Under saddle, disobedience from the horse can be caused by a number of factors, not necessarily just unwillingness to work. Here are a few points to consider:



Reward

The reason why horses are easy to train is because if you do things consistently they will pick it up; they are creatures of habit.



I am a great believer in giving a horse a pat as a reward for good work. However which method you use to praise your horse is not important, it is the consistency of… Continue

Cooperation under saddle begins with good ground manners. If despite your best efforts you are still having problems with your horse in the stable, don’t panic! Here are some things for you to consider:



General welfare



Before any type of training can be undertaken there are obvious areas that need to be paid attention to.



First and foremost, is the horse in good enough condition to do what you are asking him to do? Can he bend his head to the left and… Continue

Continuing with last week’s blog, here are 6 more helpful tips for the ring:



Plan your corners. A typical course builder’s challenge is to place a jump so that you are jumping towards or into a corner. Deliberately designed to test you and the horse, as this naturally stifles the jump and may tempt your horse to jump off centre as he anticipates the turn you will be making. So keep straight, jump the centre of the jump… Continue

I’ve always believed that rosettes are won at home. You just collect them in the ring. With that in mind, here are five of my top tips to help you put all your schooling to good effect:



1. Be clear in what you ask your horse. You walked the course and your horse didn't, so you need to make it clear to him which fence he has to jump. As you enter the ring, the first jump your horse sees may not be the first on the course and he may get drawn to the wrong fence. This is one of… Continue

To understand and work with your horse’s stride length, keep in mind that whilst you are riding, the horse’s legs are your legs, and your brain needs to react to what they are doing.



Try this exercise:



Build two fences five canter strides apart. Warm up your horse, thinking about the canter rhythm.



As a very simple way of understanding your horse’s stride length, call out the strides as you ride the fences. This will help your brain tune in to what your horse is… Continue