Bitterroot Equestrian - training and instruction.

11/07/2022

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10/14/2022

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07/31/2022

On the Bit

“On the bit” is one of those phrases that has become so common that its meaning is ambiguous and slightly mysterious. It is a term of art because its meaning encompasses far more than the literal words. It is a reference to the horse’s relationship with the bit in terms of his responsiveness, his posture, and his way of moving - similar to that of a ballet dancer being “at the barre.”

The horse treats the bit much the way a dancer treats the barre. Early in their training they grasp, hang, push, and evaporate as they struggle to find the balance, strength, and coordination necessary to execute different movements. While the goal for both is always a light touch, a point of reference, the effort of learning often requires something more.

While the dancer ultimately leaves the barre, she replaces it with the presence of a partner for the most demanding and difficult movements. This is how a rider should think of the bit as their horse progresses up the levels. The rider becomes a dance partner for the horse, offering the bit the same way a dance partner offers his hand as the point of reference on the stage that makes the most difficult movements possible.

When rein contact is inconsistent, it is like the dancer reaching for a barre that is constantly moving, or a partner who is in the wrong place. When the bit is used to force a particular posture or balance, it is like the dancer reaching for a partner who shoves her one way and tugs her another. And when a horse is trained without the benefit of a bit, it is like the dancer trying to learn without the aid of a barre. While a well-schooled horse can perform learned movements without a bit much as a dancer steps into the center, the bit and the barre are essential tools in the learning process.

“On the bit” is a state that the horse comes to after years of consistent, non-forceful, progressive training. It encompasses a gentle, chewing type of movement as the horse takes up a positive pressure, moves toward the bit with his whole body engaged, and is dynamically balanced over his feet. Horses that are well-schooled will find this state as soon as the rider picks up the reins and applies the forward aids. Horses that are learning will find this state only intermittently, just as the aspiring dancer finds stable balance on her pointes only intermittently.

Good balance, for which the bit is simply the point of reference, is dynamic and ever-changing. When a horse is moving with balance, his center of gravity remains supported effortlessly over his feet just as the dancer remains supported over her pointes. This type of balance requires correct posture and engagement of muscle groups throughout the whole body, and cannot be achieved through force. And like the dancer, it takes time and work to develop the skills to be “on the bit” and remain balanced with a light touch.

04/20/2022

Inside to Outside: the Magic of Balance - This is the foundation of dressage, but it's not just for dressage riders and horses. This universal concept makes all horses better and all riding more fun. If this article interests you, message me with your email address and I will send you the full PDF.

03/23/2022

The Myth of Bend

Getting a horse to bend is one of the most common conversations heard in every horse venue imaginable, including online. Not surprisingly, there is little agreement about how to get a horse to bend. However, there seems to be a prevailing belief that a horse’s spine should form a smooth continuous arc from poll to tail. Some trainers even go to the extent of showing a picture of a horse from above with a thick line drawn along the horse’s top-line to indicate how the horse’s spine is forming this arc. But, on closer inspection of such pictures, one can easily see that the horse’s top-line fails to form a perfectly continuous arc all the way from poll to tail. It is simply impossible.

Urrrch! Full stop! Impossible?!

Okay, so “impossible” may not be quite the right term. Let’s just say, really, really, really, really, really, really hard. Which is to say, impossible, for all except the most elite horses and riders. AND, more importantly, it is the end, NOT the beginning - it is the culmination of years (yes, years!) of careful, expert training, NOT a movement asked of a green or even a basically trained horse. True bend - meaning bend running all the way through the horse’s neck, back, and ribs - occurs ONLY when the horse has the strength, balance, and suppleness (relaxed muscle tone) to lengthen the outside, NOT shorten the inside as he travels through a corner or circle. The problem with bend is when it is asked for too soon, too much, and in a way that unbalances the horse.

What’s really happening under that saddle?

The neck of a horse has significant natural lateral flexibility. The rest of the body has almost no natural lateral flexibility. The loins have varying degrees of vertical flexibility, depending upon breed and individual confirmation, but lateral movement of the hind-quarters results from articulation of the pelvis and hind limbs (the beginning of true bend), not from lateral flexibility of the spine. The rest of the back between the withers and the loins twists with the swing of the ribs (another important part of true bend), but does not initially bend laterally. The rider’s sensation of bend is the swing of the ribs to the outside of the curve - away from the rider’s inside leg - which, combined with the movement of the pelvis, allows for the step of the inside hind leg in under the belly. From here, true bend can be developed over years of training and strengthening.

Why does it matter?

The problem with conceptualizing bend as one smooth continuous arc from poll to tail is that the rider focuses on the appearance of the neck. In seeking that satisfying curve - that they imagine continuing under the saddle - the rider makes several mistakes. First, the neck becomes over-bent relative to the rest of the body, which creates serious balance problems for the horse as the shoulders shift outward, often accompanied by the hind-quarters shifting inward. This misalignment eliminates any chance of engagement, collection, or true bend, and often leads to difficulty maintaining an accurate line of travel. Second, the rider (and horse) depend upon constant pressure on the inside rein to create and hold the curve of the neck while maintaining the line of travel. Third, the outside rein is abandoned and the inside leg becomes ineffective.

What to do instead:

Rather than thinking in terms of bend, riders should think in terms of steps. What the horse’s feet are doing is far more indicative of correctness and balance than what the head and neck are doing. The head and neck will naturally exhibit correct positioning when, and only when, the rest of the body is in balance. Forcing the head and neck into any given position will only serve to disconnect and unbalance the rest of the body, which leads to a wide variety of training, soundness, and attitude problems.

Flexion is not a synonym for bend.

Correct lateral flexion (another prerequisite of true bend) is NOT the neck bending, but rather the head turning. Bending the neck leads to loss of lateral flexion because the poll and upper neck become locked as a defensive measure. From the rider’s perspective, the neck should appear straight in all movements in order to maintain correct alignment throughout the whole body. The rider should seek the yielding of the ribs away from the inside leg, while maintaining straightness with a supportive outside rein. This will result in the stepping of the inside hind and outside fore toward the center of the body, which is what creates the feeling of bend and the arc in the horse’s line of travel.

Bend is a critical aspect of training in all disciplines.

When “bending” correctly by yielding the ribs and stepping under the body, the horse becomes stronger, more engaged, and more fluid in his movements, leading toward true bend. When “bending” incorrectly by forcing the curvature of the neck, the horse becomes tense, disengaged, and less ridable - depending upon temperament, some will shut down and fail to move forward adequately, others will rush and become difficult to control, and the rest - the stoic ones - will just lose the purity of their gates. The same can be said for forcing the head to a specific height, whether high or low.

When you ride….

Riders should always remember that the view from the saddle is only a small part of the whole. Leave the head and neck alone and let it be the barometer of what is going on with the rest of the body. If you don’t like what you see, figure out what is happening elsewhere in the horse rather than just forcing the head and neck into a specific appearance. Your horse will appreciate you and become easier to ride.

03/16/2022

Making magic with Long-lining.

I have noticed quite a lot of confusion about this training modality, about what it is, what it does, and why it is useful. I have used Long-lining as part of my trainer’s “tool-box” for many years and with great success. It benefits every horse, every breed, every discipline.

So, what is it?

Long-lining is NOT ground driving, and it is NOT any form of longeing, even with two lines.

The mere fact of having “long lines” on a horse does NOT make the training Long-lining.

True Long-lining is a training modality that mimics training under saddle and is based in classical dressage (as opposed to modern, show-ring dressage.) The point is that, for the horse, it mimics work under saddle, but without the added stimuli and effort involved in carrying a rider.

Long-lining is beneficial whether it is a baby horse just learning about the business of being trained, an older horse needing strengthening and refining, or a troubled horse needing training rehabilitation. By mimicking work under saddle but without a rider, Long-lining offers the horse a simplified and less threatening form of training. Removing the rider from the equation frees the horse to focus on finding his own balance while responding to minimal aids.

One might ask:

How do you mimic a rider without seat and legs on the horse? The seat and legs are replaced by body language, intention (which all riders should use in the saddle as well), and whip.

How can you give the horse all the cues with only contact on the reins? Remembering that body language and intention are critical aspects of the work, the contact on the reins must take on a heightened level of sensitivity and sophistication. The laws of physics tell us that the longer the line, the more power in the hand - so lightness and awareness become even more critical. When the handler is able to feel the details that flow down the lines from the horse, whole volumes can be discussed with the horse through those lines.

Wouldn’t that just lead to over-doing the rein aids, or worse, create heaviness and dependence upon the reins? This is where is it absolutely critical to remember the fundamental concept of forwardness. When the horse has a reliable response to the forward aids, then he can reach toward the bit with lightness and finesse, and both of these are critical to balance, engagement, and collection.

When effort becomes art.

The ultimate form of Long-lining is practiced at the Spanish Riding School in Vienna. I had the privilege and pleasure to see this awesome demonstration of horsemanship at a live performance back in the mid-1980’s. From that moment on, I have sought out mentors to teach me how to employ this training modality.

Long-lining is truly an art form - while the fundamental concepts are simple and straightforward, it takes years of practice and determination to become truly skilled. For me, this journey has been worth the decades of effort, mistakes, and constantly challenging myself to do it better. It has become a tool that seems nearly magical to me in all that I can accomplish with it, even as I continue to learn and refine the form.

01/30/2022

The Three Keys to Great Riding: Contact, Symmetry, and Alignment - some thoughts on how to get past those inevitable training plateaus. If this interests you, PM me with your email address and I'll send you the full PDF version.

11/19/2021

Finding Harmony with Your Horse - if this interests you, PM me and I will send you a PDF of the full article.

10/29/2021

A Bit About Bits - if this interests you, PM me and I will send you a PDF of the full article.

09/28/2021

The following "mantras" are little sayings that my students have found helpful - I hope you find them helpful as well.

1-Calm Confidence
-Every horse wants a leader. Treats and coaxing are only marginally effective, and punishment is almost never warranted with a horse. As herd animals, horses are biologically programmed to follow a confident leader. When the leader remains calm and confident in the face of something that causes fear for the horse, the horse soon recognizes that the leader will keep him safe. Over time, the horse gains trust in the judgment of the leader and experiences less fear in unfamiliar situations. This is both a gift and a huge responsibility.

2-Yield to pressure
-Every aspect of handling and riding a horse should be rooted in this concept. In the herd, the horse that yields to the pressure of another horse is showing submission and acknowledging the dominance and authority of the other horse. By teaching your horse to yield to the pressure you put on him, you are teaching him that you are in charge. This makes everything you do with your horse safer and easier, and establishes you as your horse’s leader. (See Calm Confidence)

3-Forward first
-Everything we ask of a horse must develop out of forward movement. Without forward, everything else becomes faulty - turns fall in, halts fall on the forehand, lateral work lacks alignment, and engagement and collection are simply not possible. The horse must move off reliably and consistently from the forward driving aids, be they voice and lunge whip, seat and leg, or whip and spur. If you find your horse missing transitions, leaning on your hands, or drifting in unexpected directions, before you get after him make sure you have forward first.

4-Forward does not mean fast
-The horse’s response to the forward driving aids should be rhythmic, flowing, and have a feeling of powering off the ground. Chasing a horse to simply go faster is not the same thing, and will result in an anxious, rushing horse. The purpose of the forward driving aid is to encourage the horse to push off the ground with the hind legs. With a naturally slow moving horse, this will result in faster movement. With a naturally quick moving horse, this will result in slower movement that covers more ground. Most horses fall somewhere in the middle, so look for a larger stride that covers more ground, but is likely in a slightly slower rhythm that feels more purposeful and steady.

5-Less is more
-Horses are emotional creatures; they are easily overwhelmed. They will tune you out if they are feeling overwhelmed by the amount and/or power of the aids you use. From the equipment you use to the way you apply your aids, you will get further, with a happier horse, by using less. Focus, patience, and connection will produce more results in less time than pushing harder or using harsher equipment.

6-Ask and wait
-Be patient in everything you ask of your horse. Quick responses result from a combination of education and physical development (strength and coordination), and cannot be forced. Encourage your horse to experiment - if he gets it right, celebrate and let him know he is a star - if he gets it wrong, don’t tell him off, just ask again and remember to wait.

7-If in doubt, slow down
-Slow your own movements down if your horse is reactive or nervous. Slow your mind down if your horse doesn’t seem to be with you or is ignoring you. Slow your horse down if things are happening too quickly, your horse seems to be ignoring you, or your horse lacks rhythm. (See Mantra #4 “Forward does not mean fast.”) In all disciplines, speed is the icing on the cake.

8-Push not pull
-The way that a horse balances himself is a fundamental aspect of training a horse for riding. The concept of “push not pull” contributes to correct balance, creating efficient, athletic movement that is a pleasure to ride. When we pull the horse to influence his movement, we unbalance him (ie: pulling on the inside rein.) When we push the horse to influence his movement, we improve his balance (ie: pushing with inside leg toward the outside rein.)

9-Inside leg to outside rein
-This is the most fundamental concept of balance for any horse under saddle. To carry a rider comfortably and efficiently, a horse must stand up vertically under the rider. This may seem obvious, but is counter to the natural balance of a horse moving at liberty. As riders, we help our horses when we push them from the inside leg toward the outside rein. This creates better longitudinal alignment, better engagement of the inside hind leg, and better lift of the inside shoulder.

10-Follow first
-Any influence on a horse that does not happen in rhythm with his motion will either block him or unbalance him. In order to change how a horse is traveling without interfering with his balance or his forward impulse, one must first learn to follow his movement with every part of the rider’s body. This does not mean becoming a sack of potatoes! By maintaining tone in our core with relaxed hip, knee, and ankle joints, we can seamlessly follow the movement of the horse. Within this movement, we can subtly change how the horse is traveling, from smoother transitions, to quicker turns and smaller circles, to increasing the engagement of the hind legs that leads to collection.

09/23/2021

09/23/2021

Welcome to my page! I'm glad you are here.

I'd like to introduce you to PARTNERSHIP DRESSAGE: In Pursuit of Balance.

Horses are unique as a prey species in their lack of defensive tools. Most other prey animals of similar size have horns with which to defend themselves from predators - horses only have the power of flight. As a result, horses have a constant, powerful, instinctual desire to remain on their feet.

When training and riding, we can either aid or hinder the horse’s sense of security about staying on his feet. When the horse feels that his balance is threatened or hindered, he will contort his body - even to his own detriment - in order to stay on his feet. This leads to tension and fear that is expressed in everything from “misbehavior” to unsoundness. Often, horses are subjected to a never-ending series of treatments and tack changes in order to keep them performing despite pain, stiffness, and lameness. If instead, we train in ways that improve the horse’s stability and balance, tension and fear is released, pain and stiffness is avoided, and the horse moves with freedom and confidence. When balance is the goal, a true partnership develops between a horse and rider.

I teach a form of dressage that is free of force, gadgets, and gimmicks. Through my thorough understanding of horse and rider biomechanics, I teach horses how to carry a rider in a balanced, athletic, efficient manner - and I teach people how to ride horses in a balanced, gentle, effective manner. By pursuing balance, a partnership of joy can be found.

Here are some comments from my students:

Betsy Guthu: "My horse was correct, strong, sound, and content under Cindy's tutelage. She accomplished much more in much less time than any other trainer I have hired."

Lilli Olson: “Cindy is a patient, positive and encouraging teacher. Her knowledge of the biomechanics between horse and rider has been an immense help in learning to ride my horse in balance and in developing her athleticism. I have gained more confidence and have learned how subtle changes can effect communication between horse and rider. This is leading to a true partnership with my horse. I’m so grateful that I met Cindy in my horsemanship journey!”

Jen Rivera of ABCHorseplay, LLC: “I have collaborated with Cindy in regards to clinics, lessons, long-lining, training and tack. Her sound knowledge and years of experience in multiple disciplines makes her invaluable in assessing any situation. All breeds and disciplines will benefit from the foundation Cindy provides while moving you towards your goals. Her ability to assess issues and give sound advice has been rewarding personally and professionally.”

09/23/2021