Riding

Posts and Articles related to the riding of horses, how to improve your seat, posture, aids and communication.

Outline of a rider holding their horse in an extreme hyperflexed position of the head and neck.
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Flexing the Stiff Horse

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This question is raised frequently – how to soften and flex a horse who is stiff in the neck. There is a problem with the question however, because it assumes that addressing the horse’s stiff neck will actually correct the stiffness. In reality, flexing the horse’s neck alone only causes a disconnection between the neck and the hind legs. If you do not understand the implications of this disconnection you can create more problems later on – making it difficult or impossible to get true collection from the horse.

Horse Ridden in Halter style Bitless Bridle
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The Good, The Bad, The Bitless Bridle…

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One of the most difficult things for a rider to learn is how to use their hands properly. Wait, no. Let me restate that. THE most difficult thing for a rider to learn is how to use their hands properly. Why you may ask.. because the hands are connected to the wrist bone, the wrist bone is connected to the arm bone… and so on right down to your ten little piggies and the hair on your chinny chin chin.

A girl rides a sweaty pony in a western saddle with no helmet.

Missing A Beginning : Why Most Horsemanship is Doomed to Fail From the Start

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Horsemanship on the other hand is as confusing about where to start and where to end, let alone the order in which to proceed, to students and teachers alike. To be brutally honest most teachers are just guessing their way through, while students wander through frustrations, injuries and brick walls they cannot overcome.

Friesian horse ridden in a double bridle behind the vertical resists his riders strong aids
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The Hard-Mouthed Horse is a Myth

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I swear it’s hard-coded in our genes to respond to any hints we may be pulling or leaning on the reins with the shrill reply, “I’m NOT pulling!” In 20 years of riding I’ve shrieked that response more than once. It’s okay to admit making mistakes, it’s what we do with those difficult lessons that defines us, and please please please… learn to stop pulling on your horse’s mouth sooner than later!

Sketch of a dressage horse ridden in loose reins

Weak Riding

What does it mean to be a weak rider? Is it the inability to hold the correct posture and position in the saddle? Is it the lack of strength in the aids to apply them correctly and productively? What if weak riding were not a bad thing, but a highly sought after reality?