So, I did this today. Instead of a long warm up with walk and some rising trot on long sides and circles, I used the nice sunny day to follow your advice from the start. Walk, halt, walk, halt, walk, trot, walk, halt, trot, walk, trot, halt. Wow... just wow. After 15 minutes he wanted to canter just to get away from that! :D He was soft and forward and we finally made some progress on 8m canter figure-8s (with simply changes... but we were struggling with that on the way to flying ones). Poor boy, he doesn't know this is going to be the new normal now! ;)
Another super video, Amelia! It’s great to see the training tips actually being demonstrated. My boy can start out sluggish, so this will help us in our warm ups to get that desired energy.
This is a great video--exactly what I'm working on with my ex-school horse Mocha--and is so encouraging and reassuring in that I'm going about this in the right way--I've definitely bookmarked this! My instructor has been helping me with this--lots of little transitions within and outside of the gaits, and mixing up different patterns. Mocha is doing so much better--she now has a good marching walk pretty much from the get-go, and is progressing well from walk to trot, and walk to canter. The main project du jour is for her to consistently go into and maintain a good working trot, and thus to provide a good platform for everything else (including allowing me to work on my seat, which always needs improvement!). It's hard to achieve a good rhthym when one's horse is being a pokey little pony, and having Mocha improve as to no longer being 'Mo-lasses' is very exciting. Again, thank you for this timely video. Your riding is so beautiful and I hope to achieve something like it someday.
These exercises really do work, I had the same issue with my laidback gelding, and this is exactly how I ride him. Also only one or two days on the arena a week, and lots of work out in a more open space to encourage the forward thinking and transitions transitions transitions 🤣🤣😍
Oh my goodness! Tried this today in a lesson and it worked like a charm! I have an event horse who is excited in cross country but behind the leg in the arena. Not any more thanks to you!
Omg thank you for reminding me about these exercises! My horse is so freaking lazy, but when I have done this in the past he has become so electric and in front of the leg 🙏
Thanks so much for so many helpful videos, every time you upload an exercise it gives me 'homework' for the week and it really helps me and my horse improve. The snowman exercise is still my favourite to warm up and I use it regularly. When friends ask where I get my ideas I can say I get tips from an international rider haha and then share your channel (I'm from Australia).
Great advice! I’ve just started leasing a horse who was previously a lesson horse and definitely needs some tuning up. Lazy and needs to be conditioned. Im hoping I can have him start actually react to my legs soon without having to work harder than him
I’ve grown up training and showing OTTBs for the most part. I now have an incredibly talented but not self-propelling KWPN who makes me work for efforts. As you can imagine I’m finding it difficult to establish a ‘go button’ on my young man... I’m excited to try out these techniques tomorrow evening!
That's just beautiful riding! You did a video not to long ago about this and I had amazing success with it. My mentor used to talk about response with respect. I always thought it was a pretty deep piece of horsemanship.
These are great. I'd like to see one about how to get a better quality walk, with a horse that likes to speed up, jig then stall (repeat, repeat), rather than transition down to a good, forward medium walk. If you have the time sometime. Thanks 🙂👍
Regarding the non rhythmic, tense backed walk, I, too, struggled. My answer came from my dog training profession and the concept of building great leash walking skills by taking turns; “I decide where we are walking and then you decide” game. With my mare, I had created a NER (negative emotional response) to the walk, evidenced by her ears pointed back on me, by taking all the turns and doing all the deciding in terms of where we walk and how we walk and I guess she was sick of not ever getting a turn. Now I try to start my rides walking on the buckle outside of the arena someplace interesting and simply letting her go exploring with me “along for the ride” passively following her back however she takes me. It was interesting to go with her and see what she wanted to explore. Her ears came up and neck went down and her feet started going somewhere with a purpose. I started sneaking in a few short turns and was able to briefly capture this feeling of freedom while I decided where we were going. The duration is now longer and has transferred to inside the arena. I think it improved our relationship with her now thinking that I don’t do all the talking all the time. Her turn is coming.
do you have any tips on getting the walk-halt soft and relaxed? My horse is very soft and round in the walk and trot (canter can still be hit or miss) and reactive to my leg but whenever I ask for halt she braces on my hand and runs through my aids. She has no problem standing still at all, will stand all day if you ask but for some reason, she really struggles with the halt transition. I've tried so many things but she hasn't really made progress
Hi Amelia. I'm riding Prix St. George on a hot lazy horse, definitely a contradiction in terms! Your videos are very helpful! Thank you and keep it coming!
You have no idea how timely this video is! Moving into the Southern winter, he's getting lazy on me again - and with the other improvements he's made I just don't want to go back to attaching chainsaws as spurs. ;) I also find it interesting that you find it no big deal to click your tongue. Some trainers go absolute insane when you "dare" use voice aids like that. However, canter is still our weak spot. It's like he just doesn't see the point and wants a meeting to discuss the advantages first. I don't want to dig in spurs. So I maybe touch him with the stick - and then he kicks out, because ... I mean, really? Cantering bigger? That energy could be used digesting carrots! How do you get the canter more forward? He has an 8.0 walk, and our trot is now looking really nice with some good medium. But canter, I still do all the work and after 2 rounds feel like *I* ran the marathon. :'(
Only after I had both my hips replaced did I gradually realize how much I was blocking the canter and driving with my seat bones. When I think of flexing in my hip joints I get a much lighter, uphill canter and it's much easier.
@@bocolewish How did the replacement affect that? Asking because I'm getting to where that may one day be necessary (is there an equestrian who won't?) - in fact, after breaking my hip from a riding accident that moment was closer than I feared, though I managed to stave it off with stem cell treatment.
Ok... im just sitting here laughing! Your conversation with you horse is the same as mine... ! He sees no point in why he should continue to canter completely thru the piroutte when he can do some walk steps!🤦♀️ 🤣
@@bocolewish Good to know, should I ever have to pull the plug. Right now, maybe I can stave it off for a few more years. It's not the riding - it's the falling off that's the risk after HR.
ok... do you like have a camera in my arena? 😳 This is my Frankie! love him to pieces... but can i say lazy with a capital L? 🤣😴 Daily struggle... these are all the things i do with him... we're making progress! Still losing some power when we transition to movements... but we're getting there! Great video and Harvey is spectacular! 🙃❤
No. This is get your horse hot and reactive, if he's already hot and reactive, you'll be doing your best to keep him calm and collected... Isn't that fun, eek....
Thank you for your wonderful videos! I keep hearing a "clicking" noise...you are describing your aids but not mentioning that you are also clicking verbally to him so Im wondering if it is a noise from recording or if you give your leg aid and then verbally clicking to him before giving him a kick if he doesn't respond??
¿I must be doing something wrong; mine is a little(maybe a lot) reactive. I've been doing walk trot transitions, to let her calm down. Whisper touch with leg aid, change direction is a little to fast.....?
Hi Amelia. I think your videos are great and I learn so much from them. Two days ago I had my horse of a lifetime put to sleep due to colic. Although I'm grieving and he is irreplaceable, I'm lost without him and need a horse in my life again. However, I've had him for 13 years and he's been a saint so I'm worried about getting on something new. I would like a youngster, say 5 or 6 but I'm nervous about trying them. Do you have any tips for riding young green horses?
Hi there... so sorry ti hear about your loss. Heartbreaking. 😞 Im pretty sure i remember a video Amelia did on trying horses.... and or riding young ones you're not familar with. Her brother Joesph also has some good young horses videos on his channel. Just scroll thru the videos on their channel page! Huggs....and may the memories of you last horse bring you joy. ❤
Hi Amelia, my young horse is behind my leg and I find it very hard to motivate him. My trainer says forwards from the leg and basic schooling should be something I can do 3/4 times a week with him. Do you agree repetition and consistency are good for young horses, it is only ever 20/30 mins. I worry about doing too much in an arena. He hacks out at weekends to vary his workload. X
Amelia Newcomb Dressage thank you. Im going to practice holding and using the whip correctly with reins in my hand off the horse first. That looked so tidy and effective. X
Hi Amelia! Could you make a video about improving the trot? Getting the movements bigger but not faster and how to activate the hind legs. I would move to have that nice bouncy trot on my boy!
So, I did this today. Instead of a long warm up with walk and some rising trot on long sides and circles, I used the nice sunny day to follow your advice from the start. Walk, halt, walk, halt, walk, trot, walk, halt, trot, walk, trot, halt. Wow... just wow. After 15 minutes he wanted to canter just to get away from that! :D He was soft and forward and we finally made some progress on 8m canter figure-8s (with simply changes... but we were struggling with that on the way to flying ones). Poor boy, he doesn't know this is going to be the new normal now! ;)
Yay!! That’s awesome! Glad it helped.
Another super video, Amelia! It’s great to see the training tips actually being demonstrated. My boy can start out sluggish, so this will help us in our warm ups to get that desired energy.
This is a great video--exactly what I'm working on with my ex-school horse Mocha--and is so encouraging and reassuring in that I'm going about this in the right way--I've definitely bookmarked this! My instructor has been helping me with this--lots of little transitions within and outside of the gaits, and mixing up different patterns. Mocha is doing so much better--she now has a good marching walk pretty much from the get-go, and is progressing well from walk to trot, and walk to canter. The main project du jour is for her to consistently go into and maintain a good working trot, and thus to provide a good platform for everything else (including allowing me to work on my seat, which always needs improvement!). It's hard to achieve a good rhthym when one's horse is being a pokey little pony, and having Mocha improve as to no longer being 'Mo-lasses' is very exciting. Again, thank you for this timely video. Your riding is so beautiful and I hope to achieve something like it someday.
These exercises really do work, I had the same issue with my laidback gelding, and this is exactly how I ride him. Also only one or two days on the arena a week, and lots of work out in a more open space to encourage the forward thinking and transitions transitions transitions 🤣🤣😍
Oh my goodness! Tried this today in a lesson and it worked like a charm! I have an event horse who is excited in cross country but behind the leg in the arena. Not any more thanks to you!
Omg thank you for reminding me about these exercises! My horse is so freaking lazy, but when I have done this in the past he has become so electric and in front of the leg 🙏
Thanks so much for so many helpful videos, every time you upload an exercise it gives me 'homework' for the week and it really helps me and my horse improve. The snowman exercise is still my favourite to warm up and I use it regularly. When friends ask where I get my ideas I can say I get tips from an international rider haha and then share your channel (I'm from Australia).
I love the snowman too!! Thank you for sharing with you friends!
Much needed this- thank you! Can’t wait to try this next time I ride.
You’re videos really help me, thank you!
Great advice! I’ve just started leasing a horse who was previously a lesson horse and definitely needs some tuning up. Lazy and needs to be conditioned. Im hoping I can have him start actually react to my legs soon without having to work harder than him
I’ve grown up training and showing OTTBs for the most part. I now have an incredibly talented but not self-propelling KWPN who makes me work for efforts. As you can imagine I’m finding it difficult to establish a ‘go button’ on my young man... I’m excited to try out these techniques tomorrow evening!
That was a master class Amelia !!! And beautiful Harvey as a bonus ❤️
This is exactly what I am working on and this video is super helpful. Thanks!
That's just beautiful riding! You did a video not to long ago about this and I had amazing success with it. My mentor used to talk about response with respect. I always thought it was a pretty deep piece of horsemanship.
"Response with respect" -- Love it!!
These are great. I'd like to see one about how to get a better quality walk, with a horse that likes to speed up, jig then stall (repeat, repeat), rather than transition down to a good, forward medium walk. If you have the time sometime. Thanks 🙂👍
Ah yes!! This is a hard problem to fix!!
Yes, please! I have this same issue.
Regarding the non rhythmic, tense backed walk, I, too, struggled. My answer came from my dog training profession and the concept of building great leash walking skills by taking turns; “I decide where we are walking and then you decide” game. With my mare, I had created a NER (negative emotional response) to the walk, evidenced by her ears pointed back on me, by taking all the turns and doing all the deciding in terms of where we walk and how we walk and I guess she was sick of not ever getting a turn. Now I try to start my rides walking on the buckle outside of the arena someplace interesting and simply letting her go exploring with me “along for the ride” passively following her back however she takes me. It was interesting to go with her and see what she wanted to explore. Her ears came up and neck went down and her feet started going somewhere with a purpose. I started sneaking in a few short turns and was able to briefly capture this feeling of freedom while I decided where we were going. The duration is now longer and has transferred to inside the arena. I think it improved our relationship with her now thinking that I don’t do all the talking all the time. Her turn is coming.
Great exercises for my horse. You must have a camera in my arena too!
😂😂😂 I have eyes everywhere!!
do you have any tips on getting the walk-halt soft and relaxed? My horse is very soft and round in the walk and trot (canter can still be hit or miss) and reactive to my leg but whenever I ask for halt she braces on my hand and runs through my aids. She has no problem standing still at all, will stand all day if you ask but for some reason, she really struggles with the halt transition. I've tried so many things but she hasn't really made progress
Hi Amelia. I'm riding Prix St. George on a hot lazy horse, definitely a contradiction in terms! Your videos are very helpful! Thank you and keep it coming!
Hi! Thank you for helpful videos, just a question. How do I keep my horse well muscled and how can I build up his muscles?
This exercise seems like a good way to warm-up for your ride...
Definitely! A great way to get your horse responsive to your aids.
You have no idea how timely this video is! Moving into the Southern winter, he's getting lazy on me again - and with the other improvements he's made I just don't want to go back to attaching chainsaws as spurs. ;) I also find it interesting that you find it no big deal to click your tongue. Some trainers go absolute insane when you "dare" use voice aids like that. However, canter is still our weak spot. It's like he just doesn't see the point and wants a meeting to discuss the advantages first. I don't want to dig in spurs. So I maybe touch him with the stick - and then he kicks out, because ... I mean, really? Cantering bigger? That energy could be used digesting carrots! How do you get the canter more forward? He has an 8.0 walk, and our trot is now looking really nice with some good medium. But canter, I still do all the work and after 2 rounds feel like *I* ran the marathon. :'(
Only after I had both my hips replaced did I gradually realize how much I was blocking the canter and driving with my seat bones. When I think of flexing in my hip joints I get a much lighter, uphill canter and it's much easier.
@@bocolewish How did the replacement affect that? Asking because I'm getting to where that may one day be necessary (is there an equestrian who won't?) - in fact, after breaking my hip from a riding accident that moment was closer than I feared, though I managed to stave it off with stem cell treatment.
@@michaelhoffmann2891 Wonderful! New lease on life and riding!
Ok... im just sitting here laughing! Your conversation with you horse is the same as mine... ! He sees no point in why he should continue to canter completely thru the piroutte when he can do some walk steps!🤦♀️ 🤣
@@bocolewish Good to know, should I ever have to pull the plug. Right now, maybe I can stave it off for a few more years. It's not the riding - it's the falling off that's the risk after HR.
ok... do you like have a camera in my arena? 😳 This is my Frankie! love him to pieces... but can i say lazy with a capital L? 🤣😴 Daily struggle... these are all the things i do with him... we're making progress! Still losing some power when we transition to movements... but we're getting there! Great video and Harvey is spectacular! 🙃❤
Thank you! Hope these exercises help!!
Thanks Amelia.
Good stuff here. Thanks for the tips.
This horse is super trained! I would like to see you riding my hot and reactive horse.
No. This is get your horse hot and reactive, if he's already hot and reactive, you'll be doing your best to keep him calm and collected... Isn't that fun, eek....
Awesome! Can’t wait to ride next!
Thank you for your wonderful videos! I keep hearing a "clicking" noise...you are describing your aids but not mentioning that you are also clicking verbally to him so Im wondering if it is a noise from recording or if you give your leg aid and then verbally clicking to him before giving him a kick if he doesn't respond??
¿I must be doing something wrong; mine is a little(maybe a lot) reactive. I've been doing walk trot transitions, to let her calm down. Whisper touch with leg aid, change direction is a little to fast.....?
Hi Amelia. I think your videos are great and I learn so much from them. Two days ago I had my horse of a lifetime put to sleep due to colic. Although I'm grieving and he is irreplaceable, I'm lost without him and need a horse in my life again. However, I've had him for 13 years and he's been a saint so I'm worried about getting on something new. I would like a youngster, say 5 or 6 but I'm nervous about trying them. Do you have any tips for riding young green horses?
Hi there... so sorry ti hear about your loss. Heartbreaking. 😞
Im pretty sure i remember a video Amelia did on trying horses.... and or riding young ones you're not familar with.
Her brother Joesph also has some good young horses videos on his channel. Just scroll thru the videos on their channel page!
Huggs....and may the memories of you last horse bring you joy. ❤
th-cam.com/video/7Wl8BjPWwuU/w-d-xo.html
Hi again... this is the video i was mentioning. Hope its helpful!
Hi Amelia, my young horse is behind my leg and I find it very hard to motivate him. My trainer says forwards from the leg and basic schooling should be something I can do 3/4 times a week with him. Do you agree repetition and consistency are good for young horses, it is only ever 20/30 mins. I worry about doing too much in an arena. He hacks out at weekends to vary his workload. X
3-4 times a week is ok for sure!
Amelia Newcomb Dressage thank you. Im going to practice holding and using the whip correctly with reins in my hand off the horse first. That looked so tidy and effective. X
Hi Amelia! Could you make a video about improving the trot? Getting the movements bigger but not faster and how to activate the hind legs. I would move to have that nice bouncy trot on my boy!
Yes! I have on on developing cadence in the trot. Look on my youtube channel!
@@AmeliaNewcombDressage Thank you so much! You and your brother are my fav youtubers!
You help me so much. Everyone--join her Patreon account!!
I have to ask you what kind of boots you wear?
DeNiro or Petrie
I bet you the spurs help you a lot too.