Calmness: A Key to Collection
As aspiring equestrians, we love to talk about collection. I talk about it quite a bit on this blog. But there seems to be one factor that most people overlook…
Read More
Category: Collection
Self-Carriage: The Effects of Preempting Mistakes
Self-carriage is a vital part of achieving true collection. It is the ability of the horse to maintain its frame, rhythm, speed, and balance without the rider having to micromanage…
Read More
Creating Relaxation Stage 3: Lunging with Side Reins
Lunging with side reins is the next step of the process for creating relaxation. Lunging is a commonly misunderstood exercise. It is often viewed as a way to run the…
Read More
Creating Relaxation Stage 2: Long and Low
Scroll down to the bottom of the page for a video demo of teaching long and low on the ground. Stage 2 of the Creating Relaxation series starts teaching long…
Read More
Creating Relaxation Stage 1: Releasing the Jaw
UPDATE: Scroll down to the bottom of the page for a video demo of releasing the jaw. Relaxation is the key to collection. However, there is a key component of…
Read More
The Physiological Benefits of a Strong Topline
Many people will tell you that building up your horse's topline is important for proper movement and collection. This is true. However, not all of them know the physiological benefits…
Read More
A Step-by-Step Guide to Creating Impulsion
The concept of impulsion was briefly touched upon in my article on the Classical Training Pyramid. However, this vital building block of collection deserves a more in depth discussion. If…
Read More
The Secret to a Soft Mouth
Softness is a key part of collection in any discipline. There are many exercises and theories behind creating a soft mouth in your horse. However, softness is not…
Read More
Rhythm and Cadence in Classical Training
The concept of rhythm was briefly touched upon in my article on the Classical Training Pyramid. However, this deserves a more in depth discussion as as rhythm -- or takt…
Read More
The Classical Training Pyramid
One of the governing principles of classical dressage is the training pyramid. It lays out the roadmap for the entirety of the horse's training journey from very first day…
Read More
The Mechanics of Lateral Flexion
Lateral flexion is a bit of a hot topic in horse training. Most people know it is necessary to achieve softness in the bridle, but too many people do not…
Read More
Achieving Softness Throughout the Body
Softness is something that most equestrians strive for. Softness is the bridle, through the rib cage, moving off your leg, responding to your aids. It is vital to putting a…
Read More
Straightness vs Bend: How Much is Too Much?
We talk a lot of about bend when training horses. "You have to get him supple." "He needs to be soft in the poll to achieve bend." "You need to…
Read More
Long and Low
In classical dressage, there is a concept called long and low, also known as stretching which is used in the very beginning stages of collection to develop a correct topline.…
Read More
The Anatomy of Collection
Collection, the great holy grail of horsemanship. It’s the unicorn many amateur riders spend years of practice and thousands of dollars chasing. In its simplest form, collection is raising the…
Read More
Slower doesn’t mean collected
There seems to be a bit of a disconnect for some riders in the western show pen. There is still a misconception for some riders that slower somehow…
Read More
Why being on the forehand is detrimental to your horse
Last week we discussed the importance of knowing the ‘why’ behind everything you do with your horse. Here is an important ‘why’ that is sometimes skipped over because so many…
Read More
1 Exercise To Collect the Trot and Extend the Walk
For some riders, getting that collected western trot and a forward walk that doesn’t look like the horse is wading through molasses is a constant battle. I have found that…
Read More