Where The Heart Is Ranch

08/27/2024

George Williams provides exercises at the counter canter to develop straightness and collection. Plus, three veterinarians offer tips on keeping your horse safe and comfortable in the heat.

08/26/2024

DRESSAGE SOLUTIONS: To maintain a correct upper body position through corners ...

Imagine you are balancing on an exercise ball. If you lean your torso into a turn, your seat bones will push the ball (your horse) in the opposite direction. To help the horse balance, keep your spine straight and use your shoulders to turn. Your seat bones will follow. Try it on a ball, it works!
~ Jane Kelly

Jane Kelly is a USDF gold, silver and bronze medalist, “L” Education Program graduate and associate instructor based in Powhatan, Virginia.

08/23/2024

Dressage is about development of the horse to their best potential, whatever that might be for them

Dressage is not abusive.
It’s a kind and ethical training.
Dressage is not flashy.
It’s about correct posture and spinal alignment.
Dressage is not exhausting.
It's about lightness and motivation.
Dressage is not about getting fast results.
It is quiet and humble.
Dressage is not about external validation.
It’s an art.
Dressage is not for building up your ego.
It’s a journey of self-discovery.
Dressage doesn’t wear out the joints.
It keeps your horse fit until old age.
Dressage doesn’t shut down the horse or cause anxiety.
It is about a human and a horse connecting on a deep level, from heart to heart.
When riding is abusive, flashy, exhausting, promises fast results, used to get external validation, needed to build up your ego, wears out the joints, and causes shut down or anxiety, it’s not dressage!

08/21/2024

100% agree with this!

Dressage is NOT abusive.

The word 'dressage' comes from the French verb 'dresser,' meaning, in the context of animals, 'to train.' In essence, dressage is just the 'training of the horse.'

Dressage was designed to BENEFIT the horse. When done correctly, it improves the horse's balance, strength, and suppleness, helping to prevent injury and promote a longer working life.

The riders and coaches who practice incorrect training and take shortcuts create the abuse. Judges further encourage this by awarding high scores for technically incorrect movements that do not meet the standards of their own rule book.

The public opinion of dressage is becoming one of animal abuse. They think a piaffe is taught by repeatedly whipping a horse's legs and that horses' heads are forced inward by harsh bits. Although this sadly happens, it is not dressage.

People see dressage only as a competitive sport, and yes, it can be. But at its core, dressage is about creating a harmonious partnership between horse and rider; it's not about percentage scores or medals.

So, let's go back to basics and continue to educate ourselves and the public on the core fundamentals of correct dressage training because dressage itself is not the problem.

Stock image from Shutterstock.

08/20/2024

08/20/2024

It takes a lot of work and dedication

08/17/2024

🐴🥕 Sports psychologist and performance coach Jenny Susser talks about the importance of practicing visualization techniques to improve your performance in the dressage ring. 🐴🥕

To read more about Susser's specific visualization methods, click on the link in the Comments below.

08/16/2024

If I had a nickel for every time I say “look where you want to go”…

When someone leaves a comments or a like here, I often click on their name to see their riding images on their page. I do this to keep track of what today's typical riding looks like. I see all kinds of riding. Some images and videos show very good balanced riding. What seems to be a common riding flaw that I see recently is with head position. So many riders post pictures of their riding with their eyes looking down. This might seem a minor issue, but it is not.

When your eyes are down, your horse can feel that your balance is forward, more over the forehand. This will put your horse onto their forehand. When your eyes go down, your head that weighs 15 pounds (7 kg) goes down and forward, and usually your shoulders fall forward as well. The fact that your head is up high at the end of an effective lever that is your upper body, multiplies the forward weight that you place over your horse's shoulders.

The negative effects this has on your horse show up in several ways. It makes both upward and downward transitions more difficult for your horse. This is because Horses need to push off or reach under with their hind, and you have shifted their balance off their hind. Lead changes become more difficult for the same reason.

Worst of all for riders, looking down makes it more difficult to develop "feel". I briefly had an argumentative student who insisted on looking down. She would argue with me when I said "eyes up", saying "I like to see what my horse is doing". I'd explain that with eyes up you can feel what your horse is doing and that makes all the difference.

If you look down when riding, just stop doing that. If you have to look down, move your eyeballs, not your head. If you do this, many improvements will follow. You will sit the canter better because your head and neck position will no longer interfere with your hips swinging to the 1-2-3 beat of the canter. "Eyes up". It's simple and fixes a lot of things.

08/16/2024

I definitely am more enthusiastic with those who are committed to learn and work hard!

I had someone ask me this week why attendance is one of the factors that affects scheduling.

I thought it was an odd question, because it has a pretty simple answer...open lesson times don't pay bills. So scheduling someone who isn't going to show up regularly isn't a good business decision.

But it really goes deeper than that.

One of the most profound lessons that horses teach us is commitment. Commitment to caring for them, commitment to bettering ourselves, and commitment to setting goals and achieving them.

If you aren't attending the lessons you scheduled (horseback riding or any other sport) regularly, you're missing this point. Your progress will be minimal and you'll end up frustrated.

Holding space for someone who isn't committed to that space will suck the life right out of you. (Read that twice, because it applies every single day of your life). It isn't just a financial drain. It's tough to get excited to teach someone who isn't committed to learning.

So yes, I'm going to schedule riders who are committed to learning and who attend regularly first. Their enthusiasm keeps me going when the day is kicking my butt. They remind me that this purpose is far bigger than just what is happening in the arena.

Thanks for coming to my TED talk. 🤣

08/15/2024

The art of riding is being an easy weight to carry!

When the rider is in complete harmony with the movement of the horse, the inconvenience of the weight of the rider will be minimal for the horse. However if the rider is against the movement of the horse, ie. if he loses his balance often or if he falls backwards or forwards, then he asks a great deal of adjustment from the horse.

08/15/2024

❤️

08/13/2024

The jumps! 😳

The fences displayed during the week-long competition in Versailles were as impressive as the backdrop of the Château and its magnificent gardens.

08/07/2024

Photo and story by Mackenzie Pearce McLain Ward sprinkled a bit of his infinite wisdom over the participants in his clinic at the Royal Canadian Riding Academy in Cedar Valley, Ontario from August 18-20. The groups ranged in jumping height from 1.10m-1.60m, and each day of lessons built on the last....

08/06/2024

In case you’re armchair judging those Olympic rides!

A little reminder of what makes a good piaffe.

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During the piaffe, the horse energetically springs from one diagonal pair to the other with elastic and rhythmic steps, whilst giving the impression of remaining in place.

In a correct piaffe, the horse's shoulders will look light and mobile, and he will appear to be 'sitting' on his hind legs. If, however, the horse's forelegs look grounded and his bottom is bouncing up and down with his croup higher than his withers, then this is incorrect.

A high-quality piaffe is proof of correct training.

Illustration created and copyrighted by How To Dressage.

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08/06/2024

Sportsmanship, team building, being humble and able to learn - these things come from horse shows

“Too many kids have been taught that the goal of showing is to win. Here’s the truth, the goal of showing is to be a better person, a better horseman, a better communicator, a better worker, and to enjoy being a kid who loves their horse. You’ll never get this time back… so enjoy it win or lose.”

08/06/2024

Looks like a fun exercise

08/03/2024

Save the date, spooky jumpers!

08/03/2024

I like this setup too!

08/03/2024

I just use cones - I’ll have to up my game!

Use your Mother Loven Flippen dog forsaken corners!!!! 😂 No seriously though. It makes a huge difference.

08/03/2024

Amelia is so good!

08/01/2024

Yup

Check on your geldings. 🤭