HOW CAN YOU TEACH A HORSE TO BE MORE REACTIVE TO THE AIDS?

Train your horse to go forward from your leg and to slow down from the reins and seat [dropcap]T[/dropcap]he principle of action is reaction. Horses naturally yield away from pressure. It is very helpful to teach the horse to move away from pressure, like in the washing place when you ask the horse to step aside.…

BylizzieDecember 20, 20170Comments

Horse Channel Horse Training

WHEN IS A HORSE CONSIDERED ON THE BIT?

The frame in front should reflect the engagement and thoroughness from behind. [dropcap]R[/dropcap]iders in today’s age have lost sight of what it means for a horse to be ‘on the bit’. The expression has become associated with submission and obedience of the horse, and the aesthetic look of the horse with his head down and ‘in…

BylizzieDecember 18, 20170Comments

Horse Channel Horse Training Know How

CREATING CONNECTIONS: WHAT TRUE CONTACT SHOULD FEEL LIKE?

Contact should be seen as a symptom of what is happening behind [dropcap]R[/dropcap]iding can sometimes be an overwhelming minefield of both terminology and analogy, leaving the rider not entirely sure of what they are meant to be striving for. Here we demystify one of the most basic and yet complex concepts: the contact. We discuss what it…

BylizzieNovember 27, 20170Comments

Horse Channel Horse Health Horse Training Know How

Effects of training too hard, too soon

Are you doing more bad than good by pushing him? [dropcap]I[/dropcap]t’s very exciting to have the opportunity to school a young horse and see the progress through many hours of training, time and effort. However, all too often riders and trainers get carried away too quickly, and we subject the young horse to injury – not…

BylizzieApril 28, 20170Comments

Horse Channel Know How

Is the young horse right as a first horse?

The OTTB is the most popular first horse in South Africa as they are inexpensive and widely available [dropcap]W[/dropcap]hy is it that young horses often seem to end up as a rider’s first horse? The answer is simple: they’re affordable. Most riders don’t want to spend an outright fortune on their first horse, and are looking…

BylizzieApril 26, 20170Comments

Horse Channel Horse Training

Working equitation

Patricia Robertson, demonstrating working equitation at Monte Cavalo's open day last year [dropcap]W[/dropcap]orking equitation, better known by its Spanish name Doma Vaquera, can literally be translated into ‘schooling of the stock horse’. This fast-growing international equestrian sport is also representative of one of the oldest riding disciplines in the world. Its origins lie in the need…

BylizzieApril 6, 20170Comments

Horse Channel Horse Training

The benefit of riding out

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he saying, “A change is as good as a holiday,” is very relevant to the way we work our horses. Including regular outrides in the training schedule provides a mental and physical tonic for horses, and benefits them in numerous ways. Mental benefits “Two consecutive days of training in the arena is as much as most…

BylizzieNovember 16, 20160Comments

Horse Channel Horse Training

Lengthening and collection

Lengthening and collecting is a useful exercise to practice during schooling sessions because it improves your horse’s level of responsiveness and accuracy, as well as encouraging your horse off the forehand and onto his hind legs. It’s important not to overdo the lengthening and collection in any schooling session because it puts more strain on…

BylizzieJune 17, 20160Comments

Horse Channel Horse Training

In-hand work to improve your schooling

Work in-hand is valuable for horses of all ages and levels of schooling [dropcap]D[/dropcap]uring the course of 2015, HQ spoke to German-accredited instructor, Helmut Wagner, about using correct schooling and gymnastics to unlock the natural movement of the dressage horse. This month we get back to the basics, with an overview of in-hand work and how…

BylizzieJanuary 4, 20160Comments

Horse Channel Horse Training Know How

Does your horse have ADHD?

Your horse's attention span definitely impacts your schooling. [dropcap]S[/dropcap]chooling isn’t easy. It takes commitment, patience and a clear idea of what you hope to achieve. Additional challenges come in the form of the fundamental communication issues we face when working with an animal who has never learned to speak ‘human’. And then there’ll be times when…

BylizzieJanuary 4, 20160Comments

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