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Jane Savoie - EzineArticles.com Expert Author
Who else but Jane Savoie wears so many hats in the horse industry? Her visibility as a dressage competitor, coach, instructor, clinician, speaker and author makes her truly unique.
Jane Savoie is one of the most recognized names in dressage, and for a good reason. Her accomplishments and the breadth of her influence are impressive. She has been a member of the United States Equestrian Team and has competed for the US in Canada, Holland, ... [More]
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- How to Supple Your Dressage Horse's Stiff Shoulders
[Recreation-and-Sports:Equestrian] Do you ever feel like your dressage horse's shoulders are so stiff and stuck that not only is it hard to turn him, but his hindquarters are disconnected from his front end? If your horse's shoulders are stuck, it's like having a kink in a water hose. The energy can't flow from behind, over the back, into your hands where it can then be recycled back to the hind legs.
- How to Handle Resistance When Riding Your Dressage Horse
[Recreation-and-Sports:Equestrian] You've carefully laid out a systematic, progressive training program for riding your dressage horse. Yet every time you add new work, you run into a certain amount of resistance. Here are some tips to help you deal with resistance.
- 2 Quick Tips For Coping With Irrational Fear While Horseback Riding
[Recreation-and-Sports:Equestrian] I often hear from horseback riders that they have irrational fears about being out of control or getting hurt when riding. The fear seems irrational because they've never actually had an accident or injury. So they wonder where the fear comes from.
- My Dressage Horse Doesn't Accept Contact With the Bit
[Recreation-and-Sports:Equestrian] Some dressage horses don't understand accepting contact with the bit and your hand. They are quick to go from coming above the bit to curling behind the bit. If that sounds like your horse, you need to be able to quickly and smoothly change your aids to help your dressage horse understand and accept contact.
- What Does the Dressage Terminology Behind the Bit and Behind the Vertical Mean?
[Recreation-and-Sports:Equestrian] A lot of dressage riders are confused by the dressage terminology behind the bit and behind the vertical. When a horse is behind the bit, he's not connected. That's never acceptable. It means he's dropped the contact with your hands, and there are loops in the reins. Your horse can be behind the vertical and still be connected.
- Horseback Riders Find Freedom From Fear
[Recreation-and-Sports:Equestrian] It's normal for a horseback rider to be afraid occasionally and want to find freedom from fear so you can enjoy your rides. After all, you're dealing with an animal that outweighs you by 10x. Plus, he's a reactive creature that has survived because of his flight instinct.
- Learn to Ride the Dressage Movement Shoulder-In
[Recreation-and-Sports:Equestrian] Shoulder-in is the father of the advanced lateral dressage movements. It offers your horse many gymnastic benefits.
- What Do the Dressage Terms Shoulder-In, Shoulder-Fore, and First Position Mean?
[Recreation-and-Sports:Equestrian] Lots of people are confused by the difference between the dressage terms shoulder-in, shoulder-fore, and first position. They all have a place as far as straightening your dressage horse. That's because we always straighten the horse by bringing the forehand in front of the hindquarters. Never straighten the horse by pushing his hindquarters over behind his shoulders.
- Learn How to Ride Dressage Movements - The 20 Meter Circle at Training Level
[Recreation-and-Sports:Equestrian] A 20 meter circle at Training Level is the first dressage movement that you'll do to make your dressage horse more athletic. The goal of riding an accurate 20 meter circle is to create flexibility.
- Ride Your Dressage Horse From Half Halt to Half Halt
[Recreation-and-Sports:Equestrian] The secret to riding your dressage horse like a professional is to ride from half halt to half halt rather than from movement to movement. The half halt is your connective tissue between the dressage movements.
- 7 Tips to Develop Trot Lengthenings With a First Level Dressage Horse
[Recreation-and-Sports:Equestrian] A lot of riders struggle to develop trot lengthenings with their first level dressage horses. What follows are 7 quick tips to help your horse with his lengthenings.
- When is My First Level Dressage Horse Ready to Move Up to Second Level and Third Level?
[Recreation-and-Sports:Equestrian] Are you confused about whether or not your First Level Dressage Horse is ready to move up to Second Level or your Second Level horse is ready for Third Level? Use the dressage tests as your guideline.
- Tips on How to Train a Dressage Horse to Do Turn on the Haunches and Walk Pirouettes
[Recreation-and-Sports:Equestrian] The systematic way to train a dressage horse to do a walk pirouette is to start with turn on the haunches. A turn on the haunches is a 180-degree turn done at the walk.
- What Does It Look And Feel Like When My Dressage Horse Is On The Bit?
[Recreation-and-Sports:Equestrian] So many riders are confused by how a dressage horse should look and feel when he's honestly on the bit. In this article, I'll give you specific ways to tell if he's on the bit by what you see and what you feel.
- 5 Tips For Competing Your Dressage Horse At Any Level
[Recreation-and-Sports:Equestrian] Lots of you are getting ready to compete your dressage horse. So I want give you some competition tips to help you have the best experience possible. All of the dressage tests have certain movements in common-the entry, halt, salute, corners, circles, diagonals, and transitions. Nailing these can give you some great scores.
- When Can I Ask My Training Level Dressage Horse to Move Up to First Level?
[Recreation-and-Sports:Equestrian] Are you confused about when it's the right time to move your Training Level dressage horse up to First Level? Follow this simple plan to make a smooth transition from one level to the next.
- The "Multi-Tasking" Outside Rein
[Recreation-and-Sports:Equestrian] The outside rein is a multi-tasking rein. Use it to control speed, steer, keep your horse straight, connect him, and collect him.
- Don't Ever Use Your Hands Before Your Legs When Putting Your Horse on the Bit
[Recreation-and-Sports:Equestrian] If you only use your hands when putting your horse on the bit, you're making one of the biggest mistakes you can make. By focusing on the head and "getting the head down", you'll just be creating an artificial "head-set".
- Sit Centered and Keep Your Pelvis in "Neutral" to Ride in Good Balance
[Recreation-and-Sports:Equestrian] Since horseback riding is all about balance, you need to sit centered and keep your pelvis in a "neutral" position. When you think about making position corrections, always start with your seat. Fix your core first, and then work out to your extremities.
- Ride in Good Balance With Your Horse by Sitting Straight Upright
[Recreation-and-Sports:Equestrian] To ride in good balance when riding your horse be sure to sit upright, and keep a good plumb line with your shoulders directly over your hips and over your heels. Many riders lean behind the vertical because they think they're driving their horses more forward. This position just drives your horse's back down.
- What's the Difference Between Jaw Flexion and Poll Flexion?
[Recreation-and-Sports:Equestrian] A lot of riders aren't clear on the difference between flexion at the jaw and flexion at the poll, and how to ask for each of these positions. Keep in mind that a horse can flex three ways-to the left, to the right, and "in". What follows is a description of the specific aids to use for each of those positions.
- Tips to Supple a Stiff Horse
[Recreation-and-Sports:Equestrian] There are lots of exercises you can do to supple a stiff horse. But one of my favorites is one I call "+7/+1". It's an easy exercise to do if you follow the "recipe", and it yields amazing results.
- Learn to Feel When Your Dressage Horse is Straight
[Recreation-and-Sports:Equestrian] The best way to learn to feel straightness is to always riding your horse in what's called First Position. First Position isn't an exercise--it's just a straight horse that is bending the joints of his inside hind and carrying weight behind. Think of First Position as a very slight shoulder-fore.
- How Can I Tell If My Dressage Horse is Collected?
[Recreation-and-Sports:Equestrian] I often hear riders at the basic levels say that their dressage horses are collected. I assume they're confused and are actually talking about connection as opposed to collection. But since I run across this confusion a lot, I want to take some time to explain how to evaluate whether or not a horse is collected.
- Keep Your Hands In The "Work Area" When Riding Your Dressage Horse
[Recreation-and-Sports:Equestrian] When riding your dressage horse, it's important to keep your hands in what I call the "work area". The "work area" is just in front of the saddle above the horse's withers. Put your hands in that position and draw an imaginary box around them. That box is your work area.
- 9 Simple Tips to Help You Warm Up Your Dressage Horse
[Recreation-and-Sports:Equestrian] So many riders are confused about how to warm-up their dressage horses so they can have a productive schooling session. So here are 9 tips to help you with your warm-ups.
- Help For the Horse That Quickens His Tempo and Lifts His Knees in Trot Extensions
[Recreation-and-Sports:Equestrian] When you ask your horse to do trot extensions, does he just lifts his knees higher rather than extend? What follows are some simple solutions to that very common problem.
- Change of Lead Through the Trot
[Recreation-and-Sports:Equestrian] The First Level dressage tests call for lead change through the trot. Here's how to get a good score for that movement as well as deal the horse that likes to do a flying change instead of waiting for you.
- My Horse Avoids Contact by Ducking Behind the Bit
[Recreation-and-Sports:Equestrian] Many riders struggle with horses who don't understand contact with their hands. Some like to resist and go above the bit. Others evade contact by curling, diving under, and/or ducking behind the bit. For the horse that goes behind the bit, I've found that the best way to encourage a horse to take a contact with my hands is to teach him to go "forward through his body".
- What Should I Do When My Horse "Stalls" Out?
[Recreation-and-Sports:Equestrian] Many riders understand that if they give a light aid and their horses don't react, that they should do two things:
correct them, and then retest with the light aid to see if they're listening. However, they get confused about what to do if their horses are going along nicely for a while and then start to stall out. The big question seems to be: Do I give him a driving aid FIRST, or do I just correct him as soon as he slows down?
- Help For the Horse Who Goes Behind the Bit
[Recreation-and-Sports:Equestrian] Does your horse duck behind the bit when you pick up contact? There's a simple way to ask him to take a connection with your hands so he can come honestly on the bit.
- Engage Your Horse's Hind Legs
[Recreation-and-Sports:Equestrian] Are you confused by the term "engage the hind legs"? Engagement simply means the bending (or the folding) of the joints of the hind leg. What follows are the aids and movements that create different degrees of engagement.
- How Do I Bend My Horse?
[Recreation-and-Sports:Equestrian] It seems like lots of people are confused about the aids for bending. You need to be able to bend your horse evenly from poll to tail in order to develop his lateral suppleness.
- 3 Quick Tips to Make Sure Your Horse Bends in Lateral Work
[Recreation-and-Sports:Equestrian] In order for your lateral work such as shoulder-in, haunches-in, and half passes to be effective as collecting exercises, your horse must BEND. So here are 3 quick tips to help you determine if you're bending your horse correctly to get maximum benefit from your lateral work.
- A Quick Tip to Help You Switch Your Dressage Whip With Ease
[Recreation-and-Sports:Equestrian] Lots of riders are confused about how to smoothly switch their long dressage whip from one hand to the other. Here's a step-by-step method to switch your whip without disturbing the contact with your horse's mouth.
- Quick Tips For Helping Horseback Riders Overcome Fear
[Recreation-and-Sports:Equestrian] Fear is a very real issue for many horseback riders. And, why not? You're dealing with an animal that greatly outweighs you and is not always predictable.
- How to Get Your Dressage Horse on the Bit
[Recreation-and-Sports:Equestrian] Are You Making This Deadly Mistake? If you're sawing on your horse's mouth to get him "on the bit," you're headed down the wrong path.
- How to Develop a Language So You Can Communicate With Your Horse Better
[Recreation-and-Sports:Equestrian] Think about how it feels to have someone speak to you in a foreign language. If you don't know the language, you can't understand them. If they speak slower, you still won't have a clue what they're saying. If they shout at you, you still won't understand. That's how it is for your horse. When you train, you're developing a non-verbal language with him.
- Are You Confused About the Aids to Ask Your Horse to Leg Yield?
[Recreation-and-Sports:Equestrian] This article contains the aids for leg yielding both on a diagonal line and a circle. The seat, leg and rein aids are clearly laid out in a step by step.
- 3 Simple Tips to Help Riders Sit Straight and Square
[Recreation-and-Sports:Equestrian] Even if you're not a dressage rider, it's important to sit straight and square in the saddle. Can you tell if you're collapsing at your waist and sitting crookedly?
- How Do I Strengthen My Horse's Weaker Hind Leg?
[Recreation-and-Sports:Equestrian] Almost every horse has a weaker hind leg because few horses are ambidextrous. As his "physical therapist", here's what you can do to strengthen your horse's this leg.
- Should I Ride My Dressage Horse "Deep" Or "Up"?
[Recreation-and-Sports:Equestrian] You've probably heard lots of discussion about whether or not to work your dressage horse "deep." There are a variety of opinions on the matter. The simplest solution is to ride your horse in the opposite balance from the one he chooses on his own.
- What's a Good Tempo for My Horse?
[Recreation-and-Sports:Equestrian] How do you know how fast or how slowly to ride your horse? This article defines the difference between rhythm and tempo and helps you decide the best speed to ride your horse whether or not he's a dressage horse.
- So You Want to Start Flying Changes?
[Recreation-and-Sports:Equestrian] In a flying change, your horse stays in the canter and switches his lead during the moment of suspension, when all four feet are off the ground. In this article, I'll cover the preparation for the change, the timing of the aids,and the best places in the arena to ask for them.
- How Do I Help My Stiff Horse Bend?
[Recreation-and-Sports:Equestrian] Riders tend to think that the stiff side is the "bad" side because it feels harder for them to bend their horses when that side is on the inside. But you need to think outside the box. The stiff side is not the problem. If your horse feels stiff to the right, it's because the muscles on the left side of his body are shortened and contracted.
- 5 Tips to Help You Feel When Your Horse's Hind Legs Are on the Ground
[Recreation-and-Sports:Equestrian] Can you feel when your horse's hind legs are on the ground? This is an important skill to develop because the only time you can influence a hind leg is when it is on the ground.
- 9 Tips to Help You Sit the Trot
[Recreation-and-Sports:Equestrian] Having trouble sitting the trot? Here are 9 Quick Tips to help you with this very common problem.
- How Do I Get a Good Free Walk?
[Recreation-and-Sports:Equestrian] Are you confused about the free walk? In this article I describe not only what a free walk is and how to get a good one, but also how to solve common problems.
- Clearing Up Confusion About the Aids For the Canter Depart
[Recreation-and-Sports:Equestrian] Many people are confused about the aids for the canter. If you're confused, you can be sure your horse is confused too. In this article, I'll answer some of your most common canter questions.
- Can You Tell the Difference Between When Your Horse Runs and When He Lengthens?
[Recreation-and-Sports:Equestrian] Do you know the difference between running, lengthenings, medium gaits, and extended gaits? Here are some simple tips to help you tell one from the other.
- Customize Your Horse's Training Program - Should I Use a Light Leg or a Strong Leg?
[Recreation-and-Sports:Equestrian] It's important to have a training system so that you school your horse in a clear and consistent way. The down side of having only one system is that one approach doesn't work for all horses. If a particular system isn't right for your horse, and you try to force him to conform to that method, he can fall by the wayside. Because I want every horse to develop to his potential, I've come up with my system, which I call "Benign Antagonism".
- You Can Have a Great Ride Every Day!
[Recreation-and-Sports:Equestrian] Attitude is a choice. You don't have to have a bad day. Here are 3 simple ways to insure that every ride you have with your horse is a great one!
- Eliminate Leg Yielding Resistance
[Recreation-and-Sports:Equestrian] People often tell me that their horses tend to toss their heads and show resistance to the reins during leg yields. If this sounds like your horse, he's probably objecting to your contact with his mouth. Any effort to steady his head such as by tying it down or using draw reins is simply treating the symptom rather than the cause.
- Destroy Fear With An Attitude Of Gratitude
[Recreation-and-Sports:Equestrian] It's completely reasonable that occasionally you'll be afraid when you ride. After all, you're dealing with a reactive (reactive means bolt, spin, buck, shy, or rear!) animal that outweighs you by a lot! But you can destroy those fears by adopting an attitude of gratitude.
- Conquer Horseback Riding Fears by Changing the Software in Your Mental Computer
[Recreation-and-Sports:Equestrian] Conquer fear of horseback riding by changing your mental software rather than using will power or iron-jawed determination. All you have to do are two simple things. Reprogram your mind through visualization and self-talk.
- Ride with Soft Hands
[Recreation-and-Sports:Equestrian] Riding with soft hands is an awesome goal, and your horse will thank you for it. In this article, I'm going to give you both some simple physical exercises and also some fun mental exercises to help you achieve this goal.
- Canter On The Correct Lead Everytime!
[Recreation-and-Sports:Equestrian] 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 everytime!
- The Secret To Improving Athletic Performance Revealed - Reprogram Your Mental Software
[Recreation-and-Sports:Equestrian] Do you want to know how to become a better rider without taking tons more lessons? Do what I did. By putting the same amount (or more!) of effort into mental training as into skill development, I was able to realize my dream of representing the United States in international competition.
- The Half Halt - How to Put Your Horse On The Bit
[Recreation-and-Sports:Equestrian] Putting your horse in the bit does not have to be mysterious or complicated. Discover the secret used by professional trainers. That secret is the half halt.
- Conquer Horse Show Nerves
[Recreation-and-Sports:Equestrian] When you or your horse are tense at shows, you're not going to have much fun. Sure, a certain rush of adrenalin is normal and even welcome. But when you're so tense that you feel immobilized, you've got a problem. Here are some easy tips to help you relax in competition.
- Riding the Spooky Horse
[Recreation-and-Sports:Equestrian] Riding a spooky horse can be challenging and frustrating. Here are some simple tips to help you understand why your horse spooks and to give you some tools to help cope with shying.
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