How do I answer this

[Tufty]

My friend who has ridden for years now wants to start to ride correctly. She is a real get on them kick them and go sort of person and sticks on anything but now wants to ride in an outline etc. I have explained all about outline etc to her but she then said - well how come I see people who just get on and the horse is in an outline before they have even moved off ! shall I just give up trying to explain or have any of you got a better way of describing it to her. she is driving me mad !

 

[suestowford]

I have always been told that the best riders get a response from their horse by riding correctly, and the most correct riding involves using aids to the horse which are invisible to anyone watching. I can't do that, but then I am not a good rider. The best riders can give the aids invisibly, the horses respond accordingly.

Any good?

 

[the watcher]

Some horse appear to fall natually into an outline. Some riders are so well balanced and accurate in their aids they can appear to magically create an outline with no effort at all. They are the riders we would all like to be - but mostly are not.

Just because it looks easy doesn't mean it is, in fact this is a much higher level of skill and training and the path there is long, rocky and winding

 

[loopyloop]

Or maybe, some horses are just perfect in everyway and work into an outline as soon as they feel contact on the rein?!?

 

[_April_]

My mum's horse is like that loopyloop!! It's so lovely and light to the touch. She loves schooling and works so hard, is such a shame she has navicular.
I used to get on her and just walk about to know how it should feel! April is such a lazy little sod that I have to really work at it LOL

 

[Shilasdair]

There is nothing you can say to make her understand.
This is something she has to feel, not hear.
S

 

[loopyloop]

I worked for an eventer in Belgium and every single one of his horses were like that, Which was absolutely great, I learnt tonnes but must say doesn't do my little mare any favors as when she tantrums I tantrum at my instructor and say I want my eventers back!!!

Sorry to hear that, such a shame!

 

[jenbleep]

[ QUOTE ]


Just because it looks easy doesn't mean it is, in fact this is a much higher level of skill and training and the path there is long, rocky and winding

[/ QUOTE ]

haha don't i know it

 

[vicm2509]

I was watching my instructor ride. She competes her horse at Prix St. George. It was truly inspiring, her horse was doing all these amazing moves and it just looked like she was perched on the top all gracefully doing nothing at all. But really she must be a very skilled rider to get the best from a horse whilst making her aids look invisible.

I think you need to get her to have some lessons. Get a top instructor (one who rides a lot) and ask them to ride the horse first, then get her to sit on. That will show her how much skill is needed to get a horse to work correctly whilst looking like you are not doing much.

Its like a top SJ, people look and think the horse is amazing, but I bet a small minority of us could get on one of those and control it, let alone jump it the height they do.

 

[saskia295]

Give her a book or dvd for Christmas and save your breath!!

 

[amandathepanda]

Get the Carl Hester Basic Dressage book - it'll make your life much easier!

 

[moocow]

Ha! This is exactly what happens when I ride my mare - she has been schooled professionally and when the guy who is schooling her rides her, she is amazing but when I get on board she is a donkey! Its just because I am a terrible rider compared to him. Just an idea but do you have access to any of these horses that she says go brilliantly the minute someone gets on board? would be a good lesson to let her watch them be ridden by a good rider and then get her on board even at a walk and see what happens! it certainly isn't as easy as it looks - I wish it was!

 

[Tufty]

have just printed off the whole of the sue morris classical riding web site for her and stuck it in the tack room that should keep her busy for a while ! thanks for the replies it was driving me mad