BILL— In a word: “judiciously.” And never in anger. It should be a reinforcement of your natural aids, the leg and the weight. They should precede the whip by a fraction of a second so your horse understands what you’re reinforcing.
Category Archives: qotm archives
Past Questions of the Month are listed below in chronological order. Just click on the Question to pull up Bill’s Answers.
Throughness and engagement/collection with loose reins?
Is it possible to have real throughness and engagement/collection with long, even loose reins?
Concerns about a friend’s new trainer
My good friend started riding with a new trainer in town. He has very different ideas and he seems really tough on the horses. My friend’s horse, normally a very nice, quiet guy but a bit limited in the talent department, now is very tense and unhappy looking. Should I say something to her or keep my opinion to myself? I would hate for this to come between our friendship.
What’s the difference between cadence and suspension?
BILL—Let’s go to the USDF Glossary of Judging Terms for starters. As is the case with much of our dressage vocabulary, many terms don’t exist in isolation but usually in relation to other ones. CADENCE is defined as “the marked accentuation of the rhythm and emphasized beat that is a result of a steady and suitable tempo harmonizing with a springy impulsion.” [Bold face addition mine] You could imagine it not only visually but aurally—the marked sound of a rhythmical, repetitive drumbeat.
Do horses love their owners?
BILL— Okay, after a number of fits and starts I am ready to take a swing at this one.
What is Too big? Too small?
BILL– OK, I am staying totally away from the “size matters “jokes. But when it comes to choosing a horse, particularly if you’re paying money for it, as you take into account all the suitability factors, size should be one of them.
Warm up on a loose rein?
QOTM: I try to ride my mare on a loose rein so she’ll relax. When my trainer gets there she tells me to shorten my reins a lot because my horse is too quick, borderline running away at the trot and no where near being round or on the aids. She wants my horse to basically ‘earn’ a longer rein by going slower and giving in. Will that really help relax her?
What’s the difference between counter canter and cantering on the wrong lead?
Bill— The most obvious answer is that it’s a matter of intent. Being on the outside lead by accident gets you no credit. However, that heightened level of obedience to your aids which allows you to choose your lead—true or counter— ensures that your horse is not taking his lead by rote or on autopilot.
Can my emotions or negative thoughts affect how my horse goes?
BiLL— “Clouded judgment is bad judgment.” I think Al Roker said that. Regardless, it is certainly true that if you are grumpy, depressed, irritated about some other facet of your life, or just plain off your game, it’s not going to help your riding or your horse!
Whiskers on dressage horses?
I recently went to a schooling show that offered hunter/ jumper and dressage classes. I am thinking of trying some dressage so I went to watch. There was a very fancy horse doing 4th level. I talked with the rider after and noticed the horse’s whiskers weren’t clipped. I asked if she didn’t clip because it was a schooling show and she told me she had stopped clipping years ago and really didn’t know anyone who clipped whiskers or ears anymore. Is this ok in dressage??
BILL— It is more than totally OK in dressage, even at the biggest recognized shows. At the moment there is no specific FEI rule, but in some European countries where dressage obviously is very popular, it is literally against the law to trim whiskers or inside your horse’s ears. This is a horse welfare issue, not an aesthetic one. A horse’s whiskers are part of his tactile sensory apparatus, and to deprive him of them seems unfair and unkind. Many top trainers in the US have a European background, so it seems perfectly normal for them to allow the whiskers to be natural. In the dressage world you won’t get a sideways look.