Horse Listening

The Power Of Straightness – And A Checklist

I don't like to get too woo-woo about anything to do with horses and riding, but in a way, if there's something you want to go overboard about, it's straightness.

Straightness is critical to everything that has to do with horses and riding, but really, it's mostly for the horses. Because when the horse isn't straight, he's crooked. Which generally happens all the time, and is often not recognized. If we don't recognize crookedness, how can we even begin to work on straightness?

Now, to be fair, riding truly straight is not as easy as it sounds or looks. There is so much that goes into being straight, that it's yet another one of those things that riders spend their entire lives on: achieving some success, then falling apart, then getting even better, then finding new problems as they get better, and then re-establishing what they had before... it's never-ending. And the better they get, the more there is to learn.

But that's what makes achieving skills such as straightness so great! There's so much to it, until there isn't!

So how is straightness powerful?

Well, that's it, really. Being straight is being powerful.

The energy "goes through" - the power from the hind end can be transmitted all the way to the front end. Crookedness takes the power away.

The weight is evenly balanced - so every limb carries equal(ish) weight. This helps to alleviate stress on any one part of the horse's body, whether it's the shoulders, back, hips, or particular feet.

The straighter the horse, the easier it is for him to reach underneath with the hind legs, which means easier to begin to work on collection.

The body is in alignment, which allows the horse to maintain better balance all around. He will have an easier time with responsiveness.

The straight horse will have an easier time with rhythm and tempo. Both become more deliberate, more intentional.

And suppleness. It sounds counter-intuitive, but the odd thing about straightness is that it helps with left to right flexion and bend. And suppleness helps with straightness.

I'm sure there are at least another hundred benefits to straightness! But I think you're probably getting my point already.

Straightness Checklist

The intention of this checklist is to give you some concrete, practical points to look for when you're actually at the barn and riding. Print it off and take it with you!

While you're working on straightness, these are things you're looking for. Again, there's much more to be said about the topic. This is only a place to begin.

Rider's Position

Weight is even on both seat bones
Shoulders straight (or parallel to the horse's shoulders) - no leaning or collapsing
Head looking in the direction of movement (through the horse's ears), chin level to the ground
Legs evenly draped around the horse
Tall upper body

Rider's Aids

Inside leg to support the inside shoulder from dropping in
Outside leg to support the horse's hips from falling out
Inside rein slightly open for flexion as needed
Outside neck rein or direct rein to keep the horse's outside shoulder "in the body" (no bulging or drifting)
Seat, leg and appropriate rein (inside or outside, but usually outside) used for half-halts

Horse

Impulsion from the hind end (use two legs for go!)
Rib cage straight (not bulging one side or the other)
Shoulders are aligned with the body (not bulging)
Neck is straight (not over bent in one direction)
Head is straight and looking in the direction of movement (no twisting, or one ear lower than the other)
Horse is stepping straight with each step (legs do not deviate off the line)
Horse's hind leg footsteps follow along the same line as the front leg footsteps

Well, I think this should be enough to get you started. Even if you can improve on one area over the next little while, it will help you along your straightness path. For example, maintain your position while keeping the horse step straight with each step. That should take a fair amount of dedication to start with!

Now there is one thing I haven't mentioned yet.

Straightness is not JUST about travelling in a straight line. So you can be straight on a circle. You can be straight on a bend. You can be straight in a movement, like leg yield or walk pirouette. You can even be straight on a half-pass, even while the horse is bent in the direction of movement while travelling diagonally across the ring.

This is because straightness is about the alignment of the horse's (and rider's) body. So even while the horse is bent into a direction, he has to maintain "straight" alignment through the hips, ribs, shoulder, neck and head. If he isn't straight, then he'll have a bulging shoulder, or rib cage, or hips swinging out.

And now you can see how straightness permeates pretty much everything we do with a horse, from the beginning levels all the way up. And the secret is that it's not always necessary to work on trying to straighten single parts of the horse's body. In fact, you want to develop the prerequisites of straightness: rhythm (and tempo), suppleness, connection (and contact), impulsion... all of the basics that are discussed in the dressage Pyramid of Training. The better you get at the basics, the quicker and easier it will be for the horse to move correctly, and eventually, straight.

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Why We Dressage: The Horse

While most people think of the competition ring when they hear the word "dressage," there is so much more to be gained from the system of dressage than originally might meet the eye. I mean, it's only walk, trot and canter (with the occasional lateral movement thrown in), right?

But there is a secret about dressage. Because the focus, especially at the lower levels, is on developing quality movement, there is much to be gained for riders of other disciplines - to learn, and then develop these skills in their horses. Which discipline doesn't want the horse to move as well as it can?

So here are 11 reasons why we dressage the horse.

1. The Path

First off, the dressage "levels" and the training scale give riders a well thought-out path to follow when training their horse. While not everyone aims to learn the exercises and movements in order to compete, the organization of all the skills into levels allows every rider to follow a sequential order of progression, from the very basic to the advanced. It's not all about the horse, either. Rider's skills are also progressively addressed so that the rider can effectively influence (and balance) the horse.

2. Inside Hind Leg

You might hear somewhat of an obsession about the inside hind leg among dressage enthusiasts. There is good reason for this. When we ride a horse in the ring, the inside hind leg carries the balance of the horse. The inside hind leg that can step deeper underneath the horse will always be able to carry the horse and rider's weight better, maintain a better rhythm and tempo, and use the musculature of the horse's body in a way that allows the horse to move stronger with less constraint.

3. Swinging Back

The back is another area of obsession because without a supple and swinging back, the horse will always move in tension and rigidity. Done over the long term, the tightness of the horse's back transfers into every part of the horse's body, and can eventually be the root cause of a variety of lamenesses. And so... we try and try some more to move with the horse, encourage better movement through the back, and allow the energy "through".

4. Rider Education

Dressage isn't all about the horse, of course (well, it is, really). Because if the rider doesn't know how to create these flowing, going movements, even the kindest, most accommodating horse will inevitably suffer. And so in order to dressage the horse, we need to dressage the rider too.

5. Rider Position and Effectiveness

The rider can look "pretty" on the horse, but in order for the horse to look pretty, there must be more than just holding the body in a certain way. And so in dressage, you will get into "the effectiveness of the rider," because without that, the movement will always suffer, even in the most talented horse.

6. Quietness of Aids

One of the most common observations about good dressage riding is that it looks like the rider is doing nothing; the horse is just moving merrily along and the rider moves not an inch! Well, if you know riding at all, you'll know that the quieter the rider looks, the more work she has done to get to that place. We're talking about muscle memory, coordination, balance, timing, and so much more. And it's not really that the rider wants to appear motionless - it's more that the rider wants to become "at one" with the horse - the ultimate place to be!

7. Suppleness

Nowhere will you hear the word "suppleness" more than in the dressage ring. This is because in order for the horse to be able to do anything with ease, he has to learn to flex left and right, and over the top line. This is something that needs to be learned early and then maintained as the horse becomes more fit and educated. All horses, in all disciplines, benefit from suppleness in their work.

8. Transitions

In dressage, we live in transitions! And transitions help the horse with engagement, impulsion, and all the good things that come from reaching deeper underneath the body with the hind legs. Transitions also get the horse and rider tuned into each other, helping to develop better communication and responsiveness between them.

9. Power From The Hind End

You simply can't "dressage" the horse without working on increasing the power of the hind end. The stronger the horse can become in the hind end, the better he will maneuver through his discipline-specific movements.

10. Off The Forehand

The reason we want the horse's hind end to strengthen is so that he can learn to "balance back" - and take some of that weight off the forehand. The fit and balanced horse is much better able to carry the rider. He also puts much less weight on to the front legs and shoulders.

11. Dancing

Finally, this is where the magic happens! Because once all the above areas are developed, the horse and rider will have the skills and relationship to play at will. And this is what riding is all about!

An Easy Way To Start Counter Canter

You're doing great at the canter! Your horse is able to strike off at will, maintain a strong but balanced canter, stay straight and transition down. You can pick and choose which lead you want. You can maintain a steady, even contact in canter, and you can even improve your "connection" by asking the horse to move forward even while in canter!

Just when you think you've finally got it all down, you discover that it's time for something new - the "counter" canter! Since when is it ok to canter in the wrong lead?!

Well, as you likely know, the "wrong" lead and the counter canter are different in two distinct ways.

First, the wrong lead is "wrong" because you asked for the true lead and got the opposite answer! So in fact, it was an incorrect response to possibly incorrect aids.

Second, the wrong lead will likely be imbalanced. The horse possibly drifted to the outside from the shoulder, or from the hip. The body is probably not bent in the direction of the lead. And so the horse is moving along at a choppy three-beat gait, which looks and sounds like a counter canter, but is brought on by lack of strength or balance.

While counter canter and the "wrong" lead are one and the same, the way you arrive to each is the distinguishing factor.

So how can you start riding a counter canter, in a way that doesn't disrupt the horse's balance too much, doesn't put too much mental strain on the horse, and allows for continued forward movement, all at the same time?

The "Loop"

The loop is a standard dressage figure, used often in trot and canter. The trick to the loop is that it starts with one bend, changes to the other bend, and then ends in the original bend - all along one rail length!

You can start the loop in trot first, until you have a good understanding of what you need to do.

In dressage tests, the middle of the loop is placed at X, which requires the horse to do a fairly steep diagonal line (the green dotted line in the image). But when first training the loop, I like to start with the "shallow" loop (pictured here in red), mostly because it does not require as much engagement and left-to-right suppleness.

The midpoint of the shallow loop lands on the quarter line. The shallow path is usually easier for horses or riders that have not tried the loop before. Over time, I make the loop deeper until we can use X as the midpoint.

After you've made progress at the trot, you can start working in the canter. The idea is that you start in the true lead (left lead at F), and travel off the rail toward X, stay in the same lead (counter canter) as you head back to the rail, and finally end up in the original balance at M, heading now toward the short side of the arena.

The relative straightness of the line is the reason why this exercise is a fairly simple way to introduce counter canter. The straightness helps the horse maintain almost the same amount of power in the hind end, and there are only a few strides of actual counter canter before the horse goes back into the true bend.

Now, I just mentioned that you want to change bends in trot when you go over the midpoint of the loop. So if you started with a left bend, you'd switch to the right bend over the midpoint.

In canter, it will be different, because in general, you will stay in a mild left bend to help the horse to keep his left lead through the counter canter section. As you get better at it, you can "approach" straightness, but in general, we stay in the same bend throughout the loop.

The Aids

Because you're essentially just travelling in canter along a series of bends, the aids are common to the turn aids:

Inside leg at the girth (to prevent the shoulders from falling in)

Outside leg behind the girth (to prevent the hips from swinging out)

Inside rein slightly open

Outside neck rein, or direct rein for half-halts and straightening the outside shoulder

Weight is on the inside seat bone

Rider's shoulders are parallel to the horse's shoulders

In The Beginning

When you first start a horse on the loop in canter, you might get two results.

The horse might break stride at the midpoint, where the change of balance occurs. In this case, just balance the trot, and canter again as soon as you can. The next time through, try to ask for more engagement with your outside leg to help keep the horse's outside hind leg active.
The horse might do a flying change at the midpoint. Many horses learn to do flying changes based on balance changes, and this is what the loop will help you to overcome. You want to teach the horse to respond to the aids rather than just switch leads every time he changes direction. So if your horse changes leads, calmly transition to trot, and canter off in the left lead again.

In both cases, consider making your loop even more shallow, like the blue loop in the diagram. This might help your horse stay in better balance and not feel like he has to make that flying change.

Well, there is so much more to say about the counter canter! But this might give you a solid starting point that will help you begin to explore all that there is to learn about canter, and the canter leads. Enjoy!

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By following simple, useful exercises, you will be able to develop a better understanding about many topics including:

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10 Things You Should Never Tell Your Non-Horsey Friends

Want to keep your non-horsey friends?

Then take my advice. Keep most of your horsey habits to yourself, because no matter what you say or how often you try, you won't be able to explain away the things we take for granted once we walk through those barn doors.

Which habits?

There are likely too many to list here, but let's start with the ones below.

You spend more time cleaning your horse and tack and stall and tack box and tacking up than actually ride!

Which may not be a problem if you're like me and enjoy any contact with horses! But really, the Hollywood glamour of riding that steed into the sunset dissolves after a year or two of riding (or even earlier) once you realize all the work that goes into doing anything worth doing with horses!

Every gelding must have regular sheath cleanings!

Never mind getting into the nitty-gritty details of how far your hand goes up the sheath, feeling around for "peanuts", and how you can even talk your wonderful gelding into accepting his spa treatment. All of this is better left unsaid!

You're a dedicated poop inspector.

Well, if you've ever had the misfortune of having had a horse colic (or even watched someone else's horse colic), you know how important the poop patrol can be! In fact, you're likely an expert poop-deciphering detective - but who really needs to know, right?

Your horse matters to you more than your friends.

Well, you really don't want to advertise this around, now, do you? Just because it's true doesn't mean that you should rub it in when hangin' with your fellow humans.

Your horse matters more than your home.

While we're on the topic, let's not forget that it's way more important to clean and organize everything to do with the horse, barn, tack or horse supplies than anything to do with your home. I mean, your home will always be there. So you might as well do what fulfills you first!

You have no issues with eating out of your dirty hands.

Because horse dirt isn't really bad dirt, is it? And after all that work, you're starving! Picking out manure-filled horse feet and then having a sandwich takes more priority than worrying about a little bit of possible bacteria. Do you think they'd understand?

You do your best to not be seen as you stick your hand down your under-clothing!

Because there's hay in there and it scratches! And it happens all the time.

You spend more on your horse's vet bills than your grocery bills.

Well, that goes without saying! You gotta have your priorities straight. Horses first, always.

You can easily lift anything in the 40lb range (feed bags, anyone??).

In general, though, you try not to make a big deal about it. But you sure can be a strong extra hand when needed.

You can, in fact, easily chew gum, tap your head and rub your belly at the same time.

And probably even stand on one leg while you're at it. Because one thing that horse riding does for us is to teach us balance and coordination.

I'm sure you can add lots more to this list. Just post in the comments below!

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

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

"There are many reasons why we enjoy riding horses. Maybe one of the most appealing facets of riding is the sense of freedom: freedom from our own limitations, freedom from gravity, freedom to (literally) roam the Earth. Time stands still while we have the privilege of feeling movement from the back of our four-legged friend. Riding gives us the place to just be.

Of course, there are other purposes too. Some of us revel in the challenge of learning the skills required to becoming a good team member of this unlikely duo. Riding is like no other sport or recreational pursuit simply because of the equine partner that must not only carry us, but also do so effortlessly and gracefully. As we develop our specific skill sets, we also grow as human beings in character, emotional maturity and mental acuity.

But there is one other motivation that drives some of us to persevere in the never-ending learning process that is horseback riding: improving the horse. As your own skills develop, you begin to realize that not only can you meet your own needs through riding, but also that you can even become an instrument of benefit for the horse."

And so begins the book that reflects the most important learning I have had in all of my riding years: that I want to be the best rider I can be for the sake of my horses.

This book is geared toward the rider:

- the rider's motivations

- the essential skills for the rider

- some specific strategies

- solutions to common problems

- and the results: the great horsey moments we get to experience

Along the way, you will find chapters that discuss everything from the seat to the leg aids to the reins, discussions on half-halts, imbalance, halts, straightness and more!

Special in this book are the "In The Ring" sections that give specific suggestions based on the preceding chapters. Take these to the barn to try with your own horse!

Available as an eBook or paperback.

The Three Basic Rein Aids Explained

The Open Rein — Photo Credit: NBanaszak Photography

Have you ever been told to use a rein aid but didn't know what it was or how to use it?

When you're riding (especially in a lesson), there might be little time to explain all the nuances of a particular skill in movement. By the time the instructor explains the details, the horse has already moved from one end of the arena to the other, and likely, a completely different skill is needed by that time!

It can be very helpful to know the different rein aids and how to apply them so that you can respond as quickly as possible in the given situation. Also, it helps to know how to apply the rein aids while riding on your own, so that you use the most useful aid at the best time.

So which rein is which, and why should you use which, when? 🙂

1. Open Rein

This rein is generally the first rein a rider learns to use. It's fairly simple to do and the result is instant, so it's easy to teach and gives the rider a sense of control. It is also the first rein aid to teach a young horse, for basically the same reasons. However, it is a rein aid that can be used right through to the highest levels of riding, exactly because it is a basic rein aid that can help pretty much every movement, no matter how complicated or athletic.

It's simple. Just open the rein by taking it away from the neck. I like to think that it creates a small space between the rein and the neck - say about 1"-3" off the neck. Your elbow stays on the body while the forearm opens to the side.

The open rein is usually used to the inside of the movement (so, if you're tracking right, you use the inside rein) but it can also occasionally be used on the outside to help the outside shoulder move more toward the outside.

Purpose

The open rein is useful for two purposes.

The first is that it turns the horse's head (flexion) and neck in the direction of opening, and thus, the horse generally follows the rein and turns in that direction.

The second, which is more complex, is used with a leg aid. The inside leg applies pressure to ask the horse to shift his weight to the outside by encouraging the horse's inside shoulder to step away, which then creates the open rein biomechanically. This type of open rein is often used to keep flexion while in a leg yield.

2. Direct Rein

The direct rein is exactly as it sounds: direct. With your elbows on your body, hold the rein so that it creates a straight line to the mouth. Then, apply pressure toward your hip on the same side as the hand.

Be sure to NOT pull your elbow back off your body. You don't really want to actually pull the rein back. You just want to create the feeling of the pressure, or contact, often done in conjunction with the rest of the aids.

Purpose

This rein is often used to stop the horse. When you apply even pressure on both reins, the horse should respond by slowing or stopping the legs, depending on how you use the rest of your aids (legs, weight, back).

It is also used for the infamous half-halt. So while you are using the "resist" action in the lower back for the half-halt, the reins are used with a direct action (toward the hips) to support the half-halt.

A single direct rein on the inside can also be the creator of "flexion", which is when the horse turns his head just enough that you can see the corner of the eye looking in the direction of the movement.

3. Neck Rein

The neck rein can be confusing until you have a really good understanding of what it does and how to apply it.

This rein is placed on the outside of the neck. The horse feels the rein, and steps away from it. So for example, the left rein placed literally on the left side of the neck causes the horse to move right.

This rein is always used on the outside of the neck, on the opposite side of the movement.

Purpose

The neck rein is a very powerful rein.

It acts as the initiator of the turn: left rein on the neck means turn right.

It can also stop the outside shoulder from drifting out. This can be especially useful when a horse "bulges" the outside shoulder and drifts out or steps away from the intended direction.

In a similar manner, it can also straighten the horse's body by encouraging the outside shoulder to stay "in the body" rather than bulging outward.

OK.

There are, of course, other rein aids that are taught for different purposes. But it helps a lot to know these three basic rein aids because you can build on these as you become more experienced and subtle in your skills.

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

From Horse Listening, The Book:

Riding gives us the place to just be.

And so begins the book that reflects the most important learning I have had in all of my riding years: that I want to be the best rider I can be for the sake of my horses.

This book is geared toward the rider:

- the rider's motivations

- the essential skills for the rider

- some specific strategies

- solutions to common problems

- and the results: the great horsey moments we get to experience

Along the way, you will find chapters that discuss everything from the seat to the leg aids to the reins, discussions on half-halts, imbalance, halts, straightness and more!

Special in this book are the "In The Ring" sections that give specific suggestions based on the preceding chapters. Take these to the barn to try with your own horse!

Available as an eBook or paperback.

5 Ways to A Spook – And What To Do When It Happens

Let's take a riding break and do a little analysis for a moment.

What happens during the spook? It helps to examine how the horse spooks, so that we can have a plan.

Keep in mind that all these training tips should ideally be done when the horse isn't spooking, so that he is calm, cool and able to respond and learn. Then when the spook situation happens, you will be relying on all that good practice to come through even while the horse is emotional.

1. Stopping every other stride

This one is a classic. The horse sees something from the corner of his eye, and he stops. Takes a long look. Then... it's hard to know what's going to happen. Maybe a lurch forward to another stop. Or maybe a deek sideways away from the offending object.

In this case, you have to teach the horse to move forward - under all (most?) circumstances. Practice getting a strong response to your leg aids in areas that are not threatening to your horse. Then it would help if you can anticipate the spook, and before he stops his feet, urge him onward.

You might want to bend him away from the scary object, so that he looks to a calmer space in the arena rather that to the scary places. But you want to teach the horse to "leak" his energy out forward, through the reins, straight ahead. (Remember the old "keep the horse between your reins and your legs"? This is when it's really helpful!)

2. "Running" through the reins

We call it running when the horse goes faster faster, or even if the horse stays at one speed but doesn't stop when the rider applies the aids. The horse might go straight, but it also happens sideways - as in, drifting out or falling in through the shoulders.

In this case, the horse doesn't stop and does the opposite: keeps those legs moving and going until he gets as far as possible away from the scary object. This can be as disconcerting as the horse that stops hard, because you have to not only stay with the horse, but ride through imbalances and sudden changes of direction.

This problem can be improved by training your horse to respond to your rein and leg aids. Calm the horse down (maybe walk when he wants to trot), keep him "underpower" (for example, jog even if you would normally trot), maintain the same rein length (don't let the rein get longer during the melee), maintain consistent aids. You have to be that ultimate active rider to make a difference.

It's important that you do this training when the horse is calm and able to learn. It might take numerous repetitions until your horse responds to your leg and rein aids "automatically" (without thinking). Once that happens, you might find that the horse is much more responsive even in high fear situations.

3. Always spooks in that one area

Some horses get scared in a certain area, or under certain conditions, and then seem to behave the exact same way every time they pass that area or are exposed to the same conditions. It's almost like they learned to spook once, and so they do it again and again regardless of the (lack of) gravity of the situation. As we know, horses have very long memories - especially of bad events!

In this case, try to ease their fear (or reactivity) by working close to that area (or under those conditions), but not so close that the horse wants to spook.

So let's say there's a corner that your horse always wants to avoid, at all costs. Don't take the horse there. In fact, do the opposite! Show your horse that he can trust you by working as near to the area as you can without making him anxious. So stay in a comfort zone area, but do keep riding and working.

Then slowly, work closer and closer to and through the corner (don't actually point him into the scary spot). Let your horse be your guide. If he becomes more agitated, go a little further away. Keep him where he is responsive and breathing and able to be calm. Then one time, drift a little closer to the scary corner and see how it goes.

It might take a month or longer to gain your horse's responsiveness and trust, especially if he has completely blueprinted the spook in that area. But each time he feels calmer about the scary situation, you have made progress.

4. Bends toward the scary object

This is sort of like #2, because while the horse bends all the way around to see the object, he is also dropping the opposite shoulder and getting ready to move in that direction. It can become a vicious cycle: the horse looks at the scary object, moves away, looks again, moves away more....

Like #2, your job will be to anticipate the coming spook and work on getting the horse to bend away from the scary object. Keep the horse moving, keep the shoulders "in the body" and bend away from the object. Once the horse can take his eyes off the object, he might settle down and know that he is safe with you as the rider. The key here is to build understanding and responsiveness under calm conditions, and then develop the same during the spook.

5. YOU spooking!

I had to add this one too. So many times, we become ingrained in our own behavior when we think the horse is about to spook. If it's happened to you time and again, your body takes over and begins to anticipate the spook by "assuming the position", so to speak.

You think the horse is going to run, or turn toward the object. You lean forward, or even turn to the object yourself! Then the horse REALLY thinks he has something to be afraid of!

This is where self-awareness comes in (and possibly lessons too). If you can feel your body tightening, or maybe starting to point to the spook object, you can change what you're about to do. Loosen through your joints on purpose. Turn you core completely away from the object. Use your inside leg to prevent the horse from falling in. Count 1-2-1-2 (like I do) and focus on each and every step.

Self-awareness, and then self-control, go a long way to teaching your horse that there is nothing to be worried about. If your body stays calm and contained, there's a much better chance that your horse will mirror you!

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

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.

Practice Sessions Registration Is Now Open!

Imagine a whiteboard video that shows you a carefully planned series of figures that, together, help to develop specific horse and rider skills.

Imagine that these videos clearly explain the aids, the strategies, as well as goals and results that you are looking for.

View them anytime, as often as you want, and print off the accompanying by PDF "Cheat Sheets" so you can take them with you to the barn.

Could you ask for anything more? Well, yes!

Introductory pricing is now available - only until July 15, 2018.

Click here to read more about the Horse Listening Practice Sessions.

4 Reasons Why We Post In Trot

posting trot — Photo Credit: NBanaszak Photography

Probably one of the first things you learn in your riding lessons is to post the trot. Initially, it might take some work and muscle memory to be able to move within the horse's trot strides, but in time, posting will become second nature and a skill you may use for years on different horses in different riding styles and events.

In fact, you might get to a point where you don't remember exactly why you're posting, only that you know you are comfortable, your horse is comfortable, and you are able to be effective and efficient within the trot gait.

While the posting makes the trot easier on the rider and the horse, there are actually other, more complicated purposes that might add a completely new dimension to how you can use the posting trot to help you become a more effective rider.

Rider's Balance

Once you have figured out the rhythm of the trot, and developed some of the muscles needed to support the forward/back movement of the post, you might get into a nice groove that allows you to post relatively efficiently and comfortably within your horse's tempo.

The horse's movement prompts you and you can stay in balance fairly easily and move with the horse as needed. Posting is especially helpful if your horse has very large movement or if the trot is very bouncy, which makes it difficult for you to sit for more than a few strides. In this case, rising can save both you and your horse's back!

Even after you learn to sit the trot, you might often go back to the posting trot just to re-establish balance and posture. The forward phase can help you improve your shoulder and hip alignment, and remember to bring the shoulder blades together at the top of the rise. The sit phase can help you establish a deeper seat as the seat bones rest into the saddle.

Energize The Movement

You can use the posting trot to encourage your horse to step forward, thereby creating more impulsion and a larger hind end stride.

Some riders tend to hold the horse back while sitting the trot, possibly because they are tight through the back or simply can't move large enough to allow the horse enough freedom in the movement. Posting helps you move forward in the saddle enough to release that lower back and allow the horse to move forward with more energy.

If you work within the rhythm of the stride, you can actually encourage the horse to energize by sending your own energy forward to the front of the saddle while in the forward phase. The horse invariably feels the energy surge and attempts to match it.

Free The Horse's Back

There are many reasons why riders might want to post in order to simply take our weight off the horse's back.

If you do long distance trail riding, you might spend considerable time in the trot. Posting trot is often the choice of riders who want their horses to move strong and fast and not have to bear the weight of the rider long term. Posting will also save the rider's back, which in turn will help the horse because the rider can be more comfortable for longer periods of time.

Even if you ride in the ring, you might want to intersperse sitting trot with posting trot for similar reasons. So after a session of sitting trot work, you might want to post just to allow the horse's back to move without your weight for a period of time.

Timing

Well, posting trot is all about timing, really.

At first, you might learn how to match our forward phase to the outside shoulder (so that the inside hind leg is free to reach further underneath the body). That takes considerable timing for the inexperienced rider.

Then you learn that you can influence the horse's tempo with your own posting tempo. Go slower, and the horse will slow down in the gait. Go faster, and the horse will match your tempo. This becomes key when you want to slow the gait but keep the strides as large as possible, and develop hind end and top line muscles through tempo exercises.

Finally, 1-2 rhythm of the posting trot can help you establish rhythmical aids. For example, in leg yield, you might want to apply the leg aid as the horse is getting ready to lift the inside hind leg (and outside front leg). So you can squeeze with the calf as you post forward so that you coincide the aid just as the diagonal pair of legs come off the ground to move - forward and sideways, in this case.

So, you see that there is more to the posting trot than first meets the eye! Use it with understanding and good feel and you will find it to be a very useful skill in all your riding endeavors!

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4 Reasons Why We Post In Trot

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