Training Topics and Tips

In this section, I will try to keep my website fresh and relevant by adding what I hope are interesting topics, together with exercises and tips for improving our riding. Please visit often as I intend to add to this section frequently.

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Straightening - Quote from Alois Podhajsky:

"In order to spare himself the effort of stepping under his body with the hind legs, the horse becomes crooked, that is, he swings his hind quarters away from the track and the hind feet no longer step into the hoofprints of the front feet but to the side. During the entire training the instructor must call the pupil's attention to this severe fault.

The horse is straightened when in motion. It is easiest for the pupil to straighten his horse at the trot along the wall. The rider takes the forehand away from the wall with both reins until the hind legs follow the hoofprints of the front legs. Both legs push the horse forward.

The action of the outside rein is most important because using the inside rein alone would induce the horse to bend his neck to the inside but not take his forehand in."

FEEL

People talk a lot about "feel" and it can seem to be one of those things that "other people" or "naturally talented riders" have, and the rest of us can only dream about. But anyone can develop "feel" if they really want to. It just takes time and dedication.

Quote from W. Museler: "When one talks of a rider's ability to feel one understands his ability, at all times, to judge how well he is sitting, his effectiveness, his giving of aids and equally, as far as his horse is concerned, its responsiveness, its degree of collection and whether it is paying attention. Feeling can only come through practice and it is consolidated by continued practice, but only if one is prepared to make efforts. Without personal involvement and discipline, in other words self-examination and positive thinking, no one will learn anything."

CONFIDENCE

Confidence is a very precious thing that needs to be nurtured and is easily damaged. The good news is that if it does get dented, it can be repaired, but it takes time and effort. We need to be kind to ourselves and give ourselves credit for small achievements on the road to our goals. Unfortunately, for some reason negative thoughts can so easily be louder in our heads than positive ones and this can serve to chip away at already weakend confidence, so we need to find ways to appreciate all the good things in our lives, and this positive attitude will spill over into our riding and gradually help to lift us back up. Positivity builds more positivity.

Quote from The Art of Charm website: "Reframing our failures as growth opportunities allows us to expand the knowledge that underpins confidence. And refusing to quit while celebrating small wins feeds the life experience that underlies true and lasting confidence."

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