Add to your horse’s toolbox
Whatever you ask of your horse, as the rider you’re responsible for giving him the solution to the question you’re asking of him. Taking responsibility for your horse and preparing him correctly to carry out each exercise is important.
“When your horse is working, his whole body should be connecting and his hind end engaged underneath him,” says Nicole. “For a horse to be at his most powerful, dynamic and athletic, his whole body needs to be working as one. As a rider, you can’t have your horse’s head turning and his hindquarters not engaging. You can’t ask your horse to do a fast, athletic movement without giving him the tools in his toolbox to do it well, comfortably and safely.”
Nicole goes on to explain that comfort and correctness are two very different things.
“As you’re teaching correctness, it may be uncomfortable to start with for the horse. You’re asking him to move in ways that he’s not used to,” she says. “But as he grows, it becomes normal and therefore comfortable for him. He can then enjoy his job because he’ll have all the tools to do it correctly.” Adam agrees. “It’s the same concept in dressage. You have to give the horse the tools to work with and recognise that what you’re asking him to do may be difficult for him. You can’t expect a horse to want to do it unless you make it easy for him. So he needs the correct toolbox to use himself to keep his balance, regardless of which discipline.”
This ‘toolbox’ is built into everyday riding. Whether you’re schooling, hacking or competing, you should be looking to get your horse working more accurately and athletically so that he can grow in confidence and continue his development. “As riders, we think we need to show a horse everything,” adds Nicole. “But we just need to show him one main thing — how to safely and most effectively use his body.”
“For a horse to be at his most powerful, dynamic and athletic, his whole body needs to be working as one”