The Most Common Mistakes Horses Make

•   Pretending to have a short concentration span, unable to focus.
•   Using the corners or any other area of the arena to successfully escape the influence of the rider, disconnecting themselves from the rider’s aids.
•   Delaying their answer to a rider’s question beyond an acceptable time frame.
•   Having no or very little respect for the various ring figures.
•   Moving through their daily routine with locked up neck muscles, jaws, stiff polls and tight belly muscles unwilling to lower their high unbendable hips.

The Most Common Mistakes Riders Are Prone To Make

•   Grabbing the reins with stiff wrists and forcefully pulling left-right-left or right-left-right in an attempt to bring the horse’s head down.
•   Using short, sharp and jerky rein aids.
•   Kicking with the legs or poking with the spurs in short, ineffective sequences.
•   Applying the whip in a harsh manner similar to an ambush, slapping the horse once, then immediately taking the whip off his body as if it were a hot iron.
•   Giving rein-leg-spur & whip aids without any concern for the horse’s stage of sensitivity.
•   Riding a horse through all the movements with a stiff neck, stiff poll, dead to the legs, whip and spurs.

The Better Way Much More Appreciated By The Horse

•   When using the reins picture yourself handling a bow- string, gradually increasing the pressure while screening the horse for its willingness to yield and adjusting the degree of pressure accordingly.
•   Hug with your legs and spurs and gradually increase the pressure while keeping the whip on stand-by in the event the horse delays its response beyond a reasonable time.
•   Apply all aids with the expectation that the horse will respond to the lightest touch.
•   Use the walk for fine-tuning the horse.
•   The riding whip is the tool used to produce motion or to increase the output of energy, either augmenting a horse’s thrusting power or improving its activity. When striving for the highest level of success in training, it is paramount that horse and rider learn to understand the 'subtle language of the whip'.
•   Three light and moderately quick vibrations should suffice to energize a horse. In case of no response, a repetition of three firmer and quicker vibrations will work. Let the weight of the whip gently touch the horse’s sides for a few seconds after each application. It gives the horse the chance to relax on the whip and to learn that there is no need to fear the equipment.
•   The effectiveness of all other aids will depend greatly on the horses growing confidence towards the whip.

A Few Significant ‘Pointers’ To Remember

•   The rider has to accept the position of a leader. Leading is necessary when teaching correct ring figures.
•   Only properly executed ring figures as opposed to sloppy and ill designed ones can be considered a crucial aid in training.
•   The rider is advised that it is always better to discontinue an exercise before permitting unacceptable levels of stiffness or heaviness to prevail for too long. Re-establishing suppleness and submissiveness ought to be the rider’s first concern before returning to specific movements or exercises.
•   Without correctly tuned instruments, even the most beautiful piece of music would sound offensive.
•   Without a superbly tuned horse, all riding looks labored.