Hot horses still need leg
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Posted
by Mara at
8/7/2009 11:13 AM PDT
on Horse Barn
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Riding hot horses is a skill in and of itself. They require a greater degree of subtleness in the aids that you give them, and you often have to find the balance between being strong enough to control them yet soft enough not to make them nervous.
One of the most common faults we make as riders when riding these hotter more forward horses, is that we assume because they are fast and going forward that they are in front of our leg. Because of this, both in our flat work and jumping, it is easy to end up riding backwards and to not have a connection from your leg.
With one of my lesson horses I see this very often especially over fences. Riders will steer towards the jump but have absolutely no leg on and boom, she stops because she doesn’t feel any support from the rider. This is such a good learning experience for riders and while it can be frustrating I think we learn the most from the horses that challenge us.
Mara
