#1 Secret to Riding in Balance and Confidence with Your Horse, Part III
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 6 ก.พ. 2025
- In our previous videos, part I • #1 Secret to Riding in... and part II, • #1 Secret to Riding in... , I discussed and demonstrated the #1 secret to riding in balance and confidence - and it had nothing to do with the rider’s experience or skill sets either. We looked at what that looked like with Lovey and will dive in even deeper in this video today.
Being a good or even great rider begins with a good or even greater riding horse. No matter how big the movement is with our horse, having a horse that is smooth, relaxed, and regular will help most riders learn to ride well, feel confident and in balance.
Not to mention, riding a smooth riding horse allows the rider to focus on themselves, learning the many pieces of rider mechanics necessary to being a good or great rider.
Developing a horse’s movement should begin on the ground and with the lunge, preferably the free lunge. This allows the horse the level of freedom needed to relax, open their topline and round it and engage their hindquarters - the 3 most important areas to develop during lunging and training overall.
In part II I showed you what equipment I use, the size of my lunge circle and I began talking to you about how to train your eye to your horse’s biomechanics - the way they are moving so you can assess whether they are moving correctly or not.
Unlike the previous two videos we are going to begin today in the round pen. This is where I recommend beginning all lunging. Lunging should be free for the horse at first so they can develop self-regulation - control of speed and direction and control of their mind. This teaches the horse to find relaxation and mental discipline through focus - focusing on where they are traveling, how and your guides (aids).
Of course, learning how to free lunge takes time and training, just like training your eye and your horse’s movement. In this video I will show you the first phase of lunging which begins with training your eye and the second phase, developing the horse’s walk.
After I talk about what I want you to see, developing your eye, I will show you how to begin developing your horse.
Equipment and recommended area:
Long lunge whip
50’ diameter circle
Where to begin and how:
Begin at the free walk
Use your focus, energy, body and lunge whip as tools to guide your horse’s speed and direction
Get your speed and direction first, then;
Focus on what you see in your horse’s movement, then;
Guide and correct unbalanced movement
In the beginning, most horses will:
Not be able to walk straight
Will be crooked, drop a shoulder, lean in on the circle
Carry a high headset, higher than their withers
Be nervous and quick, rush at the walk, pick up the trot
Have a short stride vs long and stretched stride
Not be able to track up
This list represents most, about 95% of horses. Whether your horse is all of these or just a couple, they are showing you they are not balanced, and their movement needs improvement.
Please click here to learn more about how to develop your horse while you develop your riding skills www.taoofhorse...
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I love the kindness and gentleness of your method. Your horses are relaxed and happy ! This is how they all should be if we do it right. Yes, take the time that it takes !
I never realized why I always seem to have to circle around during trail rides because I am far ahead. I had been asking for the big working walk without realizing that. I have learned so much from my living room. This huge working walk is probably, come to think of it, why people felt good about handing me their babies for a trail ride even though I was pretty green. That working walk is great exercise and adrenaline stays low for it. I have not seen a horse disaster happen during a walk. It quiets their mind and works the body. That must be why if a horse had some sort of anxiety attack that affected their minds the following day, owner would only walk them for several weeks before doing some walk/trot transitions. Then she might try a short canter and transition back to a flat walk. All the things I didn't understand and failed to ask you are teaching me. I can never thank you enough.
P.S. If you ever want to learn bowling as my gift to you, let me know. That is the only thing I ever mastered in a way that you might appreciate. It ran in my family. 😊
I wanted to add that this woman that I discuss above would not allow any of the kids to ride that horse again until horse passed her checks which I understand now were adrenaline checks. How hot are you today, horse? Are you back with us yet or must we walk some more?
She was a responsible owner and would never put a kid in a situation they are likely to get seriously hurt from with 1 exception I am happy to excuse. A very hot Saddlebred "Contractor" refused to load back up from Parkland showgrounds and we tried for quite some while. We had to get him home and I could not drive a trailer at 13. I was the best shot she had to get him home in 1 piece. I rode him home 4.5 miles and not 1 step was a flat walk. She paced us the whole way with the trailer shielding us from view of traffic. I hope she was proud when we finally did get to the front gate. I know I was and always will be. This horse was a 2 time Reserve Champ in Saddleseat Equitation and could have bolted in 4 out of 5 of his gaits.
I feel positive that without her requiring us to learn bareback, I would not have been cut out for that task. She always felt that if she took all proper precautions we would not need helmets, cruel bits, or any of that nonsense. We never did.
I am sure Carol Anne Biggs-Owens would have loved Caroline very much! You ladies were more similar than anyone else I have found since she passed away. RIP
Caroline you are the best! I m enjoying your videos sooo much! Wish once i could visit you👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
This is so inspiring. Not even that you can develop the movement you want to ride but also that the horse is so relaxed she just wants to play and I never saw that somewhere else. Everyone I saw as a beginner just surpressed the horse or declared it as bucking or bad manners. Awesome to see even that once in a while. Very inspiring and also something I am happily jealous of.
Hey! I’m a little behind I’m working on giving all your videos a like right now.
Really super and professional lesson! Lessons are always difficult to live with to the end, but I did this time and happy, to find this information, tommorow will practise this with my horse. Thank you teacher! You are perfect!
Yes you are very calm and firm do you teach with treats?
Hi Cornelia and Welcome! Thank you and no, I do not use treats. The relationship is the treat and motivation.