, you should be able to fix many other smaller positional problems that depend on a supple, correctly held upper body. Remember that by keeping all the "pieces" together, you can become much clearer and more balanced to the horse.
Next time you ride, keep your upper body in mind. Try these skills and let us know how it went in the comments below.
Finally! The Ultimate Rider-Centered Program!
Ready for something completely different? If you liked what you read here, you might be interested in the Horse Listening Practice Sessions.
This is NOT a program where you watch other people's riding lessons. Start working with your horse from Day 1.
I don't believe in putting my work behind a paywall. But there are expenses in every venture. If you really liked this article, consider tipping us! Your tip will help me keep producing more riding TIPS (pun!) with free access to everyone. With thanks for reading!
Beautiful paperbacks with all the excellence of the blog - in your hands! Click on the image for more information.
Have you ever wished your horseback riding lessons could come with a user manual? Do you feel that you could serve your horses better as a rider if you only know how and what to do?
From the writer of the popular Horse Listening blog comes a complete collection of one of the most enjoyable and rewarding activities of all time: horseback riding.
Inside leg at the girth! Outside leg behind the girth! Shoulders to the turn! Outside rein... inside rein... lean... collapse... head!
There are so many components to a turn that sometimes we feel like we have to become a pretzel before we are finally in the correct position! There HAS to be an easier way.
Forget all the well-intentioned instructions. Although focusing on specific body parts is useful during the fine-tuning process of the riding position, it can become confusing and sometimes downright difficult during the initial learning process.
Instead of focusing on each and every body part and aid component, morph yourself into one whole. Do everything all at once, let your body respond accordingly, and simplify the aids not only for yourself but also for your horse.
Here's How
Try this off the horse.
Stand with your weight evenly balanced on both feet. Your knees and toes point straight ahead. Your hips are parallel to the front of the room and your torso is in line with your hips. Hold your forearms as if you are holding the reins, with your elbows at your sides, slightly bent into a soft "L" bend.
Turn Right
Now, turn right, but don't let your feet slide out of position. However, your toes can slightly point in the direction of the turn. The depth of the turn determines the size of the circle you ride. So, do a slight turn for a larger circle. Do a deeper turn for a smaller circle. Then take a look at what happened to your body.
Your hips (and seat bones) open to the right. Your weight will naturally be on the right (inside) seat bone. Your torso will point in the direction of the turn, and because your arms are on your sides and acting in tandem with your body, the reins will move exactly according to "textbook" requirements. The inside rein will open slightly while the outside rein will sit on the neck, creating an outside indirect, or "neck" rein.
Now take a look at your leg. The right leg will end up being positioned a little ahead of the left leg. The right knee will open and point slightly to the right. This will serve exactly as it should in saddle: right (inside) leg at the girth, and left (outside) leg behind the girth. Soft, inviting knee on the right, and firm, supporting outside leg on the left. Everything is just as it should be.
And all this happened simply because you turned your torso, from the hips up, in the direction of the turn.
Left Turn
Now try the exact same thing to the left. Feel how your left leg is now at the girth. Your outside leg is slightly behind the girth. Your left rein opens off the neck and your right rein sits on the neck.
Now Teach Your Horse
Positioning yourself while riding is one part of the overall picture. I'm sure you've seen horses run through the rider's aids - it happens all the time. Even if the rider can position herself accurately and set up her balance, it is very possible for her horse to not understand, ignore, or contradict her aids. And so it comes down to the rider to teach her horse how to respond to the body aids.
Be ready to reinforce your aids - maybe you need a stronger outside rein for a few strides. Maybe you should use your inside leg to help create a bend in your horse's body. Perhaps a half-halt is required before the turn to help balance the horse going into a circle.
What we really need most of all is practice. Position yourself into the desired turn and give it a try. Practice some more.
Make sure that your whole body gives just one message: "turn here." Then wait for your horse to respond.
Even if you don't get the desired response right away, don't worry. Be patient enough to repeat many times over, wait for your horse to do his "homework" (back in the stall or the field) and one day, it will all come together.
Do you have a method you like to use to simplify the turn aids? Comment below.
Finally! The Ultimate Rider-Centered Program!
Ready for something completely different? If you liked what you read here, you might be interested in the Horse Listening Practice Sessions.
This is NOT a program where you watch other people's riding lessons. Start working with your horse from Day 1.
I don't believe in putting my work behind a paywall. But there are expenses in every venture. If you really liked this article, consider tipping us! Your tip will help me keep producing more riding TIPS (pun!) with free access to everyone. With thanks for reading!
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:
Horse Listening has been picked as a finalist for the Blog Category of the 2014 Equestrian Social Media Awards!
Back in early December, many of you took the time to nominate our blog for the ESMA awards.
This year's ESMAs had a total of 17,131 nominations from over 5,000 people. These statistics have almost doubled from last year! This year there are a total of 23 categories which celebrate the exceptional online presence of equestrian sites. There's everything from Best Use of Twitter, Facebook, Social Media and Social Network. There is an award for Creative equestrians, riding schools, and one of my personal favorites - talking animal!
In only the second year that we have been eligible for the ESMAs, I am truly honoured to once again be in such great company with the other Blog finalists. But I really need to thank you, the readers, who nominated us in the first place. The selections were made based on the supporting statements of your nominations.
But wait! Before you head away, there is now the final round of voting to determine the category winners.
If you are willing to take a couple of minutes of time, please click here and head over to Section 14 (Blogs) to vote for Horse Listening just one more time. While you’re there, be sure to go through the other categories – you’ll find many other influential sites that are worthy of your votes too.
This year, there are two awards being given out per category. One is the Judges' Choice ESMA (click here to see theindustry experts who are part of the judging committee); the second one, the People's Choice ESMA, is determined 100% by you! So please trot on over and click that little button beside Horse Listening!
Thank you so much for your readership, for your encouraging comments and for your invaluable suggestions. I am thrilled that this blog is providing space for education and discussion about our shared passion - the horse. Wishing you a lovely year ahead filled with lots and lots of horse listening!
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Buy the book for many more riding tips! Horse Listening – The Book:Stepping Forward to Effective Riding
Horse and rider stroll into the arena, all set to get started on their ride. You can see it from the moment they enter: the rider is walking nonchalantly to the mounting block. Her horse is even less inspired. He ambles along five steps behind her and seemingly requires coaxing, begging - maybe intimidation - to finally set up close enough to the mounting block for the rider to mount.
Once mounted, the "feel" of the ride doesn't improve. The horse continues in his lackadaisical manner. The rider is busy doing everything but riding. She adjusts her clothes, fiddles with the reins, chats with other riders or checks out the car that happens to drive by at that moment.
The one thing missing is the enthusiasm and playfulness that characterizes a useful, productive and enjoyable beginning to a ride.
****
I have to admit it - the scene above is an exaggeration. But it makes the point: we often get into a warm-up riding rut that becomes uninspiring and tediously routine. Rather than developing an essential first connection with the horse, the opposite happens. Although the rider is right there on top of the horse, there is so little going on between her and your equine partner that they might as well pack it in before they even begin!
Here are five ideas that you can use to amp up your warm up!
*Remember to play everything by ear; if your horse needs a more gradual warm-up, start slower and then build up to the canter well into the middle of the ride. Also, give plenty of walk time right at the beginning.
1. Go for a warm-up trail ride.
Heading off for even a casual walk on the trails warms up the horse's mind and body in a way that the ring riding never can. Have a bit of fun for the first 15 to 25 minutes roaming the fields and woods, smelling the fresh air and jazzing up the horse's body. Move into a trot and maybe even a canter when the time is right, and even start playing with some of the ring exercises right out there on the trails.
Your horse will almost certainly re-enter the riding ring with a better mental attitude. Add energy to enthusiasm and you will find a calmer, softer, more limber horse ready for the following studying session.
2. Go for a canter.
Although it seems counter-intuitive, hopping off into a canter even at the get-go will give your horse more "go-go" right off the bat. You don't have to canter for long; just transition and take a few strides before heading off into a correct, ground-covering trot.
Sometimes, the horse feels tense and tight and a little over-exuberant at the beginning of a ride. A short canter helps let him know he can move when he wants to, and often reassures him in a way that stifling the energy just won't be able to.
Alternately, the sluggish horse benefits from a quick get-yer-blood-going stimulation. Just get into the canter and then evaluate. You might want to back off into a trot and let him breathe and snort. Or you might get more benefit from a longer canter series until the horse loosens up and moves more willingly.
3. Use ground poles and get creative.
One way to change the routine while warming up in the ring is to walk/trot/canter through randomly or purposely positioned ground poles. Teach the horse to pay attention to where his feet are going and provide some mental challenge as he learns to negotiate space, striding and timing. Once the horse feels fairly secure, throw in transitions coming into or out of the poles. Circle away from the pole and return back on a different angle. Go over the poles on a diagonal line. Halt coming to a pole. Canter away from a pole. Decide on a short pattern and take your horse through it several times.
4. Have some cavaletti fun.
Pull out the cavaletti if you have some (or use jump cups to lift jump poles off the ground) and get the horse to elevate his legs. Raise them to the higher height for little mini-jumps or leave them lower so the horse can go over with just a leg-lift. In both cases, a series of cavaletti can serve as a quick wake-me-up and blood circulating exercise.
5. Play from the ground.
You don't have to ride a horse during the warm-up. Playing with the horse from the ground might be just the exercise your horse wants! Alternate with either a free-lunging session or be more structured with some in-hand work. Although there most certainly is an art to groundwork, and you will notice dramatic development as your skills and ability to communicate improve, there is no harm in some trial and error.
In each of these scenarios, you will notice that your horse warms up mentally and physically toward a more focused, supple and responsive workout. Set up a more productive ride by changing things up, looking forward to new challenges, and stepping out of the round-and-round ring routine that so often becomes our pattern. Add a little creativity to the beginning of your ride and see what your horse has to say about it!
What do you do to amp up your warm-up? Let us know in the comments below.
Finally! The Ultimate Rider-Centered Program!
Ready for something completely different? If you liked what you read here, you might be interested in the new Horse Listening Practice Sessions.
This is NOT a program where you watch other people's riding lessons. Start working with your horse from Day 1.
Click here to read moreand to be among the first to benefit from our Introductory pricing! Limited time only!
I don't believe in putting my work behind a paywall. But there are expenses in every venture. If you really liked this article, consider tipping us! Your tip will help me keep producing more riding TIPS (pun!) with free access to everyone. With thanks for reading!
Click to learn more.
Horse Listening – Book 2: Forward and Round to Training Success: a beautiful paperback with all the excellence of the blog - in your hands!
Everywhere we go, people focus on the one position fault that is easiest to identify: the heels. In general, it is perfectly obvious if the heels are up, level or down.
I know that everyone has always told you to get your heels lower. You've probably been told that you have to drop your heels so that you can have better balance and contact with your horse's side. They've said that the longer leg stabilizes your balance and gives better aids.
All over the Internet, people give good advice: "Try to get your heels lower. Then your position will be perfect."
So we grin and bear it. Despite the discomfort, we push those heels down. We grunt and groan while we try to keep the heel down through the transitions, bends, and canters. We do what we gotta do to make it look good.
Why We Shouldn't Force the Heels Down
Some of us have an easy time getting the heels down. If you are one of those people, you will wonder why the rest of us have to work so hard at it. For other people, overall body tightness plays a factor in how they can release through the legs.
When you push down, you drive tension into your leg. Invariably, the tightness in the heels cause the knees to pinch on the saddle. The knees cause tightness in the thighs and then you find your seat has an uncontrollable tendency to bounce against the horse's movement.
Aside from the effects on your body and position, you also affect the horse. The tight knees prevent the horse from moving freely and might contribute to sluggishness in the horse's movement, reluctance to swing through the back and in the long term, even gait abnormalities.
There is no way to force your heel down without causing some sort of unwanted result. The tension in your heels can transfer all the way up the leg and into your seat.
What To Do Instead
In order to get your heels down the way we see in the equitation books or by more advanced riders, you need to develop suppleness through your joints and tendons. This requires a long-term commitment to changing the way your body moves. You simply cannot force the joints and tendons to position themselves in a way that helps both you and your horse without either having natural softness in your legs, or by developing it over time off the horse's back.
There are several ways to train suppleness into your leg. Many activities can help - dancing, gymnastics, yoga - anything that helps to stretch and loosen and strengthen especially the legs.
If you are not the type to cross-train, you can work on the same thing by standing on the edge of a staircase. Hang your heel off the edge of the stair and let it lengthen so that it drops below your toes. Then stay there for a minute or so, just letting the joints and tendons learn to release in that position.
Once you are on the horse, the key is that the whole leg has to stretch - right from the hips. The hips release, the knees soften and the calves sit even closer to the horse's side. Only then will the heels stretch below the toes - all on their own. It's not good enough to just push those heels down.
When you first get the "real" stretch, it feels incredible. The leg truly becomes long and you feel like you've wrapped your legs right around the horse in a wonderful bear-hug. The hips open enough to let the legs dangle down so that the legs and seat seem to just flow effortlessly along with the horse's movements. There is less struggle to stay with the horse because you supple into the horse. The best part is that your ankles just naturally "drop"- in the sense that they couldn't possibly be anywhere other than below your toes.
There is no force, no push, no positioning. It just is.
In the Meantime...
Riding more frequently will definitely help. But remember one thing: don't force the heels.
If you ride with level heels, then ride with level heels. Although you shouldn't ride with lifted heels, be aware of the opposite extreme: the forced heels. If you do push your heels down, be cognizant of the effects on your seat. If you notice your seat perching in the saddle, or your knees pinching on the saddle, lighten up the pressure on your heels.
Know that correctly dropped heels are a product of suppleness and length in the leg. Work on changing your body, not on just the appearance of your position.
Finally! The Ultimate Rider-Centered Program!
Ready for something completely different? If you liked what you read here, you might be interested in the new Horse Listening Practice Sessions.
This is NOT a program where you watch other people's riding lessons. Start working with your horse from Day 1.
I don't believe in putting my work behind a paywall. But there are expenses in every venture. If you really liked this article, consider tipping us! Your tip will help me keep producing more riding TIPS (pun!) with free access to everyone. With thanks for reading!
Click to learn more.
If you enjoyed this post, read more riding tips in our book, Horse Listening – The Book: Stepping Forward to Effective Riding
Personally signed books available! Give the best gift for the horse lover in your life (or for yourself! ). Send me a message for more information.
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!
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