Hi, I have a wonderful paint mare who is trained for just about anything but excells in the english pleasure and hunter under saddle. However when it comes to me asking her to walk with a contact for dressage she begins to put up a fight; when I ask her to do the same in trot or canter she accepts the bit nicely and will stratch down into a nice long contact. When im riding in the show ring for english pleasure or hunter under saddle I show her on a loose rein and her topline stays level in the walk beautifully. Any suggestions on what I can do to help her stay nice and round during my medium walk?

Any ideas about what to do with a pony who rushes her distances? She has a really good eye and sees her spot right when she turns the corner but she doesn't know how big her stride is so she rushes to the jump and down the line.

I have a 12 year old thoroughbred that I have had for about 6 years now. Ever since i got him he had always had a problem with switching his lead at the canter to the left. I have been trying to fix it with hill work, cavaletti (sp), trot jumps and small circles to the left but nothing seems to work. I also got his hocks injected thinking that there was some kind of pain going on back there but he still does it. Does anyone have any ideas on how I can fix this switching problem? I would really appreciate it! It is so aggravating and im running out of ideas. Any help would really be appreciated :)

Hi, I just started taking hunter lessons. I was just wondering.. how long does it take you to get over that little fear of jumping? I'm not horrified that I don't want to do it, but i'm still a little bit hesitant. Just wondering if anyone felt the same as I do. Thanks. x.Chappy.o

hey one small question... will your horse get better with experience when showing?

what are somethings i can do for my 9year old quater, who does not like to canter, we had him checked out by a vet and nothing was wrong with him do you have any suggestions???

Just wanted to say hi everyone here. I am new to the group.
Happy holidays!

Ok guys... ive been flooded with questions about picking up the correct lead... here is a brief summary and some ideas for you... if you want to see the video (ill sent the link again, but it did not work the last time) go to youtube and search for Jane savoie Dressage... youll find a video on picking up the correct lead, as well as many others... we (Jane and I) have put together a bunch of these clips for you... hope you enjoy them... Ruth
Even though this is a dressage horse, this works for nearly every discipline... I am a dressage rider, but started as a hunter/jumper and then eventing... so if your having this trouble with your horse... give some of these ideas a try!


here is the quick written note...

Canter On The Correct Lead Every Time!

It's not uncommon for riders to struggle getting their horses to pick up one of their canter leads. The following are some simple exercises to help you pick up the right lead every time!

The first exercise is done completely in the walk. You will practice positioning your horse alternately for the left lead and then switch to the right lead after a few strides.

Let’s say you decided to pick up left lead:

--Put your weight on your left seat bone.

--Flex your horse to the left by turning your left wrist as if you’re unlocking a door. That is, start with your thumb as the highest point of the hand, Turn your thumb to the left, and bring your baby finger very close to the withers but don’t cross over the withers. In this moment, your knuckles or fingernails will be pointing up toward your face. Then put your hand back in the original position with your thumb as the highest point of the hand.

--Support with your right rein so your horse doesn’t over bend his neck to the left. His face should be one inch to the inside of a neutral position. (Neutral means his head and neck are straight in front of his body so that his chin is directly in front of his “cleavage”.)

--Your left leg is on the girth to say, “Go forward to the canter.”

--Your right leg is a couple of inches behind the girth because it will signal his right hind leg to strike off into left lead canter. (He has to start cantering with the outside hind leg in order to end up on the correct lead.)

Stay in this “left lead canter” position for a few strides in the walk, and then switch your aids as if asking for right lead canter (Remember, you’re doing all of this in the walk). That is:

--Weight on the right seat bone.

--Right rein flexes the horse’s head one inch to the right.

--Left rein is like a siderein that prevents too much bend in the neck.

--Right leg on the girth.

--Left leg behind the girth.

When you get ready to ask for the depart, do the following things:

1. Keep the horse positioned to the inside as you did above.

2. When you ask for the canter depart, push your inside seat bone forward toward your horse’s inside ear.

3. Give a little squeeze with your inside leg on the girth to tell your horse to go “forward into the canter”

4. Use your outside leg in a windshield wiper-like action to signal the outside hind to strike-off into the canter.

Check that you’re on the correct lead by:

--Keeping your head erect, but peak down at his front legs. If you’re on the correct lead, the inside front leg should reach further forward than the outside front leg.

--Make a circle. If you’re on the correct lead, the canter will feel balanced. If you’re on the wrong lead, the canter will feel unbalanced.

If you end up of the wrong lead, chances are you didn’t keep your horse bent through his body and flexed to the inside at his poll during the transition. Your horse will pick up whatever lead he’s bent and flexed toward.

Here are 2 things you can do to help with the bend:

1. Walk on a small circle to bend your horse. Just before you finish the small circle, keep the bend and apply the aids for the canter. Once he canters, arc out onto a larger circle.

2. Walk or trot on a small circle. Leg yield (That is, push your horse sideways.) out to the larger circle. Keep your inside leg on the girth as you leg yield to help with the bend. If you’re circling to the right, imagine you’re pushing his rib cage to the left while his neck and hindquarters stay to the right.


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Hey there riding advice! awesome!!!
I have a Clyde/hack we are looking for little things to do to help improve our score in the lengthening department… we are in 2nd level …its not his fault he picks his knees up like a hackney and he’s suppose to be pulling Budweiser crates of beer.. hee hee we have improved since the end of show season and in preparation for the next we have been shortening and lengthening lengthening and shortening and recently been using trot polls and if we don’t fall over them I think it has helped him flick those toes. I think in the start I was going to fast and he was racing instead of lengthening.. my bad.. slowing it down he’s understanding it better.. anyone know any other exercises for improving lengthening?

I have a young thoroughbred who is starting to learn flying lead changes. He gets them one direction but not so well the other. He just sort of hops around when I ask him the bad direction. I've tried teaching him over poles but he just hops higher. Any suggestions?