Mini Hop with Young Rider
It is never too early to start riding. Here is a young rider starting out on Mini Hop, preparing to take her first steps in the saddle. Mini is patient and gentle, the perfect horse to begin a riding career on.
“Hidalgo” prays with the Sisters
Last week the Sisters from a local retreat on Wethersfield came to meet RJ aka “Hidalgo” perform his many tricks. It was amazing how many of the Sisters have seen the film and were aware of this horse. RJ was a star as usual, being a perfect gentleman for the crowd.
Beginner Novice Event Horse
“I Try Harder” or “Sam” is a lovely beginner novice event horse who has won many events. He is kind and easy for the timid rider, a fun horse to learn on and compete. He is a beautiful TB bay, 15 hand gelding looking for a new partner. contact cari@cariswanson to schedule an appointment to ride him.
Soften the Inside Rein
When the rider is holding the inside rein with too much pressure, the horse is unhappy, uncomfortable and will not move with complete freedom in any gait. A simple effective excercise for the rider is to continually release the inside rein by softening the arm muscles and relaxing the shoulders. The result is impressive with a horse in balance. Note the difference the rider makes in these two images. Try focusing on a creating a soft neck in your horse simply by relaxing in the saddle without throwing away the connection.
Dash at Saratoga Raceway
Dash enjoying a weekend at the Saratoga Racetrack. Here he is waiting for Joa to ride her class so he can return to the stable for a drink of water and some shade.
New RJ Video, Star Trick Horse from “Hidalgo”
The all new, great big, Ona Kiser video of RJ the wonder horse. He is such a stud!
You can visit Ona’s videography website here.
Saratoga Weekend
Bond enjoying a cool vetrolin bath by Dean at the barn in Saratoga.
Bond is curious as to what is in that wine glass Alex is holding.It was a beautiful weekend at the track. We had a picnic under the shedrow overhang in the afternoon. A quiet day compared to the hustle and bustle of the track in August when the races are in full swing. We will return to bet on our favorite horses later in the summer.
Dressage at Saratoga
Another beautiful weekend in Saratoga at the racetrack for the annual Dressage at Saratoga organized by ENDYCTA. This is one of the most fun shows on the East coast to attend because of the location at the track and all of the events that coincide with the show. There was the antique car show, petting zoo, many vendors and rides so that the weekend offers something for the entire family. The horses are stabled where all the race horses live for August. This is an easy show no matter what the weather because of the permanant stalls and shedrows with convenient overhangs to protect us from the sun or rain. Riding on the track is so much fun, especially galloping a dressage horse on the back stretch after riding in front of the grandstand.
Congratulations to Joa who won several classes in training level and first level on her partner, Kestrel.
The Horse’s Eye Presents Training DVD Series
Tony Mason and Cari Swanson have created a unique training series of dvd’s for students who want to continue their education in the saddle. Each session allows the viewer to watch the progress of horse and rider improve the quality of the gaits through a series of excercises that are easy to practice at home.
You will witness mistakes and how they are corrected so that you can learn how to work through problems at home with your horse. Subscriptions for one lesson a month are available on the web site www.cariswanson.com or you can sample a training session individually if you prefer.
We encourage you to send in your questions and training problems which will be addressed in future sessions.
Falling in on the Circle in Canter
This rider clearly demonstrates how not to ride a circle. The horse is falling in on the circle, is out of balance and is not bending through his body. Do you ever have difficulty riding a round circle? This is a common problem and can be easily fixed with several simple excercises.
Simplify everything. Go back to walk and find the bend in your horses body. Check to make sure you are not holding your horse by softening the inside rein to confirm he is carrying himself. Make several transitions to trot and back to walk confirming that you are balanced and can maintain the bend. If you can, proceed to trot/canter transitions always softening the inside rein to check your balance.
Leg yielding into the transition will help put the horse in the correct position and help you maintain the bend. Now try to ride your circle with bend in the body of your horse. If you are falling in then go back to the simple excercise at walk. Only proceed if you are able to maintain the bend. This will take some focus and practice but once achieved you will be able to ride beautiful circles in balance while maintaining your rhythm.