DefinitelyDressage.com

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I agree. You can't ride the balance without first feeling where the balance is....If forced to deconstruct/demystify this comment LOL, I would say she is trying to say instead of feeling that a horse is against your leg or grabbing a rein, try to do SOMETHING ELSE DIFFERENT such that the horse stop...

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Mountaineer, yes, he is in fact a rubber ball :lol: That is why training him has been a bit of a challenge. I gave him 2 days off to fart around after he worked so hard and when we went back to work, he thought that we would be resuming our regularly scheduled program of, "I don't really need t...

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Thank you for sharing, I'm looking forward to your notes! I'm curious about riding the balance vs feeling because to me, that is the feeling (in addition to softness connection etc.) Is there any clarity to what she specifically meant by feeling?

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I'll dip my toe back into this conversation because I agree, quick behind is a bit of a catch-all phrase that I've heard to describe a few different things. I agree with MC that it is a very commonly used term, but Chisamba is also right, it can be open for interpretation. I've been doing some think...

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Actually, the extended trot is the one that should have a tendency to look a bit slower. And, you have to look at the legs and literally count out 1, 2, 1, 2 and you'll see that the tempo should be kept the same. The canter piri tends to look slower... but again, you have to look at the hind legs in...

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I think articulation is part of it - the horse that travels with open joints tends to drag their feet. Kande, yes, you load the hind, but you don't want the hind to get stuck and dwell in one spot for too long, because ideally, collection is kept at about the same tempo as your regular work. You don...

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Transitions, transitions, transitions (quick trot/halts). In hand work. Constantly asking for bits of extra effort (lengthenings and mini lengthenings without the horse spreading out). Being 110% consistent with feeling when and if the horse takes a little off the top and being quick with a tap with...

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To get back to everyone else - and I apologize if I miss anyone! DJR, I wonder at where you find all the energy sometimes! You have a lot on your plate professionally and personally and I admire all that you accomplish! I can commiserate with the slump - I think that no matter how passionate we are,...

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I mean that the tempo of the canter all around could be quicker. But, I say the hind because I'm assuming that the hind effects the front. That is an error on my part - I've seen horses with very quick, hocky action behind and be relatively normal looking up front. So, to my eye, the canter is a lit...

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I added pics and vid in my Miro update, but this post is for the project mare! She at the point where she is now being worked for a few sets in the round pen. A few minutes of trot each direction and 2, maybe 3 canter transitions. She appears to have a huge capacity for learning, I'm incredibly exci...

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This is why I wanted to ask! Thank you both!

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Curious as to why you say Legend would not work? It is IV form of hyaluronic acid - which for low ring bone or articular forms of ringbone is a treatment protocol that I've seen on most of what I've researched so far.

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I told my friend that I would help her do some digging in regards to ringbone. This is a new diagnosis, she is confirming with the vet whether or not its periarticular or articular, I DO know that it's mostly high, but there is a bit of low ringbone too. So, what I'm looking for is any shoeing proto...

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I have to go back and read everyone else's posts, but for now, I wanted to get this all out before I forget! As I mentioned in my last post, I was taking Miro down to Andrea's. For some reason, I was inordinately nervous about this outing as Miro has not been off the property since I moved him, and ...

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Count me as one that thinks dressage (well, riding well in general) is not intuitive. People are by nature handsy - we can't fix things with just our hands. People by nature curl into fetal position when they feel at risk - you have to sit up and deepen your seat. People by nature are fixated by thi...

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Rosie, IMO, yes, there is a subtle yet big difference. The extra oomph has steadied him up front and he looks a bit more up in the shoulder. He just looks like he's moving in one piece. The place where I would be pushing the envelope is in the canter work - that looks to my eye like the hind end nee...

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At the top, no, I think we will be stuck with that trot on the international stage. I can spot rhythm and tempo irregularities in most top horses, and it all stems from issues with how collection is developed imo. I certainly can't produce that trot, nor do I want to. I rarely watch international dr...

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I for one don't mind hearing about the ordinary rides as well as the lightbulb or frustrating moments. Lots of training tends to be at a slow crawl as you work on quality or pick apart a specific thing. It's not necessarily exciting, and more than always frustrating. :lol: I think some of it depends...

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Have been crazy busy at work, or would have commented sooner. I'm fascinated by how people learn. I think that this highlights why it's so important to try something different, or try something outside of your comfort zone to stretch the limits of what you know/feel. If I'm stuck on something, I exa...

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So, by not respecting the longe whip - do you mean Bliss doesn't go from it? Because if that's what you mean, that's part of the problem. So, if that's the case - the horse gets a warning (if I lift the whip tip and the horse doesn't go, that's followed swiftly by an "I mean go" flick on t...

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So, in my experience, horses like Bliss need to motor asap. I know of and have ridden one that is almost exactly like Bliss, down to the coloring lol. He came with a terribly hovering trot and late changes that multiple trainers couldn't fix because he was so slow and lazy behind. He's now made a ve...

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Andrea turns horses out, they are all solo turnouts and range from larger fields to smaller paddocks. Some of the horses even get full night turn out, but her barn manager watches the turn outs like a hawk and makes changes if anyone starts to act overly foolish. But, most horses in training with he...

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Sue B, I have the same result - two of the same trot pic, that being said, that trot pic looks like he's pretty darn comfortable moving out! We want proof of canter!!!

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MC, I'm not sure if it's totally applicable to you, but bringing M back from such a long time off, I'm realizing that the protocol of add a movement every week or two has actually was a great strength building protocol. It seems like a no-brainer, but because I was so clinical about it, from hand-wa...

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So, what I've observed in my microcosm is that horses are worked for no more than 45 mins. Lower level horses start with longing for 10-15 mins (if they still need it) and then initial trot work (circles, changes of direction etc.,) and then into lateral work. Lateral work is done to the horse's lev...

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DJR, you are definitely going viral with that pic! I'm so impressed with how well he and your trainer handled that situation. Not easy, especially for a horse that you've mentioned has been a bit difficult. StraightForward and others - it's so great hearing how your journeys are progressing! With th...

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Only when riding on a straight line aka center line would you have the horse in both hands equally. Whenever there is bend or positioning the horse should be lighter on the inside rein. The horse should still be "in position" while riding straight, even straight down centerline. My person...

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I think that the spirit of the memes are that riding more forward can get you out of trouble, especially as many people that I see riding tend to ride at a crawl. But if we take it literally... yes to less leg! I want a horse to respond on the first and lightest touch.

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It has been down for a while - 6 months-ish as they were making major updates to the information and backend of the site. There was some speculation on CoTH that USDF had a hand in shutting them down because of data mining, but I'm not sure that's the case. In any case, the site was back up and runn...

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So, if you bring the nose around, and then let go to test the inside rein, and the horse immediately swings it's head back to the center, or worse, to the outside, the horse has not yielded to the inside rein. /quote] completely disagree. it depends entirely on if you have contact in the outside re...

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Well, Miro is a young horse, as are the other horses that I'm riding right now, so they are definitely still needing to follow the inside rein. But a horse trained to a higher level, you would just indicate with the rein that you want a bit of flexion to that side - but where that came from is the v...

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No, the motorcycling is not just a strength issue - it is if you attempt corners and circles that are too small in radius for the horse's current strength level, but any horse can do a 20 meter circle without motorcycling if they are ridden well, and then you work down from there. So, following the ...

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Just a few tidbits while I should be working on actual work stuff. Sue B, I can relate. The mud has been brutal this spring. I had been monitoring M's feet closely because I was seeing some changes that I didn't like. The edge of his hoof was rolling over, and his sole was looking recessed. I called...

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I'm a bit in the same spot - less leg overall, but making sure that when my leg is used, he listens. Overall, I'm incredibly happy with the work, he is definitely coming up in the shoulders for me consistently now. It's harder for him, so we take lots of breaks and I ask for short bursts of this mor...

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Yesterday I had the best ride on M. After careful consideration of the work, and the things that he presents me with, I decided to experiment and change up the warmup. So, I usually do a quick longe (he can be a bit cold-backed), then get on, go into my trot work and laterals, then canter work, then...

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Something that I think about is that sometimes, it's not just one side being stronger than the other, it's about dexterity. I am equally strong in my right and left hand, yet I can't write with my left. I think about making the horse as ambidextrous as possible through the exercises. Just another la...

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I had a lesson last night. Miro was a bit put out to be riding so late, but it's character building :lol: The good news is that he is trucking along and the canter is already much improved. We actually showed a legit lengthening in the canter, not just legs churning! We were in the indoor arena, and...

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I downloaded it and I keep forgetting to try it

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We're having downpours, just lovely weather in between lol!

And I am too, we're going on about a year since the initial injury, about 6 months of being back in work. I'm still being careful and taking it day by day, but so far, no issues despite some impressive hijinks along the way.

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We finally have proper spring temperatures! That was a very, VERY long winter lol. I'm continuing to re-tool M's canter. It's an interesting process, but I am seeing improvements. He's starting to lengthen his frame and un-ball himself. And, more importantly, he's starting to lift the knees more and...

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Thank you so much for sharing!

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It is almost like plie' canter, but you also have the bending line to encourage that lengthening of the outside of the horse. Will he not take the rein in a stretch at the canter? While plie is away from the lead, I have also done canter LY into the lead. This is harder than plie in terms of horse ...

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Sue B, yes! If you've ever ridden a hyper-mobile horse, you know exactly what I'm describing. And that's what I'm doing as well with him - following the bascule and pushing the neck out and down a bit. Khall, it's changeable - it just takes time. And, he's still growing, so he gets wonky as he goes ...

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Yes, we've tried that. A light seat and a true half seat. When you go to a light seat on the canter, he pings his croup up. You almost have to ride the haunches down. He's just very, very quick to slap the front down. Some of it is the bridle connection. Some of it is that he drops his back. In the ...

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Shirrine, that's fantastic! Looking forward to an update on your comp :) For Miro and I - this will be the month of the canter. We've found our trot, and his lateral work is going swimmingly. Overall, I'm really happy with the feel of it. The canter is lagging. He doesn't move through the back the s...

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Personally, I think that there are a few factors. 1. it's hard to learn how to sit the trot well. Doubly hard if you don't have access to a horse that is schooled well enough for you to practice it. 2. People equate sitting with collection. So they wait until they think they are "doing collecti...

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I'm sorry that you had mixed feelings about the clinic. I'm not familiar with him, but watching the video that MC posted brings up a pet peeve of mine. How the heck do people teach effectively from the sidelines??? Sure you can see and comment on some stuff, and maybe it's just me, but I'm used to p...

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MC, yes, he can - although I didn't ask him in the trot set in that video, I do ask frequently for him to stretch FDO. The trick with him is 1. he needs to reach out and 2. he can't just drop his back and leave his hind legs out behind him. So, I don't let him drop too, too low and I don't do it for...

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I wasn't offended by the wonky comment. Compared to his trot, it's his weaker gait. He will eventually do piris etc very easily - but we have to make SURE that he is not just doing mini-levades, but that he is connecting honestly and using back in a more undulating manner and not dropping his back o...

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IMO this is an "it all depends" situation. It depends on the horse, it depends on the rider, it depends on what you are feeling. I'll try to break down my decision tree. I will preface all of this by saying, if you are not a balanced rider that can use their aids with a modicum of independ...

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