(“. . . mysteriously–almost magically . . .”)

I get a lot of nervous, panicky questions from owners about things their horses are doing. “Why did he kick out when I tried to make a flying change?” “He’s playing with the bit. What do I do?” “His neck gets too low in the trot!” Those are three out of dozens which I hear.

Most of the time what they are overwrought about is just a symptom of a more basic problem. And very often the answer is if we go back and address the underlying cause, in time what is so concerning to them will simply go away.
Here and there an issue can be solved with a quick fix: “Don’t put your outside leg so far back;”
“Don’t over bend him with the inside rein.” But much of the time the solution must be applied incrementally and it takes effect gradually. The horse’s muscles have to be strengthened. Or it takes many trials to deprogram an old habit and build a new one. That’s equally true both with the horse and his rider!

There’s a Scandinavian rhyme that Colonel Sommer used to repeat to us:
“Mind these three:
T – T – T
Hear their chime
Things take time.”

It may sound a bit simplistic and even overly optimistic to you, but it’s really true. It’s amazing how many times if you plug away and keep doing the right thing, mysteriously – almost magically –the problem you were so upset about simply dissipates. That, after all, is how the system is supposed to work!