htraining

20 MINUTE WORKOUT

Ideally, your schooling session should last between 30 to 45 minutes, excluding your free walk before the session. However, occasionally, you will be stuck within a tight 20 minutes to work out your horse. This article will help you prepare a schooling session for the next time you are out riding with limited time on hand.

For the Preliminary Horse & Rider

Defining the level

This is the level at which you will be working on your basic paces and shapes, trying to build your horse’s flexibility and fitness. Young horses begin their schooling at this level, but you may need to go back to basics with an older horse if he was not properly established in his early training.

Aim

Your goal should be to work your horse equally on both reins, allow him to become rounder and lift his back while working actively with his hind legs. Simply put, you are teaching your horse the essence of self-carriage.

Before you begin

Walk your horse on a free rein for about 5 to 15 minutes (depending on how much time you have). This allows the horse to loosen up and relax before the work out. Make sure that your horse is active in his hindquarters and not just letting them trail behind. If your horse wants to stretch his neck and lower his head, let him, as this lifts his back and improves his flexibility. It would be handy to have a dressage arena for your schooling exercises.

The First 10 Minutes

After you have walked your horse, gather up the reins, and ask for trot. A young, novice horse will usually begin with a flat trot, pulling with his front legs rather than pushing with his back end. Don’t panic, there are lots of exercises to help the horse shift his balance to his hindquarters naturally. Do not insist on an outline at this stage, you are just beginning to warm up your horse.

Before you begin

Ride 20-meter circles, gently asking for a bend to the inside by sponging on the inside rein then softening it. When riding straight along the track, ask for a shoulder-fore (very slight flexion to the inside). To help your horse organize himself, ride 3-loop serpentines, advancing to 5-loop serpentines if you are using a 60 m x 20 m arena. (See figure 1).

You may then progress to a simplified leg-yield to get your horse to use his hocks and step underneath himself. On the long side of the arena, ride a 5 meter loop to the inside until your shoulder is aligned with the B marker, then leg yield back to the track. (Figure 2).

Figure 1-3 loop serpentine Figure 2- 5 meter loop

The Second Half

From the corner or from a circle, ask for canter if your horse can perform a walk to canter transition. If not, trot first then ask for canter.

Cantering on a straight line can often drop a novice horse on his forehand, so focus your cantering on a circle until you feel that your horse is stepping well underneath himself. Remind yourself to sit quietly through the canter to help him maintain a relaxed frame of mind. To collect the canter, ride trot-canter-trot-walk-canter transitions a few times while keeping the transitions smooth instead of abrupt.

After establishing a good canter, you can repeat the 5-meter loop to the inside of the track at a canter, but instead of leg-yielding back, you will return to the track at a counter-canter (figure 2). Do not overwork your horse with this exercise as it can be strenuous on his muscles and could intimidate him. Three or four repetitions are usually enough. Remember to work your horse evenly on both reins.

Your canter work should last approximately 6 or 7 minutes. Ride a downward transition to walk and allow your horse to stretch his neck and lower his head. This is the cool down and should last around 2 to 3 minutes. Finish it on your horse’s favorite rein (softer side).

For Novice to Elementary Level Horse & Rider

Defining the Level

Your basic paces should have been established and your horse should be showing a more rounded outline with more engagement from his hind quarters. Lengthening and shortening of stride is introduced at this level, as well as some lateral work.

Aim

To encourage your horse to engage his hindquarters, left his back, and round his outline. ‘Lightness’ is the keyword to keep you going forward and active. Your horse can be introduced to some lateral work in order to build his muscles and body coordination as well as his suppleness. Walk your horse as mentioned previously to loosen him up and relax him before you begin schooling.

The First 10 Minutes

Gently urge your horse to trot. It is advisable that you begin your trot work on a longer rein while keeping the pace slow and rhythmic. Ride plenty of circles and serpentines to discourage your horse from falling on the forehand during the long and low exercise and to improve his lateral suppleness; check Long and Low for more information about this exercise.

Gradually gather the reins to a contact. Ride a couple of serpentines to get your horse bending in both directions. When you feel your horse is ready, turn down the centerline and leg-yield back to the track at sitting trot. Repeat that a few times, then ride a 20-meter circle, spiraling in to a 5-meter circle, then leg-yielding back to the larger circle. Perform the exercise on both reins while always maintaining the bend to the inside.

Ride a downward transition to walk. If you have practiced shoulder-in at lessons, you can try it first at the walk then at the trot on the long side of the arena. For an introduction on shoulder-in, check out the article on this website titled The Shoulder-in. If you are not sure on how to perform a shoulder-in, wait until your next lesson and ask your instructor to show you exactly how to ride a correct shoulder-in. This movement collects the horse and introduces him to further development in lateral work such as travers, renvers, and half-pass.

When your horse has collected, you may advance to lengthening and shortening of stride. Ride your medium trot along the diagonal and a collected trot on the track and on circles. Avoid excessive repetition as it may exhaust your horse if he has not yet developed the suppleness and strength required for it.

Go back to walk, and give your horse a breather on a long rein for a couple of minutes.

The Second Half

Ask for canter from walk or trot and keep the pace forward and light. Do not restrict your horse with the reins because you do not want to build tension in your horse at this stage after all the work you have done to loosen him up. Keep the contact light and encourage him to bend and round his outline by sponging the inside rein and softening it. Ride a few circles, 20 and 15 meter, and change the rein once by riding a downward transition to collected trot.

To further improve your canter work, you can introduce the counter-canter at various stages of difficulty. For example, an easy exercise is the one described above for the preliminary horse: the 5-meter loop to the inside of the track. You can slowly increase its difficulty by increasing the depth of the loop, from 5-meter to 10-meter to 15-meter, until you are able to make a complete loop from one side of the arena to the other. Keep your horse bending slightly towards the leading leg and sit quietly to prevent him from breaking into trot or from making a flying change, (Figure 3). Some horses will not tolerate the counter-canter, so make sure you introduce it gradually.

Figure 3-Counter-canter serpentine

You may finish your canter session with a short canter in the long and low frame to stretch your horse’s neck and back, provided that he is well engaged from behind. Bring your horse to a walk on a long rein and cool off

Conclusion

While we do not always have the luxury of a 45-minute schooling session, it is always possible to give your horse and yourself a good workout in less than half that time. You will not be looking at teaching your horse new movements, but simply at getting him to use the right muscles and to get him to stretch and work in collection, thus providing him with a short ‘toning’ session

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Copyright © D Anwar, 1999-2002. All Rights Reserved.

TRAINING MYTHUNDERSTANDINGS

by Ron Meredith

The Daily Training Routine

It takes a long time to develop a full communication system with a horse. When you first begin the training process, the horse's vocabulary of understanding is pretty limited and that limits what you can expect of him. As he learns more, you can expect more.

Eventually there will come a time when you have developed full communication with the horse and you know he understands what you are asking. You support every request with a corridor of pressures applied consistently at every stride. Once you and the horse have reached this advanced level, you should expect compliance with every request. You do your part, and you expect the horse to do his.

But with a baby green horse at the beginning of training, we don't expect the horse to understand all of the shapes we want him to take when we apply given pressures. He doesn't understand which physical or psychological pressures we want him to ignore like the girth or something flapping above eye level. He doesn't understand which pressures are methodically applied directional pressures such as leg pressure on one side asking him to move his hindquarters in the opposite direction when we're riding or our primary line opening up for a turn when we're leading him that he can remove by taking the shape we want. We don't expect full compliance in the beginning because the baby horse's vocabulary needs to grow.

So the baby horse has to add these pressures one by one to his vocabulary. You have to break everything you want to teach him down into the smallest number of little tiny pieces that you can. Then teach each of those things one at a time.

There isn't any hard and fast rule about how long an individual training session should last when you are working the horse. I like to think of each lesson in thirds. There's a warm-up third, a training third and a cooling down third.

You spend the first third of the time in a warm up arrangement that mentally and physically gets the horse in rhythm with relaxation. If he's a beginning horse, he may just run around and play with you following him around. If he's a little more educated you might longe him or do some gymnastic exercises under saddle. This is the time when you allow him to work slow to be pumping the fluids in his legs from his frog and to get his joints working free and muscles warmed up.

The middle third of the training session is where you practice things the horse already knows and it is the only time when you introduce anything new, anything beyond what the horse already understands. You never introduce something new out of the clear blue sky. Anything new should be only a tiny baby step away from what the horse already knows and has practiced. You go along really slowly and introduce things in very small increments so the horse stays interested and the rhythm and relaxation keep going. And don't hesitate to just stop in the middle if everything turns into a can of worms because it's always better to stop and reboot.

It's important to recognize the difference between teaching the horse something and him just accepting it. For example, a laid back horse might stand there and accept the saddle pad and the saddle and the girth and so on. Because the horse is accepting each new thing as one of those things people just do and staying relaxed about it, it looks like he's trained. If you don't realize you haven't really taught the horse anything yet, there's going to be a wreck when you come to a place where the horse's acceptance and his understanding are in conflict. When you try to tell him to move and do something with all that stuff on him, that's when he's suddenly going to find that he's being attacked from all directions by something that has him restrained and constrained and his excitement level is going to go right through the roof. It's a very tricky thing because a lot of people think that a horse that you've never had to develop any control over is a perfect horse but actually they just don't have any control over him.

In order for the horse to add a pressure to his vocabulary, at some point he has to resist things a little bit and you have to calm him a little bit and show him that you're a friend he can trust not to hurt him. That doesn't mean you go around picking fights with him. If you add something new and everything's fantastic then take it all off today. Do it again the next day and the next day. After three or four days you can start heeding him with all this gear on. When he's heeding really well with all the gear on, then you longe him with it on. Then someone just sits on him. Then you heed him with someone on his back. Then you longe him with someone one his back. And gradually you add the bridle and bit pressures and you just go along baby step by horse-logical baby step.

The last third of the training session is the cool down period. This is the horse's time to physically and mentally unwind before you put him away. If everything's gone along great, you've practiced the things the horse already knows or added another little thing to his vocabulary while keeping him rhythmic and relaxed. The time to start cooling him down is while everything is going well, before he gets tired or his attention starts to wander.

Any time you're having a good time and it starts to change, that's the time to cool him down and put him away. Any time that the relationship between you and the horse seems to be going the wrong way--he's not interested in you today or whatever--you let him play a while and then put him away. Any time you're not sure what to do next, that's the time to put him away. Any time you feel you were lucky and got away with something, that's the time to put him away.

The horse's daily training routine should not be based on a set of particular actions you've decided to take to teach him according to any particular schedule. A training routine should be based on the horse's reactions to your actions. A good routine maintains both the horse's comfort level and the horse's attention level.

© 2000 Meredith Manor International Equestrian Centre. All rights reserved.
Instructor and trainer Ron Meredith has refined his "horse logical" methods for communicating with equines for over 30 years as president of Meredith Manor International Equestrian Centre, an ACCET accredited equestrian educational institution.

TRAINING MYTHUNDERSTANDINGS II

by Ron Meredith

KEEPING A HORSE’S ATTENTION

There are probably as many jokes about getting a mule's attention with a two-by-four as there are pickup trucks in Texas. When you are teaching your horse to heed, you must keep bringing its attention back to you. But you don't want to use a two-by-four. You don't want do a lot of exciting or loud things that will cause the horse to do a lot of exciting or loud things. You want to use body position and body language that is noticeable to the horse to keep its attention or send it in the direction you want. I call this "heeding."

For example, stand at the horse's front legs with your belt buckle facing its shoulder as you scratch the horse. Continue to keep the line through your shoulders parallel to the horse's body all the time you are scratching and rubbing him. If you find a place the horse really likes being scratched, you have his attention on you. Your goal is to captivate the horse, to keep the horse heeding everything you do, paying attention to everything you do. And everything you do, you do in a perceivable pattern with a calm attitude.

Horses only pay attention to one thing at a time. Their eyes are out on the sides of their head to see any approaching attacker and their instincts tell them to constantly look out for those attackers. This superb peripheral vision is what makes it so easy to get horses to heed your body position. They can see all the way to the back of their hindquarters with just a slight tilt of their head. But what gets their attention keeps changing all the time.

When their attention goes away from you, your goal is to get it back. When something in their environment puts a question in their mind and diverts their attention, you want them to come back to you for the answer.

The younger a horse is the more it perceives anything sudden or unusual as dangerous because there is less information in its memory bank. Natural defense mechanisms and instincts are more likely to control its behavior. So if you're teaching a really baby horse to heed, its attention just normally darts all over the place. It will shift its attention from one thing to another suddenly. It will jump quickly if it notices something it didn't see before. It will stop to observe something carefully, to take it in completely, before it's ready to give its attention back to you or something else and move on.

With a baby horse, your plan is to get noticed at least half of the time and eventually the horse will develop the habit of bringing its attention back to you. Which means that it will start coming back to you for the answer of how to respond to that last thing that grabbed its attention.

When your horse trusts what you are saying with your body language, heeding becomes a sort of auto pilot system. You are calm, your horse heeds the fact that you are calm, and the horse takes its cue from you. When you change positions, it indicates a change in how things should be and the horse will change position with you.

After your horse has learned to heed your body language, he will not only heed you, but also anyone who speaks the same language. Everything you do, as far as your position, should be horse logical. For example, when you have your shoulder line parallel to the horse's side then turn so your shoulder line runs through his shoulders and step forward, the horse will automatically step with you. You don't have to force the horse to walk and pull him along. You also won't have to jerk on him because he's walking too fast. He'll just start walking at the same speed you do because you have taught him to heed your body in a horse logical manner.

There's a corollary to having the horse pay attention to you. You must pay attention to your horse at all times and create a calm working environment. If someone comes along that you want to talk to, finish with your horse, put your horse away and then talk. Don't take your attention off your horse.

When you are cleaning the stall, you still have to pay attention to what your horse is doing. If your horse bites, put a drop noseband around his mouth. You can also attach a lead rope to him and lead him around with you as you clean. Or you can put him in a keeper stall. You must make the horse feel like doing something you suggest without making a fight about it. That is how you gain mental dominance.

Teaching heeding builds a communication link between yourself and the horse in the horse's language. That is why it does not require strength to take horses to the highest levels. There is a MythUnderstanding that men are the best trainers because they are stronger than women. In reality, training has nothing to do with strength. It is about mental games. Horse training is a mental game played in a physical medium.

Your primary objective as a trainer is rhythm and relaxation. What the horse needs to achieve this is steady, physical work at a mental level that you create which is alert enough to pay attention to you but not frightened and not tense. You have to be open minded and calm in order to study and understand. And it is exactly the same situation with the horse.

An awful lot of people think that if they do something to the horse that makes it act more excited, that the horse is going to learn faster or respond better. The truth is that the horse may not be responding at all. It may just be reacting. Reacting is overdoing. An aid that gets a reaction instead of a response has been avoided just as effectively as if the horse didn't respond at all.

Never attack or punish a horse for being "disobedient." Just put him back to work. He's just looking to have a good time and that's what we're trying to teach him to do--to have a good time playing our game. There is no such thing as a disobedience if you're not telling the horse what to do. There may be a lapse of obedience but when that happens, you simply interrupt with instructions of what the horse ought to be doing. No fighting, no loud or excited reaction, just a calm request using your horse-logical communication link.

LONG AND LOW


A perfect Long & Low position for the head, neck, and back, with great impulsion from the hind quarters.

Photo courtesy of Horse & Rider magazine.

Relaxation vs. Tension

In the previous articles, we have discussed the correct way to ride in order to effectively and gently control the horse. Yet, when things go wrong, we cannot always accuse the rider of faulty riding; horses do have bad days too!

When looking at the average riding school, how many horses do we see are avoided as rides for novices? Possibly about half the horses will be considered 'flighty' or 'excitable', therefore not suitable for beginners. What does a horse do when he's excited? He bucks, he rears, he gallops, he kicks.. these are all signs of anxiousness. An anxious horse is not a focused horse. No matter what you do to 'kick the horse into obedience' you will be unable to achieve much success because the horse is simply not listening. His muscles have contracted, his pulse is racing, and his mind is set.

The best way to get the horse under control is to relax him, physically and mentally. To begin with, you must remain relaxed, physically and mentally, as well, otherwise your anxiousness will seep into the horse. Once a horse is relaxed, he will become balanced, focused, and will present a pleasant and successful ride.

The Anatomy of Relaxation

If you watch a horse grazing, you will notice that he swishes his tail casually, carries his ears calmly, turning them occasionally, and walks around lazily. Beyond your vision, his pulse and respiration rate will be low. In the grazing position, the horse's neck and back muscles are stretched and his abdominal muscles are contracted. This is called the antagonistic muscle group, or the relaxation group.

If the horse is startled, his neck and back muscles tense and contract.

"Immediately, all their neck and back muscles go
into extension, in readiness for action. They lift their heads,
extend their necks and backs, their tails stand up and they
erupt into a stiff-legged trot."

Karen Blignault, Successful Schooling.

Long and Low

The Long and Low method is commonly used to relax the horse and supple his muscles. It can be described as riding the horse on a long rein, allowing him to stretch his neck and lower his head, while engaging his hind legs into a balanced and rhythmic pace. Benefits of riding Long & Low for the horse are as follows:

It develops the abdominal and hip muscles, which strengthens the back.
Produces submission as the horse's field of vision becomes minimal, thereby avoiding a startle.
The horse's strides become longer and more elevated as his hindquarters become more engaged to maintain his balance.
Produces longitudinal suppleness because the horse's back is raised and stretched.
Allows the horse to gain independence from the reins and carry his own weight rather than depend on the rider's hands.
Develops the horse's sense of balance.

Achieving Long & Low

While in walk, ask the horse to stretch his neck down by sponging the reins. 'Sponging' refers tightening your fist around the reins, then relaxing them. It does not mean pulling against the horse's mouth, since this will cause resistance. When the horse reacts by lowering his neck, release the pressure immediately, as this will act as reward. So sponge the reins alternatively, allow the horse to stretch lower, then sponge again, and the horse should lower his head further more.

The desired effect should be as follows: The angle between the base of the neck and the chest of the horse will decrease, while the angle between the horse's head and the neck should remain constant. In other words, the horse should lower his head and neck by rotating from the base of the neck. Keep the contact with his mouth as light as possible to encourage him to carry himself.

Once you and the horse are secure in the walk, gently urge the horse into trot. There might be a tendency for the horse to raise his head during the transition. To eliminate the possibility, continue to softly sponge the reins to let him know that there will be no changes in position. Refer to the photo below to help you see the desired effect:-


This photo shows a horse working correctly in the Long & Low position Long & Low position Long & Low position

1 - The reins are sponged gently and the horse lowers his head.

2- Notice the engagement of the hind quarters. The horse should be stepping forward with impulsion.

3- The horse's back is raised, which allows him to engage his hind quarters and support his balance.

Trot him in a 20m circle without allowing him to lean on your hands. His pace should be kept slow and balanced. Rushing is caused by nervousness, which you are currently trying to demolish. Keep him in a slow and collected trot until he has balanced himself. After he has become used to carrying his own weight, urge the horse into canter. Also, keep it slow and collected. Remember to adopt a very light contact.

Ideally, the horse's poll should not be higher than the withers. Give the horse a chance to experience some independence while positively affecting his muscles. The good news is that it's easier than it sounds! You will notice a difference from your first experience with Long & Low. You can use this technique to calm a nervous horse or to strengthen and supple his muscles. Eventually, you could spend the first 10 minutes of your riding sessions with a period of Long & Low exercise.

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ON THE BIT

The Meaning of The Term

Since you have arrived at this page to learn more about getting your horse on the bit, I would like you to ask yourself what - in your opinion - exactly is 'on the bit'?

For the observer, a horse is on the bit when you can draw a vertical line from his nose to his forelock when viewed from the side. Yet, there is so much more associated with the horse on the bit that many riders are not aware of. The horse is truly on the bit when has rounded his outline (back and neck), engaged his hind quarters, stepped forward with impulsion, and brought his nose to the vertical.

Using Persuasion

A common fault is the excessive use of hands to bring the horse on the bit. Many riders can quickly bring the horse on the bit through 'bullying' the horse into submission. If you believe that a perfect outline is all about a vertical head position, you will unconsciously focus your efforts on the reins. The more effort you exert on the reins, the more resistance you will receive from the horse.

Since we have agreed that 'on the bit' means more than the horse's head position, I will begin to refer to it as a 'rounded outline'.

Horses that are forced onto the bit are not happy, relaxed horses, and are much less responsive to the aids. The trick is to persuade the horse to round up his outline and engage his hind legs rather than bully him into it. It is not an easy task and it will take a lot of time and practice, but it is definitely achievable with most horses.Before explaining the methods of rounding up a horse, I would like to stress on the importance of a well developed classical seat. Despite common belief, the essence of a well-rounded, responsive horse is a deep, secure, and independent seat. So if you have not yet read the articles discussing the basics of classical riding, now is the time to do so!

Use of the Seat

Let us consider the effect of a bad seat on a horse. If your weight is on your buttocks, your legs forward, and you are balancing yourself with the reins, the horse's reaction will be as follows: he will hollow his back away from the discomfort your seat is causing, throw his head in the air and arc his neck, hold his breath, and retract his ribcage from contact with your legs (becoming flat-sided). In motion, sitting still in this situation becomes extremely difficult, and the rider will grip with his legs and balance on the reins, which will bring even more tension to the horse.

Now we will consider the effects of a well-developed classical seat. Since the rider has become responsible for his own weight, the horse's back will lift up, his ribcage will expand, he will round his neck and bring his nose to the vertical, and breathe regularly and deeply. This set of reflexes stem from the fact that the horse is seeking contact with the rider, rather than avoiding it. Maintaining your position and sitting to the horse's movement will become an easier task, which will leave you to concentrate on refining your contact (seat, legs, and hands) with the horse, which will lead to an even happier and more responsive horse.

Do you see the comparison between the last two paragraphs? In short, stress causes more stress, and relaxation causes more relaxation! If you take care of your seat, the horse will take care of his head!

Developing Feel

When the horse has rounded his outline, he will produce a certain feel to you, which you will register in your mind. When you ride another horse, how will you know -by feel- that he is doing the right thing? All horses feel the almost identical when they have rounded their outline. This is how riders know how well the horse is performing - by comparing the FEEL with previous rides.

Because 'on the bit' is not solely about the horse's head position, you will notice a difference in the way the horse is moving when he is rounded, which will give you a certain feel. Remember this feel and try to produce it every time with every horse. Having someone watch you on the ground is helpful because they can tell when things are looking good.

This picture displays the perfect outline. However, this horse is an advanced schoolmaster and you cannot expect a green horse to achieve this outline almost instantly.

So How is it Done?

By sitting classically, you allow the horse to use his body to its full potential, and make it easier for him to round his outline. Never expect the horse to round his outline if your seat is restraining him.

"To fully understand this, stand up for a minute and hug one knee to your chest. You will inevitably round your back. Now deliberately hollow your back and try again. You will be unable to lift your knee so high - and it would make no difference if someone were kicking you in the ribs to make you do it!"
Mary Wanless, from an article in Horse & Rider magazine.

Before I proceed, we must remember than it is not right to attempt to round up the horse in rising trot. In rising trot, the seat is almost nonexistent, and you'll have to make it up by over-using the legs and hands. So until you are able to sit tall and still to the trot, do not attempt to round up the horse in trot.

Now follow these steps to supple up your horse and round him up.

Creating Impulsion: While in walk, maintain impulsion by creating energy through your seat (For more information regarding impulsion from the seat, refer to The Seat in Action) The energy you create must be directed to his hind quarters. Try to prevent the energy from escaping to the front. If you feel the horse beginning to get heavy on the forehand, lighten the contact with his mouth to tell him that he is not allowed to lean on your hands. Many trainers would advise the total opposite and would tell the rider to pull sharply at his mouth. This serves as a punishment, and will cause tension. By loosening the contact, you are telling the horse "you're alone and you better find your balance on your own." This is an example of persuasion versus bullying.

Carry on a conversation: Keeping a light contact through the reins should be carried out, yet do not entirely abandon the horse. Gently 'sponge' the reins with your fingers (meaning squeeze the reins in your fist then relax your fingers) As soon as the horse gives in, lighten the contact again. Sponge each rein alternatively. Use this method only to refine the horse's head carriage, not to put him on the bit. Remember that you should not pull at the reins, squeeze just enough to cause small movement to the bit. This also encourages the horse to mouth the bit and soften his mouth. Again, only use this method as a refinement, not as the means to round up the horse.

Get his attention: Vary your exercise patterns. An easy exercise to generate impulsion would be to make various transitions within the pace and into other paces. For example, trot to halt, then canter, then walk, then trot, then extend the trot, re-balance, and walk. The canter/halt exercise can work miracles on your horse's outline, but don't pressure your horse into it if he is not yet doing walk to canter and canter to walk transitions. Within 5 or 10 minutes of the transition exercise, the horse will naturally land into a perfect rounded outline, provided of course that your seat helps him, not restrain him.

In general, take it lightly and slowly. Do not expect a green horse to instantly jump into a perfect outline. The horse will know what to do if we will just help him. Don't jump into conclusion that your horse is simply stubborn. Refine your seat and contact, and leave the rest to the horse

Copyright © D Anwar, 1999-2002. All Rights Reserved.

THE SITTING TROT

The Ultimate Challenge

Beginners will often find the sitting trot an impossible task. More advanced riders who are now able to sit to the trot may remember how difficult it was in the beginning. Unfortunately, in an average lesson, instructors stress on including sessions of sitting trot, without any emphasis on how it can be achieved. This often leaves the horses with sore backs and the riders with sore bottoms!

If you adopt the classical seat, sitting in balance to the canter is far more possible than sitting to the trot without a little practice. Simply taking your stirrups away, as instructors often do, will not magically glue you to the saddle. It takes conscious effort to enable the body to absorb the bouncy up and down movement.

So how is it possible?

The bad news is that there is no formula that will instantly hold you to the saddle. The good news is that, following certain exercises and in a period of time, anyone can do it!

Sitting to the trot relies on the basics of the classical seat. If you have not reviewed the The Back And The Pelvis section, now is the time to do it. Sitting to the trot is all about suppleness in the back and pelvis. The human body is highly flexible. It is what we do in our daily lives that either improves our suppleness or lessen the flexibility of our muscles. People who have to do physically demanding work are much more flexible than others who are less involved in physical work. It may not be necessary to be supple in our bodies to carry on living, but it is absolutely essential if we were to make true horsemen and horsewomen.

Before we attempt to sit to the trot, we must be sure to have considered the following three points:

Full understanding of the classical seat, particularly the function of the back and the pelvis.
That you have earned a certain degree of flexibility in your muscles on the ground.
That you understand the motion of the horse in the trot.

Preparation

To be somewhat supple in the back and pelvis is preferable before you attempt the sitting trot as this will aid in a smooth ride. You can, of course, supple your back and pelvis through practice of the sitting trot, although that could mean sore backs and bottoms for quite a while. To avoid a rough start, try a few exercises on the ground before beginning your sitting trot exercises. Aerobic classes are excellent for suppling and strengthening all body muscles.

Remember that preparation is always helpful. It would be worthwhile if you take a few aerobic lessons or bring home a video to stretch and supple up your muscles. Sky divers, for instance, don't attempt a free jump from the airplane before they have prepared and practiced enough on the safety of the ground. Riders are athletes, they need to keep fit in order to perform properly, so get in shape!

On The Lunge

Lunge lessons can work miracles on improving your sitting trot. However, a lunge lesson can be strenuous, exhausting, and not objective if the correct exercises are not carried out. As a general rule, we usually don't extend a lunging session to over 20 minutes when we lunge the horse alone, but somehow the session extends to 30 minutes when we add a rider to the horse! If you ask for a lunge lesson at any riding school, it would normally last for 30 minutes. If we know that lunging a horse for more than 20 minutes will exhaust him, then why do we give lunge lessons for 30 minutes?

The point is that the horse cannot perform if he is pushed beyond his limits. If the horse is tired, he will not give the rider the proper FEEL. Why do we lunge riders anyway? The answer is: to give the rider something else to think about besides controlling the horse. If the rider begins to focus on the horse, the whole objective of the lunge lesson is lost.

However, a lunging session can extend to beyond 20 minutes, provided that you give the horse frequent breaks off the lunge. If you were to jog in circles for 15 minutes, how would you feel? Chances are, you would get drowsy and loose your balance within the first 5 minutes. Horses are stronger than humans, of course, but it would be nice if they were given breaks to regain their balance and refresh their minds.

Benefits Of The Lunge

Since the rider's attention is taken off control of the horse, he/she can now concentrate on developing a feel for the trot. Generally, the benefits of riding on the lunge are as follows:-

Understanding the motion of the horse, which..
Develops a FEEL for the trot, which leads to..
A stronger and deeper seat, that enables you to..
Influence the horse through the most subtle of aids.

Word Of Caution!

True influence over the horse cannot be gained through rising trot. One cannot attempt a half pass in rising trot since the seat aids contribute much to the aids of the half pass. Similarly, if you are able to achieve some collection while in rising trot, beware that you are likely to have been harsh with the reins.

Exercises On The Lunge

So you are now on the horse, ready to be lunged, but what do you do on the lunge? A lunging session can pass by without reaching any goal if the correct exercises are ignored. Here are some exercise tips that will help you gain a feel for the trot while suppling your muscles.

1. Shoulders behind the perpendicular

Stage I: Cross your stirrups over the horse's withers and let go of the reins, leaving the subject of control to the person lunging the horse. Make sure that the reins are not slack - tie them in a knot at the withers. While still in walk, align your body in accordance with the classical seat. You may realize that it would be difficult to let the gravity flow through your heels (heel lower than the toes) while still relaxing your thigh and calf muscles. The reason behind this is as follows: when your foot rests in the stirrup, the weight of your leg is supported on the stirrup. Relate this to when you're sitting in a chair with your feet on a foot rest. Remove the foot rest, but keep your legs in their position. The leg muscles, and even the stomach muscles, will flex in order to support the weight of the legs. With the stirrup away, the muscles will tense and contract to support the position you want to achieve. At this point, do not worry about tensing your legs too much as long as you sit deeply with your legs down and far apart. Now, we come to think of the hands. With your outside hand, hold the pommel of the saddle (the front part of the saddle), and rest your inside hand on your thigh. The outside hand will hold you to the saddle during the trot, while the inside hand will aid in maintaining your balance. Time to get into action!

As the horse steps into trot, exert a conscious effort not to let your body move out of alignment. Tell the person lunging to keep the horse in a slow collected trot. Only pull yourself into the saddle with your outside hand as much as you need to prevent yourself from bouncing. Relax your inside arm, and keep your hand resting on your thigh. The outside hand will have a tendency to pull you forward in the saddle, the position of the outside hand on your thigh will help keep your shoulders square and your back straight, therefore preventing your seat from collapsing. Your legs may even tense up more during the trot as you grip with your thighs to keep in balance. Beware that gripping will move the legs out of coordination with your body, which will reflect on weakening your seat and will make your task even harder. Do try to relax as much as you can.

Now, slowly lean back a few degrees (approximately 20 degrees). Do not bend your spine drop your shoulder. Rotate from your pelvis. As you lean backward, keep in mind that your legs must not move. Leaning back may cause a reverse action from your legs - letting them slide forward; try not to let that happen. Rotating your pelvis backwards burrows your seat bones deeper in the saddle. This action is often used to encourage the horse to extend his stride, but it will not cause such a reaction since someone else is already controlling the horse. Hold this position for about 10 seconds before slowly returning to the upright position. Do not count! Estimate the time in your mind. Your mind has to be clear and simply focused on the exercise.

So what should you expect? When you lean back, your seat bones are brought as closely against the horse as possible. Your outside hand is making sure you stay glued to the saddle. The effect will be the absorption of the horse's motion in the pelvis, causing it to rock slightly. This is an exaggerated effect caused by the tilt in the pelvis which will be reduced when you are sitting upright. Repeat the exercise, holding the position longer with every repetition. Breathe deeply, stay calm, look at the beautiful sky and know that you are enjoying the ride. Keeping a relaxed frame of mind combats any fears hidden deep inside, so, again, enjoy the ride, and be happy!

The main purpose of this exercise is that it teaches the rider the feel of the trot. It also supples the back and stomach muscles, leading to a more flexible pelvis. The effort you will exert trying to hold your position will eventually decline as your body becomes stronger and your seat more independent.

Stage II: Look! No hands!

When you feel you have mastered the previous exercise, then it's time to move on to the more advanced form of it. On average, it will probably take you around 10 to 15 30-minute lunging lessons. Keep your lunge lessons at least one or two days apart to allow your muscles time to recover. Try taking 3 lunge lessons in 3 consecutive days; your muscles will surely complain!

To begin the exercise, cross your stirrups and tie the reins as mentioned in Stage I. Now, carry your arms as though you were holding the reins, i.e. upper arms by your sides and forearms parallel to the ground. There will be no holding on to the pommel this time, but do not worry, your body will naturally absorb most of the impact. From walk, tell the lunge person to gently urge the horse into trot. Relax into the transition. Believe it or not, you are now physically capable of sitting to the trot! But how can such an assumption be made? Answer: As the horse takes his first two strides into trot, you will remain still and deep in the saddle, because you have relaxed your muscles during the walk. If you begin to bounce again after the first few strides, be aware that some of your muscles have tensed in anticipation. But that's okay, don't panic if you feel a little off balance. Close your eyes and concentrate on obtaining a secure and independent seat to the trot. You will know, from the Stage I exercise, the feel of the sitting trot, therefore, when you sense that feeling this time, try to hang on to it.

Easier said than done.

Here is what you should do. Before you trot, secure your position according to the classical seat while pretending that you are holding the reins. While in trot, keep your body still and do not allow it to move out of alignment. Imagine that your lower body has become part of the horse. Allow your pelvis and lower back to spring slightly to absorb the up and down movement. Knowing that your back and pelvis must be allowed to relax will prevent your body from becoming too stiff and rigid. Be aware that you are now riding totally independent or stirrups and reins and you should be proud that you have achieved a secure seat.

To help prevent from stiffness, continue to breathe normally, relax your shoulders, and keep your eyes closed. Eliminate all outside distractions and focus all your attention on your waist, pelvis, and lower back area. Remember that your upper body must remain upright - relax does not mean collapse!

You now have a chance to study the horse's motion in trot. Try to visualize, with your eyes closed, which leg hits the ground, and which leg leaves the ground. When a hoof leaves the ground, the horse's back is lowered, and when it hits the ground, the horse's back is raised, which results in the all-so-favored up and down movement. Understanding the horse's motion aids in securing a balanced seat, which is the whole objective of the sitting trot.

After you spend a few moments refining your seat in the manner described above, it is time to bring your shoulders behind the perpendicular. Do not attempt this exercise until you feel that you are in balance with the horse, otherwise you will grip and bounce and get uncomfortable. Slowly rotate from your pelvis, exactly as mentioned in Stage I. Follow the instructions in Stage I, while pretending that your are still holding the reins.

There is an added benefit to this exercise over the benefits of Stage I. Riding without stirrups and reins strengthens your seat and teaches your proper balance without depending on anything but your own strength and suppleness.

2. Riding Bareback

True feeling to the trot cannot be obtained in a saddle. You will not be able to feel the motion of the horse and train your body to sit tall and still, while discreetly absorbing his motion, if you have not entirely experienced the trot bareback.

Start off by taking away the saddle completely. Tie a neck strap, which could be a part of an old martingale, around the horse's neck, and use a block to help you mount the horse. It will feel a little slippery at first, but you will soon grow accustomed to it. Remember that you are still on the lunge!

The classical seat still applies to bareback riding. Align your body as though you were sitting in a saddle while still in halt, and maintain your position as the horse begins to walk. The neck strap will be used for security. I would recommend tying the reins as you did in the previous exercises since you will be holding on to the neck strap. Your body will have gained a fair degree of suppleness, so once your horse begins to trot, you will not be facing much difficulty. However, only trot a few strides at a time. Follow this pattern: Trot 4 or 5 strides, walk half a circle, trot 5 or 6 strides, walk quarter a circle, and so on. The walk interruptions help you relax and stay in the proper position, while allowing your body adjust after any disturbance the trot might have caused.

Do not pressure yourself. Sitting to the trot without a saddle is not an easy task, but it is extremely helpful in strengthening and suppling your body. It will do wonders to your riding skills, and you will notice that you are able to control your horse with minimal aids since your seat is confident and secure. Eventually, you will be able to sit bareback at the trot and even at the canter.

Allow yourself plenty of time to learn to sit to the trot. It won't happen overnight. Anything that's right is time consuming, and anything that's rushed is not good quality. Remember that a good seat is the essence of true horsemanship.

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LEARNING EXPERIENCE

I am sure there are many riders out there who are not fortunate enough to have an Instructor for several reasons. In my case, I just could not find the right person to teach me to ride how I knew I should ride, so I backed my youngster and began the long task of schooling him alone.

When my horse was aged 4 we entered our first Dressage competition. Until I saw the video of that test, I thought I was the ‘bees knees’ but I learned very quickly I was not! So, gathering up my sheet, I read all the comments, paying attention to faults, both mine and my horse’s. I then figured out that if I worked hard on making progress in one area at a time, I’d be a little better each time. So began my learning experience.

One of the biggest faults was ‘lack of accuracy’ but considering I had never seen a dressage arena, nor did I know how to arrive at the letters, it wasn’t surprising. I got home and set about learning how to get from A to H when I was supposed to. Arriving at the letters a little before them so I was shoulder level to the letter as I finished the movement. Sounds easy. It wasn’t. I struggled so hard, but it paid off. Our next test had better marks and no comment on accuracy that was detrimental, so I took that as being good.

Next step, coming up the centre line. This has to be the most difficult thing of all on a young horse with a novice rider, but I found if I got to the letter K and turned and looked at the letter C, the turn was more accurate if nothing else. I still had the wobble going up the centre line, but I was encouraged by my comments and again, a few more points appeared on my sheet. It was also at this point I realised that I was not being penalised for looking, and by looking where I wanted to be altered my body position which in turn seemed to help my horse. It also made riding the various movements so much easier.

Learning to ride circles by riding a diamond was a real eye opener but it worked and so my circles became more accurate. Coming to a halt at the right place improved because I could move and look left and right to work out just how many strides I had before I hit the mystery letter ‘G’ in fact, being able to move on my horse was something nobody told me, just a kind Dressage Judge who commented that I would probably be a lot better if I looked, and for that little bit of advice I thank her.

As we progressed, my horse was actually beginning to look after me. It was then that I turned and thought about what I should be doing. Having a very positive outlook was high on my agenda as I found in the early days. I would read a test and just think that there was no way my horse could go from the letter A to M and across the arena back to letter K, in canter, so I gave up using my legs. I had convinced myself firmly that we just couldn’t do it. But we could, and we did and I was so proud of myself.

My own comments from judges varied, but I always got ‘calmly or quietly ridden’ or ‘good use of aids’ which was in fact referring to my half halts, something all riders should learn and use throughout their riding basically. My legs were still not strong enough and my horse was not schooled enough, that I knew, but I had faith. For one month I lunged my horse, teaching him to work from voice aids, making him cross his legs, supple him up and generally making him do some work so we didn’t get the ‘trailing hindlegs’ comment. Every night I would lunge him for half an hour and even on hacks out I would school. Weaving in and out of trees, picking a place to stop my trot or canter so I could work out his strides. At this stage being on the bit wasn’t that important, that would come with work. What I did achieve after one month of really hard work was a horse that was much more supple so he could do the things I asked, whose hindlegs had turned into pistons and for myself, I didn’t have to use my legs as strongly so I didn’t get as tired riding the tests, and this was obvious to the judge who took me for my next test. She actually got out of her car and asked what I had been doing with my horse. When I told her ‘just lunge work basically’ she told me to continue because the difference in us both was incredible. I cannot tell you how those words made me feel. I knew that if I continued reading my comments and working on the little things, that eventually, the rest would follow. And it did.

Not a day went by when I didn’t lunge/ride, I was beginning to see the improvement in my horse myself, I could feel the difference when I rode. Now I had a horse that used himself, albeit 2 years further on. Don’t let me lead you down a blind alley and let you think all this happened in a season, it didn’t. I went to as many Dressage competitions as I could afford and I read what was written on my sheets. Sometimes I didn’t understand, so I would ask the judge, other times I didn’t agree with the comments in some areas, but it all stuck in my brain ready to be worked on.

One thing that did hit home was that the horse should be doing most of the work, and I should be sitting straight and still and my hands were not to be used to stop him. Coming out of canter I would think ‘forward into trot’ so he didn’t fall onto his forehand. I experimented at home with different ways of stopping him, moving him laterally – just very basic stuff. All I had to do eventually was turn my thumbs into the direction I wanted my horse to go and he would go there. If I wanted a Halt I could literally just brace my back and take my shoulders back a little which moved my hands enough to stop him. This meant we didn’t have the ‘head in the air’ as I went into the various transitions. Altering my seat could make him stop or become more active from behind, and I realised that both my horse and myself were much happier if I didn’t niggle him. I always rode in snaffle bit because I was only doing basic Dressage Tests, Preliminary and sometimes Novice. Oddly enough we always did better in the Novice. I think it was because he had more to think about in those tests and concentrated more to be honest, and I laboured on those Tests for years before I even thought of moving any higher.

Keeping a good contact, firm but allowing was another new thing to me. I could keep my reins at one length and go through all the paces, including extension, without having to wrestle with the reins as I had seen so many riders doing.

I practiced basic but important movements on our way home when he was just naturally more active and our ‘walk on a long rein’ was probably the best thing he ever did. He had the activity from behind, but would stretch his whole body and go forward with purpose…….it was just wonderful. I learned how to pick the reins up from that position in such a way that he didn’t alter pace, throw his head up as so many other horses did. It was just a normal way of riding and he accepted that my taking back the contact did not necessarily mean that I wanted him to go into trot or canter as so many horses do.

I only ever used one ‘gadget’ which was a Chambon in which he was lunged. Not to fix his head, but to encourage him to stretch his entire topline and over the 2 years we were doing all of this, the change in this horse was truly amazing. I learned so much just from watching him. I could get him to do all paces on the lunge, his extensions were out of this world. Very few people ever rode him, I didn’t like people sitting on him in case they were too heavy handed. I never heard anyone say anything detrimental about him. He wasn’t an easy horse to ride, very forward going, but if you knew how to ride him, like I did, it looked so easy and effortless. I have to say at this time that it took me over a year to learn how to sit to his trot. He was a very extravagant mover, full of impulsion and could be extremely strong if he felt like it. His head carriage came slowly, infuriatingly so, but when he eventually got the idea, that was it. No longer dragging his legs, falling on his forehand, leaning in round corners and circles, he had learned how to balance himself naturally and would get very impatient if anyone rode him that was not in balance themselves. If you were heavy handed he would just stop or buck, if you put too much leg on, he would just run like the wind or buck! He had made his mind up that having a rider that didn’t interfere too much with him, or fiddled with the reins, or moved hands too much, was not a bad thing, and he began to change very rapidly.

We continued to progress, we started to actually win competitions, but my pleasure was just sitting on this horse, so full of life and enthusiasm,who would take no nonsense, who had a tremendous sense of humour.

But many, many years later we went into yet another test, and I felt him just die under me. It was as if he looked at the letters in the arena and just thought ‘Oh God, no more’ and that day I ceased all Dressage Tests. I still schooled, I hacked out, did a bit of Cross Country, not much jumping although he adored anything like that, and for 2 years we rested. We had ridden on Teams, sometimes riding 4 or 5 tests in a day. I loved Dressage to Music, and he was excellent at that, it brought him to life so we did try a few tests and he got some wonderful comments.

Sadly, our pleasure was to be short lived as he started to have difficulty due to a chronic illness, in doing more advanced work. I semi-retired us both from any form of competition and started to allow one or two good riders to sit on him to learn how good it felt to ride a well schooled and well mannered horse. He touched the hearts of many people who all said the same thing ‘this horse is special’ and indeed he was.

What I have tried to say to you in this article is that nothing comes easily to any rider or horse. You can have your weekly lesson, but if you don’t put in a lot of effort in between, you are wasting your time and money and your Instructor’s valuable time. Gadgets are a shortcut and often you have to work a lot harder with your legs if you use them. I am talking about Balancing Reins, Side Reins, Draw Reins and anything that attempts to pull the horse into what you think is the right position. At Preliminary level, no judge would expect your horse to be perfectly straight or on the bit all the time, this is something that with hard work, does come naturally as it should. Don’t expect too much too soon. It doesn’t matter if you don’t win, what matters that you know you have ridden the best you can, your horse has tried the hardest he can and that you have enjoyed your riding, be it Dressage, showing or any other area of riding. I didn’t consider my own horse ‘good’ until he was about 10 years old, but that was riding and schooling daily pretty much, so good horsemanship and results take time. If you don’t have the patience, don’t start trying shortcuts, just don’t ride. One other valuable lesson I was taught: never teach, ride or train if you are not in a good mood or not too well. You will often do something you may regret and set back all your hard work.

Spend more time off your horse working from the ground, teach all the basics, from the ground. Get your horse fit so he can perform the things you ask for, make sure you too are fit enough to ride without aching, or getting out of breath.

Riding your horse should be a pleasure. To ride as I did forged a bond between me and my horse that I cannot put into words. We trusted and helped each other in so many ways, it was as though we were one.

That horse had no vices, would work for me, was a true gentleman in and out of the stable. Despite what he was going through he tried for me, always. You can’t ask for more. When I watch riders now, I wonder why they can’t have a horse like mine, but they don’t spend the time with their horses that they should, and the bond that develops is what makes you a team, and a team that works well together, is a joy to watch. I was lucky to be part of a Team, but we both worked hard to make it happen….that’s what made it all so special and what forged the bond we had.

HALF HALT

Half-halt in canter. Horse is attentive but is a little short in the neck. Photo from 'Dressage Masterclass with Dane Rawlins.'

The half-halt is often a confusing term. Most of us know its purpose, and many of us ask for it their own way. Back in my riding school days, my instructors used to ask me to half-halt, telling me to ‘almost halt, then go’, ‘urge with the legs and restrain with the hand’. But is that all there is to the half-halt? As I recall, the horses didn’t seem to like it much. They leaned on my hand and dragged the rear end behind. So there must be another way to do it because experts use it all the time effectively. And in order to learn how to achieve it, we have to look into all the details and aspects of it.

What is the half-halt?

The half-halt is a call for attention. Of course, it has to be much more subtle than it sounds. When we ask the horse for a half-halt, we ask him to generate energy ‘upwards’ - that is, elevate, become rounder, balanced, and lighten the forehand without changing the rhythm.

What purpose does it serve?

It’s a balancing tool. It tells the horse to prepare for the next movement. It helps him organize his footsteps so that he doesn’t stumble when you ask for the next move or transition. It allows him to bend his hocks and step underneath, therefore preparing him to strike in balance. Summarized into two points, the half halt:-

Balances the horse, and
Asks the horse, "Listen, something’s coming up."

When it is useful?

You can use the half-halt before transitions from one pace to another and within the pace, before corners, before lateral movements, and before changing the bend. It can also be used after movements to re-balance the horse.

The Big Question: How?

To begin with, lets summarize the aids to the half-halt before we get into details. The half-halt begins in the rider’s seat, back, and legs. These run the engine (i.e. the hindquarters) allowing the horse to animate his steps. The rider’s hand receive the energy and channel it accordingly. If that sounds confusing, the points below should clarify it.

The back, seat and legs:

Upper body erect, tall, and proud, shoulders relaxed, chest open, stomach leading.
Elbows bent, relaxed and heavy at your sides.
Breathe in and expand your diaphragm.
Broaden your hips and turn your hip joints fluid with suppleness. Soften your seat.

Think of leading with your hips by very slightly tilting your pelvis. Lighten the pubic bone but don’t raise it off the saddle. Don’t lean back, compress your stomach, or collapse your shoulders. This is your energy generator.

The hands:

Hold the inside rein. ‘Hold’ does not mean restrain, pull or sponge. It merely implies that you should close your fingers around the rein. This supports the horse’s neck.
Close, then open the outside rein. This is your active rein aid and should last no more than a stride or two.
Think of asking the horse to stay in rhythm with your hands.
Soften both reins instantly and equally after the half halt. The release should be towards the horse’s mouth.

Tip: If you are still confused, have someone read out these directions to you while you are on your horse at halt. Practice your aids and your position.

The Half-Halt in Practice

If your horse is not familiar with the half halt, your aids may not be as effective as they should be. Of course, all horses need time to learn, so give your horse a chance to understand what you are trying to ask of him.

After warming up and loosening your horse, perform many walk-halt-walk or walk-trot-walk transitions. Besides collecting your horse, these will help him anticipate a transition.

When the horse begins to anticipate a downward transition, you should only think of making the transition and the horse will respond. In other words, you’re telling the horse to prepare to walk and when he almost does, tell him that you changed your mind and would like to keep going at a trot. My instructors were telling me this all along, except that I didn’t know how to ask for it.

The rider must understand, however, that this is an exaggerated effect. Ideally, the change in pace during the half halt should be very subtle and the horse should stay in rhythm. Use your body as explained above to help your horse, and only half-halt when necessary. Do not half-halt every few steps or your horse will begin to lock up and become rigid. Eric Herbermann said in his book Dressage Formula the following:

"To half-halt as often as necessary does not mean that we should fiddle endlessly and aimlessly with the hand; that only makes the mouth insensitive, as a result of which ever more and stronger aids need to be given to achieve any effects. The half-halt should only be used deliberately, when necessary, not just for good measure."

Here are a few guidelines to keep in mind:

Don’t block your horse with your hand. The reins are your refining aid.
Generate the energy from your seat. If the horse is not responsive, bring your legs closer against the horse’s sides to encourage him to step forward.
Don’t half-halt excessively. Use it occasionally to balance your horse.
Do not actively hold both reins at the same time. Use the inside rein to support the horse’s neck, and the outside rein to ask to horse to stay in rhythm and take the energy upwards instead of forwards.
Yield with your hand after the half halt.
Do relax because any tension in your body will cause tension in the movement.
Do use the half-halt before transitions as this will lead to a clean transition and better strides at the next pace.

One last note I would like all riders to be aware of is to understand the essence of the half-halt - the cycle of activity. It should always be ‘drive > receive > lighten > drive > yield with the hand’.

Drive - seat.

Receive - hands.

Lighten - horse.

Drive - seat.

Yield- hands.

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copyright 2000 D.Anwar

THE ALEXANDER TECHNIQUE-HOW IT HELPS HORESEBACK RIDERS

by Adam Bailey

The Alexander Technique is a century-old educational process in which the student learns a set of skills that he or she can apply in all facets of life. One of the assumptions underlying this educational process is that most people carry more muscle tension than they need in order to carry out activities. The first skill that students learn, then, is how to lessen these areas of undue muscle tension. Second, they learn that, without the interference of the tension, they can cultivate a more natural alignment of their head, neck and spine that has associated with it qualities of balance, strength and coordination. Overall, knowledge of these skills allows students to move and carry out activities with greater ease and less effort.

There are a number of ways in which the Alexander Technique is helpful for riders. In order to describe its benefits, let me introduce the topic of communication between horse and rider. Riders know that communication with their horse is one of the fundamentals of good riding. What some riders don't realize is that we communicate with our horse not only through the aids we give, but also by the way in which we use our bodies. This "body use" is often unconscious. Muscles, responding to stimuli from the environment, and to our perceptions and attitudes, develop patterns of undue tension. Although we may not be aware of these patterns, our horse does perceive them in addition to any aids that we give. In this sense, we may safely assume that the horse’s experience sometimes echoes that of Ralph Waldo Emerson when he said: "What you are shouts so loudly in my ears I cannot hear what you say."

There are two ways in which our patterns of tension may affect our ride. First, if we have undue tension when we are asking our horse to go forward (for example, when we ask for the canter depart), then this will create a contradiction for our horse. That is, our aid says, "Go!", while any increase of muscle tension in other parts of our body says, "Stop!" As a result, we may wonder why our horse is slow to respond to the aid, or seems resistant.

One of the results of this situation may be that we will add to our horse’s level of tension. In fact, if we ride a particular horse over a period of time, and we are consistently tight or stiff in a specific area, then the horse may become stiff in that exact same area! Sally Swift calls this phenomenon comparable parts. (The phenomenon is described in an article entitled "Gain Without Pain", by Sandra Cooke, in Practical Horseman, February, 1993.)

But what does all this have to do with the Alexander Technique? As you might have guessed by now, one of the central benefits of the Alexander Technique is that it helps us to gain awareness of our unconscious patterns of tension and to reduce them. It provides a concrete, step-by-step means of undertaking this process. Ideally, through this process, we attempt to become as aware of ourselves as our horse is of us.

There are a number of results of this process. First, our communication of the aids becomes clearer. When we give an aid, that’s the only thing our horse "hears", since we’ve reduced the contradictory "background noise" caused by our areas of tension. As a result, if our horse is resistant, we’ve reduced one of the possible causes of that resistance, namely the unconscious messages that we may have been giving our horse. And in many cases, this eliminates the horse’s resistance!

Second, by reducing the "noise" caused by our areas of tension, we gain greater awareness of ourselves and of our horse. Our feel for the ride dramatically improves. My experience of riding while pursuing this process is that I can sense increasingly subtle aspects of the horse’s movement. For example, in addition to being able to sense the rhythm and tempo of each gait, I can sense when the horse’s right hind leg is carrying extra tension – and what the relationship of that leg is to the horse’s back! In fact, all riders can develop this awareness through practice – and the Alexander Technique proves an invaluable tool in doing that.

Third, the freer we are of undue muscle tension, the easier it is to follow our horse – for example in the sitting trot. For muscle tension is the main culprit in causing extraneous movement in the rider. As we lessen that tension, we gain greater control and greater ability to "receive" and follow our horse’s movement. It’s amazing how, on subtler and subtler levels, we can quiet ourselves, in such a way so that our only movement (other than the aids) is a direct result of the horse’s movement.

Finally, our aids can become increasingly subtle: we can ask questions of our horse with a whisper when we used to have to ask with a shout. This is partly because, as I mentioned, the background noise is less and also because the horse’s tension, and therefore his resistance, is less. And this doesn’t mean that we are at all passive in relation to our horse. We can be extremely active in making a decision about what we want and communicating it to our horse – and we can do this with a minimum of undue tension, that is without compromising our receptivity in following our horse as he carries out our request.

I’ve discussed the benefits for riders of reducing muscle. Perhaps the most important benefit of all is that it helps riders to pursue self-carriage in their horse. In this sense, the Alexander Technique dovetails beautifully with classical horsemanship, for many riders and teachers of horsemanship agree that "doing less" plays an important part in developing self-carriage.

Let me offer two examples of this. I once saw a banner in a riding arena that said, "Where force ends, dressage begins." Second, let us consider Charles de Kunffy’s description of self-carriage in his book The Ethics and Passions of Dressage. He says that, first and foremost, self-carriage must involve the relaxation and stretching of the horse's musculature, which will "facilitate the horse's ability to absorb the concussions of the impact on the ground throughout his entirety and, therefore, reduce or even eliminate trauma to his joints and muscles." He goes on to say that, if we want to achieve this result, then "all tensions and blocking of mobility caused by harsh hands, should be avoided. The hands and the reins should neither inhibit the horse's strides, nor confine his neck. The horse must have utter freedom from restrictive rein contact. Instead, one ought to offer a soft and steady hand -- and at times even a yielding hand -- independent of the balancing activities of the rider, to a confident horse that is stretching towards the bit and seeks an even contact with it."

De Kunffy is clearly arguing that one prerequisite of self-carriage is a lessening of undue tension. But what exactly is self-carriage? What are the elements that make it up? Let me offer a simple description. First, as we saw in the de Kunffy quote, self-carriage involves the horse's head leading forward and out from a free and flexible neck and poll. This is sometimes referred to as the horse going "in the bridle" or "on the bit". In other words, we want the horse’s head to move not into a set position, but in such a way so that he meets the contact of the bit and of our hands, with his mouth. At the same time, he lifts his back, so that it becomes rounded, as well as free from tension. That is, ideally he is experiencing "throughness" in the relationship of his head, neck and back. Finally, his hindquarters become deeply engaged – paradoxically so that his forehand (head, neck and shoulders) can lift and lighten. The latter is sometimes referred to as the "relative lifting" of the forehand. That is, the rider does not directly lift the horse’s forehand. Rather, the rider helps the horse to engage his hindquarters and then the horse’s forehand will lift automatically. The effect is not unlike that of a seesaw, except that the movement of parts that we are after is much more internal and subtle than the movement of an actual seesaw.

Here again, it turns out that the Alexander Technique dovetails with the teachings of classical horsemanship. For the Alexander Technique has at its heart the cultivation of a new and more natural alignment of the student’s head, neck and back, known as the primary control, that has striking similarities to the self-carriage that riders look for in their horse! (This is true even though F.M. Alexander, who developed the technique, was an actor by profession, and knew nothing about the discipline of classical horsemanship.)

For example, if a person's primary control is working well, then this means that her head becomes poised, leading slightly forward and up from a neck that is free of tension, while her back lengthens and widens to stay slightly behind her head. All of this could be called throughness. As you might imagine, the only difference between throughness in the human being and throughness in the horse is that the former is taking place in a vertical plane, while the latter happens in the horizontal plane. Finally, the person’s legs lengthen toward her heels and she allows her feet and heels to settle onto the floor or into the stirrups (engagement of her hindquarters). Then, in a circular progression similar to that of self-carriage, this grounding and deepening of her feet and legs allows her upper spine to lift and lengthen, while her head becomes even more poised.

Now it’s important to point out that, like self-carriage, the primary control is not a position. While it has as one of its byproducts the correct form, whether for dressage or for jumping, the primary control actually involves a relationship of head, neck, back and heels that has a dynamic quality and that allows for freer, more flexible movement, regardless of the position or activity. This dynamic relationship emerges most of all when we attend to – and lessen - any areas of tension that are interfering with it. To sum up, a popular saying in the Alexander Technique is that when we stop doing the wrong thing, the right thing does itself.

Given its emphasis on the primary control, the Alexander Technique can be seen as a kind of dressage for humans. (Don’t worry we don’t make our students do half-pass or flying change of lead or any of the other dressage movements!) The beauty of the Alexander Technique, though, is that, if the rider employs it to cultivate a more natural relationship of her own head, neck, back and heels, then this can become a tool for improving the horse's self-carriage -- not by doing something to the horse, but simply by changing herself while she is in contact with her horse. (Recall the phenomenon of comparable parts. Luckily, this same phenomenon can also work in a more positive direction.) Thus, the Alexander Technique provides a wonderful complement to all of the other tools that have been developed over the centuries in the pursuit of self-carriage.

From the above discussion, it may sound as if the Alexander Technique is only suitable for students of dressage. In fact, that’s not the case. Whether you’re eventing or competing in the hunter-jumper ring or involved in any other riding discipline – or even if you’re a recreational rider – the Alexander Technique can help you to improve your riding.

Let me end on a more personal note, by describing how I work with riders. In order to teach them about the benefits of the Alexander Technique, I work with them in two ways. First, I give them lessons in the Alexander Technique, away from the horse. And second, I work with them on horseback. The lessons on horseback involve a combination of Alexander Technique "hands-on" and more conventional horseback riding instruction. Of course, the exact mix of approaches depends upon the needs of the specific rider and horse.

Adam Bailey is a teacher of the Alexander Technique. He lives and works in the Boston area. He can be reached at adambailey@prodigy.net or at (978)461-0946. Website: http://www.alexandertechniqueboston.com

EXERCISES TO HELP QUIET AIDS

by Lynn McEnespy

There have been hundreds of wonderful books and videos made to try explain riding and how to achieve the wonderful, but very elusive perfect seat. In addition, there are many very good instructors that deal only with how to sit on the horse and coordinate the aids as opposed to those who deal with training the horse. Like gymnastics, skating, dancing, etc., riding takes immense coordination, timing, balance and ambidextrous muscle control. I am an avid student of dressage and highly recommend serious reading in conjunction with lessons and videos.

You are wise to recognize your horse's bending problem originates with the rider. However, I must add that horses too are asymmetrical and the right bend problem is almost universal with horses. Most of them will fall to the right on the inside shoulder and twist their heads left when turning to the right. They will also make things easy for themselves by putting the rider where they want. So, you may not be the total cause of the problem.

As a point of clarification that is frequently confused; on a horse that is well trained and supple on both sides, "bend" is actually comprised of several elements; the horse yields in his jaw and poll, slightly tucks his cheek in toward his neck (looking right in this case), the inside shoulder comes slightly back thus freeing the outside shoulder to make the turn the size required by the rider, and the ears remain level. Needless to say, in dressage, the hindquarters must also participate in this by propelling and carrying the horse in the figure in correct relationship to the forehand.

Many riders mistake "bend" for curve in the neck and try to achieve it by pulling the horse’s head around. Looking down from the saddle, it is easy to get mislead. The part of the neck where it comes out of the withers should always remain straight and not swing like a gate attached to a post. If you look at pictures of top FEI horses, you will see that the neck does not bend at the base but at the poll.

All that said - I would suggest you try a simple exercise that is very enlightening to help you evaluate your situation and also start to correct it. At a walk, take up the contact (not loose or looping reins) and hold both of your reins one to two inches from the side of the horse’s neck. Don't worry about where he puts his face or where he goes, just walk around and try keeping the reins away from his neck and still on contact. You will probably find this difficult to do! Your horse will probably sway from side to side, twist his head, put his nose in the air, etc. all to avoid the simple concept of steady contact on both reins. Persist, and just sit there maintaining even contact on both reins away from the neck while he goes through his antics, even backing up. It is important to remember that he is allowed to experiment and not punish. His reward comes when he walks straight, balanced, and evenly into both reins of his own accord (generally what is known as "on the bit").

You will find that you will begin to develop a better idea of where your body needs to be to have a straight horse and what corrections you need (with the reins away from the neck) to keep him straight. For now, don't worry about "bend" or even counter-flexion if that is what it takes to keep the reins that little bit away from the neck. You are now learning to control and stabilize your horse's shoulders, which will be the key to achieving your goals. As you progress, you will also find your rein aids to keep the shoulders positioned equidistant from each rein become quicker and much more refined. The trick is to be able to do this in trot and canter also.

During this process, your legs tell the horse only one thing, go forward. Don't try to move the haunches sideways from your leg, even if the horse swings from side to side. Move the shoulders with the reins (still away from the neck) to where you want them to go. Assuming you can get your horse to go forward and accept the contact on both reins with them slightly away from the neck on both sides, you can then simply put the reins where they belong. From here, you can actually affect how the horse balances and subsequently - bends.

If you can get someone to assist you, or if you are at a wintertime horse party, you can try to develop better feel and following ability with the following exercise. Take the reins off your bridle (or use two pieces of baling twine) and have your partner hold the bit ends. Your partner is the horse that moves his head, neck, etc. in every which way imaginable. Your task is to keep the steady contact with the reins regardless of what your "horse" does. I will give you a clue - hold the rein with your thumb and forefingers, close your ring fingers, then let your elbow actually be the connection, don't try to use your wrists. Your arms will hang like a dead weight from your shoulders and the "horse" will be moving your entire arm like a big elastic band.

I can recommend some books that have helped me understand the correct way to sit and what muscles to use, Riding With Kyra Kirkland (also in video), The Anatomy of Riding, The Art of Riding (by Baron Hans von Blixen-Fineke also in video), and the books by Sally Swift and Mary Wanless have also quite a following. There is no instant fix, however these sources can give you some very good suggestions for specific things to try.

"Article courtesy of www.TodaysHorse.com"

LUNGE EXERCISE FOR THE RIDER

Many of these exercises can be done with out stirrups or reins. Most of them can be done at the walk, posting trot, sitting trot and canter. Be sure that you have a quiet horse on which to practice these exercises and an experienced ground person that can tell you how you are doing, what exercises are appropriate and at which gates

Try to keep your position as pure as you can during the exercise. I.e. don’t collapse your chest while working with your ankles. Remember — "Only perfect practice makes perfect" (I can’t remember who said this)

Practice circling and lifting and dropping your toes while holding on to

the safety or SOS strap

This relaxes the whole leg

Raise one arm up and the opposite leg out

This relaxes the waist and shoulders, helps to make the hands more independent from the legs, help improve balance.

Each arm raised then both arms raised, going back to good position between each pose

This improves balance and feel for a deep, balanced seat

Grab each toe

This improves balance and feel. Relaxes hips, shoulders and waist

Turn around in saddle 360 degree's, slowly in stages

This improves balance and helps to develop a good feel for rhythm

Use your arms to pretend like you're climbing a ladder, making sure to really stretch up

Gives the rider the feeling for an open light, but deep seat

Ride "blind." i.e. close your eyes and focus on your seat position

Allows rider to really feel some of the more subtle movements

Call out each time a certain foot lifts off the ground

Improves understanding of the gates and timing of the aids

Reach up and touch the horse behind the ears

Improves balance, relaxes back and shoulders

Put a stirrup leather around the horses neck and hold this not the reins

Good for riders that are not comfortable going with no reins. Better than a SOS strap because the feel is more similar to reins. Improves rider feel because the horse can not yield the neck like they can yield their mouth

Put both arm out and then touch each hand to the opposite shoulder

Improves balance and independent hands

Put both arms out and do large circles one at a time and then both together

Improves balance and independent hands

Deep breathing and singing

Relaxes rider

Put one hand in normal riding position and the other one behind the back, bent at the elbow and with the lower half of the arm going horizontally to the ground sort of in the small of your back

Improves openness of seat and independence of hands. Teaches the effect of the inside rein vs. the outside

Put one hand normal the other on hip

Helps rider to understand seat movement

Rotate the shoulders in a backward circular motion. First one, then other, then both at once

Helps to open up the chest, independent hands and relaxes the rider

Hold one arm out the side, palm up. Other arm should remain hanging at your side, no tension. Rotate the arm backward

Helps to open up the chest, independent hands and relaxes the rider

Scissors kick your legs. For example, the inside leg should come forward as far as you can, pointing toes out past the horses shoulder. The outside leg meanwhile should go back towards the horses hind end. Reverse leg positions several times. Seat bones should remain even in the saddle, upper body upright, keep breathing

Helps to open up hips, waist and thighs. Improves balance

Lift one thigh straight up and then rotate it to the outside as far as you can, then bring it down

Helps open up the hips

Re-Printed courtesy of: http://www.ccec.net/

QUICK TIPS

Mary D. Midkiff

Especially during the Spring when hormones are running high, try aromatherapy on your horse. There are several companies such as Chamisa Ridge which sell the oils which can help calm the anxious horse, focus mentally, minimize pheromones, etc. I put a small amount on my mare's nose and a tad in the opening of her nostrils before we train. This has made her very happy and much more willing to enjoy her work. I refer to it as her perfume! Give it a try, it's one more way to enhance your partnership naturally and pleasantly.

In order to balance out your body and your horse's body much more evenly, mount from a different side each day. Always mounting from the left, torques the horse's withers and shoulder to the left and triggers the right hind muscles to support the pull. If you are doing that the same way throughout your horse's life don't be surprised if he is uneven in his work, develops left front/right hind lamenesses, and/or has difficulty bending evenly.

Do your stretching and strengthening exercises (especially those ab crunches) to support your back at least 5 times per week. It should only take 10 minutes of your day or evening and prevent back pain and injury.

Get a lumbar support pillow for your truck or car. Even if your car seat features a lumbar support, it is not effective enough to give your spinal curvature the correct position for all the many hours we spend behind the wheel.

Make sure your office chair is supportive to your lower back or add a pillow to the chair to make it anatomically correct.

When you travel by air please add a pillow to the lower part of your back. If there aren't any available use a folded up sweater or blanket to fill in the empty space. The people who make airline seats have not had contact with a human body yet!

While you watch TV make sure you put a pillow behind you to fill in your lower back, otherwise your back is improperly strained while you try and relax.

When doing your floor stretching exercises place a book (about 1 inch thick)or something similar in thickness under your head. You will be lining up your spine to get the best effect from your stretches.

If you can, add a deep muscle massage to your monthly schedule.

"The accepted essentials for success in sport are speed, stamina, strength, flexibility and mental approach. To these should be added correct posture and the prevention of posture related injuries." Excerpt from "Posture Makes Perfect" by Dr. Victor Barker

. The more lordotic (arched back) your body type the more you will need to think about

keeping your hips and knees open while riding and staying away from the tendency to want to pinch or compress with your knees. This especially applies in the half halt where compressing with the knees takes your seat up and off the saddle instead of deeper.

Use your elbows and shoulder joints as a pulley connection with the horse's mouth
with soft hands instead of breaking your wrists or tightening into a fist.

Tune into how your body behaves during the luteal phase of your menstrual cycle. The luteal phase is the last third of your cycle or the week prior to menstruation. It is during this time that the estrogen level is very high and you may experience joint laxity or a change in the way your hips and lower back move or don't with the horse's motion. Be aware of it, make sure and do your stretches regularly and ride comfortably with it in mind.

Did you know… …Doing everyday physical activities like walking for 30 minutes several days per week is as effective in the long run for lowering body fat, improving blood pressure and boosting aerobic fitness as doing more traditional structured exercise three to five days a week, according to two recent studies in the Journal of the American Medical Association. (USA Today, Jan. 27, 1999)

"When someone tells me there is only one way to do things, it always lights a fire under my butt. My instant reaction is, 'I'm gonna prove you wrong.' " - Picabo Street

QuickTips are for inspiration. Please send me feedback
by email. Suggestions are welcome too!

http://www.womenandhorses.com/ballandband.html

TRY THIS EASY EXERCISE

The following is a short, simple demonstration of an exercise based on the powerful, yet gentle, work of Dr. Moshe Feldenkrais. Please remember that these movements are to be done slowly, with great awareness. Only do what is totally comfortable and easy for you to do.

The Power of Your Pelvis
- or - Slouching and Straightening

Many of us spend quite a bit of our days sitting. We're either at desks, behind the wheel of our cars, or on trains and buses. How many of you have ever thought about how to sit most easily and effectively? As we find ourselves slouching at the computer, the admonition we may have heard in our childhood to "Sit up straight!" may ring in our ears. We desperately pull our shoulder blades back. We arch our lower back. In a few minutes, however, we're thinking about our next deadline and we're slouching again.

Pulling back your shoulder blades and arching the lower back excessively usually leads to fatigued and tight back and shoulder muscles. Most people tire of the effort and fall back into slouching after a few minutes. Those who continue the arched posture usually will complain of tension between the shoulder blades, stiffness in the lower back, or tight, shortened hamstring muscles. You see, healthful, effortless sitting actually begins in your pelvis. The following exercise can help you learn how to allow your pelvis to support you, allowing you to sit upright effortlessly!

Sit in a flat, firm chair with minimal or no padding. Sit toward the front edge, so that you are not leaning against the back of the chair. Have your feet flat on the floor and your legs comfortably spread apart and perpendicular to the ground.

Now, slouch. Don't lean forward from the hip joints, but rather allow your body to collapse forward, as if you are very, very tired. You will find that your shoulders will go down, but not forward very much. Your chin will go down toward your chest, but your head should lean forward very little.

Notice how you slouch. Do you feel how your pelvis rotates backward? Slouch a few times, until you can easily discern this pelvic movement. The slouch doesn't need to be a big movement, just do it slowly, paying attention.

Straighten out of the slouch. Notice how you do this. Are you pulling your shoulders back to straighten your spine? There is no need for the shoulders to do anything to help the spine to straighten. Pulling them back only causes extra tension and fatigue.

Are you arching your lower back as you straighten? If you are, the movement will appear as if you are bringing your back pants pockets up towards your shoulders and there will be tension in your lower back. Instead, experiment with allowing your belly to come forward softly and the muscles deep inside your abdomen to gently bring your pelvis forward, straightening your spine. Keep your lower back soft.

Do small, slow movements so that you can discern these subtle differences. Notice whether you can now move from slouching to sitting upright without your shoulders or lower back actively working. They will move, but it will be as a result of the movement of your pelvis. Alternate between slouching and straightening several times. Be kind to yourself -- do the movements without self-criticism, hurry, or effort.

Many people do this simple exercise several times throughout the day, especially during times of increased stress or longer working hours. Taking the time in our busy lives to become aware of our habitual movements gives us the knowledge and freedom to discard the ones that no longer work for us and learn new ones. You will be rewarded with increased energy, improved flexibility, and fewer aches and pains!

We hope you enjoyed this easy exercise. We will be adding new exercises on a regular basis, so please visit us again soon!

http://www.sensemethod.com/

THE ALEXANDER TECHNIQUE - FOR ALL RIDERS

by Richard Brennan

The Alexander Technique is not so much something you learn as something you unlearn. It is a method of releasing unwanted muscular tension throughout your body which has accumulated over many years of stressful living. This excess tension often starts in childhood and, if left unchecked, can give rise in later life to common ailments such as arthritis, neck and back pain, migraines, hypertension, sciatica, insomnia and even depression.

Vast amounts of money are being spent on the treatment of these illnesses (to say nothing of the pain and discomfort that is endured by the sufferer), yet the number of patients continues to increase. With the right education, however, many people could be helped to understand the causes of their problems and be taught to help themselves, so that their aches and pains may either be relieved or avoided altogether.

The Alexander Technique can help us to become aware of balance, posture and co-ordination while performing everyday actions. This brings into consciousness tensions throughout our body that have previously gone unnoticed, and it is these tensions which are very often the root cause of many common ailments. This is exactly what Frederick Matthias Alexander, the originator of the Technique, discovered when trying to get to the bottom of his own voice-related problem.

When applying the Alexander Technique you will learn how to release unnecessary muscle tension. As most of this tension has built up very gradually over a number of years you are unlikely to be award that it is even there at all. You will also learn new ways of moving while carrying out everyday actions which cause far less strain on the body, and discover ways of sitting, standing and walking that put less strain on the bones, joints and muscles, thus making your body work more efficiently.

In fact, many people who practice the Technique experience a general feeling of lightness throughout their bodies and even describe the sensation as being like ‘walking on air’. Since our physical state directly affects both out mental and emotional well-being, people often say that they feel much calmer and happier even after just a few Alexander lessons. This often results in less domestic tension and a greater ability to cope with life in general.

The Alexander Technique also involves examining posture, breathing, balance and co-ordination. As children our posture and ease of movement are a joy to watch, but as we start to tense our muscles in reaction to many of life’s worried and concerns, our posture deteriorates into what can border on deformity.

Yet this is not the case with people outside Western civilization - many of the indigenous races who still live on the land, such as Native Americans, the Berber people from North Africa and the Aborigines in Australia , retain their natural posture throughout their lives. Their upright posture is considered to be a reflection of their human dignity and integrity.

We have a series of reflexes throughout the body that support us and naturally co-ordinate our movements, yet we interfere with these natural reflexes to such an extent that many of us often hold four of five times more tension in our bodies than is really necessary. In fact, we often make life much harder for ourselves that it really needs to be, although of course we are completely unaware that this is the case. Our shoulders become permanently hunched, our necks become stiffer and stiffer, and we sit either slumped or holding ourselves in a very rigid fashion, as our minds become more and more concerned with the future and the past and our awareness of the ‘present moment’ diminishes.

Over the years we become accustomed to the ways in which we sit and stand without realizing that if is often these very positions that are putting strains upon our body - no matter how uncoordinated these positions are, they will always feel right to us. When we perform everyday activities it is amazing how frequently we subject our bodies to undue tension simply by not being aware of what we are doing; this tension spreads throughout the muscular system, even if it is triggered in one particular area of the body.

It may be many years before we start to suffer from aches and pains or restriction of movement. Many of our modern methods of combating such problems involve powerful painkilling drugs that block out the body’s warning system, whose function it is to tell us that something is wrong. Often, doctors can offer little advice as their training revolves around the treating of symptoms rather than uncovering, and also rectifying, the causes of such problems. The Alexander Technique, however, does just this; it shows you the underlying cause, enabling you to eliminate the tension responsible for so many of the ailments that we mistakenly put down to the aging process.

Richard Brennan teaches the Alexander Technique in England and Ireland . "What is the Alexander Technique" is taken from his book The Alexander Technique Manual - A step-by-step guide to improve breathing, posture and well-being

Re-printed courtesy of Richard Brennan http://www.alexandertechnique.com

Your Instructor

Your Riding Instructor should have many qualities. You will all look for something different, and each one will offer their own talents. For me, a good Instructor is one that can see from the ground all the problems that the horse is having, those made by the horse, and those made by the rider. Evaluate and correct. An Instructor that rides is a great bonus. This person can sit on your horse and find all the hidden problems so many owner/riders can disguise readily without even knowing, and these have to be corrected. This person can tell, in a very short time, if the horse has been ridden regularly, schooled in all the basic paces, and if it has talent. By this time the Instructor will have decided how much work needs to be done and if they are honest, will tell you outright that if you don’t do the work, they will not teach you. Shocked?

What is the point of your hard earned money and your Instructors precious time being wasted if you are not intending on putting into practice, faithfully, whatever you are told to do? At best the Instructor has one hour per week in which to try and improve you, to push you that little bit harder, to leave you with ‘homework’ which only you can do. From experience I know how long and hard a road it is to try and change a way of riding to a new style, but that’s why you got this Instructor presumably. You want to learn how to ride your horse with such kindness and consideration that the horse will be willing to go that extra mile for you when it is needed. This is a horse that will trust you and give back to you. This is the horse you want to work with and create a partnership that makes it impossible for anyone but you to make it all look so easy.

I know of many Instructors who do not ride and I find hard to understand. Whilst I have often thought of myself, I am a better person on the ground than on the horse, I do have the ability to pick up physical problems the horse may be having if I sit on it. I feel it is also a huge confidence boost to any prospective Pupil that they are shown some small improvement which any good Instructor can produce in a few minutes.

Lessons have to be a 3 way street. Everyone has to get on with each other – horse, pupil and Instructor and if any of these 3 do not gel, then I will not teach. I find it very important that this element works and if you find the right Instructor, I think you will understand for yourselves what I mean.

Your Instructor should be humble enough to apologise if he/she says or does something which confuses you or the horse, as I have on occasion. We are only human but an apology is a courtesy and what one gives, one gets back in many ways.

I don’t like to see Instructors jumping on any horse wearing anything other than decent riding attire, not carrying whips or wearing spurs. This doesn’t give a good first impression. Schooling whips and Spurs are used for a purpose, not everyday riding as far as I am concerned and I see a lot of mis-use of both, sadly. You may think it odd that I address the way an Instructor is turned out, but to me it shows that you are in the presence of someone who cares about their appearance, that they look Professional and can ride in safety. No Jeans and Trainers; the abandoning of hard hats; this is not a good example to set.

I believe strongly a lot of good work can be done from the ground so an Instructor who can long rein, lunge and work the horse purely by voice is a real bonus. Many young horses I’ve worked with have been schooled for several years before they are ridden. This gives them time to muscle, balance and obey verbal commands. This is not hard work and you can learn a lot if you are taught how to do this properly and thoroughly. Not all Instructors are capable of this work and often don’t even consider it, but I would ask anyone looking for a prospective Instructor to find out exactly what they can do and will do to make your work easier and the horses life more comfortable. There will be times when perhaps you cannot go outside and hack out, and just riding round in never ending circles which is what I see a lot of, is not possible nor schooling; so the ability to do other things is vital. If I learned one thing in my early years it was the importance of groundwork.
Your Instructor should structure your lessons, showing you how to ride basic circles accurately, coming up the centre line straight, giving you ideas on how to school on your own to avoid those boring circles and to ensure that your horse stays fresh in the mind to do what you want with enthusiasm. You have to learn how to cut short certain things to avoid total shut down and this is down to your Instructor who can tell how much the horse can take mentally and physically and tell you approximately how long to work on each area of the lesson when you are on your own. If any of my Pupils didn’t do their work, I knew instantly and was not pleased.

I have high standards. At the end of the lesson I expect the horse to be made comfortable, washed down if sweated up, tack cleaned and put away, bit washed, and to see a deep and clean, comfortable bed for it to walk on to before the Coffee is made! I have always checked each horse over personally before and after the lesson to ensure no marks, bumps or other problems have arisen. If they have, I advise my Pupil what to do and have often stayed behind many times to assist with any health issues. When I teach, the horse is treated as I would my own, and I expect nothing less from my Pupils. The horse is THE most important thing at that point in time. In that hour, it is my responsibility to ensure it is not stressed or harmed by the rider and any decent Instructor would do the same I am sure.

I’ve advised on Diets, what to feed and when; gone to Competitions to support my Pupils; discussed over the phone problems they’ve encountered during the week and tried to talk them through them. I feel like the proverbial ‘Mother Hen’ but that is my idea of a good Instructor.

My lessons used to run for around 45 minutes to 1 hour. If I felt we had achieved a goal, and I set one for each lesson, and all was well, it would be cut short so we could all finish on a good note and smiling. On the other hand, if problems arose, I’d stay longer and continue for that little bit longer or take over the lesson myself to get the horse to understand what was required so the rider had an opportunity to build on that during the week we were apart.

Your Instructor should be able to explain what he/she wants clearly and show you if need be; to help you attain your own goals be it Dressage, Showing, Jumping or Cross Country; their manner should be one of quiet confidence and I will be the first one to admit, it’s not always easy to appear confident with half a stable yard watching your first ride on a new horse! Which brings me to another point. You are paying for a Private Lesson and it is a courtesy to your Instructor to ask people to stay out of the way. Your Instructor is not there to give free lessons to anyone, but to look after you and your needs. Nor do they need to be stopped every 5 minutes to explain what they’re doing and why by onlookers, and this happens frequently.

Being on time for your lesson is important. Having your horse calmly warmed up ready for the lesson is important. Your Instructor probably has another 7 horses to look forward to, or you may be the last one and they’re tired, so the least you can do is arrive on time, and the same applies to your Instructor. If they don’t turn up and give no reason or contact you, then dump them. These are not Professional people in their approach and unfair on you. And again, the tables are turned. Should you be late and put your Instructor out or simply you don’t turn up at all because ‘you forgot’ you may be required to pay for that persons time and rightly so. As I will often say in many instances ‘you get what you deserve’ so basic courtesy is vital.

A good Instructor can spot a good horse and rider combination a mile off and it’s a joy to have this even if they may be a bit rough around the edges. It has been my experience that most riders feel they are much better than they are and it is an Instructors job to gently tell them ‘no you are not’ and explain where they are going wrong and how to rectify this. I have had riders who feel they should be doing Passage and Piaffe because they do Dressage and ride a certain Breed of horse. Rubbish! Most of them can’t even do a decent 10 metre circle ,let alone a 20 metre circle. You have to be prepared to go back to square one and this is something I emphasise over and over. My speech goes along the lines of ‘ I may take my time in teaching you, but what you learn will be taught correctly and it could take as long as 12 months minimum to get you to a point where I feel satisfied, so if you’re not prepared for that wait or to put in the work, then let us cut our losses now’ and I’ve never lost a client following that little speech. Bad habits don’t arrive overnight nor do they go away overnight. Your Instructor has to undo a lot of damage before they can move on to where they want to be and you have to be so patient but it pays off. You end up with a horse happy in the work, capable of the work and with you smiling and relaxed knowing you’ve done a heck of a job. Teaching Classical Riding is no mystery really but these Instructors are few and far between. Don’t let anyone make you take shortcuts with gadgets and numerous tack changes, when all that should be needed is a simple saddle, bridle and plain bit. Instructors like me can ride with ‘no hands’ pretty much using our balance to move the horse forward, sideways, faster or slower. I don’t know of many horses that will not respond to this type of riding if it is taught with patience.

The biggest problem I come across is Peer pressure. Because you are taking your time, doing things right and perhaps not racing around the arena at top speed, or hurtling over fences, other riders will start to say things to you which will not be pleasant to hear. They will watch you for a few sessions and then convince you their Instructor is better because ‘I only had 3 lessons and I won my Class’ well bully for them………as a Judge I also see that side of things and believe me am rarely impressed, so don’t give in. Be single minded; be different; be a decent person to your horse and true to your own beliefs. Admit you need help, that although this is a long way to go to learn something, it’s worth it if it helps the horse enjoy it’s work and at the end of the day if the horse is happy then you’re on a winner, with or without the pretty ribbon.

In my time I’ve taken plain, old ponies who were coming bottom of everything they entered, seen potential in the rider, spotted the horses good points and worked with them and produced some excellent riders who have gone on to win some Major shows on those tatty little ponies so it can be done. You take what you have and your work with it, and it pays off.

Over the past 20 years I’ve been very strict in who I work with. I hope I’ve become a friend as well as an Instructor to my Pupils, as that is always my aim. Yes I am critical, I am tough to work for but my voice is kind, my attitude is one of total Professionalism and caring for both you and your horse but most of all, I love what I do with a passion and I genuinely believe that comes over.

As someone who has done things the long way, the hard way and struggled without an Instructor I formed a unique bond with my horse. But despite my disadvantages and sometimes, total lack of riding experience in Competitions, where nerves would often get the better of me, we did very well in any Class we entered; In Dressage I did not have the perfectly formed horse but he did well. At the end of each test it was not so much where I came but ‘had I enjoyed it? Did I feel a sense of improvement?’ so even with minimum lessons, a lot of patience and hard work can and will pay dividends. Only the loss of my own horse made me go into Instructing others because I saw how well my horse developed, how much he enjoyed his work and how easy it was to ride him. I hope to give that gift to all my pupils as I am sure all good Instructors do.

Go learn, be patient and understanding and above all, LOVE YOUR HORSE faults and all, it will happen.

HORSE TRAINING
20 MINUTE WORKOUT	TRAINING MYTHUNDERSTANDINGS I
TRAINING MYTHUNDERSTANDINGS II	LONG AND LOW
ON THE BIT	THE SITTING TROT
TEACHING FORWARD MOVEMENT
HALF HALT

RIDER TRAINING
THE ALEXANDER TECHNIQUE	EXERCISES TO HELP QUIET AIDS
LUNGE EXERCISE FOR THE RIDER	QUICK TIPS
TRY THIS EASY EXERCISE	THE ALEXANDER TECHNIQUE - FOR ALL RIDERS
THE LEARNING EXPERIENCE	YOUR INSTRUCTOR