Nothing kills the spark of motivation more than repeating the same training routine every day. This is not only true for us riders, but also – or especially for horses. Working on the same dressage movements every day in the way and the same surroundings will probably get your horse bored and reduce the performance of both horse and rider.…
The canter transition may only be a small part of a training session, but it is however a crucial and important moment. It influences the quality of the canter and prepares the horse for other movements. However, many riders fail to tap into the full potential of riding a correct transition and mistakes can happen easily. Why a Correct Rider’s…
A well-structured training plan is essential for the horse's health, as well as for progressing in education and strengthening the coordination between horse and rider. It is all the more important to boost your horse’s motivation & concentration during training – especially in the winter months when the sessions mainly take place in the indoor arena. Here's how to increase…
Not only children learn by watching and mimicking others. Even for adults, learning from others by observing is an important factor to further skill development. Scientific studies have shown that observational learning activates certain neurons in the brain that enhance the learning process. Additionally, the brain responds when a movement is being observed that is already known from one’s own…
We consider leg yields the introduction to lateral work. Technically, however, the leg yield is by definition not a lateral movement as it’s supposed to be ridden with flexion but not bend. Classical lateral work requires both flexion and bend. But during training, there are certain situations in which it can be helpful to ride leg yields with a bit…
It really is a very special feeling to have your horse on your seat, to ride with lightest aids as a harmonious unit. “On the seat” means having a meaningful connection between the rider’s and the horse’s bodies with which we can influence the horse’s movement. It means to melt with the horse; that’s how Benjamin Werndl sums it up.…
Spring is in the air. Soon it’ll be warmer; and we’ll be able to train outdoors more often. Many of us have been working exclusively in an indoor arena for a few months; and those walls are becoming pretty boring. Raphael's tip for more variety in your daily training To avoid getting indoor-sour, Aubenhausen rider Raphael Netz regularly takes his…
Flying down the long side at an extended canter, united as one, the motion of horse and rider inextricably intertwined. Riding transitions and movements with nearly invisible aids requires a supple, flexible, and stable seat. Mainly, it takes a deep seat to be able to optimally feel the horse and influence the frame and movement at all times. “A deep…
It’s an amazing feeling to glide across the diagonal in an extended trot – the horse moving powerfully forward yet barley touching the ground. But how can you achieve that? How do you get both expression and lightness? The horse’s back plays an important role here! The horse's back as the key for more expression and lightness “If the back…
It‘s a fantastic feeling to ride down the centre line in collected canter – light, active, the horse in front of your leg and full of energy, ready for anything to come. But how do you achieve true collection? It’s not simply riding slower, it’s about your horse shifting more weight onto its hind legs, so that it lowers the…
