This is a great question! Scores can be a good guideline, but they can sometimes be misleading... so I wouldn't rely on them exclusively. I have seen great movers get good scores despite having solid enough basics to move up a level. And the sad truth is that the below average mover may sometimes struggle to reach scores the mid 60's despite being technically ready to move up a level. The real question is... (Click on Question Title above (in blue) to read full answer)Question # 254: At what level would a turn on the forehand show up on a dressage test? (Julie) Hi Julie!
The turn on the forehand is not in a Dressage test at any level, but I really wish it would be! Horses at the most basic levels of Eventing or Dressage should know how to do it. If a horse doesn't understand the aids for a turn on the forehand, it won't... (Click on Question Title above (in blue) to read full answer)Question # 253: When I allow my gelding to stretch down he will snatch the reins, often yanking my arms and hands very hard.... And when I collect the reins he anticipates any work by jigging and speeding up our walk...I try very hard to stay consistent with my body and breathing to not give mix signals and won’t ask for anything until he settles but it takes a long time. Lately I have been ‘giving’ the reins (with him still snatching the reins) and taking the contact back slowly while still staying in the walk but I don’t seem to be making any progress. I pay special attention to my hands and elbows and he will often catch himself in the mouth when he tries to jerk the rains out of my hands. His bridle and bit fit fine and his teeth are regularly maintained. How can I fix this? (Rechele)
Hi Rechele!
Horses that snatch the reins in any circumstance are usually... (Click on Question Title above (in blue) to read full answer) Question # 252: I have a question about my jumping position. I am prone, when in motion, to tip my pelvis back - which then causes my lower leg to slip forward in front of the girth......and will even swing up onto the shoulder during landing. To compensate for this, I tip my upper body way too far forward in my "release" but sometimes my hands stay planted on the withers instead of reaching forward towards the bit. Its kind of a "C" shape, if you will. Today my coach described it "the perfect position if you're headed to an oxer with a drop on landing" but, of course, terrible for anything else, especially since most of what I'm doing now is small with my green horse. I'm behind the motion without being left behind. Or being left behind without being behind the motion. I'm not sure how to describe it. (Jen)
This is a great question! Rhythm is so important, and with come horses it can be so challenging to maintain! Think about the fact that every time the rhythm changes, something changed to make that happen. Often what happens is that the horse has become tense or anxious (maybe because the rider has?), so the rhythm becomes quick or erratic. Or the horse is losing energy, which will make the rhythm slower and more labored. But commonly it is due to a loss of balance, which can cause the rhythm to change in every possible way. Here are some things to think about, and some exercises to try, to help you improve your horse's canter rhythm... (Click on Question Title above (in blue) to read full answer) Question # 245: A recent comment from a Dressage judge on my First level test was "wide behind". I have no idea what this means… unless they were saying that I have a wide behind (which is possible, but not relevant to Dressage I wouldn't think)Can you please explain the meaning of this comment?? Thanks (Anonymous)
There are certainly many different ways to train a reluctant horse to go into a horse trailer! And many of those techniques utilize force or threats to convince the horse that he must comply. The technique that I prefer, however, is quite different from the others. I use the concept of release of pressure... (Click on Question Title above (in blue) to read full answer)Question # 243: I can get my lazy boy to the point that he is in front of my leg, but he won't stay there!Often I don't even notice that he has fallen a little behind my leg, until I realize that I am working quite hard myself. So I know that means I am letting him get lazy. What can I do to break this cycle, and keep him forward through my entire ride? (Sue)
I know exactly what you are talking about... I see this all the time. And this problem has a variety of causes. Usually when horses slip out or take missteps often behind, it is because... (Click on Question Title above (in blue) to read full answer)Question # 241: My big 17.1hh draft cross and I struggle very much with timing our take off for a jump. It doesn't matter if it is a single jump, a line etc. We tend to do a little better with the larger jumps and if it is a cross country jump... ...We are both new to jumping and I'm always very careful not to hit him in the mouth or land hard on his back. A ground pole will sometimes help with distance but we never seem to get in-sync together. I always seem to be wrong when I think/feel he will(or should take off)and he often adds(or doesn't when he should)an extra stride or step which results in me getting left behind or jumping ahead of him. This tends to happen at both the trot and canter but more often with stadium jumps. I have tried to shorten his strides or allow him to lengthen, hoping he will figure it out. We also practice lots of pole work as well. How can I help him (and myself)get more in-sync together for jumping? (Rechele)
This is a great question! And one that might be crossing a lot of riders' minds as we approach the winter season. My thoughts are this: (Click on Question Title above (in blue) to read full answer)Question # 239, and Video # 72: Gabbie has a question about her green horse's jumping, with video!My 6yr old Warmblood mare and I are running into some situations whilst jumping.. She is green but very brave. However, she leaves her back legs at fences and trashes through them. If she hasn't seen the fence/filler before then she jumps really well, but once she's seen it, it's like she puts no effort in? Or that's what it feels like, and with smaller fences, she just runs through them. She jumps better off a circle or if straight, she runs on the forehand. My trainer is becoming frustrated with her too. Do you have any suggestions? This video is actually better for her, normally she would've taken a cross pole out with her back legs. (Gabbie)(Click on Question or Video Title above (in blue) to read the answer, and the critique of this video)
Good for you for putting in the time and effort to want to learn to do things the right way! And this is a great question to ask! As I see many beginner riders being taught to jump in a way that does not set them up for success... (Click on Question Title above (in blue) to read full answer)Question # 236: I have 2 horses I just signed up to be exercising, both with an issue all of their own. Both I do believe are ottb rescues as well. The first one likes to hop into a canter when we are quietly trotting along, he does this often.....My instinct is to stop them and back a few steps, but don't know if that is the right way to correct this. The other at the canter not only over bends at the poll but wants me to hold him up it seems and twists his head sideways to the same side both directions; if you looked at him from the front it's not vertical but diagonal. So, when I'm on him his ears are to the left and nose to the right with a twisted neck. Loose rein or short, I can only straighten it out by holding left rein up and out and right rein tight and to the neck, but I know this can't be the answer. I was told he's done this since before they had him and was hoping I had a fix with this, too. I figure now at this point to hold his head any other way is probably tiring and soar due to uneven muscle build. Also, informed that he doesn't to this out in the field riderless with the other horses all the time, more like 30% doing and 70% of the time not. Hope you guys have an idea as to how to fix this, or point me to where you've answered it before. Thanks in advance! (Anna)
Your first question or problem is extremely common! SO many riders go around circles and turns like they are riding a motorcycle instead of a horse! And this causes a collapsed inside hip, a low inside hand, and an outside hand that tends to creep up in the air. Read this article for a full explanation on that subject.
To help you find your seat bones... (Click on Question Title above (in blue) to read full answer)Question # 234: I recently acquired a 6 year old OTTB that was severely neglected and abused. :( Although he is remarkably improved both physically and mentally, he still has aggressive tendencies towards me......When I first got him, you could not touch him past his wither without him pinning his ears and swinging his haunches over to try and kick me. I've done a lot of exercises with him with a halter and lead to get him to respect my space. Some days are better than others at this point, but we still have trouble when currying. I use very soft brushes now and a soft rubber curry comb as well and he definitely likes it better, but when asked to move over or when I brush/curry his haunches, he sometimes pins his ears and tries to kick. This is all done while in cross ties... He is also aggressive during feeding time with me when I go into his pen to give him his supplements. He pins his ears and tries to charge at me. I don't want him to disrespect me and I don't want him to fear me either. Have you ever had any experience with this type of behavior before? I would love any and all advice you have? (Kealy)
I actually see this happen a lot to some degree. Either the horse is afraid of the whip, or the horse is annoyed by the whip, and acts out or threatens the rider when they think about using it. In both cases, (Click on Question Title above (in blue) to read full answer)Question # 232: My OTTB has trouble with anxiety, grabs the bit and makes upward transitions on his own. When is it appropriate to change bits? (Anonymous) It can be so hard to know when it is appropriate to move to a different bit, or when the problem is more of a training issue! Read this article for a full description of which horses tend to do better with more bit, and which type of horse can become even more anxious and difficult to ride with more bit. Since you say your horse is the anxious type, I would say that it sounds like he is likely the second type mentioned in that article: (Click on Question Title above (in blue) to read full answer) Question # 231: What I am struggling with is refusals, mostly confidence issues, spooking at fillers etc. I have found speed can sometimes be our friend, it looks out of control but the only times we have gone clear are when he's speeding!!!...But my instructors tell me too slow down, and when I do bring him back he stops, at the moment I feel telling him to slow down before the jump is giving him mixed messages when he's already got a bad habit of stopping, but I guess its a timing thing. I'm tempted to just perfect a really fast round rather than trying to get a slow/controlled round out of him, as the chance of him refusing is so much higher when he's behind my leg. Finding that balance between fast and in front of my leg, gaarrrr, what to do?? (Shelley)
Hi Shelley!
It is hard for me to say for sure about whether your speed is too fast without seeing you go... is there any chance you can send a short video? I will say that every horse has a certain "lick" that they jump the best out of, and if your horse is on the small side, or has a fairly short stride, he may need that little extra speed to be at his most comfortable jumping courses. With each individual horse, you want to find the pace where you feel like your courses just flow nicely, and where you meet more jumps than not right out of your stride. Even if it looks a bit different from some of the other horses. Read this article on that subject.
If we are just talking about confidence, with your horse having more of a tendency to refuse when you approach the jumps more slowly, then you need to... (Click on Question Title above (in blue) to read full answer)
This is a really common problem! A defensive rider carries around the mental baggage of bad things that have happened in the past, and has a hard time letting go of it - and just riding the horse they are on at the moment. It is perfectly natural for a rider to remember a bad experience, and to have it affect their riding to some degree. But it can paralyze your capacity to ride to the best of your ability. And there are some things you can do to help overcome this problem! (Click on Question Title above (in blue) to read full answer) Question # 229, and Video # 70: Problems with halting!I'm bringing my Intermediate horse back into work & he's decided that downward transitions are optional. We went to a schooling show & the judge said "all downward transitions late" & at the end of the Intermediate test he flat out refused to halt & I actually had to make a circle & try again. I've tried the usual, lots of transitions, stronger aids when he doesn't stop, it doesn't seem to be helping. I'm riding him in a double jointed snaffle & I thought tomorrow I'd try a different bit & see if that makes any difference. When he decides not to stop & I pull harder, he just pulls back even harder & keeps going. I'm not sure where this is coming from, but he's in perfect physical shape so I know it's not physical. He tends to do it at the end of the session or day, I'm wondering if he's tired, bored, confused...... not sure what's going on! Here's the video. Help! (Laura)(Click on Question/Video title above (in blue) to read the answer and critique of this video)
My first thought would be to have her vision checked, although I actually doubt that is your problem, since she jumps just fine. It wouldn't hurt to get her eyes checked anyway though, as it is possible she has a condition that makes her vision spotty. Barring any eye issues, 95% of the time when horses trip over ground poles under saddle, it is because of one or both of these reasons: (Click on Question title above (in blue) to read full answer)Question # 227: My horse is an “energy conservationist.” Out on cross-country or in the stadium ring, he is inspired to be reasonably forward and balanced. In the dressage ring? Not so much. The current struggle is canter quality......We got to a certain level of forward and balanced, and now we are ready to move up from BN to N, and need more impulsion and more balance. However, this idea is NOT popular with the equine half of the team. When I push for more impulsion, he hollows out, dumps all his weight on his forehand and moves against the contact. It’s like riding a belligerent chestnut wheelbarrow. At home, I’m working on this by putting him on a 20m circle, going back to trot as soon as the canter starts to deteriorate, and then back up into canter, and repeat. It does seem to help - at first we get maybe 2 strides of “good” canter at a time and by the end of the ride, we’re getting a half circle. Meanwhile, I am insisting on a meaningful response to the leg by giving him an immediate swat behind the leg if he ignores it or gives a half-hearted response. What else should I be doing? (Rachel)
Hi Rachel!
This is the age old problem of speed vs impulsion! When you ask your horse for more impulsion, you are merely getting more speed. This is putting your horse on the forehand, where he is then looking to you for support. Read this article on impulsion. In addition to defining the term, it will discuss the prerequisites before true impulsion is possible, and how to create it in your horse. And your horse may not be a draft or carriage type horse, but read this article as well, as it contains some very specific exercises that should help you with your horse's canter. It all comes back to... (Click on Question Title above (in blue) to read full answer)Question # 226: I have a rescue TB (starved, not raced that we know of) who I fostered and trained (and then adopted) and have had for over a year. I've been working on my half seat and trying to get her braver, going on hacks and practicing cross-country...(mostly trot, some canter) around the barn grounds (getting out of the ring). After :30 walking warmup yesterday we took off at a trot down the driveway and me in half seat; she did a big sideways spook with no warning and I went down on my tailbone. Ouch. . . . Got back on, worked her up and down that spot and got her better. I guess there are two things I'm after. One, what stirrup length should I use for cross-country/trail? I am using a hunter length which keeps my butt totally clear of the saddle. If I lower it one hole, it becomes much easier to maintain half seat, and I am more secure, but doesn't build my leg strength. ??? Also, I wonder if she feels more secure in full seat? This is the second time she's jumped completely out from under me in half seat (third, total). What should I do when she does this?? (Melanie)
This is a fairly common problem, and it is seen at all levels! Some horses are born with a lateral canter, and that is a very negative trait for a Dressage horse. But some just have a slight tendency to fall into a canter that becomes a bit lateral in certain situations. Usually what brings out that tendency in a horse is one or both of these things: (Click on Question Title above (in blue) to read full answer)Question # 224: I have an OTTB who is getting more used to going places away from the stable. He is actually quite calm when we go to shows or clinics alone. But when we trailer with someone (even a new horse)......they become BFFs and he becomes impossible. He whinnies, paces, cranes around constantly looking for his trailer partner and is very hard to keep focused. Is there anyway to overcome this? He used to be very difficult in our ring at home when he was left alone in the ring after whoever was riding with us finished first and headed back to the barn. Now he still gets distracted but he can settle down after the horse goes out of sight. At shows he has settled down somewhat after many minutes of not being able to see the other horse and if I'm otherwise distracting him by riding or hand walking him around. Soon as the other horse can be seen we start it all up again. I'd like to show with other people, share rides and enjoy spending the day together. Have you successfully seen horses like this learn to relax enough to make travelling with another horse less problematic? I see many horses at shows quietly sitting on the trailer while the other horse is showing. I don't expect that from mine but I'd like not to clear out the warm up ring with his antics when his friend starts to ride out of sight. Thanks (Lisa)
Hi Lisa!
This can be a tough problem! How old is your horse? Many times with issues like this, they will get gradually better with time, age, and experience. I do have a few concrete ideas for you to try, that will hopefully get you there much faster however! (Click on Question Title above (in blue) to read full answer)Question # 223: What are some exercises to strengthen stifles aside from hill work? (Vita) Hi Vita!
Check out this article for lots of ideas on ways to strengthen the hind end in general, and for an outline of a strength training program. And from that list, the exercises that will best strengthen the stifle joints (with no hills available) are... (Click on Question Title above (in blue) to read full answer)Question # 222: Last year I restarted a TB filly who had come off the track in December and was let down until we brought her home in May. She was always one to get tense and stiff the moment she didn't understand something......But we worked through things and she was going quite well wtc and cross rails. Should would calmly jump around in a good rhythmn. Fast forward to this year, a teen has been riding her since April. I got on her for the first time in quite awhile and found that she is baring down on the bit the last three strides to the fence. She has a wonderful quality canter all the way up until that last three strides and then suddenly its like she goes from 0-60 at the drop of a hat. Afterwards she also tries to race away. I tried a couple different things to see if we could find the relaxation again but to no avail. She has not yet been checked out by the vet, I know pain could be a possibility, but beyond that if we dont find anything what do you suggest? I am thinking she needs to go about ten steps backwards and begin from the very beginning again. Her flat work is pretty good, its just the moment a jump appears in front of her. Thanks in advance! (Stephanie)
Ulcers can definitely cause a horse to grind their teeth under saddle. So it might be a good idea to have a vet check your horse for ulcers, especially since he is in a transitional stage right now, with a new owner and probably a new barn. Or you could spare him the trauma of scoping, and just put him on a course of Ulcergard (one full tube a day) for a week or two, and see if you notice a change in his behavior. If he stops grinding his teeth under saddle, that may be a strong indicator that ulcers were your problem. I would then keep going with the Ulcergard medicine, giving him one full tube a day for the rest of the month. As well as making sure he gets lots of turnout, and plenty of grass or hay throughout the day. I like to give any horse with a history of ulcers a low grain diet, with unlimited hay at all times if possible. If you don't see any change in his behavior during your trial of Ulcergard, then it is probably a case of... (Click on Question Title above (in blue) to read full answer) Question # 219: I'm loving the site so far! Sooo long story short, I'm a smallish person 5'2" 120lbs. My teenage years and young twenties I always rode really big horses that......could have cared less about my then 100lbs on their back. So the result was I ended up riding more with my hands then off my seat and legs. I had a good seat and solid leg, but I never felt very effective. Fast forward 13 years, my horse is 15.1, so I acually fit him nicely. And he's a pretty sensitive guy (sometimes to a fault... typical chestnut), so I vowed this time around to become a more effective rider by learning to use my seat and legs properly. I was wondering if you had any good exercises that I could use to work on getting my horse to become more responsive to those aids? Any advice is greatly appreciated. (Amy)
Hi Amy!
Good for you for having that goal! Some riders seem to just go through life riding with loud and somewhat ineffective aids, without making a real effort or commitment to bettering themselves (as in, "it's always the horse's fault.") But since horses are easily desensitized to loud, constant, or confusing aids... to the point that they can completely tune them out if necessarry, it is up to US as riders to keep our horses fine tuned to our aids. They key is to... (Click on Question Title above (in blue) to read full answer)Question # 218: The thing I'm struggling with at the moment is getting my horse to break into a canter without acting up or refusing to canter. How can I make her want to do it? This is only when we are doing any flat work…. ...when jumping or chasing cows, or when she has something to focus on she will break into the canter with the correct lead every time. Just not in the flatwork! Please help! (Nakita)
With an OTTB, as with any horse, the answer is to... (Click on Question Title above (in blue) to read full answer)Video # 67 and Question # 213: This is a video of Rowan, my 14 year old OTTB gelding. I took him off the track several years ago and turned him into a show jumper and fox hunter......He had last year off for a hock injury, and this is his first year eventing. He's a great horse cross-country: unflappable, bold to the jumps, light in your hands, and very adjustable. But he has a bad habit of drastically slowing down when we approach water, even water he has been through before. I think the root of the problem is in the hunt field most of the time we stop before crossing water, as our hunt country is very trappy and we often have to work to find a safe place to cross (especially if there's ice). Any advice on how to "re-educate" him to be as bold to water as he is to everything else? (Kellyn)(Click on Video or Question Title above (in blue) to read the answer and the critique of this video)
Yes, they are definitely cracking down on the concept of "dangerous riding" lately, and carding or even stopping riders who look to be out of control. It is a little hard for me to answer you very specifically without actually seeing your horse go... any chance you can send in a video? What kind of bit are you currently using? Very often, when riders are struggling to control their horses on the cross country, it is because they have not learned how to properly control the horse at the gallop. Read this article for a refresher on that subject, and also... (Click on Question Title above (in blue) to read full answer)Question # 210: I recently bought a nice 14 year old Oldenburg mare that has been used as a lesson horse for several years. She is sweet, quiet, responsive to my leg; but the most stiff and resistant in the bridle that I have ever come across......There is no head tossing, no temper tantrums, just resolute stiffness. There is absolutely no give or softness laterally or longitudinally. I've started working with her by flexing to the left and right, having her give to me each direction at the halt, working on the lunge with side reins, lots of transitions from walk to trot; tot to walk to halt. (No reason to add canter to this yet, lol.) She is quite unfit, but in great weight and health. She has that odd dip in front of her withers that horses get when they work in the wrong frame for so long. She also has an odd habit of tapping her front teeth together when she is working. I've just started with this horse. I think I'm on the right track. What do you think? Any good exercises you can think of? (Anonymous)
Focus and attention are obviously very important when jumping! However, unlike when working with a human student, the rider can't say to their horse, "Pay attention to me!". Well they can try... but it probably won't work as well as they would like. Instead, a rider needs to... (Click on Question Title above (in blue) to read full answer)Video # 66 and Question # 208: This is Kymbre!Here is a video of the mare I mentioned before that I was working with named Mouse. She was the one who would throw her head up to avoid contact with the bit, and then she learned how to curl her chin to her neck to avoid the contact as well. But I read your post about using side reins on a lunge line to teach them how to go forward into the contact. This seemed to help A LOT! Because she isn't fighting as much or trying to avoid the contact. I am even able to get her to lengthen her stride while stretching into the bit. It's very nice. In this video we worked on bending from the inside leg into the outside rein into the contact. And for the most part she understood it after we did it at the walk first.
I noticed in the video that my right stirrup was exceptionally shorter than my left stirrup, which I felt during my ride, but I assumed I was just sitting unevenly. I think if I had that stirrup even I would have had a little better luck with the right bend. Also, I noticed there were a few times that I accidentally pulled the outside rein back as opposed to asking her to move into it. That is something I will definitely be aware of next time I work with her. I noticed it a few times during the ride and I would push my hand forward a little bit to allow her room to move into that rein. But for the most part she looks good in this video. If you could just let me know what you think, and if there's anything I need to do to make the results better or more efficient. Also any exercises I could try to improve her movement or acceptance of the contact. Thanks! (Kymbre) (Click on Video or Question Title above (in blue) to read the answer and critique of this video)
Walking up and down hills is one of the most productive strengthening exercises that we can do with our horses! Because they have less momentum than they do in the trot and the canter, they have to use sheer power to push their body weight up the hill. Going down the hill, you get increased "sit" behind, with more weight being carried over the horse's hocks. The benefits are enormous. But as to whether trotting or cantering up or down hills should be done as well - the answer is... (Click on Question Title above (in blue) to read full answer)
