Comments on: Questions for a trainer? Ask them here! http://www.dressagetrainingonline.com/blog/2010/06/03/questions-for-a-trainer-ask-them-here/ Just another WordPress weblog Wed, 21 Sep 2011 18:04:49 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1 By: admin http://www.dressagetrainingonline.com/blog/2010/06/03/questions-for-a-trainer-ask-them-here/comment-page-1/#comment-399 admin Wed, 21 Sep 2011 18:04:49 +0000 http://www.dressagetrainingonline.com/blog/?p=57#comment-399 Yes, I've lost my nerve. I had a very bad fall off a horse as a child and stayed away from horses for about 5 years. Now, I'm totally involved and have made horses my life. It would help if I knew what happened to make you lose your confidence. Don't cry because as my mother used to say it makes your eyes red and doesn't really help. Ask yourself, "What are you really afraid of?" Is it getting hurt or fear of failure? In both cases you need to improve your skills to be safer and handle situations better. Are the horses or horse suitable for your skill level? Not all horses are suitable for the people that have them. Is your seat good and independent of your hands and horse? If not, then correct lunge lessons can help improve your seat, which in turn raises the confidence level. Without specifics, it's really hard to answer your question. Are you riding because that's what You really want or does someone else want it for you? If it's what you want, then you need the appropriate help to improve your skill level. This will make you safer, which in turn builds confidence. I hope this helps. You're always welcome to write back with more information for a more specific answer. Sincerely, Natalie Lamping, FEI I Judge and Trainer Yes, I’ve lost my nerve. I had a very bad fall off a horse as a child and stayed away from horses for about 5 years. Now, I’m totally involved and have made horses my life. It would help if I knew what happened to make you lose your confidence. Don’t cry because as my mother used to say it makes your eyes red and doesn’t really help. Ask yourself, “What are you really afraid of?” Is it getting hurt or fear of failure?
In both cases you need to improve your skills to be safer and handle situations better. Are the horses or horse suitable for your skill level? Not all horses are suitable for the people that have them. Is your seat good and independent of your hands and horse? If not, then correct lunge lessons can help improve your seat, which in turn raises the confidence level. Without specifics, it’s really hard to answer your question.
Are you riding because that’s what You really want or does someone else want it for you? If it’s what you want, then you need the appropriate help to improve your skill level. This will make you safer, which in turn builds confidence. I hope this helps. You’re always welcome to write back with more information for a more specific answer.

Sincerely,
Natalie Lamping, FEI I Judge and Trainer

]]> By: admin http://www.dressagetrainingonline.com/blog/2010/06/03/questions-for-a-trainer-ask-them-here/comment-page-1/#comment-398 admin Wed, 21 Sep 2011 18:03:29 +0000 http://www.dressagetrainingonline.com/blog/?p=57#comment-398 Hi Karin, I'm not quite sure what your vet means by a subtle back. But if your horse doesn't have any serious back problems, but only under developed, then stretching exercises would help the back. Lowering the head and neck down from the withers while doing rising trot on a circle helps stretch the back muscles. Then, getting the hind legs to come under more strengthens the back. Lengthening and shortening the frame helps this. You didn't say how far along your horse is. Start slow and build up. Consistency is the key. Carrot stretches on the ground help also. Keep yourself safe when doing these. Exercise of some sort is good for horses seven days a week. That doesn't always mean riding seven days a week. You can work your horse 4/5 days, then turn out or hand walk. Most depends on your situation and schedule. Just remember, after a harder workout a day off is not good for the muscles, but an easier day so the muscles stretch. It's normal for a horse to push into a rider's inside leg. On the ground you can teach a horse to move away from pressure, using your finger or the handle of a whip near the girth area where your leg wold be. It's important to keep the neck straight, so the horse learns to step away sideways. To do this you would need a bridle on the horse and keep some contact on the outside rein. Under saddle, turns on the forehand and leg yieldings help. For this to be correct, ultimately, the horse must be straight with slight flexion away from the direction moving. In leg yielding, the horse should be on the outside rein, soft on the inside and move away easily from the leg. If moving to the right, open the left hand a little (in front of left hip),while using left leg near girth area to move the horse sideways. This works if the right rein keeps the neck straight, not rigid, but slightly massaging the corner of the mouth.Don't pull and drop! Then gently soften the left rein so the horse can cross the legs. If you hold the left rein too long the horse will turn, not long enough the horse will be too diagonal, which could be OK to get started. If you don't keep the outside rein, the neck will bend and you will lose the outside shoulder. It will take a little time to figure out the ratio between inside and outside aids. Remember, the goal is to not push the shoulders over with the inside hand towards the withers, but to get the horse to move from the inside leg (relative to the flexion) into a steady outside rein. I hope these suggestions help. Good luck. Sincerely, Natalie Lamping, FEI I Judge and Trainer Hi Karin,
I’m not quite sure what your vet means by a subtle back. But if your horse doesn’t have any serious back problems, but only under developed, then stretching exercises would help the back. Lowering the head and neck down from the withers while doing rising trot on a circle helps stretch the back muscles. Then, getting the hind legs to come under more strengthens the back. Lengthening and shortening the frame helps this. You didn’t say how far along your horse is. Start slow and build up. Consistency is the key.
Carrot stretches on the ground help also. Keep yourself safe when doing these.
Exercise of some sort is good for horses seven days a week. That doesn’t always mean riding seven days a week. You can work your horse 4/5 days, then turn out or hand walk. Most depends on your situation and schedule. Just remember, after a harder workout a day off is not good for the muscles, but an easier day so the muscles stretch.
It’s normal for a horse to push into a rider’s inside leg. On the ground you can teach a horse to move away from pressure, using your finger or the handle of a whip near the girth area where your leg wold be. It’s important to keep the neck straight, so the horse learns to step away sideways. To do this you would need a bridle on the horse and keep some contact on the outside rein.
Under saddle, turns on the forehand and leg yieldings help. For this to be correct, ultimately, the horse must be straight with slight flexion away from the direction moving. In leg yielding, the horse should be on the outside rein, soft on the inside and move away easily from the leg. If moving to the right, open the left hand a little (in front of left hip),while using left leg near girth area to move the horse sideways. This works if the right rein keeps the neck straight, not rigid, but slightly massaging the corner of the mouth.Don’t pull and drop! Then gently soften the left rein so the horse can cross the legs. If you hold the left rein too long the horse will turn, not long enough the horse will be too diagonal, which could be OK to get started. If you don’t keep the outside rein, the neck will bend and you will lose the outside shoulder. It will take a little time to figure out the ratio between inside and outside aids. Remember, the goal is to not push the shoulders over with the inside hand towards the withers, but to get the horse to move from the inside leg (relative to the flexion) into a steady outside rein.
I hope these suggestions help. Good luck.

Sincerely,
Natalie Lamping, FEI I Judge and Trainer

]]> By: - http://www.dressagetrainingonline.com/blog/2010/06/03/questions-for-a-trainer-ask-them-here/comment-page-1/#comment-395 - Sat, 17 Sep 2011 11:34:41 +0000 http://www.dressagetrainingonline.com/blog/?p=57#comment-395 hello, i don't know if my question is right to ask here and itll probably look very stupid but i will try anyways: so hi, im 16 years old and riding for 7 years. i was sure the whole time that horses, horseback riding and dressage is the love of my life and is defently what im gonna do when i grow up. ive lost my confidence a few times but i think im having the worst case this time and i just dont know what to do, im afraid of my horses and do nothing right and keep going back to where i strated. i cant stop crying when i think of it, im starting to think maybe i dont have the right character or talent to be a good rider or a rider at all. anyways, my question is: have you ever lost your confidence and thought about quitting? and what did you do to earn it back, or what can i do to earn it back? thanks a lot for reading, hope to get an answer soon! hello, i don’t know if my question is right to ask here and itll probably look very stupid but i will try anyways:

so hi, im 16 years old and riding for 7 years. i was sure the whole time that horses, horseback riding and dressage is the love of my life and is defently what im gonna do when i grow up. ive lost my confidence a few times but i think im having the worst case this time and i just dont know what to do, im afraid of my horses and do nothing right and keep going back to where i strated. i cant stop crying when i think of it, im starting to think maybe i dont have the right character or talent to be a good rider or a rider at all.
anyways, my question is: have you ever lost your confidence and thought about quitting? and what did you do to earn it back, or what can i do to earn it back?

thanks a lot for reading, hope to get an answer soon!

]]> By: Karin http://www.dressagetrainingonline.com/blog/2010/06/03/questions-for-a-trainer-ask-them-here/comment-page-1/#comment-370 Karin Fri, 29 Jul 2011 17:21:39 +0000 http://www.dressagetrainingonline.com/blog/?p=57#comment-370 Hi, I have a 5-year-old Westphalian gelding bred for dressage. He’s stopped growing in the height but is still lacking in muscles in his hindquarters and the back. According to the Vet/Osteopath his back is still very subtle and moves sideways. My questions are: 1) What would be the best exercise for him to build muscles in his back and hindquarters? 2) How much work should he do per week? 3) He responds well for the outside leg, but doesn’t yield for the inside - rather leans into it. How can I teach him to yield for the inside leg? Thank you for responding! Kind regards, Karin Hi,

I have a 5-year-old Westphalian gelding bred for dressage. He’s stopped growing in the height but is still lacking in muscles in his hindquarters and the back. According to the Vet/Osteopath his back is still very subtle and moves sideways. My questions are:
1) What would be the best exercise for him to build muscles in his back and hindquarters?
2) How much work should he do per week?
3) He responds well for the outside leg, but doesn’t yield for the inside – rather leans into it. How can I teach him to yield for the inside leg?
Thank you for responding!
Kind regards,
Karin

]]> By: admin http://www.dressagetrainingonline.com/blog/2010/06/03/questions-for-a-trainer-ask-them-here/comment-page-1/#comment-255 admin Thu, 17 Mar 2011 16:25:31 +0000 http://www.dressagetrainingonline.com/blog/?p=57#comment-255 DTO trainers would concur that you work without stirrups for a few months, or as often as possible. Allow your pelvic area to swing back and forth, think of a big belt buckle moving up and down, tuck your seat and RELAX your feet, if your toes want to go down, let them, if you focus on getting your heel down, you will immediately put tension into your leg, hindering you from swinging with your horse which is what you WANT to do. Watch Catherine Haddad videos, she discuss and shows this alot. DTO trainers would concur that you work without stirrups for a few months, or as often as possible. Allow your pelvic area to swing back and forth, think of a big belt buckle moving up and down, tuck your seat and RELAX your feet, if your toes want to go down, let them, if you focus on getting your heel down, you will immediately put tension into your leg, hindering you from swinging with your horse which is what you WANT to do. Watch Catherine Haddad videos, she discuss and shows this alot.

]]> By: Heidi http://www.dressagetrainingonline.com/blog/2010/06/03/questions-for-a-trainer-ask-them-here/comment-page-1/#comment-246 Heidi Sun, 20 Feb 2011 16:20:55 +0000 http://www.dressagetrainingonline.com/blog/?p=57#comment-246 Hi, I was wondering if you could give advice on how to perfect your ability to sit the trot. I work at being fit, strong and as supple as possible - and can sit fairly well. But I see professional riders who appear to barely move their pelvis and yet they stick tot he saddle like glue. I feel like I still have too much movement in my pelvis. I think I need some new visuals to help me improve! Thanks much! Hi,

I was wondering if you could give advice on how to perfect your ability to sit the trot. I work at being fit, strong and as supple as possible – and can sit fairly well. But I see professional riders who appear to barely move their pelvis and yet they stick tot he saddle like glue. I feel like I still have too much movement in my pelvis. I think I need some new visuals to help me improve! Thanks much!

]]> By: Allison http://www.dressagetrainingonline.com/blog/2010/06/03/questions-for-a-trainer-ask-them-here/comment-page-1/#comment-88 Allison Sun, 11 Jul 2010 17:35:49 +0000 http://www.dressagetrainingonline.com/blog/?p=57#comment-88 Hi, I have a six year old dutchwarmblood gelding. He has spent a good deal of time either "sucking back" or attempting to run away and has actually bolted with me at least five times. In the meantime he is starting to relax and do some decent work. He has some good days and bad days. I am looking for him to be consistant and get him to some shows. What should I be most aware of when I train him. At times I feel very frustrated with him when he is more focused on what is going on around him and he becomes very hard to get forward and soft. Other days he is well focused accepts a good contact and works with me. He is well bred for dressage. Hi, I have a six year old dutchwarmblood gelding. He has spent a good deal of time either “sucking back” or attempting to run away and has actually bolted with me at least five times. In the meantime he is starting to relax and do some decent work. He has some good days and bad days. I am looking for him to be consistant and get him to some shows. What should I be most aware of when I train him. At times I feel very frustrated with him when he is more focused on what is going on around him and he becomes very hard to get forward and soft. Other days he is well focused accepts a good contact and works with me. He is well bred for dressage.

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