Is this Dressage horse a leg mover or a back mover? In this video, is the horse showing more carrying power or more pushing power behind? What does this rider need to work on? (Click on Discussion Title above to watch video and to read or join in on this educational discussion)
This is the beginning of Jimmy Wofford's latest article in Practical Horseman:
"Let me ask you something: If I longe a horse, can he jump an obstacle while on the longe? Sure. What about if I longe the horse over an obstacle and put a rider in the saddle? Same answer. OK, if I give the rider a blindfold and a neck strap, can the horse still jump? Where are you going with this Jim? Of course the horse can still jump. But what if I blindfold the horse? Have you lost your mind? No, I haven't lost my mind... any more than usual. I just want to make sure we agree that the horse mustsee the fence."
It's a very rare occurrence in the horse world where everyone is in agreement! But I think this is one statement that everyone would agree on. The horse must be looking at the fence he is about to jump.
So, say you are approaching an obstacle, and you can tell that your horse's focus is elsewhere. What would you do to get him to focus his attention on the jump in front of him? (Click on Discussion Title above (in blue) to read this educational discussion)
Quiz # 14: How can you tell if your horse is honestly and properly connected on the outside rein?
How can you tell if your horse is honestly and properly connected on the outside rein? When your horse is nicely up into the outside rein, what do you feel? (Click on Discussion Title above (in blue) to read this educational discussion)
Video Discussion # 50: Stretching exercise - stretching the horse's shoulders before a rideThis video shows how to stretch out your horse's shoulders before a ride. How many of you regularly do this? She didn't say it, but I was always told that you should not pull at all when doing this... but should rather encourage the horse to push into the stretch. What are your thoughts? (Click on Discussion Title above (in blue) to read this educational discussion)
This video gives good advice on how to achieve that elusive squarehalt! I am in total agreement with her about not attempting to square up afterwards. A square halt is not a trick that you teach a horse, it is a result of a straight and balanced horse, and a well ridden transition to the halt. What are your thoughts? (Click on Discussion Title above to watch video and read comments)
Discussion # 47: Where would you jump this fence?
Where would you jump this chevron jump? At one of the points? Or right at the yellow flowers? Why? (Click on Discussion Title above (in blue) to read this educational discussion)
Video Discussion # 48: Let's discuss this video - London 2012 Olympic Show JumpingI found it shocking to see how much the first rider shown weaves back and forth between these big fences - yet still leaves them up! It can be so unbalancing to shift left and right like that. That horse must be really careful! What do you think caused the horse to leave out a stride and land in the water jump at :28? (Click on Discussion Title above (in blue) to read this educational discussion)
Discussion # 45: Let's discuss the term "soft hands".
What does it mean for a rider to have "soft hands"? And how does a rider acquire this attribute? (Click on Discussion Title above (in blue) to read this educational discussion)
Video Discussion # 47: How to pull a shoe!
Have you ever gone out to the barn to ride, only to find your horse has a shoe half off and twisted so that some nails and/or a clip is jammed into your horse's foot? Knowing how to pull the shoe off will come in handy in situations like this! Here's how to do it: (Click on Discussion Title above (in blue) to watch the video and make comments) Discussion # 44: Your horse should learn to stay at the pace you put him in until you ask otherwise!
Your horse should learn to stay at the pace you put him in until you ask otherwise. How often does your horse decide to speed up or slow down without being told to? In what situations is he most likely to do so? And what can you do about it? (Click on Discussion Title above (in blue) to read this educational discussion)
Quiz # 13: What causes a horse to drag its feet during the rein back?
What causes a horse to drag its feet during the rein back? (Click on Discussion Title above (in blue) to read this educational discussion)
Video Discussion # 46: William Fox Pitt and Cool Mountain WEG 2010 Dressage testAs usual William produces a lovely and fluent Dressage test! So relaxed for a horse that is fit enough to run around a 4 star cross country course the next day! William gives one of the best examples that I have seen of how to properly ride *forward* into the halt. Watch how forward his hands stay as he rides into the halt around 2:09. He is truly riding the horse's hind legs up into his hands every step of the way until the halt is complete. Also notice how he uses shoulder fore to prepare for the walk to canter transition around 2:45. And watch how nicely soft and following his arms are as he comes back to collected canter from the extended canter around 3:48. What other things stand out to you in this video? (Click on Discussion Title above (in blue) to read this educational discussion)
Discussion # 43: What causes horses to have front end knockdowns?
If you are fully aware of all of the reasons that horses knock down rails with their front end, you will be more armed to prevent them! So let's discuss: What are some of the causes of front end knockdowns in the show jumping? (Click on Discussion Title above (in blue) to read this educational discussion)
Video Discussion # 45: Using poles as a corridor.Using poles or cones in this matter can be a great exercise to test your straightness! You can use it for flatwork - doing transitions between the poles, challenging yourself to keep your horse perfectly straight between the rails as you do so. Or put it between jumps in a line or combination - jumping into a line, and cantering through a narrow corridor on your way to the next. Remember that ultimately it is your legs that keep your horse straight, so don't forget to keep your legs on! Give this exercise a try and tell us how it goes! (Click on Discussion Title above (in blue) to read this educational discussion)
Video Discussion # 44: What caused this rider to slightly lose her balance on landing?This horse gives the rider a great big jump to stay with over this cross country jump! And while the rider does a good job over the jump, she loses her balance a bit on the landing. Why did she lose her balance? What should she work on to be more ready for her next attempt at a jump like this? (Click on Discussion Title above (in blue) to read this educational discussion)
Discussion # 39: What does this rider need to work on?
This looks like a fairly solid young rider. What should she work on to make her position even more strong, secure, and balanced over jumps? (Click on Discussion Title above (in blue) to read this educational discussion)
Discussion # 38: How would you ride this fence?
What type of canter would you want coming into this "into space" type of fence? And what speed do you think would be appropriate? (Click on Discussion Title above (in blue) to read this educational discussion)
Discussion # 37: Which of these two riders is in better balance?
Which of these two riders has their center of gravity perfectly lined up over their stirrups? And which horse is better balanced? (Click on Discussion Title above (in blue) to read this educational discussion)
Video Discussion # 41: Let's watch this Show Jumping round with several rails down.This horse and rider start off nicely, but have quite a few rails down in their show jumping round. Why do you think this horse was knocking down so many fences? If you had a horse that was jumping like this, what would you work on to try to improve him?
Even though we don't have jumpoffs in Eventing, I think this is an important thing to consider for our show jumping phase. So often I see riders thinking about making the time in their show jumping, and going faster to get that done. When it would be smarter to make more economical turns instead of going faster - as increasing your speed can increase your chances of knocking rails down. What are your thoughts on this? (Click on Discussion Title above (in blue) to read this educational discussion)
Quiz # 12: Rule quiz!
Say you are in the middle of your stadium jumping round, and you are negotiating a two stride combination. As you jump in over the "A" element, your horse spooks at the shiny planks of the "B" element, and lands and stops dead momentarily. He catches you off guard, and you fall forward onto his neck, which allows him to take a step backwards. You then recover and sit up, and are able to send your horse forward again. Should you attempt to keep going to the "B" element? Or should you pull out of the combination? Why do you have to be careful not to be eliminated in this situation? (Click on Quiz Title above (in blue) to read this educational discussion)
Discussion # 35: What is wrong with this rider's defensive position?
This rider is jumping a Training level cross country combination, with this jump just one stride away from the water. And she is attempting to be in a defensive position - yet is making a very common mistake in doing so. What is it? How would her defensive position be more solid? (Click on Discussion Title above (in blue) to read this educational discussion)
How would you ride this angled complex? Would you square yourself up for the A element or the B element? Or would you square yourself up for neither element, and jump them both on a slight angle? Or would you square up for the first one, and then turn to square up for the second? (Click on Discussion Title above (in blue) to read this educational discussion)
Discussion # 33: What is the difference between "ducking" and "jumping ahead"?
What is the difference between "ducking" over a jump and "jumping ahead"? Which is more problematic and why? (Click on Discussion Title above (in blue) to read this educational discussion)
Video Discussion # 38: Let's watch this rider jump her horse through a small gymnastic line. Let's watch this rider jump her horse through a small gymnastic line. Of the three jumps in this line, which jump would you say she is the most "with" her horse's movement? Which jump is she briefly caught slightly "behind" the horse's jumping motion? (Click on Discussion Title above (in blue) to read this educational discussion)
Video Discussion # 37: This is an interesting exercise!Let's watch this video with jumper trainer Tim Stockdale - where he uses an interesting exercise to work on obedience and control by stopping your horse in a marked off box after a jump, and doing a few turns to make sure the horse is listening to you. What are your thoughts on this exercise? Can anyone think of some other ways to use this exercise to improve your horses obedience and responsiveness? (Click on Discussion Title above (in blue) to read this educational discussion)
Let's say that after this fence, the next fence on your course is the tiger trap off the the right. How would you ride this fence, with the thought of setting yourself up for a good approach to the next? (Click on Discussion Title above (in blue) to read this educational discussion)
If you have the opportunity to approach on either canter lead, on which lead would you approach a left handed corner jump, so as to least invite a runout? (Click on Discussion Title above to read this educational discussion)
Video Discussion # 36: Walking ditches and trakehners!Let's watch this short snippet of a cross country clinic with Lucinda Green, where she has the riders walk up to and jump over small ditches and trakehners. What do you think are the benefits of such an exercise? (Click on Discussion Title above (in blue) to read this educational discussion)
How would you ride this downhill slope to the chevron jump? At what speed should you approach this complex? And what exactly would you do to help your horse to focus on the chevron as you are negotiating the mound? (Click on Discussion Title above (in blue) to read this educational discussion)
Video Discussion # 34: Good video discussing the half halt.Let's watch this video discussing the half halt. The only thing I don't really agree with is that of turning your outside hand inwards as part of the aid. I feel that it is sufficient to close the outside hand in a fist (with the proper hand position maintained) to receive the energy created by the seat and leg. What are your thoughts in watching this video? (Click on Discussion Title above (in blue) to read this educational discussion)
