by Danica Yates (reprinted with Permission)
Too often with dressage training and horse training in general, methods are forced upon the animals without attention being paid to what the animal is thinking. Horses will often submit to pressures but never fully understand what they are supposed to be doing. Tactics that help some horses understand …
Permanent link to this article: http://centraloregontrailcourse.com/taking-the-horses-thinking-into-account/
by Danica Yates reprinted with permission
The significance of taking walk breaks can often be overlooked in the process of training sporthorses. Each of the three gaits is important and should be developed evenly. Developing a relaxed, forward free walk can help improve the other gaits. Walk breaks should be used with intention. Timing and …
Permanent link to this article: http://centraloregontrailcourse.com/walk-breaks/
by Danica Yates (reprinted with permission)
What happens when you ride your horse and give with the inside rein? Next time you ride, try it out. At any gait, establish contact and softness and then reach your inside hand forward towards his ears to release pressure. Does your horse’s head swing away from that hand …
Permanent link to this article: http://centraloregontrailcourse.com/pet-him-properly-releasing-with-the-inside-rein/
by Danica Yates (reprinted with Permission)
My partner is tree guy, not a horse person. But he is interested in dressage and asked me one morning at breakfast, “So when you are riding, doing like a half pass or something, are you telling the horse every minute what to do, squeezing or pulling or whatever?”
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Permanent link to this article: http://centraloregontrailcourse.com/quite-hands/
by Danica Yates (Reprinted with Permission)
Each discipline in equestrian riding has training specifics that make the disciplines what they are. Western disciplines are characterized by short, slow movement and minimal contact on the reins. Dressage is founded on forward impulsion and good connection. Perhaps you have experience with western riding in your background and …
Permanent link to this article: http://centraloregontrailcourse.com/western-to-dressage/
by Danica Yates reprinted with permission
In past articles, we have looked at axioms of Classical Dressage. Here is a very important one, ‘ride back to front.’ All too often, we see dressage horses who are pulled together with the hand. These horses may appear ‘round’ by looking at their neck. However, looking more closely …
Permanent link to this article: http://centraloregontrailcourse.com/soft-hands-for-free-movement/
