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The Double Bridle can lead to a beautiful conversation

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The Double Bridle can lead to a beautiful conversation

In modern dressage, the double bridle is often used as if both bits were designed identically. Most riders hold all four reins with the same tension. So the horse and rider don't get the benefit of the finesse of two bits that are designed differently and act very differently. The double bridle is not intended as a part of a costume. It is not there to get the head down. It is not there as brakes to stop your horse! In reality, the double bridle can bring a whole new dimension to the conversation with your horse.

For me, introducing the double bridle is almost like being slightly near-sighted and putting on glasses. With glasses, I can see a lot better. With a double bridle, you can feel a lot more details because you receive information through four reins and two different channels. And you can talk to the horse even more precisely than with just a snaffle.

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How to set your riding goals in 2022!

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How to set your riding goals in 2022!

Happy New Year! It’s time to set our 2022 Riding Goals!

The New Year is upon us yet again. I think for most of you, it would be fair to say that 2020 and 2021 may not have gone according to plan for you, but if you were creative and resourceful, you may have been able to find a way to still continue your progress and learning, in spite of the less than perfect circumstances.

Not to make light of what has been a very tough two years, but I think it is also important to take stock of what HAS gone well and why. Times like this can teach us valuable lessons such as:

✵ No one else is more responsible for your learning more than you are.

✵ You are in charge of your learning.

✵ When there is a will, there is a way.
✵ Within every problem, there is a solution.

✵ You are more capable than you may have previously realized or believed.

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We Don’t Know What We Don’t Know

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We Don’t Know What We Don’t Know

We don’t know what we don’t know. That can make progress difficult because we may not know what to work on, and we may not be aware of certain mistakes we make.

There are strategies, of course, with which we can discover some of the things we don’t know that we don’t know. The fastest and easiest way is to take lessons from a good teacher on a highly trained school master. Together they will let you know very quickly what is missing and what you need to work on. Unfortunately, this is not an option for most riders.

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Halt Like Bach: 3 Tips For A Reliable Square Halt

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Halt Like Bach: 3 Tips For A Reliable Square Halt

Many riders struggle with a square halt for years. For those who are not familiar with the term, here is a brief definition: In a square halt, you should only see two legs when looking directly from the front, from behind, or from the side. The weight should be distributed evenly on all four legs at the lower levels. At the upper levels, there should be more weight on the haunches than on the front legs.

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More Forward!

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More Forward!

“Ride more forward!” is probably one of the most frequent instructions dressage riders hear from their teachers. Unfortunately, riding forward is often misunderstood as riding fast (by teachers as well as students). However, true “forward” begins with the horse "thinking forward”, which means that his first instinct should be to take a step forward (not sideways or backward) whenever you apply a driving aid.

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Roundness and Softness in the Canter

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Roundness and Softness in the Canter

During the last year I have been working on the roundness and softness of the canter with Gulipipas. When his canter doesn’t feel good, it is because the inside hind leg is not flexing enough. This results in a rough feeling under the seat and resistance against the inside rein. To the extent that the inside hind leg softens and flexes more, the canter stride becomes rounder and softer.

This made me think of Gustav Steinbrecht’s statement that the impulsion and roundness of the canter strides comes from the outside hind leg…

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Don't lose sight of the whole picture

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Don't lose sight of the whole picture

This week’s blog is another practical tip that comes out of mistakes I made in the past. Every time something goes wrong it is an opportunity to look more closely at what is happening, how it is happening, and why it is happening. It is a great chance to learn something new and to gain deeper insights into the biomechanical and psychological causalities in riding. So, in many ways mistakes are blessings in disguise because they can push us further along and help us attain a higher level of understanding and competence.

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Transitions Into Higher Gaits

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Transitions Into Higher Gaits

Transitions are always vulnerable to mistakes because the horse’s balance has to change from one gait to the next. The energy level is different in each gait. The necessary amount of core muscle engagement is different for both horse and rider. The movement is different. That’s why transitions are always prone to disturbances in the horse’s outline and rein contact. If the horse gets crooked or strung out, or if he loses balance, it will be reflected in the suppleness and the rein contact. Riding a smooth transition means managing all these different ingredients and helping the horse stay straight and in balance. That’s why so many riders and horses struggle with transitions.

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Tip: Walk it before you ride it [+ VIDEO]

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Tip: Walk it before you ride it [+ VIDEO]

It can be incredibly useful before you ride an exercise to get the lay of the land by walking the whole exercise on the ground. It's a common practice when memorizing dressage tests, but can be just as helpful when schooling. It lets you concentrate on what needs to happen through each phase of the exercise, to think about where the transitions are and where the hard parts may be for you or your horse so you can have more success in riding it.

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Tip: Why corners matter [+ VIDEO]

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Tip: Why corners matter [+ VIDEO]

The correctly ridden corner with its lateral bend forms the foundation for all bending work, i.e. all turns and lateral movements. The bend in the lateral movements is the same as in the corner. That’s why it is so important to create the best possible bend in the corner so that the lateral movement that follows on the long side or on the diagonal has the highest possible chance of success.

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