tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7409574810363484175.post3668455768828116613..comments2023-07-01T09:42:26.406-04:00Comments on Listen to the Horse: AnnieSteuart Pittman Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/14180590567616866269noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7409574810363484175.post-31588406204016168382011-04-08T04:29:16.367-04:002011-04-08T04:29:16.367-04:00Great post, Steuart.
You know, Walter Zettl (the g...Great post, Steuart.<br />You know, Walter Zettl (the great master of classical dressage and opponent of the use of force in riding) taught us to always use side reins on the school horses for flat work. He said that, because the side reins are so much more steady than even the best rider in the world can ever be (and certainly more steady than the average lesson student) the horses will relax, stretch to and accept the bit more quickly and consistently. Side reins will also (if correctly adjusted) teach riders to ride with a forward rather than backward connection, because the horse is automatically "on the contact" - i.e., within the "boundary" that you discuss. A third benefit is that side reins teach both horse and rider about balance on the outside rein.<br />One final tip that Walter taught us: you can reduce the risk of attaching the side rein to the bit of a nervous horse by unbuckling the strap at the girth or surcingle before you clip it to the bit. Then re-buckle it after clipping to the bit. That way, the horse feels the constriction gradually, rather than suddenly, so - hopefully - it won't be as likely to panic.<br />I'm looking forward to reading more about your progress with Annie!Jane Seiglerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03384779177555109331noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7409574810363484175.post-47924491572797197852011-04-08T00:37:32.503-04:002011-04-08T00:37:32.503-04:00I really enjoyed reading this. It gives me hope t...I really enjoyed reading this. It gives me hope that one day I can get on Star's back and we can have a conversation instead of me just confusing her.Christie Lane Cravenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07781978401005337881noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7409574810363484175.post-84418719624744515992011-04-07T21:43:47.602-04:002011-04-07T21:43:47.602-04:00"younger students who want so much to get it ..."younger students who want so much to get it right, whose bodies get more and more tense as progress slips further and further away." <br /><br />I've learned this feeling so well between my dynamic mounts.Traceyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11093920535612507599noreply@blogger.com