In a perfect world the horse is connected to us through the reins, meaning that the contact we’ve established on the reins serves as the ultimate communication tool. There is no tension, simply touch and with it the power to execute energy through the horse at a moments notice.
Wondering if you have good timing, good rhythm? Wondering why I am writing something that perhaps has more in common with music than riding a horse? Good question! Riding is so well connected to music and dance, but that connection is so easily forgotten. The way in which we move our body, the timing of [...]
What are the purposes of enclosing the horse’s mouth in Dressage or English riding? The employ of a tightened caveson, or flash, or other arrangement of noseband in the riding of the horse has long been purported as necessary to help the horse accept the pressure on the bit. To help develop the horse’s mouth. [...]
I’ve written about the importance of bend in previous posts, but I would like to once again emphasize its use, as well as expand upon and explore the benefits of correct bend further.
The importance of the half halt is considered bar-none to correct riding, however I think little is emphasized in the use of lateral suppling and it’s effect on the half halt. In my observations of riding, the presence of lateral suppleness maximizes the use of the half halt, while minimizing the pressure needed in [...]
What does it mean to be a weak rider? Is it the inability to hold the correct posture and position in the saddle? Is it the lack of strength in the aids to apply them correctly and productively? What if weak riding were not a bad thing, but a highly sought after reality?
In the scheme of things, to find balance between touch and no touch, to find that weight of a mere 5 grams, seems a simple task. Not seated in the saddle there is no concern over one’s own balance in the saddle. Being connected via a simple rein, touch between the hand and the horse’s [...]
The thought of 5 grams, the weight of a nickel, the weight at which muscles do not resist when pressed. A simple weight, a simple pressure, simple but not easy. To apply a mere 5 grams of pressure with the hand is nearly indistinguishable with no touch at all, it is subtle and short of [...]
In working with our horses, it seems a never-ending goal to ride a light horse and constantly be light with our application of the aids. Lightness, however, has taken on the role of a relative meaning. It has a different image in the mind of each user, it is seen as something solid, tangible, an [...]
