Tag Archives: advice

Horse Advice

Five facts about a snaffle: There’s no hiding away from the effect of the bit in your horses mouth.

Facebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmail

Bitting your horse is not to be taken lightly.  It is really important to understand how a bit functions in your horses mouth.  Lets start simple with snaffles.

Horse Scout Blogger was watching some babies out on their first competitive outing yesterday…. I love it, all starey eyed and long legs!! (well some of them anyway). This got me to thinking about the snaffle, and all its variations.  When you go into a tack shop and that multitude of variation set before you. An Aladdin’s cave; but only if you know what you are looking for and why. Knowing how the snaffle bit works is helpful in developing effective rein aids, and avoid either being ineffectual or too hard on your horse’s mouth. Although the basic action of most snaffle bits is the same, it sometimes takes trying a few different bits to find one your horse is comfortable with. After riding my mare in a French Link and finding her fussing with the bit, I changed to the loose ring, which was lighter, and seemed to be much more comfortable for her. Sometimes choosing the right bit, even if you are choosing among snaffles can take a bit of time.

1. Snaffle Basics

A snaffle bit has a straight or jointed mouthpiece with rings on each end of the mouthpiece. There are many different types of snaffle bits. However, the basic structure is the same for all, and the basic action in the horse’s mouth is very similar, with some subtle modifications. The snaffle bit is regarded as a relatively mild bit. The addition of variations can make it much harsher.

When the reins are pulled, pressure is applied to the area of the gums that have no teeth called the bars of the mouth. This gap is between the front teeth that crop grass, and the back teeth, that grind the food. A properly fitting bit sits comfortably within this gap, just forward of the grinding teeth. Occasionally, a horse will have problems carrying a bit comfortably this can be from small teeth called wolf teeth which may have to be removed.

2. How the Horse Reacts to the Signals

The simple snaffle applies pressure to the bars of the horse’s mouth. There is no pressure anywhere else on the horse’s head and no leverage comes into play as it does with a curbed bit or lever action (gag). When you pull straight back, the horse will understand that equal pressure on both sides of its mouth means to stop. A pull to the right, that applies pressure on the right bar, means turn to the right and a pull to the left, of course, means turn left. As you learn to refine your rein aids, combining them with using your seat and leg aids, you will learn to cue your horse for things like leg yields, half-passes, lead changes, changes of gait and other more advanced riding skills. While at first you may be simply ‘pulling’ the reins, you will in a short time learn to give much more subtle signals that can be felt by the horse, but are almost imperceptible to the average observer.

3. The Function of Bit Rings

The rings on a snaffle may be D shaped or have small piece sticking up or down like a full cheek snaffle and Fulmer snaffle. The rings may slide or they may be fixed to the mouthpiece. The shafts perpendicular to the mouthpiece on full cheek and driving bits prevent the bit from slipping through the horse’s mouth. Large leather or rubber type discs can be used to keep bit from chaffing the sides of the horse’s mouth as well. The rings can effect the weight of the bit and prevent the bit from pulling sideways through the horse’s mouth.

4. How Mouthpieces Differ

Bits with jointed mouthpieces will have a nutcracker effect, while straight mouthpieces spread the pressure evenly over tongue and bars. An egg butt snaffle will have oval rings, and the mouth piece will get thicker as it approaches the rings. These bits are amongst the most mild, because they distribute the pressure of the rein aid over a wider area of the bars. Generally the thicker the mouthpiece the milder the bit. However a horse with a large tongue or low palate might be uncomfortable in a bit with a thick mouthpiece. The French link is considered the mildest jointed snaffle. The Dr. Bristol, although it looks very similar, is much more severe, because of the way the plate in the middle of the bit lays in constant contact with the tongue—either flat or on an angle, depending on how the rider attaches the bit to the bridle.

5. Variety

Snaffles can be hollow to reduce weight, flexible, twisted, jointed with one or more links, have keys or rollers, be squared or oval, or have any combination of shapes and joints. Mullen mouth bits are the same width from end to end. Wire bits are quite thin and wire wrapped bits add to the sharpness of the pressure on the bars of the mouth. All of these variations are intended to enhance the rein aids. Different metals and material can be used to encourage the horse to accept the bit for its taste or encourage salivation. Copper, sweet iron, vulcanite and other synthetics can be used. Some bits, often used for teaching a young horse to hold the bit, are flavored.

Snaffles are often the first bit a horse will carry. Many will be ridden throughout their entire lives with a snaffle bit.

Professional Rider

Rider Fitness Tips: 5 Top Tips to help Rider Balance and Posture

Facebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmail

5 Top Fitness Tips to help Rider Balance and Posture: Whatever you do off the horse, your muscles will remember when you’re on the horse. Start making a difference now!

Whatever discipline you follow with your horse: Make a difference to how you ride by improving your balance and posture.  It is as important to a top professional trainer as to the grass roots rider and will make a difference to how you ride.

Horse Scout Blogger is on the case: Being fit, independently of riding, mucking out, poo picking etc. will boost your riding and make things a whole lot easier for you and your horse. Your riding gets a boost from performing a regular exercise regimen at least twice per week, but you can also do little things in between to enhance your fitness.

  1. Walk instead:  walk just a little bit further when you are going shopping or to the office.  Park further away than usual, park your car away from the entrance and take a brisk walk to the door.
  2. Avoid the lift: Walking up even a single flight of stairs puts equestrians’ thighs and calves to work. Walk the stairs briskly and get a mini-aerobic workout, too. Doing two at a time is even better.  Lucinda Green’s top tip!
  3. A balance in life is one thing but balance is critical for success in equestrian sports. Develop balance every day by standing on one leg, then the other for 10 to 15 seconds whenever you’re brushing your teeth, having your coffee or whenever else the opportunity presents itself. Lightly grip a convenient surface (your shopping trolley in the queue for instance), until you can progress to doing this with no surface support.
  4. Don’t slouch: Good posture is critical for balance in the saddle, and for getting the long, lean look that catches judges’ eyes. But don’t just sit up straight in the saddle; do it at your desk and the dinner table, and walk with good posture, too. For those of us who are office bound there is a seat balance cushion….brilliant invention (if a bit prickly!).
  5. Your muscles have a memory and when it comes to posture and balance, whatever you do off the horse to help balance and posture, your muscles will remember when you’re on the horse.
Horses For Sale

Be a Brilliant Buyer – And your Professional Trader will find you a perfect partner.

Facebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmail

Be a Brilliant Buyer – And your Professional Trader will find you a perfect partner.

The advantages of buying form a professional Trader is that their reputation rides with you. Top Tips for making right decisions when buying a horse.

Many of Horse Scouts Professional Trainers and riders also sell horses. Generally they buy in or breed horses which they train and compete before selling on. Sometimes they do the same with horses owned by sponsors or clients. This is true across all disciplines, Eventing, Showjumping, Dressage, Showing and Endurance etc. This is part of their business.   Their skill is in being able to make the most of a horse, to optimise its potential at whatever level. You can be sure that a young horse will have had the best start to its training, a horse with competitive potential will have been carefully progressed and given the right opportunities and in the case of rehabilitation or retraining a horse will be back on track and ready to go on to lead a happy useful life.

When horses do well in their competitive arena (or, if they are new to the discipline or young, they will be gaining experience at grass roots level) with a top trainer on board, their successes are a reflection of the trainers skill and reputation. Horses which are bought to the market fit for purpose help a professional trader build a reputation and repeat custom. It is not in the interest of a professional rider to produce horses which are going to fail to support their business by being suitable for purpose.   Professional riders have the skill and experience to ride all sorts of different horses and know how to ensure that each horse is given a prgramme which is right for them.

However as a buyer you also have responsibilities to ensure that a Professional Trader can help you make the right choice when buying a horse.

When you look through the Horses for Sale listings on a site like Horse Scout you certainly have a lot of good horses to choose from.

However, it is fair to say that buyers have an obligation to honestly represent their skill level, the accommodations they can offer a horse, and their intentions to the seller they are contacting.

There are certainly an infinite number of tales that illustrate less than ideal partnerships but to be fair to the sellers it can come down to the failure of the buyers to asses their own situation or communicate honestly with the seller. Remember that no horse is ever “finished.” They are sensitive creatures that continue to learn new behaviors throughout their lives. A novice horse person can inadvertently “undo” professional training faster than a terrier will snatch and swallow the family hamster. Here are some thoughts about buyers responsibilities.

  1. If you make an appointment to go look at a horse, don’t leave the seller hanging by not turning up. If you can’t make it for some reason, or will be later than scheduled, call your seller. It’s the polite thing to do, after all.
  2. If the horse’s price is more than you want to spend, ask the seller whether it’s negotiable before you make an appointment. If the seller says no, you won’t be wasting your time or his.
  3. Bring your hard hat, and wear appropriate clothing and footwear for riding. Do not assume to wear spur of to carry a whip.
  4. You can ask if it’s okay to bring your own saddle. A seller would need to be sure your saddle is in good repair (intact tree, leather not weak or rotten, etc), and that it fits the horse you are trying. This provides two advantages. You’ll be using tack that’s familiar, and you’ll know whether your saddle fits the horse you’re considering.
  5. Turn your cell phone off while you are trying a horse. It’s rude to take the seller’s time with personal calls and a suddenly ringing phone may frighten the horse.
  6. Do not bring your dog. Many farms have their own dogs, and the sellers won’t appreciate the disruption of yours running around. Also, your dog may chase or injure the seller’s horses, or other animals.
  7. If you have small children and plan to include them, bring along someone to mind the kids while you concentrate on the horse. Unattended children with horses can be extremely dangerous.
  8. Be honest about your abilities and level of riding. If you have an ethical seller, he will want to sell you a suitable horse. If your seller is an experienced horse person, he’ll know pretty quickly how adept you are by watching you with his horse, so don’t fudge; it’s not worth it.
  9. A horse is an individual and frequently develops a relationship with the person who rides it most often. If your seller rides the horse first and the horse seems very well trained, don’t be disappointed if the horse doesn’t perform quite as well when you get on. Even subtle differences in riding technique can produce very different responses from the horse. It may just be a matter of time and a little professional help before you and your new horse become a team.
  10. Don’t be surprised if the seller wants you to begin in a small area, like a paddock or round pen. He may want to assess your skills, for your own safety and for that of the horse. However, be wary of a seller who doesn’t offer a larger area (a ring, arena or pasture) once he’s comfortable with your abilities. Dishonest sellers know that a horse may be fine in a round pen but will bolt for the hills in a open pasture.
  11. Ask the seller about the horse’s daily routine and feeding schedule. A horse that is turned out every day and is eating grass or a little hay could turn into an entirely different horse if you buy it, keep it in a stall and feed it grain. Ask your seller about the level of activity the horse is accustomed to; is it ridden every day, every week, once a month? If you buy a horse that has been worked regularly, but you plan to ride once a month, your horse may not be as easy to handle after a month of leisure. Conversely, if the horse goes from being ridden once a month to your enthusiastic regime of five days a week, the horse may become sore (as you probably will). You’ll go home and relax in your hot tub. Your new horse might buck, rear, kick, toss its head, or refuse to move because that’s the only way it has to indicate pain.
  12. Take note of the bridle and bit used by your seller. Consider buying something similar if the horse works well and seems relaxed.
  13. If you are shopping for a horse for your child, its looks, cosmetic blemishes and color should be the least important factors in choosing. Look for an older horse, and plan to spend more.

Your seller might ask you:

Details of your experience with horses

What sort of support you’ll have; for example, a trainer, a very experienced friend, riding lessons, etc

Interesting Horse Facts

Horse Scout Fact Finding Mission: Eye Eye Captain: Horses have 20/30 vision, but if you cant see their eye, they cant see you.

Facebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmail

The equine eye is the largest of all land mammals–whales, seals and the ostrich are the only other animals that have larger eyes. How well do horses see? Can they see colours, depth, motion and how well do they see in the dark? These are tricky questions to answer seeing as we can’t get this information straight from the horse’s mouth!

A horse’s eyes are located on either side of his head which is a big advantage for them as a prey animal as it offers a wide, circular view, meaning they can detect stalking animals sneaking up from behind. This panoramic vision is ‘monocular’ (‘mono’ meaning ‘one’) which enables them to view their surroundings on both sides, with either eye. Their ‘binocular’ vision (with both eyes) is directed down their nose and not straight ahead and the horse actually has a blind spot in front of its forehead. When a horse is grazing, his vision is directed at the ground in front of him and if he is relaxed, his monocular vision will be at work. Should he see something that warrants investigation, the horse will raise his head to bring the binocular vision into force. If the object was spotted in the horse’s side vision, he will turn and raise his head, or even whole body to look.

A horse’s large eye is an advantage as it enables him to detect the slightest motion which is why windy days make most horses uneasy…too many moving things! The horse moves its head in order to bring the object into its binocular field, which also gives better depth perception. This offers a better view, as while the horse has both monocular and binocular vision, he probably can’t utilize both at the same time, hence he raises his head to switch to both (binocular) eyes. Say you are riding along, your horse nice and relaxed…he is probably using his monocular vision. Suddenly he spots an unusual object ahead and instantly raises his head and pricks his ears. This allows him to look down his nose and employ his binocular vision. If the object is on the ground, the horse will lower his head, again in order to look down his nose and use both eyes for a clear view.

Another reason horses move their heads up and down is that their visual field is narrow so objects seen the clearest are the ones that fall within this narrow area–the horse tilts his head in order to get as much of an object as possible to cast an image onto the eye. So if a horse needs to look down his nose to see where he is going, what happens when he is ‘on the bit’ as in showing or dressage? A horse who is flexed at the poll will have his head vertical (at right angles) to the ground and cannot see straight in front of him, only down his nose towards the ground. Recent research found this blind spot in front of the horse is about the width of his body and a horse ‘on the bit’ must rely on the rider for direction as he is almost working blind! If you watch showjumpers negotiating a course, you will notice they lift their heads when approaching the fence to get a better idea of height and depth with their binocular vision. Try walking quickly towards a wall with one eye closed, then open both eyes and you will see that the view with both eyes gives you better depth perception.

Alison Harmon from the University of Western Australia, who has been involved in research on equine vision, once witnessed a nasty accident involving two dressage horses practising a freestyle routine. They were cantering around the arena, on the bit, and collided head on…their vision was directed down their noses towards the ground so they simply didn’t see each other! (this did make me wonder what the riders were doing!)

Horses were believed to have poor vision and be short sighted but they actually have very good binocular vision with a tendency towards long vision. It’s logical to think that given a horse’s wide vision range, they are able to see a rider on their backs however a rider is in the horse’s blind spot. If you can’t see either of the horse’s eyes when mounted, then he can’t see you!

How much detail can horses see?

Using a method of placing rewards behind a trapdoor, a reseach team tested how much detail a horse could see by placing stripes on the door. The horse was trained to choose the striped door over the plain one for the food reward. They varied the thickness of the stripes until they were so fine, the horses could not distinguish the striped door from the grey. From the results, they discovered that horses see as well as we do…perhaps better! Using the Snellen scale to compare horse vision with our own, indicates that horses actually see well at a distance. The Snellen scale for humans is 20/20, meaning that a person can read the same line on an eye chart from 20 feet that the ‘standard’ person reads from the same distance. Using this Snellen scale, horses rate 20/30 while as a matter of interest (and by comparison) a dog is 20/50, a cat 20/75 while rats rate 20/300.

Night Vision?

Horses are mostly day animals although they will continue to graze at night which suggests they do have some night vision. Horse’s eyes are sensitive to weak light, so they can see fairly well at dusk, but they don’t have the ability to adjust their eyes to darkness quickly, which is why they will often refuse to enter a dark building or float from bright sunshine. One cross country jump at the Sydney Olympics situated in dim shade caused some problems and a few falls.

Colour Vision

It was once commonly thought horses were colour blind but in fact they do have the ability to see some colour. The eyes contain light-sensitive cells and there are two types of cells called rods and cones. Humans have three different types of cones which means we can see all colours. Cats also have three types of cones but they are weak compared to ours so they can only see in pastel colours. To a cat, a green lawn appears as a whitish one. Dogs only have two types of cones and see colour similar to a human who is red-green colour blind. Horses have only two types of cones as well, so their ability to see colour is also limited.

To learn how horses saw various colours, the research team had to find a way to test how horses could tell the difference between actual colours rather than them just picking a colour that appeared bright, for example, red looks bright while blue looks dark. To do this, they asked the horse to select a colour on a grey background that they could vary from light to dark. They discovered horses could always pick out red and blue regardless of what the background was like. However, horses would only reliably select yellow and green when these were brighter than the background. If the brightness of the colours was equal to the grey background, some horses couldn’t pick these colours as easily. A few could tell the difference between green and yellow while others could not, so the results for these were mixed.

Given this information, maybe where some horses are concerned that old saying should be amended to, “the grass is always a wishy-washy greenish-grey on the other side of the fence”! Stallions in the wild have often been observed to prefer mares of a particular colour and it’s thought this is probably related to their mother’s coat colour. Knowing how a horse views his world makes a big difference when it comes to handling. And given how well horses usually perform when we are restricting their vision by riding ‘on the bit’ should instill a responsibility to ‘steer’ thoughtfully.

It also displays how much trust horses show by allowing us to sometimes be their eyes!

Information from: Horse vision and an explanation for the visual behaviour originally explained by the ‘ramp retina’. ALISON M. HARMAN. BSc PhD

Horse Riding Tips

Top tips for a work out warm down for your horse

Facebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmail

With the competition season on track and the weather warming up (promise it will….soon) Horse Scout Blogger has been thinking about the warm down after your horse has worked. Just like you he will be warm, his heart rate and respiration rate will be elevated. No matter what the season, when horses work hard they produce heat and sweat. Properly cooling down your horse will ensure he stays sound and healthy. A daily workout for your horse probably consists of four separate periods: warm-up, active conditioning or schooling, warm-down, and cool-down.

During warm weather training, the warm-down and cool-down periods are especially important because horses may be hot from conditioning exercises. The warm-down is the steady reduction in exercise intensity and usually consists of 5 to 10 minutes of low-intensity exercise that culminates in a relaxed walk. While horses will invariably sweat less as athletic effort decreases, the importance of a warm-down is more than skin deep. Foremost is the redistribution of blood within the body. When a horse is exercising, oxygenated blood is carried to the hardworking skeletal muscles, and other organs of the body receive slightly less blood than they normally do during periods of rest. As the warm-down period extends, more blood is allocated to those organs and less to skeletal muscle.

The cool-down is distinct from the warm-down period. The warm-down, as mentioned previously, occurs when mounted and ends with a relaxed walk on a loose rein. The primary objective of the cool-down is to prevent overheating following dismounting. The horse should be untacked immediately to allow maximum heat dissipation, and should be moved to a covered or shaded area with as much air movement as possible. One of the most common methods of cooling a horse in hot and humid environments includes spraying or sponging with cool water. Body-wide application of cool water is acceptable during normal summer weather when temperatures are between 80°-100°F. The most strategic points for effective cooling include the underside of the neck and barrel, and the inside of all four legs. Drinking water can be offered to the horse once cooling has begun, which is determined by a reduction in body temperature, heart rate, and respiratory rate.

Allowing a few swallows every few minutes during the cool-down helps the horse replace water lost during exercise. Horses should be encouraged to drink their fill. When your horse sweats on a daily basis, even in cold weather, it is best to provide a supplemental electrolyte. Electrolytes replace the minerals lost in sweat and encourage drinking, which reduces the risk of dehydration and muscle disorders.

Proper care of a horse following a ride signifies sound horsemanship as well as a healthy dose of respect for your horse.

 

Horse Jobs

Dream Job Working With Horses? Make sure you know the answers to the right questions.

Facebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmail

 

Looking for work in the horse world? Having been on both sides of the fence Horse Scout Blogger knows just how it’s not just an interviewer who needs to know about you. You need to know about the job. And both of you need to know you are the right person for that job, by establishing expectations and measuring this against experience.

 

Having been contacted by a prospective employer or when searching for a job make sure you do your research.  Find out as much as you reasonably can about the yard where you will be working and your employers.  If they are professional riders they will have a track record and more than likely a website, and social profiles.  Make sure that their line of work suits you, it sounds obvious but if you want to show ponies don’t apply to be a jockey!

 

Top Tips to make sure you get the most perfect job you can.

 

  1. Be honest about your experience
  2. Be honest about your ability
  3. Be open abut your expectations

 

Ask questions about the things which are important to you

 

  1. What are your duties
  2. What are your hours
  3. Speak to other members of staff if you can

 

Understand the job you are applying for by finding out

 

  1. The employers expectations
  2. Your level of responsibility
  3. Who you speak to if you have problems
  4. Will you be in sole charge
  5. If it is a live in position make sure you see your accommodation
  6. Find out about transport links if you do not have your own transport or a car is not available
  7. Ask about the horses you will be riding, grooming handling
  8. Ask about pay, sick pay, time off and holidays
  9. What insurances are in place in case of accidents
  10. Who pays for PPE equipment, is there an equipment allowance

 

Other things which both employers and employees need to consider are:

 

  1. Pets
  2. What are normal hours and what is considered overtime
  3. Probation period and payment terms
  4. Working towards accreditation and the implications for both employer and groom
  5. Use of own vehicle; fuel and upkeep for business use
  6. Visiting friends/family (if it is a live in position)

 

Both parties should consider a period of consideration before accepting offering a job to a candidate.

 

Are you looking for work? Horse Scout professionals often have a STAFF REQUIRED badge against their profiles you can click through and contact them directly.  If you are looking for work riders or grooms then check out Horse Scouts specialist pages here. or look below at two grooms listed on our pages who are looking for placements at the moment.

Experienced freelance groom available for yard cover and competitions. Kirsty Borriello, from New Zealand is presently in Wiltshire and has worked extensively with international eventers, show jumpers and dressage horses. She confirms, in her Horse Scout listing, that she can turn out to a high standard and is happy to work as part of a team or on her own. 

17 year old Tori Owen, is looking for a live in position says she has been working with horses since a young age and that her forte is producing horses to compete in show jumping. She writes that she is a very hard worker and love what I do. 

Equestrian Centre

Be Aware-Be Very Aware: Teamwork = Framework. 6 top tips to help you understand how you influence your horse.

Facebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmail

Understanding  your frame and how you use it to influence your horses way of going; all starts with you.

Horse Scout Blogger has spent many happy moments trotting round the sitting room and to help you understand how you function will help you understand how your horse functions too.

Attending Yoga or Pilates or learning the Alexander Technique will give you good control of your body and help you become more aware of how you move and the relationship between easy movement and maximising your strong core and large muscle masses to your advantage.

The following are all ways of approaching your training and competitive riding with an understanding of how you function within your frame.  This gives you a very clear overview of how a horse also functions.  Your top half is the torso, shoulders, forelegs and head of your horse.  Your pelvis down to the ground are your horses hindquarters and hind legs. As you do these exercises walk and move like a human but be “horse” in your head.  Imagine the bulk of the horse but move like a human.

1. Relax and look up.

Central to all effective riding. If you are relaxed and working “In the moment” so will your horse be.

If you look up and forwards, so will your horse.

2. To Ride Forward On Straight Lines

Become conscious of how you walk.  As you move forwards (not counting window shopping by the way!) where do you look.  If you are looking at the floor, look up.  Think about how you are walking.  Are you using your core muscles?  Are you moving from your hip? Are you utilising your largest group of muscles: your Gluteus muscles in your legs and seat. Do you limbs move in a relaxed way? Are you moving purposefully?  Are your shoulders relaxed and facing in the direction in which you are looking/travelling?  …So many questions!

3. Prepare For Transitions

Change your speed

Change your stride walk briskly, what changes?  Walk slowly, again be conscious of your stance and the use of your frame.

Can you analyse what you do before you change pace?

Do you use the energy you produce as you place your foot on the floor to elevate your knee action.

Do you fall forwards when you stop quickly.

Learning to dance can really help with control and energises your approach to pace and energy.

4. Prepare For Turns

Change direction – what happened as you turned – what happened before you turned

Do you shift your weight away or over your pivotal leg.

Turn quickly and turn slowly, Think about where you place your weight and which groups of muscles you use to achieve a well executed turn and the difference in an unbalanced one.

5. Ride Good Circles

Walk in a circle, Take note of your body angles, weight distribution and the direction that you are looking and the direction of your shoulders.

6. Bend Correctly

What happens if you go in a circle with all your weight over your outside leg and your shoulders against the direction of travel?  Correct yourself and feel the difference.

The more aware you are of how a body functions the more you will understand how your body influences the pace, balance, elevation, suppleness and power in your horses way of going.  Try riding some horse movements without your horse.  Imagine you are your horse and try lateral movements.  What do you have to do with your body to achieve the correct cadence, direction and execution of the movement.

P.S. you can do this is the privacy of your home or be really adventurous and start a trend at your local equestrian centre/livery yard or even in Sainsbury’s…you never know it might be the next big thing like Bio Mechanics or Horse Fit!

Jumping

Making the right shapes in the show jumping arena – 8 different approaches to perfecting your horses jumping.

Facebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmail

Horse Scout Blogger has been contemplating show jumps this weekend.  Each type of jumps asks for a subtly different approach and energy.  In order to feel confident in the arena it’s a good idea to understand what question each style is asking of your horse and also its important to teach your horse how to jump the different fences to improve your show jumping.

1.  Ground poles

Really boost your horse’s bascule by using ground poles to create a wider fence base – he’ll instinctively know what to do. Without a ground line a fence becomes more advanced, drawing your horse in close, making it harder for him to jump well and get his legs out of the way in time.

You can also make a V-shape with ground poles before fences to channel your horse’s energy on approach, helping produce a much better jump.

2. Cross-poles

A great warm-up and schooling fence, cross-poles help your horse start to open up and use his shoulders. The V-shape encourages him to come centrally to the fence, tuck his knees neatly up and to look at what he’s being asked to jump. The taller the cross-pole, the more it will improve his action, as he works those shoulders and really lifts up.

3. Vertical

A vertical (or upright) is made of poles in the same vertical plane, and encourages your horse to make a taller, rounder shape in his jump. The take-off and landing spots will be the same distance away from the fence, so your horse will make quite a steep shape into it, lifting his shoulders higher vertically and tucking his forelegs up and away quite quickly.

4. Fillers

Fillers are great for getting a round shape in your horse’s jump, and by creating an illusion of solid colour he’ll really look at what he’s facing. They’re great for a bold horse because they demand respect, but if he’s lacking in confidence, fillers can make a fence harder to ride.

5. Planks

Planks work the same way as a vertical, creating a tall, steep jump shape, but they’re easier to knock down as they sit on flat cups. Planks create a more solid-looking fence, so your horse may back off a bit, and even produce a bigger jump, and as they tend not to have a ground line, they’ll draw him in quite deep, so he needs a more powerful jump to clear them!

6. Triple bar

Made with three poles of ascending height, triple bars create a longer, more open jump. Your horse really has to stretch and lift his front end to clear them, and they can be challenging when linked with other fences. Because their width requires more power, your horse will come deeper into the fence before take-off and land further out than normal, so if you’re working out your strides to the next fence keep this in mind.

7. Oxer

Two parallel vertical fences form an oxer, creating a spread that gets horses up in the air, producing a rounder, more equal shape than a triple bar encourages with take-off and landing spots the same distance from the fence. Because of the power your horse uses to push himself up and over, he may run on a little on landing, or lack energy because he used it up in the air.

8. Liverpool Oxer

A Liverpool is a vertical or oxer with a ditch or large tray of water underneath. The tray makes your horse look at the fence (which can cause his head and neck to drop as he approaches) then encourages him to get up in the air, creating a large, round jump.place the tray in front of the fence and it mimics the effect of a triple bar, encouraging a wider, more open jump which rises gradually. Place the tray under the fence or out behind it and your horse will draw deep into the fence, producing a more upright take-off and more reach as he lands. If you don’t have a water tray, you can create the same effect by laying something on the ground beneath a fence such as a rug.

This great advice comes from show jumper Mia Korenika who explains how different fences and elements can help your horse become a more athletic, careful jumper.  Use this link to check out her facebook page.

 

Professional Rider

8 TIPS TO STAYING COOL & CALM IN THE COMPETITION ARENA

Facebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmail

Horse Scout Blogger was speaking with a rider coming up to their first competition level hike. At home they have been performing well and are well prepared in terms of ability and focus and will do well if our rider focuses on what the horse needs from him……The BIGGEST secret to you performing at your best, when it counts the most, is learning how to keep yourself CALM and COMPOSED. If you allow yourself to get too nervous or too excited right before or during a competition, then your muscles will tighten up, you’ll lose your confidence and your riding will go right down the tubes!

This is what it means to CHOKE! The rider gets so nervous that he/she ends up performing tight and tentatively — a mere shadow of your normal self and this will affect your horses performance to as he picks up on your tension.

THE REAL CAUSE OF OUT OF CONTROL NERVOUSNESS

Runaway, pre-competition nervousness can come from a lot of different sources: how good the other contestants are; the level at which you are competing; how important a competition is; how big the crowd is (and possibly more important to you – who in it is watching you; whether you’ll ride well today and win; How will the going be; Will you remember your test/course/timings— the list goes on and on.

While there are many things about your competitions that can potentially make you nervous, the true cause of your performance-disrupting nervousness isn’t any of the things that I’ve just mentioned above. The real cause of your out-of-control nerves is you! That’s right! YOU make YOURSELF nervous!

What I’m saying here is very important — It’s not what’s happening around or outside of you that makes you nervous. It’s what’s happening INSIDE that is the real cause of stress!

So it is important to take on board: It’s not the size, skill level or reputation of the competition arena that makes you nervous. It’s what you say to yourself about them in the days, hours and minutes leading up to the competition that’s the real culprit in sending your heart rate and blood pressure through the roof! Nervousness is always caused by our inner response to the things that are going on outside of us. But here’s the good news about that: If YOU make yourself nervous, then YOU have the ability to change your inner response to calm yourself down under competitive pressure.

Most riders who get too nervous to ride well do so because of what they focus on and think about as the day approaches. They worry about how well they’ll ride, what people may think or say about them, etc. Focusing on any or all of these things will guarantee that your stress level will go through the attic and your performance will get stuck in the cellar! To stay calm under pressure, you must learn to go into competitions with a completely different headset and focus. I

 

What you need is a game plan;  a game plan is a series of little mental goals that you want to bring into the performance with you. If you follow this game plan, it will guarantee that you’ll stay calm and relaxed when you perform. Remember, being your best when it counts the most is all about being loose right before and during your competitions.

 

Leading up to your performance –

1. KEEP YOUR CONCENTRATION IN THE “NOW”

Train yourself to keep your focus in the NOW — especially during your performance! This means that leading up to the performance, you don’t want to think about and focus on the upcoming competition and its importance. If you want to stay loose and relaxed, you must learn to keep your concentration in the now. When you’re in the action, you want to focus on one present-moment play at a time.

2. RECOGNIsE WHEN YOUR FOCUS “TRAVELS” AND BRING YOURSELF BACK

Concentrating on what is happening now and reacting to that is key. Whilst you have to anticipate your next move you must live in the now in order function from a position of strength. If your focus moves to reflect on what has happened or you start imagining the future bring your focus back.

3. KEEP YOUR FOCUS ON YOU, YOUR JOB AND YOUR PLAY

Allowing your focus to drift to anyone or anything other than you and your horse will quickly make you feel nervous. Staying focused on you and your job will keep you calm and confident.

4. DON’T COMPARE YOURSELF WITH OTHERS! Comparison will always make you too nervous to play at your best.

5. HAVE FUN – Enjoy your job

Enjoying your performance and appreciating what is going well is the secret ingredient to staying calm and doing your best when the heat of competition is turned up high. When fun goes, so will all of your skills.

6. LEAVE YOUR GOALS AT HOME

One of the biggest tension-inducing mental mistakes that you can make as an competitor is to take your goals with you into the competition. Focusing on what you need to achieve will make you too nervous to perform well and, ironically, cause you never to reach them. Instead, leave your goals at home and keep your focus in the action, on “this” movement, this turn, this half halt.

7. KEEP YOUR MIND DISTRACTED BEFORE AND AFTER GAMES

Thinking gets most performers into trouble and makes them nervous. While you can’t really stop yourself from thinking, you can purposely distract yourself from it. So, in the days and minutes leading up to a big performance or tournament, keep busy. Do not allow yourself a lot of free time to think. If you are going through your test or riding the course in your mind. Think about HOW you re riding each movement or jump etc not how difficult its going to be.

8. KEEP YOUR FOCUS OF CONCENTRATION AWAY FROM THE “UNCONTROLLABLES”

There are a lot of things that happen in your sport that you do not have direct control over. Any time an competitor focuses on an “uncontrollable” (UC), they will get really nervous, lose their confidence and ride badly. So make a list of all of the things about this upcoming competition that you can’t directly control. For example, the officiating; the crowd; the future, such as the outcome, how well you’ll ride, winning or losing; how you are feeling that day; other people’s expectations; etc., and post the list in a highly visible. Keep in mind that these UCs are mental traps. They are lying in wait for you and every other competitor in that competition. Concentrate on the things over which you do have control.

Remember, if you really want to ride well, you have to stay loose and relaxed. To do this, focus on executing this GAME PLAN!

GoodLuck

 

Horse Riding Tips

Be an efficient and effective rider. 10 Top Tips – Core strength, mobility and suppleness will make you ride better

Facebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmail

How effective are you in the saddle.  Have you ever tried to tune in to what is happening under your saddle? Are you aware of the exact response from the horse to any given movement by you?

Are you a bit fuzzy on how the whole thing actually works. You know the basics, you ride inside to outside, you sit centrally in the saddle with subtle changes in weight reflected in the movements of your upper and lower body.  Legs controlling behind, shoulders the front and your core the power house creating energy, swing, impulsion, and lastly your seat providing a stable point from which to perform all this with a set which is light, mobile, agile, and controlled.

All this without even thinking about your spot on timing and direct ion, cadence, pace, suppleness and balance from your horse.  So much to think about all at once. Sometimes it’s easier to forget that there is a horse under you and concentrate on recreating the correct body shape needed to make efficient and accurate aids.

You can go a long way to helping yourself become efficient and effective in the saddle if you are fit and agile.

The key to being a effective rider starts on the ground.  You need to be fit.  Riding and mucking out  (unless you are one of our professional riders and trainers) is not enough you need to get out and to aerobic sports like running and swimming, fitness classes or dancing.  Dancing is very good for a rider as it helps with a sense of erythema and makes you agile at the same time.  However key to all progressive riding is being strong and mobile in your core.  Here are a few simple exercises which can help you start to strengthen you central core/abs.  As always with any fitness advice if you experience pain then you must consult your doctor before progressing further.  Taking part in fitness classes may be a way to get you motivated.  There is nothing better than the thought of thinking people will notice you haven’t been doing your ‘homework” to get things moving along a pace!

However if you want some exercises you can do at home with a minimum of equipment her are five simple ones to start you off.

1. Reverse Crunch with Resistance Bands

Targets: transverse abdominals

Lie on your back with your knees bent, arms down by your sides, holding one end of a band in each hand, with the band wrapped around tops of shins. Raise your knees toward your chest until your hips leave the floor. Hold for 3 seconds; lower to start. Repeat for 2 sets of 10 reps.

2. Knee-Ups

Targets: rectus abdominus

Brace yourself between the backrests of two sturdy chairs, keeping elbows slightly bent, shoulders down, neck relaxed, head and chest lifted. Keeping your abs tight, exhale and then very slowly bring your knees to your chest without swinging back and forth. If your form falters, try raising one knee at a time. Build up to 3 sets of 15 reps.

3. Leg Swings

Targets: obliques

Lie on back with arms out to sides, legs and feet pointing up. Exhale and draw navel in toward spine as you lower legs to left side about 5 inches from floor. Return to start and repeat on right side. Keep switching sides for a total of 15 reps. Work up to 3 sets.

4. Ball Leg Lift

Targets: transverse abdominals

Lie facedown on a ball and roll forward until your hands are on floor and just the tops of your feet are flat on ball. Keeping your back and right leg straight, slowly lift leg a couple of inches toward the ceiling. Hold for 3 seconds, then lower. Do 10 reps, then switch legs. Add 2 repetitions each week as long as you can maintain perfect form.

5. Butterfly Crunch

Targets: rectus abdominus (“six-pack”)

Lie on your back with the soles of your feet together as close to your body as possible, with knees bent out to sides. Place hands behind your head, elbows in line with ears. Keeping your back flat on floor and stomach muscles contracted, exhale and curl your chest up a few inches off the floor toward your legs. Lower to start. Repeat 10 times.

6. Side to Side

Targets: obliques (sides)

Lie on your back, knees bent and feet flat on the floor, with your arms at your sides. Exhale and contract your abs as you slide your right hand toward your right foot. Your head and neck should remain aligned and your lower back pressed to the floor. Return to start, then switch sides. Repeat 15 times.

7. Front Plank

Targets: transverse abdominals

Start on your hands and knees. Keeping your back and ab muscles contracted, drop down to your forearms while extending legs out behind you so you are resting on the balls of your feet. Be sure to keep your back straight, hips up, and neck relaxed. Hold for 3 seconds, then return to start. Repeat 10 times.

8. Fingers to Toes

Targets: rectus abdominus

Lie on your back with your legs straight and extended toward the ceiling, with arms down by your sides. Exhale and contract your abs as you crunch up from your waist and extend your hands toward your toes. Keep your back flat on the floor. Work up to 2 sets of 15 reps.

9. Scissors

Targets: obliques

Lie on your back with your fingers resting behind your head. Keeping your abdominals tight, raise your left knee and touch it to your right elbow. Return to start, then raise your right knee and touch it to your left elbow. Alternate for 15 reps in a smooth, continuous motion, keeping abs engaged and hands relaxed so you don’t pull on your neck. Work up to 2 sets.

10. Obviously don’t do all of these at once!! Work through the list joining on new sets as you get stronger.  Do not perform moves badly.  Stop and rest of do fewer repetitions until you are ready to move on.