Canter Adding the activity with curves and circles Dressage tips

"Do you feel like you might never get your horse to balance right at the canter? You are not alone. Watch how we add curves and circles to make a difference in how Beau is cantering"

The canter can be such a tricky gait for rider's. Especially those who ride their horses in balance. In this session you can watch what I do with Susan and Beau. Now that they are ready to compete in the USDF Dressage Regional's (a few weeks after this filming) it is time to get Beau into a better balance. The balance that he needs to do for the 2nd level dressage tests requires that he be able to adjust his canter from a collected to a medium and counter canter. It is time for Beau to shift his weight back even more than he has before while he stays active with his hind feet. (Beau prefers not to be active...) To do this, we add curves and circles. Now you can watch to see how much Beau changes as a result.

How is your horses canter? Are you ready to add curves and circles to make it better?

http://youtu.be/ngfga2al9mA

Trot Keeping horse on inside hind. Shoulder in into 6 meter circle #2 D...

"Have you always wanted to ride a shoulder in and were not sure how? Now you can watch as we use circles to improve what Beau is doing with them at the trot" Part 2

This is Susan on Beau. In this session we focus on keeping Beau's weightover his inside hind at the trot. To do this we are using the shoulder in and shoulder fore by riding 6 or 8 meter circles that isolate the feeling of the bringing the horse's shoulders over so that Susan can feel when Beau's weight is on the inside hind. Once Susan has that feeling, she asks Beau to step up more with his back feet. Watch how much his balance and movement improve!

Have you tried riding your horse in a shoulder in yet? Can you see how using circles and curves can make a difference in how you are riding them?

Shoulder in basics. Keeping the horses weight on the inside hind with cu...

"The shoulder in. Have you always wanted to do know how to  know if you are really doing it the right way with your horse?"

Now you can watch what happens with Susan and Beau as they focus on improving the quality of their shoulder in. We are focusing on the basics at the walk and you will notice that first we isolate what Beau is doing with his body as he does the shoulder in. Since he needs to be on his inside hind, we add curves and circles as they help Susan become aware of what is really happening with both his hindquarters and his shoulders. 

Have you tried adding curves and circles to how you are riding a shoulder in? Are you ready to try this on your horse?

Keeping the horses weight on the inside hind. #1 Walk and trot. Dressage...

"You have probably heard people say that a well balanced horse keeps it's weight on the inside hind foot on curves and circles. What does that mean and how can you know if your horse is really doing it?"

This is Susan warming Beau up and asking him to carry his weight on the inside hind foot right away. Of course, Beau was thrilled and showed us what he thought of that.  Yet, even with a few protests you will be able to see that Susan is able to balance him even in the warm up. We start out nice and slow and add more activity towards the end of this video.

Can you see when Beau is on his inside hind? Are you ready to try this on your horse?

http://youtu.be/lj0_nuPptgg

Connecting from the back to the front. Trot, canter, Week 7 "Back to th...

"What can you do.... to know if your horse is really staying connected with you at the trot and canter? Check out what we are doing with Darrien"

Those who have been following the progress of Susan and Darrien have seen some big changes these past weeks. Now, Darrien is much more relaxed mentally. He is stepping up more from behind (engaging) and is accepting Susan's contact with the reins. As a result, Darrien is starting to stay more connected and "rounder" in his balance. This is the 2nd week that he has been lifting his back.

This is the last video from the "Back to the Basics" series. The horses have all made very nice changes and now it is time to get them ready to compete again. It is time to bring everything they have been doing together so we can "package" them. Some people call this rounding up, others connecting, others engaging... the words all mean the same. Stay tuned as the changes that have happened since this video are awesome!

Can you see the difference in Susan and Darrien since we took them back to the basics?

http://youtu.be/1Mf-o3VZBZs

Walks, trots, halts circles. Week 7 "Back to the Basics" Dressage training

"What can you do.... to know if your horse is really staying connected with you? How about going back to basics?"

These past weeks have been very exciting for us. We took the horses and riders you have been watching back to back to the basics so that we could bring them back at a new level with more connection and a better balance. This is week 7 with Darrien and Susan. In this session we focus on keeping Darrien's back up as much as possible while keeping him relaxed. This is a huge break through! in fact, this is the 2nd week that Darrien has finally started using his back and starting to step under more with his back feet. It has taken us almost a year to get Darrien to let go of the tension and tightness in his body to do this. Darrien is still not sure what he should be doing, or how to stay balanced but Susan has done a great job of getting him comfortable with the process

Have you ever taken a horse back to the basics like this? Have you tried any of the techniques we have been sharing on your horse?

Packaging. Walk trot. Keeping a horse round, and in front of the aids. ...

“This is a “Sneak Preview” of the next Horse and Rider Series. It will be on “Getting a horse on the aids. How to package your horse” 

These past few weeks, we have been focusing on the “Back to the Basics” series. We have seen big changes in all the horses. Do you remember when we first put Darrien in the snaffle (instead of his usual double bridle) His nose was higher than his poll those first few weeks. Now, as you will see even in this video, we continue to school him in snaffle. What a difference!

We are now preparing Susan’s horses for the USDF Regional Finals that are coming up. For competition, they need to be more connected. There are many terms that horse people use for what this means. Some people say this is when a horse is “in front of the rider’s aids,” others call it “rounding a horse up, others ‘packaging a horse”. We have never really asked either of her horses to stay more connected before the week of this filming and you can see what we are doing.

I hope you have been enjoying the “Back to the Basics” series. Have you been practicing these techniques on your horse?

http://youtu.be/xTukUQVwxEI

Warm Up Canter Week 7 " Back to the Basics" Susan and Darrien. Dressage

"Have you ever tried to keep your horses back up in the warm up canter?  If so, you know how hard that can be. Watch what this rider does to warm up her horse"

Susan and Darrien make this warm up canter look a lot easier than it is.You will notice we do a lot of changes in movements and patterns.  I think this makes the process more interesting and fun both the horse and the rider.  What are you doing in your canter warm up?  Is your horses back up? 

 Those who have been following this "Back to the Basics" series have seen some pretty big changes in both Susan and Darrien.  Now you can see what we do in week 7 for our canter warm up.

Warm up. Walk/trot "Back to the Basics week 7" Susan and Darrien

"Your rider test for the week. Can you keep your horses back up during the walk trot warm up?"

Warming up your horse can be fun and challenging at the same time. In this session you can see how Susan is warming up Darrien at the walk and trot. Can you see how we keep changing the movements and patterns? 

How do you warm your horse up? 

Transitions. Canter halt, trot halts. Back to the basics. Week 6. Susan...

"Have you tried canter halt, or trot halt transitions yet? What can you do to improve them? Now you can watch as we teach an older horse how to do them more elegantly"

We have made it!  This is week 6 of "Back to the Basics" and the changes in Darrien are remarkable.  We are now schooling him in a snaffle bit and are excited as this (at the time of the filming) is the 2nd week that Darrien has been finally lifting his back in the movements. This is a sign that he is shifting back on his haunches and lifting his shoulders. 

Now that we are preparing to return to competition it is time to focus on the transitions that Susan and Darrien will need to compete. This includes the canter halts and trot halts. Even though Darrien is not as connected as he will be, the changes in what he is now doing are exciting for us to watch. 

What did you learn about the transitions you have been doing with your horse?  Are you going to try anything new with them after watching this video?

Warm up Canter. Back to the basics. Week 6 Susan and Darrien. Dressage...

"The warm up canter.  Are you really warming your horse up? Or just going in circles?"

Those who have been following Susan and Darrien's progress have seen a lot of positive changes in the past weeks. In this session, Week 6, we are focused on the warm up canter and keeping Darrien relaxed in it.  Last week Darrien started keeping his back up for the first time in his movements.  This week he continues to improve. 

 What do you do when you warm up your horse at the canter? Did this video give you more ideas on how you can warm your horse up in the canter?

Who says you can't teach an old horse new tricks? Going back to the basi...

"Who says you can't teach an old horse new tricks? The warm up trot. This is from week 6 of taking Darrien back to the basics. 

This is Susan on Darrien. In this session we are warming up at the trot. Our goal is simple. All we want to do is keep Darrien relaxed and moving forward freely. His normal reaction has been to get a little frantic at times. Susan is still riding Darrien in a snaffle instead of his usual double bridle. Those of you who have been following their journey might recall that 2 months before this video Darrien, even in a double bridle, would "root" (pull Susan out of the saddle with the reins) rear and run. He still pulls at times, but is much better now. The entire process has been filmed so you can see exactly what we have been doing, and the results.

Is it time for you to take your horse back to the basics? What are you waiting for? 

Backing. Going back to the basics. Working through the issues. Dressag...

"What if your horse has issues backing. What can you do to help them understand what you want them to do? Watch as we take this older horse back to the basics"

This is Susan and Darrien, her new horse. In this session we focus on improving how he is backing. At the level he is competing, he trots into a halt, backs up, and trots out again. Darrien is not sure about backing and you will see some of his issues come up as we practice a new way to back him. His tendency is to drop his nose to his chest, hollow his back and almost defensibly, move quickly backwards and sideways while dragging his front feet. Our goal is to have him relax first, than to step back in balance. As you can see, we are still schooling Darrien in the snaffle bit instead of his usual double bridle. We choose to do this so we could take him back to the basics.

How is your horse backing? Did you learn anything new that you can do with your horse after watching what we are doing with Darrien?

Back up. Adding poles for straightness. Dressage Basics

"Are you happy with the way your horse is backing?  What can you do to make the back up and walk forward exercise easier for your horse to understand?  Add ground poles!"

This is Susan and Beau.  In this session we are focused on improving the way Beau backs up and steps forward again.  To do this I have added two poles for him to back through.  This was exactly what he needed as he had started to back crooked.  Can you see how the poles have helped Beau to get a different understanding of how to back straight?  

How about your horse?  Is it backing straight?  Are you ready to try this exercise?

Canter. The beginnings of balance. How to connect a horse from the back ...

"Going to a new level with the balance of the canter. How hard can it be?"

This is Trudy on Melody. In this session we continue at the canter and are asking Melody to stay more balanced. To do this, Trudy has taken up more of a feel from the reins and is asking Melody to step up into that contact. This level of balance is new to both Melody and Trudy. Like many riders, Trudy feels that this is almost impossible and finds that she will also have to work through some of her own issues. This is typical for many riders who are ready to balance their horses canter. It looks so easy when someone else does it, but in fact, it is not.

What did you learn from watching Trudy work her way through the process of showing Melody a new way to balance at the canter?

Trot. How to connect a horse from the back to the front. The beginnings...

"Connecting a horse from the back to the front.  The beginnings. Are you ready to ride your horse in a new level of balance and connection at the trot?  Would you like to see this loos with a horse that is new to it?"

In this session Trudy is riding Melody at the trot.  Her goal is the same goal that many who ride horses are trying to achieve. She wants Ani to balance differently so that she is more uphill.  This is not so easy for Melody as she is built downhill.  To do this Trudy will need to activate Melody's back feet so that she lifts her back. When this happens, a little rainbow will show in Melody's neck. A sign that she really is connecting her back end to the front. This level of connection is new for Melody and is a great way for you to see how you can achieve the same connection with your horse.

Is your horse connected at the trot? How do you know? Are you ready to try this on your horse?

Walk. How to connect a horse from the back to the front. dressage basics.

"You have heard other riders talk about it. They say they are asking their horse to connect from it's back to the front. What does that really mean? Watch what this rider does to get to that special place at the walk.

In this session Trudy is riding Melody at the walk. Her goal is the same goal that many who ride dressage, or any form of riding a hrose in balance are trying to achieve. She wants Ani to step up from her back feet into the following rein. To do this Trudy will need to activate Melody's back feet so that she lifts her back. When this happens, a little rainbow will show in Meldoy's neck. A sign that she really is connecting her back end to the front. This level of connection is new for Melody and is a great way for you to see how you can achieve the same connection with your horse.

Did you see the changes in Melody? Are you ready to try this on your horse?

http://youtu.be/Zo7gC5duQYg

Canter. Balancing a young horse for the first time. #2 Left lead. Dressa...

"What if... you have come to a point in your horse's training where you know it is time to balance them more in the canter. What should you do? Now you can watch what this rider is doing.

Cantering a horse and keeping it in balance is not as easy as some riders make it look. The change from a "green horse canter" where the horse canters merrily along at what ever balance and speed the horse is doing, into a balanced, connected trot is a big step to take.. Many riders (especially the non professionals) find that they start breathing heavy as doing this takes a lot of focus and energy. Now you can watch as Trudy asks Ani to canter while staying more connected.

Can you see the changes happening in Ani's canter? Are you ready to try this with your horse?

http://youtu.be/jmZ8HQBT1zk

Canter. Balancing a young horse for the first time. Keeping the connec...

"Are you ready to balance your horse at the canter?  Watch what happens as this rider and horse go into a better balance and connection in the canter for the first time"

Those who ride their horses in balance all go through this stage of training.  They finally get to where they are ready to balance their horses at the canter instead of allowing them to canter merrily along at what ever balance they want.  It is a big change and many riders (especially the non professionals)  find that they start breathing heavy as doing this takes a lot of focus and energy. Now you can watch as Trudy asks Ani to canter while staying connected.  When Ani gets disconnected or is cantering too fast, Trudy asks her to go into a curve so that Ani reconnects with her in a better balance.  

Can you see the changes happening in Ani's canter?  Are you ready to try this with your horse?

"Your riding test for the week. Is your horse keeping even steps at the trot? What about in the circles and leg yields?"

In this session Trudy focuses on improving Ani's balance and movement. Ani is now somewhere between a training level and 1st level horse at this time. Our goal is to keep Ani more connected to Trudy (from Trudy's legs to the reins) and the test of how this is working is how they are able to go from a circle into a leg yield and back again without losing the rhythm are activity. This exercise is much harder to do than it looks.

Are you ready to try this on your horse?

http://youtu.be/6pSTNVDQmcM 

The walk. Keeping even steps. Turn on the haunches, spiral in and out at...

"The walk. Is your horse taking even steps while you are riding the turn around the haunches and other movements?"

In this session we focus on Trudy is feeling if Ani is taking even steps on all four legs. To do this, she will need to keep Ani active with her back feet as with the turn around the haunches and the spiral in and out. Now you can watch what happen as Trudy gets a better understanding of how to keep Ani balanced and under her seat. You will also see the difference in Ani's walks.

Can you see the changes that happen as Trudy becomes more aware of what Ani is doing at the walk? Are you ready to try this on your horse?

Susan Faulkner Evans and Darrien. Intermediate 1. 62. 72%. Atlanta Labo...

"Susan and Darrien compete in Intermediate 1 Dressage and  earn their first "8" with "S' Judge for the 3 Tempi's (lead changes every 3 strides)"

This is Susan Faulkner Evans and Darrien at the Atlanta Labor Day Classic. They competed in Intermediate 1 under "S" judge. W Solyntjes. They earned a score of 62.72% in their 3rd show competing at this level. Darrien earned an 8 in the 3 tempis for the first time.

Those of you who have been watching this pairs progress can see how much Darrien has changed. He is now much more relaxed in the show ring. We were very happy with the results from this show. Darrien and Susan are now qualified to compete in the USDF Regional Championships in Prix St George and Intermediate 1. 

Congratulations Susan and Darrien! 

Susan Faulkner Evans and Mission Point 2nd Level 3. 62. 70 % Labor Day C...

"Congratulations Susan and Beau!" Susan earns an 8 for Rider Position with an "S" judge! Check out the video below to see how they looked this past weekend"

This Susan and Mission Point (Beau) competing 2nd level test 3 at the Labor Day Classic in Atlanta Ga. The judge was "S" judge, Dr. P Chopra. This was Susan and Beau's 3rd show competing at this level. We were thrilled with the results as they were only 4 points behind the leading score for all divisions. (Jr. Amateur and Open) We were very excited when Susan received her first "8" for rider position. Especially since it was from an "S" judge!