Shoulder in/haunches in. Is your horse active behind? 2nd level S4 Dress...

"Shoulder in/haunches in. Tips to improve what you are doing with your horse. Shoulder in and haunches in or out"

Now that Susan and Beau are competing in 2nd level dressage it is time to focus on improving the quality of their lateral work. Last year we started Beau on these movements and he was not always happy with them. He does not like new changes it seems. During that time he would do the basics, but did not want to take up contact and also was not actively stepping up in the rein contact by becoming more active with his hind feet. (Oh, my gosh... this sounds like dressage!) However, this year, he seems much more confident and is letting us ask him for more energy and with more of a rein connection. Have you tried these movements yet?

Can you see how much better Beau is looking as Susan works him through the process? Are you ready to try this on your horse? Let us know how it works for you as we love your feedback.

Canter.Two horses Two levels! Getting on the aids/on the bit/contact. S4...

"Contact and connection at the canter. Would you like to watch 2 horses at two different levels practicing the same basics?"

In this session we have a training level and a 2nd level horse. Trudy's horse Ani is going to compete in Training level this year and needs to be on the contact. (Also called on the bit or on the aids) This is only the 4th time we have asked Ani to stay on the bit at the canter. Our other horse is Susan's Beau. He is competing in 2nd level this year. He needs to be able to stay connected at the same time he sits down (engages). This might be the 6th time we have asked him for this level of balance. It is fun to see that both riders are using the same technique to train their horses for the levels that they will be competing at.

What did you learn from watching this video? Do you have a better idea of how you can connect your horse at the canter?

Contact/on the aids/on the bit. Steps to connection. Two horses. Trainin...

"Good training basics are what we all work at, all the time, when we are riding a horse in balance.  Did you know you can use the same techniques on horses of all levels?  In this video you will see two horses warming up. One is preparing to compete in Training Level the other in 2nd level dressage. 

We start with making sure that Trudy is keeping Ani (training level) active from behind. To do that, we use the number system so that Trudy becomes aware of when Ani is not in front of her aids. Next, Trudy focuses on the Steps to Connection (soften the jaw, soften the poll, check for the rainbow in the neck and so on) Susan and Beau also enter this class. Beau is competing in 2nd level and we are using the same process to connect him into a higher level of balance.  We start at the walk and finish with canter trot transitions on serpentines. Now you can see how similar the training is for both horses. You can use the same techniques on yours! This is a longer than usual video as I got lost in the process myself.

What did you learn from watching this video. Do you have a better idea of how the Steps to Connection can work for your horse, regardless of it's level?

Trot. On the aids/contact with more activity.Two horses.Training level and Second level.

"Now you can compare the Contact/On the aids/On the bit with two  horses at different levels of training warming up at the trot. Can you see the difference between a training level and a 2nd level level horse?"

In this session we focus on keeping both the horses connected. The basics for connection are basically the same. The difference is that now Susan's horse Beau needs to be able to engage or sit down more while he stays on the bit for 2nd level, Trudy's horse Ani is going to compete in Training level. This is the 7th time we have asked her to stay on the contact/on the aids/on the bit. 

Can you see how the same basics apply to all levels of training?

Contact. Going back to the basics for the horse and rider. Walk.

"Contact. What if you could finally... keep an even, following rein connection with your horse?  Where do you need to keep your hands? What steps can you take to make the difference?  (Hint.  Check out this video)"

In this session Trudy focuses on keeping a light connection with the reins on Melody at the walk.  Watch as Trudy becomes aware of what she is doing with her reins, when she (or Melody)  drop the connection (even feel on both reins)  

Are your hands following your horses movements? Are you ready to try it on your horse?  

https://youtu.be/v2lEpcL9ANU

Leg Position. Are your legs sliding? How to anchor them. . #1 S4 Riding...

"Lower leg position. Are your lower legs slip sliding all over the place? You are not alone. Now you can see techniques that you can use to improve your lower legs position right here!"

This was our training level class with Susan and Trudy. On this day we focused on what was happening with their lower leg positions. They begin by feeling if their calf muscle is slightly stretching. We move up to transitions to see if they can keep that feeling. To make it more interesting we even added circles so they could feel what happens to most riders legs when they add circle. Watch what happens as they both become more aware of what they have been doing with their lower legs.

Are you ready to try this while you are riding? Let us know how these techniques work for you. We love hearing your feedback.

This video has some odd movements in at as a result of Youtube doing something weird....

Rider position.How to keep your seat over your lower legs. #1 S3 Riding ...

"What if... the real reason your lower legs are not staying where you want them to be, is that you have not been keep your seat over them?  This is what happens with most riders.  It sounds so simple, but is a huge shift in how you will be able to maintain your balanced riding position.  Now you can watch how I show Trudy how to be able to feel when her seat is in the right place to keep her anchored into her lower legs"

What did you learn from watching this video? Can you see how important it is for you to keep your seat over your lower legs so that they are in the right place?  Are you ready to try this?  Please let us know how it works for you.