1. On horsemanship:
“Good riding is about doing as little as possible, but as much as necessary.”
2. On training:
“You cannot force a horse to do anything, but you can teach him through patience, consistency, and fairness.”
3. On respect for the horse:
“The horse is always willing to give us its best; it is our responsibility to treat it with the respect it deserves.”
4. On balance and harmony:
“Dressage is about harmony, not domination. The horse must be willing to offer you what you ask for without force.”
5. On a rider’s approach:
“True dressage is not just about technical skill; it’s about understanding the horse and building a partnership where you are both equal partners in the dance."
Credit - Klaus Balkenhol
Dressage is all about bonding with your horse 😂😂
“I have my own way I feel about dressage, it is personal, to me and my horse. My horse must be light, he has to be with me not against me.”
Look at this little superstar !!! 7 years old !!!!
Benefits of Hacking
THE BENIFITS OF HACKING FOR DRESSAGE
1. It engages your horse’s brain
Hacking a horse provides variety in their work, which is vital for keeping them interested in life and keeping them on your side. You could warm up for a schooling session by going for a short hack first, and/or cooling down afterwards by doing the same. Or why not leave the arena altogether and do your schooling out hacking — it’s a very rewarding thing to do.
2. Ease any stiffness in a horse’s body
Hacking out and moving around is perfect for keeping any stiffness or filled legs at bay, especially if your horse is in their twilight years. A gentle stroll on a long rein (if safe to do so) will get creaky joints moving and help them to feel better in general.
3. Boost your horse’s confidence
Getting your horse out and about regularly, seeing, passing and coping with new unusual things, is one of the best ways to make them confident and therefore brave. A confident horse enjoying their work is a much nicer ride than a spooky horse who lacks confidence. You’ll find it does wonder for the bond you have with each other too, as your horse realises you are a dependable leader.
4. Improves fitness
Hacking a horse is good for fitness levels, helping to keep health issues related to obesity and lack of fitness, such as laminitis and equine metabolic syndrome, under control. The further you go the better, but it’s really the type of work you’re doing out hacking that counts. Vary the terrain and pace you’re hacking a horse at to really make a difference. Interval training, for example, is easily incorporated into trail riding and it’s a lot of fun.
5. Trail riding will cheer a horse up
Finally, a hacking horse is a happy horse! Surely the goal of every horse owner? Let your horse march along with their ears pricked, taking in their surroundings. They will feel so much better for it and, as already mentioned, so will you!
Dressage is the art of teaching the horse to carry you. Riding is the art of learning to be a good load to carry.
Dressage is the art of teaching the horse to carry you. Riding is the art of learning to be a good load to carry.
Hacking out on a spooky horse is not always the care-free, relaxing and fun ride you’d hope for — and sometimes it can become dangerous. Even horses who are bombproof can be caught by surprise when the unexpected happens.
1 Practice steering
Make sure you can steer left and right so you can turn your horse anytime and anywhere. Turning is more important than being able to stop, as controlling direction is key to dealing with a spook. Put the work in at home.
2 Control his initial response
Your horse will always look to move away from any perceived threat, and your job is to manage this initial response. If he tries to go left for instance, simply turn him back to the right. In essence you are diffusing the spook using changes of direction.
3 Don’t focus on the spooky object
If you stare at something you think your horse may spook at, you are drawing his attention to it and then he probably will spook. This can be a huge block for some riders; they are always on the lookout for the next thing to cause a problem. Chances are if you ignore it, your horse will too.
4 Don’t let him take over
When a horse spooks, riders often look in the direction their horse is trying to go. By doing this, you are handing the reins to a nervous, flighty horse. He will go where you look and this can be dangerous as he will take charge if you let him.
5 Focus on one direction
To get your horse past a scary object, focus your attention on where you want to go. Pick a path and keep steering your horse towards it. If he’s looking at the object, don’t turn him as you want him to spot the way past and recognise this is his route out of the situation.
6 Encourage forward motion
Use your upper legs and body to encourage your horse forwards. If he halts or is rooted to the spot, tap with your lower leg until he takes a step forward and then stop tapping. You want him to feel reassured that he’s doing the right thing and releasing the pressure is your signal to him that he
Main man …
When something is done well, give a reward and a little breather. Don't be greedy.” “As riders, we have to make sure horses don't anticipate what we're doing. We can't train just going and doing the same test movements every day
Morning Canters ……
Morning canters on the main man !!
