Riders should know where their horse is going to land from a jump before they take off. How? The type of canter in the final strides of the approach will dictate the shape of the horse's jumping effort, and the trajectory of the jump.
It can be helpful to make lots of little changes of frame in your warm-up… a little stretching, a little up, and repeat… This can help your horse to come more through his body.
"You are connected with your seat to the horse’s back, connected with your legs to the horse’s body, and connection can only work if it goes through the whole horse and into the rider’s body, and from the rider’s body back to the whole horse." ~ Susanne Miesner
Riders should be aware of the specific questions posed by each individual jump on course, and should not treat all jumps the same. Things that need to be taken into consideration are the shape of the jump, the footing, the terrain involved before and after the jump, the lighting, the kind of approach you are given, and what is on the landing side of the jump.
"Horses are not trying to be difficult. They’re probably just trying to understand and sometimes they don’t know how to do it, or they don’t get your signals. You have to learn a little bit every day, and when they do something correct, give them a lot of positive reinforcement to let them know that they’ve done it right." ~ Jessica Springsteen
"When the horse is forward, when the horse is using his hind leg more under the body and the neck falls down from out of the wither, then it doesn’t matter if the nose is a little behind the vertical if there is no pulling by the rider." ~ Johan Hamminga
It is NOT correct to try to raise the horse's neck or shoulders in any way with the reins. True front end elevation in Dressage comes only from real collection induced lowering of the hind quarters.
If you love your horse, teach him to have good manners, both on the ground and under saddle. A horse with good manners is more likely to end up in a good home if the unexpected happens.
FAR too many riders bend the horse's neck when asked for more bend. That is not what we want! We want bend in the horse's ribcage. Which is achieved by asking for a hint of a lateral step with the rider's inside leg, into the connection of the outside rein.
A tip for all of the instructors out there... When a student has a lightbulb moment during a riding lesson, ask them to explain it you in their own words. This way it becomes even more cemented in their own mind, and you can more easily help them find it again if they lose it.
The rein back is an underutilized and very often incorrectly performed exercise. To be truly beneficial to the horse, it has to be performed steadily and in a relaxed way. And most importantly straight, while on a soft rein, so that the horse is not jammed together from front to back while stepping backwards. Otherwise he will not be able to use his body correctly.
If you are able to follow your horse's mouth with a consistently elastic feel, he will learn to trust your hand so fully, that he will lose the desire to escape it.
Your rein connection should have suppleness in it, allowing it to breathe along with the horse's movement. It must remain a living, breathing thing - never rigid.
"From half-halt to half-halt, you have to own the rhythm of their footfalls in each of the three gaits and the tempo or how fast they are going over every meter of ground in that gait." ~ Robert Dover
On wrestling with the strong horse in front of a cross country fence: "If you can’t get them back, at least drop the reins and let them see the fence." ~ Clayton Fredricks
Strive to always keep your spine fully stretched upward when riding. When you slump, your head and shoulders will become heavy, and your horse will be more likely to become heavy in your hands.
"I teach riders to adjust their reins within three strides on level ground [after a drop fence], and I want them seated between elements of a combination. This will give the rider more stability plus a wider and more sophisticated range of aids." ~ Jimmy Wofford
The shape of your canter stride on the approach to a fence (which is an indicator of your horse's balance in the canter) is what determines the shape that your horse makes over the jump. A round, bouncy canter produces a round, lofty jump. A flat, strung out canter produces a low, flat jump with the horse heavy on the forehand.
We all know that as riders we want to aim to keep a straight line from our elbow to the horse's mouth. But did you know that it means when viewed from above as well as from the side? And that it also includes your wrists and fingers??
Whenever you are facing any type of cross country fence with a ditch in front of it, think of it as a "free" front rail. Just ride forward with your eye on the top of the back rail.
"Infinite repetitions of one and the same problematic movement are usually a sign of insecurity in the rider and serve no purpose other than self-satisfaction. The horse doesn't gain anything from it. It leads to an overwrought horse and causes muscle fatigue and nervousness. Here, a trainer must intervene and go back to easier exercises rider and horse have already mastered." ~ Klaus Balkenhol
It is important to treat each horse, and each situation, individually. When problems arise, sometimes what is needed is time, patience, and encouragement. And other times strong corrections might be in order. This is why it is so important to be working with an instructor who has sufficient experience with a wide variety of types of horses - so they can help you make the best choices with your horse.
"Self carriage is really easy to see. The best thing you can do for self-carriage is the give and re-take of the reins. It is amazing how you forget to do that when you ride on your own." ~ Carl Hester
The purpose of riding a transition is not just to get from one gait to the next. But to do so in a way that further gymnasticizes the horse, and improves his carriage.
