Dressage

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Every Time, Everywhere - Wrong lead! It’s one of the earliest alerts a young rider hears from her coach. One’s heart sinks to hear that same alert from the coach calling over the show ring rail. The novice rider learns the outside leg back and kiss cue to canter but I’ve found that riders are often unsure why they should use this cue. Let’s break it down. We’ll review the phonics of teaching your horse to pick up the correct lead and some hints to help the rider recognize it.

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Define your goals to develop a training plan - While hill training is widely accepted as important for building strength, its actual benefits rely on answering the question: What is the goal for this individual horse?

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Not long ago, I toured a Western art museum and found myself absorbed in the works of Russell and Remington. Their paintings, alive with movement, depicted the unforgiving life of the cowboy — scenes filled with dust, tension, and the raw energy of untamed horses. These animals, used for transport and survival, stood in stark contrast to the roles horses now occupy in our world — companions in leisure, competitors in sport, and trusted partners in training. But one detail in every piece caught my attention and left me uneasy: riders with rigid hands pulling back, and horses resisting, mouths wide in distress.

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Q: I ride a Thoroughbred with a moderately roached (convex or round) back. How should I determine if my saddle fits correctly? A: The nine main points of saddle fit are absolutely common to all saddles and all horses – if you want to determine whether and how well your saddle fits, these points should be considered, and each of these points has video instruction on our website at www.saddlesforwomen.com.

Is dressage unfair to the horse? Is whipping a horse abuse? Changing opinions on animal cruelty, horse welfare in sport, updated horse welfare policies, equestrian pentathlon controversy, drawing new guidelines for horse welfare and safety

Once upon a time animal acts were the big draw beneath the big top. Bears danced, elephants balanced on balls, and tigers leapt through flaming hoops — all in the name of human entertainment. Nowadays though, animal acts are no longer synonymous with “circus.” In Canada, according to the international wildlife protection charity Zoocheck, “wild animal circus acts are largely gone.”

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Time off is an inevitable part of a horse's life, whether due to bad weather, personal schedules, or other factors. However, how horse owners manage these breaks can significantly affect their horse’s health, soundness, and performance over time. Research by veterinary colleges and experts on movement science reveals that large fluctuations in fitness can harm a horse’s well-being, especially for those beyond the middle of their teens. Extended periods of low activity—especially those spanning a month or more-can weaken supportive tissues and muscles crucial to posture. When training resumes, horses may use improper substitutive muscles and positions, leading to poor performance, injury, or a lack of training progress. To help you optimize downtime and keep your horse on track, here are three essential guidelines to coordinate breaks effectively and even use them to enhance your horse's training.

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Do you sometimes yourself leaving the mounting block, fixing your stirrups, and unsure of what to focus on in your next training session? When your coach asks about your progress since your last lesson, do you often admit that you’ve mostly just been riding without a clear goal in mind?

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Each equestrian discipline has its own specialized movements, requiring distinct training, balance and footwork. While some of these maneuvers may look similar, they serve unique purposes within their respective sports. For instance, in dressage, riders guide their horse’s front end around the hindquarters in elegant pirouettes; ranch riders execute quick 180-degree turns to track cattle; and reining horses perform fast, precise 360-degree spins. Although all involve turning, the reasons and techniques behind these movements are different. To understand their purpose, timing, and differences, we consulted a dressage rider, a ranch horseman, and a reining judge for insight.

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Your horse's three primary gaits-walk, trot, and canter-each provide distinct advantages for conditioning aimed at enhancing performance. When utilized effectively, these gaits can achieve outcomes that might otherwise be overlooked. Ideally, training sessions should incorporate equal time spent in each of the three primary gaits to promote both flexibility and strength. However, specific conditioning phases may require an emphasis on one gait over the others. This article will explore how each gait benefits the equine athlete, particularly in relation to back usage, and will highlight the role of cavalletti routines in training.

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Whenever I coach a new group of riders at a clinic or in a lesson, I am always surprised at how few people can tell me the five different rein aids and the purpose of each. Therefore, it is always a question I like to throw out to the group. I usually see people looking down and moving their hands around, some vague stares, and the occasional rider being able to describe at least one or two of the five.

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