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.

How to Ride a Shoulder In or Renvers/Travers. What to Look For and Wha...

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"Can you control the shoulders of your horse ? How about the haunches? Now you can with the The magic of the shoulder in and renvers/travers"

Horse people have been using the "shoulder in" and "renvers/travers" for centuries. These are great exercises that improve a horses balance and the connection a rider has with their horse. What is the difference between them? Basically, in the shoulder in the rider brings the outside shoulder in until the horse crosses it's inside front over the outside front foot...as they keep the horses back end straight. The renvers/travers, are really the same is movement if ridden on the center or quarter line. When ridden in the dressage tests, the renvers is tail to the wall, while in the travers the horses tail is to the inside. In that movement, the horses front feet move straight ahead and they cross the outside hind foot in front of the inside. Both movements require that the horse is "bent" around the riders inside leg. They are easy to see from behind. Watch this video to see how.

Have you explored the possibilities of the shoulder in or renvers/travers with your horse? Are you ready to try them now?

Keeping a horses focus... when it doesn't want to. Walk trot.

"My horse throws its head up in the trot walk transitions. What am I supposed to do? How can I keep my horses soft to my rein connection?"



This happens to so many riders.  It is a common challenge that can be solved by understanding the Steps to Connection.  Now you can watch what I did (this is a blast from the past)  with Trudy and Ani to keep them connected with the walk trot transitions and the different trots.  Ani is still new to being on contact/on the aids/on the bit/in front of the aids.  Like most horses that are new to this level of connection she is not sure what she should be doing when Trudy takes up the contact.  Now you can see what we are doing with the walk trot transitions and changes of gait at the trot to help her understand how to stay connected.



Does this give you a better idea of how you can ask your horse to stay more connected?  Practice this Horse and Rider Awareness technique and tell me how it works for you.

Half Halts at the canter. It's time to connect and balance for 2nd level...

"The canter.  Is your horse responding to your half halts? Watch what happens as Susan asks Beau to stay connected even more at the canter"



In this session Susan practices the half halt as taught by Robert Dover. To do this at the canter she feels when Beau starts to disconnect.  When Susan feels that happen she breaths in deeply.. bringing that breath up her chest and back into her shoulder blades. Susan  finishes that breath by bringing her seat forward, hugging her legs and closing her fingers on the reins.  This entire process takes only 3 seconds. As those of you who know Beau expect... He is not thrilled moving up into the balance he needs for second level. This is a time of great change for Susan and Beau and I am so happy to have caught it on film as most riders never get to see what can happen as a horse is asked to balance and connect at a new level.



Can you see how Beau begins to understand the half halts better?

Contact. The beginnings. Walk trot. The Steps to Connection

"What if... you have finally come to the point in your horses training where you are ready to ask them to stay connected.  What should you expect and what should you do?"

When a horse is learning how to stay connected they are not sure what is going on.  Especially if this is also new for the rider.  Now you can watch what happens as I use the "Steps to Connection"with Trudy to show her how to keep Ani focused and connected walk halt transitions for the 4th time.  

Can you see how important understanding the Steps to Connection are to what you are doing with your horse?   

Improve your Canter. Serpentine's with collected and counter canter.

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"How to get the rocking horse canter. We all dream of that canter where our horse willingly canters around in balance. Now you can see what happened as Susan asks Beau to stay balanced and relaxed (this is a blast from the past) when they started focusing on a new level of balance and connection"

Wait until you see the changes in Beau! This is the 4th time that Susan had asked Beau to stay in a 2nd level balance for the canter. Beau was still not sure what that meant, but was accepting the changes and even starting to show off a little. We start with Serpentine pattern at the canter/trots and move up in collected canter and counter canter.

Did this Horse and Rider Awareness video give you more ideas on what you can be doing so your horse is more comfortable to ride at the canter?

Rein contact at the trot. Engagement and more balance with the Diamond e...

"Is your horse in balance? It's time to practice with the 'Diamond pattern.'Can you keep your horse connected from your leg to the rein at the trot?"

The Diamond Pattern is a great way to teach your horse (and yourself...) what a horse feels like as they are "sitting down" more or "engaging" This is a blast from the past and was when we were first asking Beau to stay in a different balance. To do this, Susan focused on keeping an even feel on both reins as she asked Beau to step up more from behind with her seat and legs as she rides the Diamond pattern. As a result you will see that Beau began to use his haunches differently.

Are you ready to try the Diamond pattern with your horse?