Don't Fall Out - Get Even!

If your horse falls in or out do you bend him to the outside? Many riders do. In fact some seem to spend more time ‘flexing’ than they do riding forward. It works, of course, but why? It’s all to do with your contact on the outside rein – or lack of it. You take it up to flex him, balance out your contact and straighten him up. So if you’d had an even contact to start with … you get the idea.

Unlike you your horse doesn’t have a collar bone. His shoulders can go in two directions at the same time. Whatever you do with your hands he’ll do with his shoulders. Allow your hands to drift apart and so will his shoulders. 

Wherever your hands point your horse will go. Things get complicated if they point in different directions. If your left hand is ‘pointing’ to the inside but your right hand is pointing straight on that’s what he’ll do. His inside shoulder goes left but his outside shoulder (and the rest of his body) goes straight on.

If your hands are together but your rein contact is uneven it has a similar effect on your horse. If the pressure is stronger on your inside rein he’ll lean towards it. His outside shoulder has nothing to bring it round so it carries on up the track. Eventually it has to turn but by then it’s too late. In a dressage test it’s a 4. In a round of jumps it’s probably 4 faults.

If your horse falls in he turns inside the line you want him to take. It’s caused by an uneven rein contact (a stronger inside rein) or by moving your inside hand to the inside. Turn your body to show him where you want him to go. Keep your contact even in both reins. Turn his shoulders before you turn his head by moving both hands together not by putting pressure on the inside rein.

If your horse falls out his head and neck turn before his outside shoulder. He takes a wider line than you wanted. It won’t matter how much outside leg you use – if you haven’t got a contact in your outside rein he’ll still fall out.

It can seem illogical keeping hold of a rein you want your horse to move away from but think of your reins as a pair of tram lines that keep your horse’s shoulders together. Keep his shoulders between those lines and whether you want an accurate turn, a square halt or a shoulder in you’ll have a much better chance of getting it.

Don’t use your hands to make corrections to your horse’s body or quarters. Use both legs. The more forward he is the straighter he’ll be. Increase the pressure from your outside leg if he doesn’t leave the track when you ask. If he tries to cut the corner a sharp nudge with your inside heel should pick him back up again.

Practise in walk and trot on a figure of eight. Use the two long diagonals rather than two circles. The two ends of the figure of eight are half circles but forget about asking for an inside bend. Focus on keeping an even amount of weight in both reins and pushing your horse forward to it from both legs.

As you reach a corner marker turn your body towards the marker at the end of the diagonal. Your horse will copy what you do and turn. Your contact shouldn’t change. Make a conscious effort to close your fingers around your outside rein as you leave the track.

The second your horse turns onto the diagonal straighten your body and hands to straighten him. Squeeze both reins to tell him to stop turning and push forward. And don’t get any ideas about lengthening his strides! Get him back on his hocks and into your hand. Leave the medium for another day.

As you reach the other side don’t do anything. The diagonal naturally takes him onto the new rein. Hold your contact and push him forward. He’ll go into your hand and – more importantly – his shoulders will turn onto the track together.

In canter ride half 10m circles between the ¾ and ¼ lines. With a younger horse ride half 15m circles from the track to the ¾ line. The lack of track or fence will make you aware of his shoulders and straightness.

As you start the half circles focus on holding both reins. Turn your body onto the line you want to take bringing your hands round in front of you.  And look where you want to go! There is no better way of getting somewhere than looking at it.

Keep your horse’s head and neck straight in front of you until you’re sure you have total control of both sides. When you do introduce an inside bend do it by increasing the pressure from your inside leg NOT by increasing the pressure on your rein.

Many schooling problems are caused by lack of control of the shoulders. When things go wrong don’t panic. Forgetting about bend and getting your horse straight isn’t a backward step. It’s a giant leap forward towards a far more exciting level of riding.

Good luck and enjoy your schooling. 

Finesse or Anticipation?

There is nothing more frustrating than a horse that anticipates your every move. Does your horse: jog the minute you take up your reins in walk? Canter if your seat stays in the saddle for more than two strides in trot? Drop down into trot from canter if you so much as move in the saddle or on the reins? If he does then there’s a strong chance that what you’re doing to avoid the problem is probably making it worse.

The trouble with anticipation is your horse isn’t actually listening to what you’re saying. At first he’s just trying to do as you ask before you’ve asked. The problem is as he happily bounces off into canter before you’ve had a chance to put your leg on he’s failed to realise that you were actually going to ask for counter canter – or even walk! Whilst you don’t want to crush his enthusiasm wouldn’t it be nice if you could get him to wait before he jumped in feet first?

That initial enthusiasm soon becomes tension as you try your hardest to ‘sneak up on him’. In walk you shuffle your fingers up the reins, in trot you sit for half a stride and bang your leg on before he has a chance to go and in canter every move you make is preceded with a hearty squeeze to keep him going. Sound familiar?

It’s easy to think your horse is over confident the way he plunges head first into everything before he’s asked but what he really needs is for you to slow down and make things clearer so he starts to really listen to what you have to say. The more you try to avoid things the more confused he becomes. And that always causes tension.

The clearer your aids are the easier it will be for your horse to understand you. Check out this post - http://schoolyourhorse.blogspot.com/2011/01/riding-perfect-canter-transition.html before you try these exercises so you’re absolutely clear how to use both legs in your canter aid.

Check out - http://schoolyourhorse.blogspot.com/2010/12/other-way-of-stopping.html for ways to slow down without depending on your reins.

Your legs are there to ask for changes in pace and more energy not just to keep him going. Check this out if you’re using your leg more than you should - http://schoolyourhorse.blogspot.com/2010/12/lazy-rider.html

Use a 20m circle at E/B. Your horse will have to pay more attention to you because he doesn’t have the fence to guide him. In any pace ride a spiral into the centre of the circle so you finish with a 10m circle in the middle before you spiral back out again.

This spiral will keep your horse focused because it’s something different and the tight curve will mean he has to use his hocks. When he concentrates he’ll start to relax. The spiral is the main part of this exercise. Don’t come off it for the rest of the session. On it you can work between all three paces.

It’s important that you ride a true line NOT a leg yield in or out. You may find your horse tries to drift out to the bigger circle. Keep your hands together and the contact even in both reins to keep his shoulders together as one unit and straight in front of you. Use both legs in their usual place - putting your outside leg back won’t stop a horse drifting out – driving his quarters behind his shoulders will.

For this exercise your trot work should be done in sitting trot. This is really important because it will allow your horse to relax and stop thinking you’re about to ask for canter. There’s only one way to learn to sit well and that’s to keep doing it – and relax. The longer you trot the more your muscles will relax and stop bracing against the movement. Practice really does make perfect.

Once your horse has accepted the fact sitting trot doesn’t automatically mean canter – or walk you can start to introduce transitions between the paces. Take your time. Don’t spring anything on him suddenly. Make clear movements and be firm with your leg. Remember the firmer and clearer you are the more control you’ll have.

The tightness of the spiral will maintain your canter for you. Aim to canter into the middle and back out again at least three times so it’s continuous. That allows your horse to settle and get his balance. Make sure you sit up and ride forward with both legs to a steady contact to help him keep his weight back on his hocks.

Check out this post - http://schoolyourhorse.blogspot.com/2011/10/pull-up-to-ride-forward.html There are some easy tips on how to change your position to help him.

Practice walking on a long rein and taking them up again in one fluent movement. Check this out -http://schoolyourhorse.blogspot.com/2011/08/free-walk-on-long-rein-not-off-it.html There’s absolutely no benefit to you or your horse in shuffling your fingers up the reins. Lean forward take the contact on the outside rein and then take up the inside rein – all within two strides and then you’re settled again. Keep your legs on and don’t back off if he jogs. The answer is to take your reins up quickly and get your weight in the saddle as soon as you can – not to do it so he doesn’t feel it!

All these problems can be resolved if you stop avoiding them. Your horse can feel a fly landing on his back so there’s no chance of you ever being able to do something that he can’t feel! Make your movements clear and confident. Let him really hear what you have to say and then he’ll be able to listen.

Good luck and enjoy your schooling.

Use Your Head to Warm Up

Most horses vary a little from one session to the next but some are worse than others Is your horse different every time you get on? Ever thought it might be you?

You may think your warm up is a means to an end – the boring but necessary bit at the start of a session – but there’s more to it than that. The way you start every session sets the standard for your horse. It tells him how you’re feeling and what you’re going to accept. If you change your mind each time you ride how can he behave in exactly the same way?

It’s important to get warmed up properly especially at this time of year. Not only do you want to get your horse’s muscles stretched and loosened up you really do need to warm him up. A cold horse (or rider) can’t possibly concentrate or work correctly.

There’s a great warm up routine here - http://schoolyourhorse.blogspot.com/2010/12/warming-up.html

It gives you a set plan you can use every time you ride in the school. A nervous horse will settle quicker if you use the same routine. This means you won’t waste time trying to get him settled. Having a set pattern allows you to concentrate on what really matters – riding your horse forward into a steady hand.

Do you usually allow your horse time to trot round on a long or a loose rein? Why? The warm up is a time to generate energy. You want to get his hocks underneath him so he can drive himself forward. If there’s no contact the energy has nowhere to go – his strides will be flat and he’ll fall onto his shoulders.

Ideally you want to use all three paces. No one pace is more important than the next. Trot is the pace most riders spend hours in but don’t! Horses find it easier to set themselves in trot. It’s the only pace in which they keep their head and neck still.

Canter uses muscles forward and over your horse’s back. The head nod makes it harder for him to set himself which explains why most horses feel better after a canter. Older, stiffer horses respond well to a period of canter at the start of a session.

However - sometimes canter is the last thing you want to do. Does it worry you? If it does it can spoil the whole session. Your horse will feel your tension and that won’t make it any easier. If canter worries you don’t do it. Replace the canter section in the warm up with walk. A good, active walk will get his muscles moving and it will do wonders for your confidence. It’s your hobby – make sure you enjoy it!

Tempting as it can be to get the canter out of the way with a young horse be patient. Give him a chance to relax and find his balance. The most important part of the warm up is getting his attention. Replace the canter section with transitions between walk and trot. Ride a set number of strides in each pace. Start with 20 and whittle it down to five. It’s enough to make him concentrate but not too difficult to upset him.

At a show everything changes. Warming up can often be more stressful than the actual class. Often you’re inside in a standard arena. Don’t be put off by other people. There are always going to be better riders than you – maybe your local professional. Don’t worry. They’ll be far too busy remembering what test they’re doing on which horse to be worried about you!

You have every right to be in the warm up arena but stick to the rules. Do that and most people will forgive you the odd mistake. Remember to pass left to left and move to the inside if someone is on the same rein as you but in a faster pace.  Looking where you’re going is a must! Don’t get in someone’s way just because you’re looking at the floor. THAT you won’t be forgiven for.

If you move up a level you could share the warm up with riders doing lateral movements. It can be unsettling but don’t panic. Look up and watch what’s going on. If it’s obvious someone is coming straight up the track in travers do the gracious thing and circle away – don’t hang onto the track because the rules say pass left to left!

Don’t make the mistake of trying to practise your test at the show. You don’t need to.  Get your horse going forward from your leg, working into both reins and moving straight. Use transitions - they’re important. Have you ever counted how many you ride in a test? A lot more than the serpentines or circles you have to do. They’ll get your horse on his hocks and that can only improve your score.

If you’re nervous about cantering amongst so many horses wait until you’re riding around the arena waiting for the bell. It is allowed and it will be far better for your horse than a short flurry of tense strides in the warm up.

Whether you’re at a show or at home your horse will benefit from consistency. Have a warm up plan and stick to it. Stay calm, avoid nervous situations and use your head. Keep things simple and the problems always take care of themselves.

Good luck and enjoy your schooling.

Ride Forward not Back

Does the thought of winter schooling fill you with dread? Don’t let it! Winter is the best time for you and your horse to brush up on your schooling and iron out some of those problems you’ve been having.

If your horse is forward going he’s not always an easy ride. As he gets warmed up does he start to lean more and more on your hand? Does he speed up every time you put your leg on? Or set his neck and trot off down the long side regardless of what you may be doing on top? There’s a reason for this. Strange as it may sound he’s not really moving forward.

It’s easy to think because your horse is taking you round the school at speed that he’s working hard but it’s not always the case. Whether he’s hollow and tense or leaning on the bit expecting you to carry him the cause is the same. He’s not using his hocks correctly. There’s only one way to get him to do that. Although every bone in your body will be screaming “Stop!” you need to ride forward not back.

Of course there’s little point in trotting round and round the ménage pushing him on. You’ll only end up pulling to slow him down and that never works. Your horse will always be stronger than you. You need something which makes him slow himself down. How? Try this –

Corners are the rider’s best friend. Use them to your advantage and you’ll find your horse will be transformed within a few sessions. Not only can you ride corners around the school you can square up figures of eight, circles and serpentines. There’s nothing quite like a corner to either back off a tanking horse (or engage a lazy one).

Start by riding large round the school in walk. Your aim is to ride directly at the fence until your horse turns. Push forward with both legs in their usual place and hold your contact but don’t pull back. Don’t even think about taking a check. That’s his job.

When he finds the fence in front of him your horse will back off. In doing so he’ll sit back on his hocks. Enjoy that feeling because now you actually need to put your legs on! Ride forward into a steady contact but keep your body facing the front. If he stops in front of it your contact is too tight or you haven’t pushed on hard enough.

In a normal turn you’d encourage your horse to turn by turning your body but with this exercise you want him to hesitate – to sit back on his hocks rather than flow forward round the turn. Don’t turn your body or even look round the corner until he moves. Then turn with him.

Move on into trot and canter in exactly the same way. Ride forward at the fence, keeping the contact even. Often riders focus on inside bend and the outside rein gets forgotten about. In this exercise it’s more important to have the outside than the inside. Your sole job is to ride him at the fence in front of you. Dare him to jump it!

From start to finish your schooling session should focus on the corners. When you change the rein use the centre line or EXB so you have straight lines and corners. Avoid long diagonals where corners may unintentionally get cut off.

A turn from E to B or A to C is different. You don’t have the fence to ride at. Practise in walk. Your hands become the fence by tightening around the reins so your horse knows you don’t want him to go forward. Close your thighs around him as if you’re asking him to slow down but use your lower leg to keep him going forward. As his shoulders draw level with the marker take both hands across to the inside and push hard with your outside leg. (Your outside hand should be above his crest)  When he gets onto the line you want ‘catch’ him with your inside leg and ride forward.

Put these two styles of cornering together by riding 20m squares or three and four loop serpentines. Run through them in walk so you’re sure what you’re doing and then move on into trot and canter. Make yourself ride him forward and any time you have the fence ahead of you use it! The more chances you have to make him slow himself down the better. It’s moments like those which allow you to get your leg on. Until you can do that it’s impossible for you to push his hocks under his body.

This is something you can always go back to if your horse starts to get strong in the future. If you stay calm it’s guaranteed to get him back on his hocks and allow you to get your leg on. When the penny drops it’s a great feeling. Instead of a frantic charge round the school you’ll have a horse that is not only going at half the speed he’ll be lighter on his shoulders and in your hand too. Once he accepts your leg you’ll find everything so much easier and all because you rode him forward not backwards.

Good luck and enjoy your schooling.

Blow Away Your Winter Blues

Your horse’s temperament will define how best to school him. He’s likely to fall into one of two categories. Is he a hare or a tortoise?

Every rider has their preference. Some like to kick on. It can be nice to feel nothing’s going to happen if you don’t ask for it. Others, however, veer away from the ‘keeps-you-fit’ equine. They’d rather sit still and have a horse that’s raring to go at all times. When it comes to schooling each type responds to a completely different approach. One horse’s entertainment can be another’s worst nightmare.

Energetically challenged? Check out - http://schoolyourhorse.blogspot.com/2010/12/lazy-rider.html

Adrenalin Junkie? Check out – http://schoolyourhorse.blogspot.com/2010/12/other-way-of-stopping.html

So with that in mind are you looking for something to get you through the dark nights of winter? Winter offers little respite from the school during the week. Don’t be a martyr to the cause. A couple of nights schooling is more than enough for any horse. He won’t lose fitness overnight. Two good workmanlike sessions midweek are far more beneficial than riding every night and achieving nothing.

Whatever your horse’s temperament if you’re just looking for something to do check out this page - http://schoolyourhorse.blogspot.com/p/looking-for-something-to-do.html

Tortoise training

The lazy horse requires inspiration. He needs you to get on board every time with enough energy for the pair of you. Everything you do or ask has to be the most exciting thing you’ve ever asked for. BUT your legs should only rest lightly against his sides at all times so he knows you’re there - they should never kick. Do that and he’ll switch off as quickly as you would if someone droned on and on about nothing.

The perfect type of schooling exercises for this type of horse are short, quick bursts of speed or energy. Quick transitions and turns. Serpentines in canter with changes of leg through trot or walk over the centre line. Halt to trot transitions across the school. Halt to canter even. Anything that makes him sit up and listen, get his hocks under his body and inspires him. Even the laziest horse will respond if you’re prepared to meet him halfway. Supply the enthusiasm and you’ll be surprised how much he gives back.

For your own sake remember to take several short breaks to get your breath back. Never allow him to rest for a moment though. Walk on a long rein using regular taps with the whip to maintain his energy. A forward walk can be as motivating for him as a canter – and for you it’s a chance to recharge the batteries.

Taming the Hare

The adrenalin junkie is a different ball game completely. Assuming he’s just sharp – not naughty – you need to be his calming influence. Anything you can do to show him life is dull will help your schooling. Allow this type of horse to switch off and before you know it you’ll have a horse you can get your leg on.

Sharp horses need repetition. Too many sudden changes will only get your horse more excited. Never think a ‘good canter or blast’ will calm him down. It’s the last thing you need to do. He has enough trouble getting rid of pent up adrenalin without making more!

The perfect exercise for this type of horse requires patience. Stick your self on a 20m circle and either change pace or change shape but never both at the same time. That will be too much for his active brain to cope with. Try trotting 20m circles followed by 15m and 10m and back out again. Do that for twenty minutes without changing anything other than the circle size and without even thinking about it you’ll find yourself pushing him forward.

To a sharp horse your leg should be a comfort not a shock. It’s there to ‘hold his hand’ not surprise him. Take your leg off because you think it’s exciting him and he’ll get such a shock when you do put it on that he’ll be off down the school before you can say ‘steady’.

A ‘sharp-naughty’ horse needs something between the two. The most important thing with him is to keep him away from straight lines and too much repetition. He needs to be kept busy without the addition of excitement. This isn’t too difficult to do. Ride serpentines, changes of rein and figures of eight in one pace. Every time you feel him tighten ride a turn across the school or a small circle. Keep his brain full of your ideas and stop him filling it with ones of his own.

Winter is right here now and it’s important to keep yourself inspired. Understanding your horse’s temperament and schooling needs will get you halfway there. Your consistency will do the rest. Never school if you’re in a foul mood. It’s better for both of you if you take the night off. You’ll only spoil things and get off feeling guilty.

When it’s cold, dark and miserable out there it’s important not to lose sight of the reason you’re doing this. It’s your hobby and it’s supposed to be fun! Don’t pressure yourself or your horse into doing anything you don’t want to do. It won’t help you and it certainly won’t do anything for him either.

Good luck and enjoy your schooling.

Pull Up to Ride Forward

How often are you told to sit up, look up or get your shoulders back? Aren’t you just a bit fed up with constantly having to readjust your position? Imagine how your horse feels! Your position affects everything he does. The more balanced you are the better.

When you’re told to sit up what do you actually do? Lean back a bit? In doing so your back probably rounds leaving your shoulders forward. Then you’re told to stick your shoulders back. You do but your head stays where it is.  Your chin sticks out and you end up looking at the ground a few strides ahead of your horse. Sound familiar?

Instead of thinking ‘lean back’ think ‘pull up’. Pull up through your whole body. Imagine you’re trying to pull your vertebrae away from each other. Pull the bottom of your rib cage out and forward and take a deep breath in. Now feel where your shoulders and head are in relation to your hips. They should be directly above them. For your horse this is perfect. He can carry you easily because you’re in balance.

But you’re not done yet! Now you have to lean back to the point when you feel your weight at the back of your head. Try it while you’re sitting reading this. Allow your arms to drop down by your sides. Where do your elbows go? Down next to your sides. In the shoulders forward position your arms stiffen and your elbows tighten. If your reins get too long you end up sticking your elbows out and rounding your wrists.

There’s another wonderful thing about the ‘pull up’ method. You look up! As you lean back your head and shoulders go with you. Instead of leaving your head where it was and ending up looking at the floor your head tips back and you’ll find yourself looking down the track about 20m further ahead. It’s a feeling you’ll quickly get used to as you realise when you’re looking ahead you can plan ahead.

When you next ride your horse pull up through your body before you even move off into walk. He won’t recognise you. Don’t forget to lean backwards. The chances are you’ll feel as if you’re leaning too far back but you won’t be. Get a friend to take a picture of you or put your phone on video mode and prop it up on a fence post so you can see yourself. You’ll be surprised to find that you’re only sitting up straight.

Try walking round the school. Pull up through your body and feel what happens in your seat. Firstly your hips will swing with your horse without you having to make them. Secondly – and more importantly - they’ll push forward ahead of your shoulders when your horse pushes his hind legs under his body.  

Practice trotting circles and serpentines while you’re in this position. Before you ask your horse to turn pull up through your body first, let your hips move in front of your shoulders. Think of it as an aid which is guaranteed to sit him back on his hocks.

Canter large round the school and focus on leaning as far back as you can. Feel the difference in your lower back and seat when your hips move ahead of your shoulders. Don’t allow your body to collapse. Pull up and look up and your horse’s back will come up under the saddle which in turn brings his hocks further under his body.

Play with some transitions on the centre line. Ask for trot to walk transitions as you go through X. Pull up through your body as you ask and concentrate on allowing your hips to move in front of your shoulders as your horse walks.

It may seem strange asking for an upwards transition just before a turn but your horse knows the turn is coming. It won’t come as a surprise to him! From an active walk ask for trot at D/G. Pull up, ride forward and don’t pull back. The tight turn will increase the energy in your trot.

With the change of the clocks and winter really on its way now is the perfect time to make some positive changes to your position. If it takes a few sessions it doesn’t matter. Before you ask your horse to do anything remember to pull up through your body. Get a feel for it and you’ll never look back.

Your position will affect your horse whatever you do. Lean forward and he’ll fall onto his forehand. Slip to the side and he’ll fall in or out. But lean back and the worst thing that can happen is you put his weight back on his hocks. Isn’t that what you’ve been trying to do all this time?

Good luck and enjoy your schooling.

It Works Both Ways

You’re probably familiar with the term ‘½ 10m O incline back to the track’ but when was the last time you rode one? Chances are you were practicing for a dressage test.

These are useful movements to use when you’re schooling. There are two ways to ride them. Each one creates different problems but they’re both guaranteed to improve your horse’s straightness. Once he’s straight there’s no limit to what you can do.

The obvious direction is from the track to the centre line but there’s an easier way. Try riding the ½ circle from the centre line to the track (From G to H, for example). Then ride your incline back to the centre line (D). Do the same back again so you create a figure of eight.  (½ 10m O from D to K incline back to G)

Riding in this direction takes away any problems that might arise with the ½ circle. The fence is there and will stop your horse from falling out. It’s useful but make sure you don’t depend on it. Use both legs round the curve. Then when you go in the other direction you’ll be better prepared and your horse will be paying attention.

Your turn onto the incline is important. Do it well and you’ll keep your horse straight. Get it wrong and you’ll spend the whole incline trying to straighten him up.

As you turn off the track your horse will probably assume you’re changing the rein. The angle of the incline is less than that of the long diagonal. You’ll need to be ready with your leg to stop him turning too far. Remember your hands control his shoulders not his body. Grabbing a rein in a desperate attempt to get him back on line will make matters worse not better.

It always helps if you focus on the point you are riding to. As you turn your head turn your upper body and hips round too. If your horse is concentrating he should only turn his body as far as you turn yours.

As you leave the track you want a sharp turn onto a straight line. The ½ circle stops at the marker. If you read One Step at a Time you’ll have read about thinking of your horse’s body as a ball which you throw from one leg to the other. Think of that on this turn. Use a nudge with your outside heel to push his body off the track. Use it in its usual place near the girth – you want to turn his body not his quarters. Catch him with your inside leg to stop him turning too far.

Once on the incline your horse should be straight in his head and neck as well as his body. Ride forward into a steady contact. Slowing down and fiddling is the easiest way to get a wobble. When you reach the centre line don’t hesitate. Push on round your new ½ circle and your horse will stay balanced. Hesitate and he’ll stop using his hocks and you’ll lose energy and rhythm.

A classic rider error is to lift up the inside hand on the ½ 10m O. Don’t do it! No matter where your horse is your hand position should stay the same. Your fingers may increase or release pressure but moving your hands will always affect your horse in a negative way. (See Keep in Touch & It’s in Your Hands)

Lift one hand up and your horse will lift the same shoulder. If his inside shoulder is higher than the outside his rhythm and balance will be affected. Try walking with one shoulder higher than the other. Feel what it does to your back. Imagine having to carry a rider as well?

Riding the movement in the other direction creates different problems. On the ½ 10m circle keep your eyes just ¼ of a circle ahead. Turn your head too far round and you’ll encourage your horse to turn too soon. He’ll fall in. But be careful. Without the fence to help you you’ll need plenty of outside leg to stop him falling out too.

In this direction it’s common on the incline for the horse to almost leg yield back onto the track. The line should be straight from point to point. His front feet should step into the track before his hind feet if it’s done correctly. He mustn’t swing his quarters round and sidestep into the track.

Be ready with your heel along the whole incline. If his whole body is moving across use it in its usual place by the girth. If he’s swinging his quarters round bring your heel back to straighten him.

This is a simple movement but it’s so useful. Introduce it into your schooling sessions and you’ll find it highlights any faults you may have developed. Don’t be put off by that. Problems are there to be solved. Without them schooling really would be boring!

Good luck and have fun.

There's More to Schooling than Circles

Be honest. When it comes to schooling are you guilty of doing the same old thing day in day out? Do you think you’ve gone wild if you’ve put in a couple of figures of eight or a 10m circle? Is it any wonder your horse feels a bit flat when you go in the school? This week do him a favour and try something new. It doesn’t have to be difficult. A change of shape could be just the thing to get his attention back on you.

Serpentines are the perfect shape to play with. They’re just a series of half circles joined together with straight lines. The loops should be even. Plan your turns. Make the first too wide and you’ll run out of space for the others.

Horses can fall in or out on the half circles. This means the line across the school will be crooked. Push your elbows into your body, just in front of your sides. As you turn your upper body take your arms round with it. This keeps your hands together which will keep your horse’s shoulders together and stop him drifting one way or the other.

If your horse moves freely forward then you can use your leg to correct him. (If he doesn’t check out Be a Lazy Rider/December) A quick nudge with your outside leg will stop him falling out and the same from your inside leg will stop him falling in.

If your horse drops a shoulder as you turn don’t lift one hand up. Lift both! Raise one hand and he’ll lift up that side of his mouth. If one side of his mouth is higher than the other he’ll tip his head that way. Lift both hands together and push on. This will bring his shoulders up and keep them together.

Contrary to popular belief the definition of serpentine is ‘snake like’. It isn’t; three loops each reaching the side of the arena starting at A and finishing at C! A serpentine can have as many loops as you want and be any size that you want.

Ridden in walk or trot four loop serpentines are an ideal way to change the rein. They’re easy to judge too. Each loop is 10m wide. Starting at one end ride a half 10m circle. Straighten up and ride across the school. As you cross the ¾ line ride another half 10 which will put you onto the E-B line. This gives you exactly half the school in which to ride your last two loops.

Most riders have ridden a three loop serpentine in walk or trot but how about canter? There’s no reason why you can’t as long as you’re prepared and you take your time. Change leg over the centre line. Use canter to trot or canter to walk. Which ever suits you and your horse best. This is your session after all.

Transitions come up quickly in canter so take your time. Break it down onto stages. Ride the first and last loops in canter. Walk or trot the middle. This gives you more time to settle your horse before the next transition. It’s important to get him coming right back to you in the downwards transition. Use your thigh and knee to stop him running away from you. (See The Other Way of Stopping/ Dec) If he rushes you’ll struggle to find space for a transition in the middle loop. It may help to make a few transitions to halt just to back him off a bit.

Add in the middle loop when you’re ready. It doesn’t have to be the same day. You may find it helpful to ride a circle in the loop while you establish your canter. You can lose the circle when you get quicker with your aids. The main thing is you take your time. They can be fun for both horse and rider when you do them well. Rush and flap and you’ll defeat the whole object and spoil all your transitions.

Try riding three or four loop serpentines from the track to the ¾ line. You’ll need a strong outside leg on the middle loop. Your horse will expect to go on to the track.

Starting at A or C ride four loop serpentines from the ¼ to the ¾ line. These are just a succession of half 10m circles joined as you cross the centre line. Three loops are possible but the loops are harder to judge when the shape becomes narrower.

Most riders have ridden circles within the end of each loop. This is great to get your horse’s attention. An even better idea is to ride a 10m circle as you cross the centre line. Now that is guaranteed to make him sit up and listen!

Hopefully now a serpentine will mean more than the standard three loops you usually ride in trot once in a while. Use it to vary your schooling sessions. It will give you and your horse something different to think about. It’s true what they say. A change really is as good as a rest. Have fun.

C3 - Could Try Harder

How often has someone watched you schooling your horse and said “He looks fine … stop worrying.”? You smile but deep down all you really want to do is kill him! From the outside he may well look as if he’s going nicely but you’re on board and you just know he’s not giving you 100%.

This ‘passive evasion’ can be more annoying than bucking or bolting. At least then you can have a full scale row! This is much more subtle. Your horse starts off okay but as your session goes on he gets lower and heavier in your hand. He doesn’t give you quite as much bend as you’d like and he’s not quite active enough behind. You swear you’ve done everything by the book. You’ve checked, softened, half-halted and put your leg on but still he chooses to trot round the school in his own little world.

Tempting as it is to yank on one rein and give him a dig in the ribs you know it’s not the answer. Firstly you know it won’t work. It never does. Secondly (although for a split second you feel so much better) you also know that in half an hour you’ll feel so guilty you’ll end up hanging round his neck apologising!

In cases like this your horse needs something to make him sit up and listen. There’s no point getting wound up. It will only cause tension. Get clever not angry.

Try this -

Ride a 20m circle at E in trot. Get your horse settled and in a steady rhythm. After a few circles he’s bound to think he knows what’s coming and switch off. That’s when you pull out your trump card.

When you cross the centre line change the rein onto a 10m circle. That will get his attention! Ride forward and change the rein back onto the 20m circle. Ride a couple of circles and do it again.

Be careful not to do the same thing each time. Every time you return to the 20m circle do something different. Ask for canter or ride another 10m circle instead of carrying on with the 20m circle. The list is endless. Do what you like. Just keep him guessing.

On a circle at E you have four points. E, B and two as you cross the centre line. Why not ride a 10m circle at each point? You can do the ones at E and B on the same rein and with the other two you have the option to do either rein – or a 10m figure of eight.

10m circles aren’t impossible for any horse to canter as long as you sit up and ride forward. If your horse has his hocks underneath him he can balance no matter how small the circle. From canter vary the transitions you make between changes of rein. Ride canter to walk as you ride onto the 10m circle and canter to trot as you go back to the 20m.

Whilst you want to surprise your horse make sure you’re prepared yourself. Snapping him out of his daydream will sit him back on his hocks and take his weight of his shoulders. Tipping forward or collapsing to one side yourself will defeat the whole object. As you circle or make the change of rein sit up and turn your upper body. Keep your hands level and turn your head so you’re looking in the direction you are going. This will keep your weight balanced which will help him with his.

Any of those exercises can be done in walk, trot or canter. The main thing is you keep things different. Horses are prone to switch off when they’re bored. We’re not always at fault but we are the ones who decide what to do in each session. Before you criticise take a look at your schooling plan. Be honest. Have you got set in your ways? Schooling isn’t boring. Trotting endless circles is. 

Good luck and happy schooling!

Perfect Timing

A lot has been written about how to position and use your leg. You know how to use each part of your leg and how to get your horse moving off it but do you know when to use it? Knowing the perfect time to put your leg on can make a huge difference when you start to ride more difficult movements.

In standard paces (medium walk or working trot and canter) you shouldn’t need to use your legs just to keep your horse moving. For more on this read ‘Be a Lazy Rider’ (December 2010). Your legs are there to control the hindquarters and to generate extra energy. An extra push with your leg will increase the effort your horse puts into a pace but do it at the right time and he’ll make three times the effort.

Try this.

Walk large around the school. Ride without stirrups if you feel happy to or lengthen them so you can wrap your legs around your horse’s barrel. Make sure he’s walking forward. Keep your body as relaxed as possible. You should be able to feel his barrel swinging from one side to the other.

When a horse walks he brings his hind legs under his body. To make room for each leg he has to swing his barrel away to the side. When his right hind leg comes forward his barrel swings away to the left. When the left leg comes forward his barrel swings away to the right.

As your horse swings his barrel away from your right leg his right hind leg is coming under his body. This is the time to use your right leg. Use your left leg as his barrel swings to the right. Think of using each leg to push his barrel from side to side. Pushing as he lifts his hind leg up and forward will encourage him to stretch further under his body and his steps will become more energetic.

This is so much more accurate than just pushing. Now you can alter the effort he makes with each hind leg. The harder you push his barrel to one side the further he’ll stretch with the leg that’s leaving the floor.

Trot and canter are harder to feel. In the long term you’ll learn to feel the exact moment each hind leg leaves the floor. As with the walk the stronger you push the further he’ll stretch. Initially try something a little easier.

In trot and canter you need to be sitting. Both paces have an up stride and a down stride. Keep your seat relaxed and be patient. If your horse is going forward you’ll find it easier to feel. The time to use your legs is on the down stride. At this moment his inside hind leg is about to leave the floor. Catch it at the right time and you can encourage your horse to lift it higher and push it further under his body.

Think of using your legs to lift your horse up off the floor. The harder you push the higher his back comes up for the up stride and the more powerful his steps become.

Using your leg at the right time will have an instant effect. You may find it easier to concentrate on walk out hacking. Stay relaxed. Tension in your body will stop you from feeling anything. Be patient. It’s similar to learning about trot diagonals. Once you get it you’ll wonder why you ever had a problem. Good luck.

The Other Way of Turning

Most riders feel as if they should leave the school puffing and sweating. If you’re not pushing and tweaking, checking and flexing you’re not trying hard enough, right?

Wrong! If you were a horse what would you prefer? Someone who sat still, allowed you to do your job with minimal interference or someone who felt they had to hold your hoof every step of the way?

Horses are unbelievably sensitive. Your slightest move can alter things dramatically. Think how hysterical they get if a fly, which is a millionth of their size, dares to land on them. You’ll be surprised how little you have to do to have an affect.

If you’ve read The Other Way of Stopping (see popular posts) you’ll know how to stop and collect your horse without using your hand. If you’ve read Be a Lazy Rider (December 2010) you’ll know how to get your horse to go forward with less leg from you. This is The Other Way of Turning.

Try this.

In walk ride large round the school. Have a contact but keep your horse’s head straight in front of you. On the long side turn your head to look directly across the school.

Now turn your upper body – your shoulders and your hips - to the inside. Your outside shoulder and hip should be further forward than your inside.

Concentrate on keeping your shoulders above your hips and your weight on your seat so you stay balanced.

Keep your body in this position and wait for your horse’s response. It may take him a few strides to start with but all horses have the same reaction. They’ll turn to the inside. If you stay in this position you’ll find he comes round in a complete circle.

Try the same from the centre line. In walk ride down the centre line and turn your upper body and your head to the left or right. Stay in that position until you’ve ridden a complete circle and continue down the centre line.

To change the rein from E to B turn to the inside to get off the track at E and straighten your body when you’re facing B. Your horse will straighten up too. Ride across the school and use your body to tell him which way you want to go at B.

The more you practice the more you’ll achieve. The angle that you turn your body tells your horse how tight to turn. You can make him do a 10m or a 20m circle just by changing the angle of your body. Try riding a serpentine only using your upper body. You’ll be surprised how much you can do without using your leg or hand.

Once your horse starts to pick up what you’re doing he’ll really start to listen to you. It’s amazing to think by doing so little you can have such an effect. Bear this in mind the next time your canter is crooked or your halt isn’t quite square. Are you sure your horse is at fault?

It’s true that the more you can do to help him the better. Just remember that sometimes less is more. Have fun.

Forwards not Downwards.

(suggested reading -  The Other Way of Stopping)


Imagine yourself riding an upward transition. What do you think of first? The chances are you think of putting your leg on. Why wouldn’t you? It’s only natural to put your leg on when you’re going up a pace.

Now think about riding a downwards transition. What comes to mind? Most riders’ first reaction is to sit still. Think of the two or three strides of the actual transition and you’ll realise that at that point you hardly dare breathe let alone push on!

In truth you should use as much leg, if not more, on the downwards transitions as the up. As a horse comes in to a lower pace he needs to sit on his hocks. By doing this he keeps his hips lower than his withers. He’s in an uphill position and he can balance.

It’s important to keep yourself balanced too. Keep your head above your shoulders and sit back. Look straight ahead, not at the ground ten yards ahead. If you look down you’ll take your head forward which will take the weight off your seat.

Horses which tip their heads up into a transition do it because you’ve stopped pushing from leg into hand. Keep your hands up and practice using your legs on every stride of the transition. Keep your fingers moving so he can’t set his jaw. You’ll soon notice the difference.

Canter to trot causes most trouble. It’s common for horses to run through the transition. Their weight falls onto their shoulders and they run on for the next eight or nine strides. The rider then gets pulled forward and takes half a circuit to regain some control. Sound familiar?

Try this.

Ride transitions from canter to trot at E or B. Prepare for the transition by sitting up and putting both legs on as you come onto the long side. Clamp your thighs and knees on at E or B, hold your hands up and nag at yourself to keep using your leg as your horse goes forward into trot. Keep your knee and thigh in until you reach the next corner marker. Then gradually release the pressure around the corner when you feel you’ve regained your control.

If your horse still runs through your transitions then ride some canter to halt transitions at E or B. Be positive. Horses do this for fun in the field. Imagine you have to halt on the end of a cliff. You’d stop then!

Be firm. Tighten the muscles in your lower back and your seat. Clamp your knees and thighs in hard and use your outside rein to back it up. Don’t forget to keep your lower leg on until he halts. Ride at least ten so he anticipates having to stop.

Now ask for canter to trot. Your horse will anticipate the halt so you should find you actually have to push on to stop him halting. Practice both to keep him guessing. If he starts to revert back to tanking in trot ask for halt as soon as you feel him start to run. It will remind him just who’s in charge.

Your horse will always be stronger than you. You can never win a pulling match. You have the benefit of knowing what you want to achieve so you can plan ahead. Use it to your advantage.