The Reality of Correct Contact:

Be Kind to Your Horse!

The Horse Reflects the Rider

Communication, not domination.

Correct Hand Position

Correct Hand Position Leads to a Correct Riding Position for Both Horse and Rider

A great example of the correct position in the saddle. Even line from the rider's shoulder, through the elbow, hip and heel. The rider is sitting on the center of gravity of the horse. The elbow-wrist-rein line is a perfect line to the contact which is soft but connected. The horse is standing square and attentive waiting for the next command. 

A close up view of the contact reveals a soft connection to the lips of the horse. The top line of the horse is soft, and the nose is slightly in front of the vertical. You can see a softness of the horse's bottom neck muscles. 

Definitely a bad connection and position. The riders' hands are too low, creating pressure on the bars of the horse's mouth. The rider is out of line, leaning forward, therefore putting too much weight into the horse's front end. The horse is badly behind the vertical and is stressed with the mouth open attempting to avoid the rider's hands. 

The horse's mouth is gaping open in avoidance to the rider's hands. You can see the pressure behind exerted to the bars of the horses' mouth. The fingers of the rider are open. The open fingers do not illustrate "soft feel" but at times the total opposite. The hooked finger is stronger than the whole hand, and as far as a safety element, if the horse trips, the rider may easily lose the reins. The open fingers also create an inability to keep a consistent rein length. 

Below Photo: I often call this the "Band Conductor" position. The hands of the rider are extremely high breaking the elbow wrist rein line. The rider's back is hollow, and the horse reflects it. The bit is pulled upward in the horses' mouth causing the horse to lift and arch his back. Note the bulge on the bottom side of the horses' neck. Definitely painful and detrimental to the horses' way of going. It also creates the rider who is always changing their position in the saddle. The reins to the horses' mouth should be like silk threads. Even a rein that appears to be "tight" can actually be quite the opposite. I like my reins to be in contact  so that if I have to make a correction, I do it by bending my knuckles only. Minimize to maximize! 

 The horse is very uncomfortable with a tightened and crossed jaw and opened mouth. 

If the hand is correctly carried, the whip is carried across the rider's thigh. There is a clear line from elbow to wrist then rein to the horse's mouth. 

No matter what your goals are, correct position is very imperative to learning and advancing through the levels with your horse.

Acceptable Outlines for Basic Level Western Dressage Horses

                            Acceptable Outlines for Basic Level Western Dressage Horses

What is a Western Dressage horse supposed to look like? Does it look like a dressage horse? How about Western Pleasure?
Well, as they say, a picture is worth a thousand words, here is a collection of photos that were taken with in the past two years. What you will see is relaxed horses, with energy and impulsion working with willing attitudes.
Draw reins, martingales, training forks and the like have NO place in Western Dressage. Western Dressage is about teaching the rider correct communication with the horse. There is NO reason for gadgetry in correct riding. If you see a trainer appear with the "paraphernalia", please seek someone else. Your horse will thank you.
Here we go with the photos.......

Photos by Les Norris©. All photos copyright and cannot be used without the express permission of the photographer.

Good Training Techniques are Timeless......

All About Pets Show- Feature Clinician

Come and meet me at the All About Pets Show in Mississauga Ontario Eastern Weekend. April 18-20. I'll be bringing Allie and a special guest to demonstrate Western Dressage. I'll be at booth 1504

Partnership

Spring is in the air...Well Almost.

Spring is in the Air....Well Almost

 It's been a long weekend and just now starting to feel normal again. Cold weather and clinics really drain the life out of me! But even though the clinic this past weekend was faced with snow and chilly temperatures, the enthusiasm for learning left the arena feeling warm and cozy! 

This was the first time that I was teaching at Debbie Stockers' lovely farm in Metcalfe. It was a wonderful group of diverse Western breeds, including Paints, Quarter Horses and a Canadian. 

Thanks so much to Cortney Little for organizing the clinic.

The photo is of Stewart and his lovely gelding. Photo credit to Richard Latremoullie.

I couldn't resist adding this photo of my Arab/Trakehner gelding Garcon. The arena was freshly worked up and the sunshine through the new lexan panels made such a neat photo. 

Last but not least, the Harmony Western Dressage Saddle. It's being shipped up from the USA and should be here soon. I can't wait to start riding in it. It looks fantastic. Here is a video of the Harmony and why it's so different to traditional Western Saddles. 

What is a Jog in Western Dressage?

The following excerpt is from the Western Style Dressage Association of Canada Rulebook:

WSD 206 The Jog

1. The jog is a two-beat gait of alternate diagonal legs (left fore and right hind leg and vice versa) sep arated by a moment of suspension.

2. The jog should show free, active and regular steps. 3. Excessive speed or slowness shall be penalized. 4. The quality of the jog is judged by general impression, i.e. the regularity and elasticity of the steps,

the cadence and impulsion. This quality originates from a supple back and well-engaged

hindquarters, and by the ability to maintain the same rhythm and natural balance. 5. The following jogs are recognized: Collected Jog, Working Jog, Lengthening of Stride and Free

Jog. a. Working Jog: The horse displays proper balance with the lightness essential to Western Dres-

sage, moves forward with even, elastic steps. The Working jog may be ridden EITHER posting or

sitting. b. Collected Jog: The horse remaining in acceptance of contact moves forward in a two-beat gait

with the neck raised and arched and showing clear self carriage. The head approaches the vertical position and a light contact is maintained with the mouth. The hocks are well-engaged and flexed and must maintain an energetic impulsion, enabling the shoulders to move more freely. Although the horse’s steps are shorter than in the other jogs, elasticity and cadence are not lessened. The Collected Jog must be ridden sitting, and NOT rising.

c. Lengthening of Stride: Without rushing, the horse goes freely forward with increased ground cover in the same tempo as the Working Jog and with good balance. Lengthening of stride may be ridden EITHER posting or sitting.

d. Free Jog: This is a pace of moderate lengthening of stride and frame compared to the Working Jog. Without hurrying the horse goes forward in a two-beat gait with clearly lengthened steps, with impulsion from the hindquarters. The rider allows the horse to carry the head a little more in front of the vertical than at the Collected or the Working Jog. The horse’s neck is out, down and forward with the nose slightly in front of the vertical, with a loose rein. Ideally during Free Jog, the horse’s poll is carried below the withers. The steps should be even, and the whole movement balanced and unconstrained. The Free jog may be ridden EITHER posting or sitting.

A good example of a Working Jog

Western Dressage Tip: The Collected Lope

How Relaxed is Your Horse?

Top 10 Basic Exercises to Improve Lightness and Suppleness

Elaine’s Top 10 Basic Exercises to Improve Lightness and Suppleness

1.     Turn on Forehand from the halt.

2.     Leg Yield from Turn on Forehand to a diagonal line across the arena in walk.

3.     Square Circles bringing the front end of the horse around the square in all 3 gaits.

4.     Serpentines 3 and 6 loops in all 3 gaits with frequent transitions.

5.     Serpentines with 10m circles at the centre line in walk and jog

6.     Shoulder-in to 10m circles in and out of Shoulder-in in walk and jog

7.     Haunches-in to 10m circles in and out of Haunches-in walk and jog

8.     Half-Pass to Leg Yield at Walk and Jog

9.     Leg Yield to Half Pass. Walk and Jog

10. Turn on the Haunches at Walk and 10m Haunches in circle at Lope.

Check out my website for more information:

Elaine Ward Western Dressage

A Good Partnership is Developed......

Almaz and I

Western Dressage Tip: Self-Carriage

What is a Haunches-In?

Western Dressage Tip: Rider Position

Shoulder-in vs Haunches In

Why Western Dressage?

Western Dressage Tip: Collected Lope

Food for Thought

There is no ideal Western Dressage horse.....

Plagiarism

As a writer and a published author, there is one thing that severely irritates me. Plagiarism.
Perhaps it's my photographic memory that leads me to finding articles that have been copied and another person "borrowing" it or my ability to copy and paste into Google to find the copied work.
Either way it's theft and deception.
For those who are wondering why I would write this on my blog, it's VERY simple.
People who create an illusion of their vast knowledge and profit from such false writings should not be permitted to do so. It's criminal. If you find an article that sounds even slightly familiar, copy and paste 20 words into Google. You might be surprised with the findings. Report your findings to the original author.  Those of us who have dedicated our lives to learning, writing and spending the time behind the computer screen to pass our opinions, experiences and first hand information should not be the victims of this illegal act.
The offenders should be publicly exposed and shamed, with a copy of the stolen work and their work to show the comparison. At this point I have collected about a dozen acts of theft from various blogs and articles within the past 3 years.  People who write about riding or anything else for that matter should be writing from their own experiences and research,  and not stealing work. How can someone have the nerve to change the discipline,  name or gait of the horse to suit the type of riding they are talking about, and call it their own work? It's darn-right disgusting.
I don't mind if anyone shares my blog, and please feel free to do so. But if you are one of those few people attempting to fool people with a few adjustments to the article and add some obscure photo-shopped picture to claim it's your own writing, and plaster it on the internet, think again before doing it.
We as writers have our own code of conduct. # 1.... Thou shall not steal.

The photos used in this blog entry are not copyrighted, and are not being used for financial gain of any kind.  They are being used as a public service announcement regarding copyright and plagiarism issues. 

Learn the Basics and Have a Mentally and Physically Sound Horse

Cruising around the internet this morning and found this wonderful article. It's re-iterated what I have said to my clients and have proven with my horses over the years.
One cannot train a horse to do the 'tricks' without setting down the basic foundation. Think about it like a house. You want a pretty house, you go nuts with the trim, the decorating, and the paint, but you forget that the cement pillars that you just built your house on are in dis-repair. Before you know it, your house is falling apart and will eventually collapse.
The horse is no different.
While people are gung-ho to learn the advanced movements, we should be taking due care in the training of our horses. That lateral and collected work that you are yearning for is going to take time. It's plain and simple. As much as the physical harm can be done with a young or inexperienced horse, the mental damage is just as important to be avoided. Improvement is based on millimeters. It's never based on leaps and bounds. If you improve a millimeter a day, you are soon a mile ahead.

                                Here is the article to check out on this very subject.
         http://www.horsemagazine.com/thm/2012/09/the-veterinary-basis-of-correct-training/

I have been involved in dressage since 1973. Since a young child, I have eaten, breathed and ridden  horses. I can't ever remember a day where I my brain has stopped thinking about it.

While most people have come and gone in the horse industry, my entire life has been dedicated to horses and the art of riding and learning the best way to put the horse first without stress and abuse. Whether it's my Western or English clients, good training is good training.
When you have repeated horses working into their mid to late twenties, still sound and happy, I must be doing something right!

Lucky lived to be 26 and was used as a schoolmaster until then. 

Maverick at 20 still doing his thing. 

The Epitome of Riding

This is the ultimate result of correct communication and understanding with the horse. Riders should be more aware of their own bodies and how it influences the horse. I have spent many a lesson only working on the riders position to allow the horse to perform correctly.