Horse Listening

Top Ten New Goals For A New Year

Looking back on 2013, did you meet some of your goals?

Goal setting is critical to any sort of development, but especially to horseback riding. It is easy to overlook personal development when you ride horses because the pure enjoyment of being with your favorite equine often outshines the sometimes more difficult process of learning.

I feel that I have personally made gains especially in the timing of my aids, my overall balance and my ability to ride the horse with more "commitment" (or engagement?) from my body. Because of those fundamental gains, I feel freer to work on skills I felt were so far beyond my reach before.

As with anything you learn, with new mastery comes new horizons to explore and new skills to develop. As we enter 2014 and the Year of the Horse in the Chinese Zodiac (beginning Jan. 31, 2014), here are the top ten areas I would like to keep developing. They are presented in order of importance.

10. Ride regularly.

9. Take more lessons/ride in clinics/audit more clinics/read more books.

8. Initiate more from the seat.

7. Build in more personal challenge. Work more regularly on higher level movements: four tempis, pirouettes, half passes.

6. Keep finding the difference between mediums and extensions.

5. Find more movement (looseness) in my upper back.

4. Keep developing a softer, more inviting contact.

3. Open more through the hip and pelvic floor so that my legs can lengthen. More yoga, anyone?

2. Keep working on developing true collection, with more energy.

1. Listen to the horse.

Do any of these goals resonate with you? What will you work on in 2014?

The #1 Rider Problem of the Year: Pulling to “Frame” A Horse

drift out — Photo Credit: NBanaszak Photography

Each year, I try to pinpoint one essential rider problem that is prevalent with most riders. Two years ago, we discussed the outside rein, last year it was the leg aid and so this year, let's discuss something we all do or have probably done at one point in our riding career.

Admit it! You've probably tried it yourself.

Pull.

Any direction will do, really. Up, down, open rein, closed rein, back to the thigh... we can get creative about it. The main goal is to get that horse to finally give, usually through the jaw, poll and maybe neck area, so that there can be less tension, or pull, or tightness through the head, neck and back. The horse also might level out into a frame that is desirable in your riding discipline.

Most horses do "let go" at some point and emulate softness. The only problem is that while the front end can contort enough to find the release from you, the middle and hind end cannot lie. The back drops or sags, the hind legs shorten stride, the hind end even "camps out" - essentially, the horse travels with a longer back than he might otherwise, precisely because through the act of pulling, we have blocked the energy that is travelling to the front of the horse.

But we do it anyway. (Trust me - been there myself!)

****

"Framing" a horse is one of those essential things we tend to obsess over once we can keep our balance well enough to be able to work on other things. By then, we can "feel" well enough to know that the horse is moving stiffly and with uneven steps. We can feel the tension radiate through the horse from the jaw to the back and into our very core.

Once in a while, the horse loosens up and we discover this tension-free, bouncy-floaty feeling that we know is right, but then, as soon as we turn to look the other way, the horse falls out of that riding heaven. We are left forever after wanting to emulate that feeling in every ride.

So we pull.

But there is another way.

In order to truly "round" a horse - versus "frame" a horse - you want the energy to come over the top line. You want to feel the forward thrust of the hind legs that seems to bolster movement rather than stifle it. You want to let that energy come "through" rather than stop it.

But you can't exactly let it all go either.

Aye, there's the eternal rub.

Regardless of your rein length, and your riding discipline, you can't "drop the connection" if you want to contain energy. Well, unless both you and your horse are at a level of self-carriage that allows you to control your balance with nothing but seat, leg and weight aids.

Let's assume most of us are not at that level.

1. Half-Halt

Start with a half-halt. Use it to prepare your horse for the upcoming "go" aid.

After you half-halt, give just a little. The idea isn't to pull. It's just a chance for you to create a better connection before you send energy forward. Create the space but don't completely drop the horse.

2. Then Go

This is the critical part.

Instead of pulling back and reducing energy, you need to build up controlled energy. You need to bolster, encourage, engage.

Then, you need to ask your horse to do the same.

You might use just a seat aid. Or you might combine both the seat and the leg. Whatever you decide to do, the result should be that your horse steps deeper with the hind legs and responds with a surge of energy that might even give you a small whiplash effect. Be ready for it and go with the horse.

3. How to Round

If you just let everything go, and the horse did in fact energize, then he will either just run faster-faster in the gait, or fall to the forehand or both. Think of a tube of toothpaste as the toothpaste squirts out of the front end.

So to control that energy, and to transfer it over the topline of the horse and encourage the horse to round, you have to do something that will "catch" that energy and recycle it to stay within the horse. This is where a second effective half-halt becomes critical.

At the right moment, you have to say "no" to the go. But it must occur after the initial give and go part.

If your timing is right, you might feel your horse grow underneath you. You might feel him lift up like you imagine an airplane lifts - front end high, hind end low.

You will certainly feel the energy surge and a power you might not be used to.

If you're lucky, you might get a snort from your horse. Then you know you are on the right track for sure!

Finally, you might be surprised to discover that your horse naturally rounds when all the requirements are brought together. Suddenly, and apparently from nowhere, he might soften the jaw, thicken through the neck, round his back (and you will feel like you're floating along on a trampoline-like movement) and step deeper underneath with his hind legs.

And this will happen all at once!

4. Maintain

This last part is something we don't often think about. Once we get "it", we assume that the horse will just stay that way because he loves us so much! 😉

But alas, we discover quickly that if we can't maintain the status quo, the horse's level of ability will quickly diminish to the base level of our riding skills.

To keep the roundness, you have to keep riding forward - with the half-halt, the go and then the no - in a cycle, round and round, over and over.

Then, and only then, will you have true "roundness" and a horse that moves happily, with strength, in a way that will help to keep him sound for years and years.

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.

Next time you go to the barn, give these four steps a try and see what your horse has to say about it. Then, let us know how it went in the comments below.

Buy the book for many more riding tips! 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 the book:

"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.

The Best of Horse Listening in 2013

Kayla Christmas 2013

2013 was a year of exponential growth for Horse Listening. We increased our stats from page views to readership ten times over. More importantly, we enjoyed seeing many more people contributing their thoughts and ideas about the topics being discussed through comments on the blog, on Facebook as well as Twitter.

Readers range from experts in the equine industry to experts in many other fields that have found an interest in learning more about horses. Every riding discipline is represented by people from over 130 countries around the world. Some readers show, some own horses, some ride but don't own and others would like to own. Regardless, we are all lovers of equines and want to do our best for them.

2013 was the first year that HL was eligible for the Equestrian Social Media Awards and we were ecstatic to be awarded "Finalist" (top 10) in the blog category. We received two "Versatile Blogger" awards from readers, and were featured on the "Freshly Pressed" page of WordPress.com for one of our inspirational articles.

For those of you who like numbers: we had a total of 85 718 page views at the conclusion of 2012. To date, we have just surpassed the 800 000 mark. Our average hits per day have increased from 212 in 2012 to 2 025 at the end of November 2013.

With over 60 000 page views on average per month, and new readers subscribing daily to the blog, Horse Listening is trotting into the new year with much to offer and several new projects to be announced! Keep an eye out for our first Horse Listening book, to be available early in 2014!

*****

Wishing you and yours a wonderful holiday and New Year. We are thrilled to be able to reach you to share ideas, thoughts and comments about horses, riding and life in general.

Here are the 2013 Top Ten Articles (ranked by page views):

10. What Being On The Forehand Means to the Horse: The idea here isn't to cause guilt and doom and gloom; instead, we should learn all we can and take steps to avoid known problems.

9. How to Halt Without Pulling on the Reins: Does your horse get offended when you pull on the reins to stop? Does he pin his ears, shake his head, and keep going? Maybe he’s trying to tell you something: stop pulling on the reins!

8. The Night Before Christmas: Although not written by myself, apparently there are many people who enjoy the beauty of the words as much as I do. Here is the this barn version of the poem written by Doris Elradi.

7. 6 Ways to Unleash the Power of Your Riding Seat: As you become more subtle in the aiding process, you will begin to discover just how powerful the seat can be in guiding the horse without disturbing and interfering in his movement.

6. Here's How (and Why) You Should Ride With Bent Elbows: Have you ever watched riders going around the ring with straight, stiff arms?

What have you noticed?

5.Top 10 Ways to Reward Your Horse: How to reward your horse while you are riding. A happy horse is a willing partner, and many horses will give everything they have if they feel your acknowledgement and generosity of spirit.

4. 20 Ways Horse Riding Becomes Life Itself: You could say that horses are our teachers. Not only do we grow in terms of physical ability, but perhaps even more so, we grow in character.

3. Why You Don't Want to Pull on the Inside Rein - and What To Do Instead: We think that by pulling on the horse from the inside, the horse must obviously turn his nose and then follow it. Right?

2. The #1 Problem of the Year: The Outside Rein! The outside rein is the most underused and poorly understood of all the aids, and here’s why.

1. Ten Habits of Competent Riders: This is our most popular post by far. What do great riders have in common that makes them appealing to watch, steadily develop their riding skills and become role models for others to aspire to emulate?

Would You Nominate Horse Listening?

Nominations for the Equestrian Social Media Awards close on December 20, 2013.

If you haven't done so already, would you head over to the following link and click on Section 14 (Blogs) and nominate Horse Listening? We'd love to be included in the best-of-the-best in equine social media!

While you're there, be sure to nominate your other favorite web sites for the other sections as well!

Thank you in advance!

Here is the link: http://www.equestriansocialmediaawards.com/nominations

Why You Must Shoulder-Fore On the Rail and How To Do It

The shoulder-fore is the like the little sibling that always plays second fiddle to the shoulder-in. But don't discount its power.

When left to themselves, most horses will travel crookedly up a line. In fact, they may also be crooked on circles.

On a straight line, they tend to lean outward toward the rail with their front end. So, if you watch a horse go up a rail from behind, you will clearly see the front end traveling on a line closer to the rail, while the hind end drifts somewhat off the rail. There might be a tendency for the horse's head and neck to point outward, away from the direction of travel. So if the horse is going right, the head and neck point left.

Sound familiar? If so, you're not alone. Most horses start life with a stronger side and a weaker side, and if left unchecked, that crookedness can maintain itself or even become more pronounced through riding. So it falls to the rider to become educated and sensitive enough to feel the crookedness - and then correct it over time. As with all other skills, if the horse is ridden in a manner that encourages suppleness and flexion, the horse will overcome the crookedness.

The rider, too, has a significant role in the process. For if the rider just follows the horse's movements, she will also be riding in a way that points her core to the wall, travelling with a crooked seat and imbalanced posture.

What is the shoulder-fore?

Although we often hear about the shoulder-in, we tend to overlook the shoulder-fore as a less worthy exercise. This is far from the truth. The shoulder-fore is easier to learn for both horse and rider and sets them on their way to becoming straighter and more supple.

The shoulder-fore is a movement that positions the horse's shoulders slightly to the inside of the hips. The way you know the horse is "in" shoulder-fore is by looking at the horse's footfalls. Simply put, the horse that has hind footsteps falling into front footsteps is straight. The horse that has the front footsteps landing slightly to the inside of the horse's hind footsteps is travelling in shoulder-fore.

The shoulder-fore requires the horse to "articulate" more with the joints in the hind end, encourages a deeper stride length, and helps the horse balance better, allowing the energy to come over the topline and release the muscles over the back. It is a movement that should be in your riding vocabulary from the beginning to the end of the ride.

How to shoulder-fore:

1. Negotiate a turn or corner in the same manner as usual. Position your body on the bend to the inside, with your seat weighted slightly to the inside, inside leg at the girth, outside leg behind the girth and rein aids following your shoulders toward the turn.

2. Then come out of the turn.

3. But keep the horse on the same mild bend, going straight on the rail.

4. Feel for the horse's shoulders. They should feel slightly off-set to the inside.

At this point, the novice horse tends to want to fall into the middle of the ring, coming off the rail. It is the job of your inside leg, seat bone and rein to keep the horse on the line. Your outside rein can also help to keep the straightness by half-halting to counter the horse's momentum toward the inside. It can also keep the neck fairly straight.

Get a friend to monitor your horse's foot falls and let you know about the angle of the horse's body. She should tell you when you have it right so that you can memorize what it feels like to have straightness in your horse's movements.

Shoulder-fore everywhere!

When you get good at it on the rail, try it off the rail. If you go straight up the ring on the quarter line, you will have enough room to your outside so that you have to really use your outside aids to help maintain the shoulder fore, but not so far that you can't use the rail as a reference point to see and feel the position of the shoulders.

Then try it on center line. It gets harder to feel the angle when there is no wall to gauge your position with. But eventually, you should be able to actually feel the angle of the horse's body regardless of whether or not you have a wall to refer to.

For more shoulder-fore fun, start up the center line with a right shoulder-fore, then as you cross X, switch to a left shoulder-fore.

Finally, give it a try on a circle. At this point, you should be able to identify the shoulder position on a bend. So when you feel that your horse is pointing his shoulders to the outside of the circle, be a responsible rider and bring those shoulders into the shoulder'fore position, even while you are travelling on a bend around the circle.

Results

See what your horse thinks about it. If you get a snort, be happy! If you get a softening of the neck and jaw to the inside, be thrilled. And if you get bouncy-bouncy, rolling gaits (do this in walk, trot and canter) and the feeling that you are spending more time in the air than on the ground, then celebrate!

For helping the horse to release tension, swing through the back, stay straight and energize is the goal of all riding!

*P.S. All the above is also equally relevant to the shoulder-in. But that can be a topic for another time.

Try the shoulder-in during your next ride and let us know how it works for you and your horse.

Buy the book for 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:

- the rider’s aids

- the use of the seat

- the half-halt

- accurate turns and circles

- transitions

- horse ownership and horse care

- goal setting for the rider

- rein lameness

… and much more!

Available as an eBook or paperback.

Please Nominate Horse Listening for a 2014 ESMA!

Nominations opened today for the 2014 Equestrian Social Media Awards!

Now, in their fourth year, the ESMAs are recognized internationally as THE online award for equestrian pursuits. There are many categories – and blogging is just one.

If you have enjoyed the content here on Horse Listening, and come back regularly to read the newest posts, would you consider nominating us in the Blog category?

Click here: http://www.equestriansocialmediaawards.com/nominations and click on Horse Listening in Section 14, the Blog section. You can make up to three nominations for the Blog category, so be sure to support all your favorite writers! But don't stop there! Take a look through the many other categories and nominate other equestrian sites from across the world!

In our second year, Horse Listening has expanded from a fledgling blog to a regularly read, commented on and shared information source. We have continued our original mission of "opening discussion about many and varied topics related to horses, riding, dressage and ultimately, life."

The blog format affords a place for readers to share their knowledge, opinions and words of wisdom along with the topics being presented on the blog. In a way, this blog is becoming a virtual round table of like-minded thinkers who come together regularly to discuss a common theme that is up for discussion. In this manner, people learn, discuss, share and critique in real time, all in the interest of becoming the best we can be for the horses in our lives.

Readers come from many and varied riding backgrounds, styles, countries and professions. There are also a growing number of folks who don't have horses in their lives but are fascinated enough to follow the conversation. Horse Listening boasts readers from over 80 countries around the world, making it a truly international community of horse lovers!

Last year, we were thrilled that Horse Listening was voted as one of the Top Ten ESMA finalists. We'd love to continue receiving your support to achieve a similar goal this year.

New for this year is that there will be two awards per category: one "Judge's Choice" ESMA and one "People's Choice" ESMA. The People's Choice award is 100% decided by the public.

If you are unfamiliar with the ESMAs, here is some information from the site:

The PagePlay Equestrian Social Media Awards (ESMAs) were set up in December 2010 as a way of bringing together the global equestrian community through social media. The ESMAs are now a global affair with finalists representing from each continent!

Judging criteria are as follows:

Judges and members of the public are asked to use the following criteria:

• Innovation – are they thinking outside the box?
• Individual – is their content original?
• Inspiration – are you compelled to act, buy or share?
• Interaction – do they involve fans/followers and encourage discussions?
• Information – is it accurate, interesting and useful to their audience?

Aside from maintaining the blog content in the new year, I will be working on other projects as well. Keep an eye out!

Thank you for your readership, comments and support over the past year. If you do nominate the blog, I thank you in advance for your kindness and consideration.

Kathy

Why A Straight Rein is Not A Bad Rein

short rein length — Photo Credit: NBanaszak Photography

The other day, I saw a post on someone's Facebook timeline. She had posted a video of a horse and rider combination from years past, riding two-tempis. The overall performance of both horse and rider was beautiful! They came across the screen in a seemingly effortless fashion. The horse seemed to float, hardly landing before he was into the next stride. The rider flowed along, balanced, composed and equally effortless.

I was left with the inspiration to try to achieve the same with my horses - even if I I'm not yet ready for two-tempis myself. The overall harmony, connectedness and resultant beauty was something I wanted to aspire toward in any movement.

Then I saw the comments below the video.

Among various threads that were acknowledging the amount of work it takes to develop that level of communication and skill, there was one that harshly criticized the use of reins. According to the commenter, the reins were too short and therefore, too restrictive. A series of replies below continued to scorn at the rider's rein length.

I went back to the video, trying in vain to see for myself what the commenters were seeing. Where was that evil rein that cramped the horse and shortened his stride and threw him off balance?

Try as I might, I could find nothing but huge movement, effortless ease, a height of stride that demonstrated the amount of energy that was flowing through the horse and rider, and an incredible expression of contentment in the horse's eyes and floppy ears. His head and neck moved as needed, his balance was light and uphill and his rhythm was like clockwork.

Then I got to thinking about rein length.

Many people think that pulling a rein is a prerequisite to keeping it short. Many people have explained to me over the years that the reason they are reluctant to keeping a rein "short enough" is that they do not want to hurt the horse in the mouth or do him any harm otherwise.

A short rein does not have to be bad or painful.

I'll tell you why.

Just like all of our other aids, including whips, spurs or even our own voices, a rein can be pleasant or harsh. It isn't the length of the rein that is in question; it is what is at the end of the rein that matters most. Long, loopy reins can be just as harsh as short, pulling reins.

How you use the rein is the essential component of allowing you to judge the "value" (good or bad) of that rein.

The person at the end of that short rein is the one who adds the value to the rein length.

The secret to a kind short rein...

... is the release that occurs in rhythm with the horse's strides and efforts. There is no pulling back, no harsh sudden movements and no intentional jerks in the mouth. The rider has enough of an independent seat that the hands do not have to support the rider's weight with the reins.

The hands (and seat and torso) move with the horse and make small adjustments within the horse's movement, so there is little need for abrupt changes in pressure.

Try this

Next time you are at the barn, get your friend to help you find the feel of a "kind" straight rein.

Take the reins in your hands and let them be the horse. You are the rider. Let her (the horse) take up the other end of the reins, and you can go ahead and shorten the reins until they are straight. Then ask her to put some pressure on the reins - as if, the horse is pulling - left, up, down and generally moving.

You can now do three things.

First, you can brace against the movement of the "horse". You can pull, fight and restrict.

Second, you can let the reins go entirely. Feel the the drop of connection and what it does in the horse's "mouth" (your friend's hands).

Third, you can follow. Keep the reins straight, do not let any length out, but move in tandem with the horse's movements. Release this way through your wrists, elbows, shoulders, lower back, knees, etc. You can imagine how these "releases" happen in a split second when you are on top of the horse's back. In this manner, you can provide the horse as much room and space that he needs to work to his full expression of movement without lengthening or dropping the reins.

The advantage of the short rein is that there is little to take up when you want to communicate with the horse. The short rein allows you to be quick in your requests and responses - from half-halt to flexion.

I am not trying to convince you that riding with short reins is the only way to ride. Far from it. In fact, I think there is a similar art to riding with long, loopy reins à la the western performance style. In both types of riding, the independent seat and rider's ability to stay in tandem with the horse are similarly essential.

So... back to the video. I did see the short reins of the rider, but I also saw an active, confident, forward horse that showed no hesitation or disruption of movement. The horse demonstrated an incredible freedom of movement that simply could not have happened if the reins were interfering in some way.

And if there is one thing you can count on, is that if you can listen to the horse, you will know the answers to all your questions!

What do you think about rein length? Write your comments below.

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Top 5 Reasons Why You Should Ride Horses Like You Downhill Ski

It snowed today.

With winter fast approaching in these parts, my thoughts have naturally fallen to winter sports and activities.

I'm fairly new to downhill skiing. But that didn't hold me back when I first started learning all about conquering the hill. I'll tell you why: because thanks to a fellow rider and skier who took me under her wings, I discovered that there are so many commonalities between skiing down a hill and riding a horse that it was all a breeze once I knew what to do!

The funny part was that after I developed my downhill skiing skills, I got better at riding! (Isn't that always the case - in life?)

If you've ever skied downhill, you too might recognize the parallels between skiing and horseback riding. So, in preparation for the ski season, here are the top 5 ways that you can keep up your riding seat while sliding down a snow-covered hill.

5. Half-Halt Into and Out of the Turns

You might be surprised to realize that you can half-halt the turns as you slalom down a ski hill. Yes, it's true!

We know that half-halts are important to the horse's way of going. We often work to shift the horse's weight back to their haunches before heading into a bend so that we can then allow the energy to come through from the hind end. In this manner, the horse can counter the pulls of gravity because he is straight on the turn.

Imagine my surprise when I learned to "shift my weight back" while carving out a controlled slalom going down the hill! Approach the turn, sit back (half-halt) before the turn, negotiate the turn, then half-halt again coming out of the turn. This way, you can keep your weight on your derriere, balancing against the pull of gravity while keeping your skis fairly light and maneuverable around each turn.

Once I learned to half-halt while skiing, I could be a lot bolder in allowing the energy (pull of gravity) to come through and pick up speed. Through skiing, I was able to witness first hand how a "half" halt is not a full stop - in other words, you have to let the energy through without stopping. It was interesting to actually feel how a half-halt can adjust your center of gravity so that you can prevent a fall "to the forehand."

4. Sit Deep Into the Seat

Yes - you do have a seat in skiing!

"Sitting deep" is a given when you are sliding down an incline at ever-increasing speeds - you would think! As my friend gently explained the reason behind why I was teetering left and right, I had flashbacks to my early riding days when I was still finding my seat in the saddle.

We called it "perching in the saddle". I distinctly remember the disconcerting feeling of always being on top of the horse's movement. The problem with perching is that you aren't a part of the movement. Sometimes, you might be so out of sync with the horse that you might fall, not having a chance to follow the horse's sudden movements precisely because you are not riding "in" the saddle, but on it.

As I sat deeper into my seat, the hill seemed to become significantly more accommodating!

3. Point Your Core to the Direction You Want to Go

We learn this fairly early in our riding careers. If you don't send your "intention" in the direction you want to go, the horse gets mixed messages - one from your hands, one from your seat and legs, and another from your core. The key to being in alignment as a rider is to keep all your appendages together with your trunk.

One message - one direction.

On the ski hill, the direction is fairly simple and uncompromising. You are heading down the hill, from the top to the bottom. Since you are aiming to make it to the bottom (!), you need to keep your core pointed in that direction at all times, regardless of the direction your skis are pointing! I quickly learned that any deviation from the "center" resulted in uncomfortable swaying and loss of balance.

2. Keep Your Knees Loose

In riding, tight knees are the root of much evil! If you grip at the knees, you drive tension into your thighs and seat. You might end up perching out of the saddle. You might lose control of your lower leg. Or you might prevent the horse from fully expressing his movement.

If you can loosen your knees while riding, you can adjust your balance quickly and efficiently. You can wrap your lower legs on your horse's side more effectively, holding on with the whole length of your seat and legs rather than just at the knee joint.

The beauty of maintaining loose knees is that you can have better control over them. Sometimes, you might want to use stronger knees but then alternately, you can release them to follow the horse's movement when needed.

I quickly learned to keep loose knees while skiing. If you don't, your whole body has to absorb the shocks and bounces, and ultimately, you will find yourself kissing the white stuff because of the harsh bounces that threw you off your feet! Trust me on this one!

1. Commit to the Movement

This one is Number One.

Before I skied, I had a hard time explaining "commitment" to my riding students. When the horse travels along the ground, you have to commit your entire body to the movement. Hold back, and you imbalance yourself and the horse. To commit, you just have to flow with the movement: follow, move and simply GO!

However, in riding, you can get away with only minimal commitment. Your horse can often make up for your lack of "go" by literally carrying you along. Although his balance and impulsion might be affected, it is possible for the rider to be completely oblivious of how the horse is compensating for her lack of commitment to the movement.

In skiing - not so much! For if you hold back, you instantly smack your behind to the ground!

And you thus learn to commit.

I am regularly amazed by the commonalities that hold true throughout our many and varied activities in life. It seems that there are some constant "truths" that are always out there - whether riding, skiing, or participating in any other activity.

I'm looking forward to the upcoming ski season, and the lessons the hill will teach me - for horseback riding!

* Thank you J.V. for teaching me to ski through riding!

Do you participate in a sport that helps you become a better horseback rider? Let us know in the comments below!

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

Available as an eBook or paperback.

Check out our custom Horse Listening store!

If you enjoyed the above article, you might also like:

In Praise of the (Horse Riding) Hand: How to develop hands that sing poetry in your horse’s mind!

20 Ways Horse Riding Becomes Life Itself: You could say that horses are our teachers. Not only do we grow in terms of physical ability, but perhaps even more so, we grow in character.

Move to Stay Still on Horseback: How do we begin to look like we’re sitting still, doing nothing on the horse’s back?

The Dynamic Dependency of Horseback Riding: Why is it that riding can become so difficult at times? In riding, nothing can be done in isolation.

When Do You Start Riding Your Horse? This question was being posed to me by a very respected and horse-wise mentor one day long ago, early in my riding development.

Horses. Riding. Life.

Author: Horse Listening

Top Ten New Goals For A New Year

The #1 Rider Problem of the Year: Pulling to “Frame” A Horse

Finally! The Ultimate Rider-Centered Program!

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

The Best of Horse Listening in 2013

Would You Nominate Horse Listening?

Why You Must Shoulder-Fore On the Rail and How To Do It

Finally! The Ultimate Rider-Centered Program!

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

Why A Straight Rein is Not A Bad Rein

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

Top 5 Reasons Why You Should Ride Horses Like You Downhill Ski

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