Leg Up Equestrian Enterprises

07/11/2025

Everytime that I read a post thread where people give advice about collecting a horse, I feel a little sick. The number of times that I have watched seesaw hands, digging heels, side reins, running martingale, draw reins... contraptions upon contraptions. Misguidance. Misunderstanding.

The first step in proper collection is forward motion, and a horse that willingly carries his rider through every upward and downward transition, and understands a halt from your seat alone. Responsiveness. Eagerness. Flexion at the poll when engaging only their face. If you are jumping on a green horse and you are expecting them to carry their rider, let alone themselves while being engaged from behind, and rounded in their back, you are quickly going to run into issues either immediately(usually behavioral) or down the road. Injections are the number one solution that people run to, to remedy the long term effects of improper training. It takes YEARS to bring along a horse that is properly engaged.

Here are some tips for those that may be working with a trainer, but, still not understanding "being on the bit," "collection," "in frame," "half halt."

The main goal is not to bring your horses chin to his chest, or even to get a response when wiggling your fingers at all. True collection happens naturally when energy comes from behind and pushes the barrel of the horse upward, the head has no other direction to go but down, to assist the hindquarters in carrying the load on it's back. Flexion and sensitivity are separate entities that can be practiced from the ground regularly. Flexion and sensitivity only assist carriage, they do not provide it.

The feel of the horse when actively engaged will push you out of your seat, and be quite effortless to post, you may even have to think about controlling your seat so that you do not speed your horse along, sitting may be a different story. It is not supposed to feel like you are gliding. If you do feel like you are gliding, your horse is not engaged from behind... those back legs are powerful guys, you're going to feel it when they are working under your horse, rather than the energy being tossed behind your seat.

For christmas sake stop pulling your horses mouth to your leg. It's so tempting, it feels right when they give you their head and their back pops up slightly, and you may luckily get a couple of engaged steps. It's not true collection. Ride your horse from back to front. From leg to head. You and your horses energy are a wave, think pep rally. You will be most effective if the energy flows from haunches to ears and from foot to head.

If you have a friend that wants to jump on your horse and put him in frame when he just came off of the track, grab your reins and tell her to exit to the left and ruin someone elses horse.

- Ashley Lane

07/10/2025

Here is another one for you to play with....Amanda Dare would be a great one for Everest!

07/09/2025

I suspect that a big part of what makes a brave rider starts with the fact that they were already tough, fit athletes.

Wobbly, unfit riders are far more likely to bite the dust when things go sideways, and in any hard types of riding, things ALWAYS run amok.

Want to get gutsy? Start by getting strong.

Sounds too simple? Try it and find out---.

07/08/2025

Ok the giggle for today!!!

07/08/2025

Oh this is a cool little visual....so true for riding as well!

07/08/2025

You might think that the goal of a downward transition is obvious: to get from a faster pace to a slower one. But that is only one purpose of a downward transition in dressage training.

Every CORRECTLY RIDDEN downward transition is an opportunity to:

✅ Close your horse’s hind legs forward under his body
✅ Create more energy
✅ Lighten the forehand
✅ Prepare your horse for more advanced degrees of collection
✅ Supple the hind leg joints
✅ Strengthen your horse's hindquarter muscles
✅ Develop an understanding of the half-halt
✅ Ultimately, they help to develop piaffe

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Illustrations created and copyrighted by How To Dressage, and may not be reproduced in any form without prior written permission.

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07/07/2025

07/07/2025

07/07/2025

Friendly reminder ❤

07/07/2025

UPWARD TRANSITIONS

When judging upward transitions, the judge is looking for a number of key elements.

1. Reaction - Your horse must respond instantly to your request for an upward transition. This demonstrates to the judge that your is focused on your aids and is obedient and responsive to your leg and seat.

2. Impulsion - The transition should not “dwell.” In other words, your horse should immediately move forward into the new pace, rather than hesitating or dawdling. Your horse should be seen to "push" into the new pace from well-placed hindlegs.

3. Balance and frame - Your horse should maintain a round outline or frame, working through his back to seek your contact. As he makes the upward transition, your horse should step through and underneath his body with his inside hind leg so that the transition is uphill and balanced. The judge doesn’t want to see your horse becoming hollow or falling onto his forehand as he makes the transition.

4. Relaxation - Throughout the transition, the judge wants to see that your horse remains relaxed. Tension will often result in a rushed transition, resulting in your horse losing his balance, becoming hollow, and sometimes crooked, too.

So, overall, the judge wants to see a responsive, fluent, forward, straight upward transition that is free from tension and which your horse maintains his frame and balance throughout. And at each level, the judges are looking for a more uphill frame, with increased support (engagement) of the hind legs.

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Illustrations created and copyrighted by How To Dressage, and may not be reproduced in any form without prior written permission.

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