The QUESTION OF THE MONTH IS RIGHT BEFORE YOUR EYES!
(Send yours to us for an answer)
QOTM- Should I squeeze, kick, or use the whip?
BILL– “As little as possible, as much as is necessary” is more than a cliché. It is sound advice.
One underlying concept of maximum importance is that horses don’t respond to pressure. They respond to changes in pressure. I can gradually build up the amount of leg I use on my horse in a way that allows him to totally ignore it. Conversely, a gentle squeezing increase of leg which I immediately relax as the horse responds to it can make him very sensitive.
We like not to have to kick, but it is an imperfect world. Horses arrive on our doorstep with varying personalities and baggage from past training experiences. A kick is a louder squeeze. The whip comes when a kick isn’t enough. But the whip isn’t used by itself. It must not come as though the horse has been struck by a lightning bolt without knowing why or how he should react. Ask with the leg first. When you don’t get enough response, repeat the leg aid and almost instantaneously reinforce it with the whip. The whip must explain so that the next time the leg by itself has sufficient meaning.
In general, the goal is to start with a fairly small aid. If it does not draw enough reaction, go to a reinforced or stronger one and then work downward to diminish it to the least amount you need to still get a satisfactory answer. Eventually if your horse is truly on the aids, his movement should be self sustaining as he carries himself forward, and you are able to monitor him rather than have to make him go.
ALL THE PAST QUESTIONS OF THE MONTH- Over 100 OF THEM– AND BILL’S ANSWERS AWAIT IF YOU CLICK HERE TO ACCESS THE QOTM ARCHIVES.
BILL’s On-Line Store — STORECRAZY — is here to provide you with items that Dover and John Nunn can’t offer. Here’s a quick sample.
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When all else fails, go to the mirror! But regardless, DO pay attention to the man behind the curtain.
Of Guts, Gumption, and Perspective
At the Grand Oaks show (Marion County, FL) a para rider in a freestyle test lost her balance and fell from her horse. The EMT was summoned as she lay on her back in the dirt. Apparently he was a new guy who had never worked a show before. Parking his emergency vehicle in the arena beside the fallen rider, he leaned over her to see how she was.
She looked up into his eyes and informed him, “I can’t feel my legs.” The EMT turned ashen, no doubt thinking “My God, I need more help here.” Until the victim giggled and added “But it’s OK, I never can!”
True story!
HYPE ABOUT THE TROVE OF PAST BLOGS WHICH AWAIT YOU
If any of the following snippets pique your curiosity, you can find the story archived on this site. It’s DRESSAGE Unscrambled, with a twist—it’s free! Nearly 500 posts accessed by this click. 
Remember Reiner Klimke and Ahlerich in the victory lap after their gold medal win at the ’84 LA Olympics? All those 76 one tempis in a row? Well, for old time’s sake, click here for the instant replay!
The Horse Protection Association of Florida needs your help!
HPAF receives no state or federal funding and exists only through donations. The amount of neglected horses and horses whose owners can no longer afford to feed them has exploded recently and your donations make it possible for HPAF to continue the work of protecting and saving horses.
www.hpaf.org
“LINT IS A SHELL’S BEST FRIEND” CLICK HERE TO LEARN WHY
Quote of the Month
“We are all time travelers — just the really dull kind — ones plodding through the 4th dimension one pathetic second at a time.” (Robert Smith on NPR’s Talk of the Nation)
Quote of All Time
“The bad news is you’re falling through the air, nothing to hang onto, no parachute. The good news is there’s no ground.” Chögyam Trungpa
Click to view an important cultural icon: “Bambi Meets Godzilla”
LIFE GETTING YOU DOWN? THIS, TOO, SHALL PASS CLICK HERE FOR RELIEF OK, GO!
An audio treat for your dining and dancing pleasure? CLICK HERE
FEAST YOUR EYES ON THIS — A FANCIFUL VIDEO MONTAGE TO LEONARD COHEN’S “DANCE ME TO THE END OF LOVE.” The tango sequence is from the 1992 film Scent of a Woman.
For the One Minute Version of everything you need to know about woodsdressage.com – CLICK HERE
HAVE YOU BEEN TO SHOW BILL YET?
Chris Hadfield performs Space Oddity from the ISS 
CLICK HERE for a selection from Bill’s Photoshop endeavors
Below: To imprint in your mind. Harmony in the person of Col. Kurt Albrecht von Ziegner. His mount unknown. |
“Making your disposable income my disposable income.”
T