# What little reminders have helped you in your riding!



## ellygraceee (May 26, 2010)

I've picked up little bits and pieces from all the instructors I've had - they've helped me with all the horses I've ever ridden. 

"Lift him up with your heels, pretend you're trying to shove him further between your legs"

"Heel before spur!"

"Eyes up! UP UP UP! Grab the mane!" (when doing cross country). 

"If he's feeling flexed too far to the inside, counter flex then flex. If he's still too flexed, counter flex then flex. In time, he should become straight."

"When beginning a horse in shoulder-in, ride it in rising trot on the wrong diagonal from a 10m circle or smaller, this will help Joe get his legs underneath him. Once he's going alright, start doing it in sitting. The alternate until he's established it."

"This horse needs to know who's boss. Show him that you are the one wearing the pants. This could be a beautiful relationship if you don't let him get away with murder."
(So I watched in awe as this tiny 5 foot tall ex professional eventer climbed aboard my 16.2hh OTTB and did some beautiful dressage. That image will be forever in my mind...)

"If he doesn't listen the first time, ask harder. First comes squeeze, then nudge, then kick, then spur, then whip, then voice, then I 'spose I'll have to come and drag you out of there aye?"

"You will never be able to tire out a Thoroughbred. You are better off teaching a horse to do shoulder-in in walk and trot while he's competing Prep than putting up with an out of control horse that you've been trying to canter for months,"

And the one I cop each time I go to my cousin's place...
"Don't think I don't know why you stopped carrying a whip and opted for spurs! I'll go and find one of my own dressage whips if I have to! Now, I don't care how terrified you are, get out there and ride that horse or I'll find that dressage whip and use it on you!"
Apparently it works on me... I'm more scared of my lovely instructor than my rearing/bucking/spooking horse. But then again, he's the only one who can scare me enough into doing it.


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## White Foot (Jun 4, 2009)

The BIGGEST things I've had to learn, slowly, but I did! :

"Just R-E-L-A-X", I would get so tense and feel like "we have to get this, this, and this done", I forgot that I had to go slow and just breathe. 

And

"Don't get frustrated or mad at the horse, YOU'RE not asking him clearly or right." I get mad now when I see someone complain about the horse when riding because all I can think is "it's your fault" e_e


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## Lis (Oct 29, 2009)

When doing sitting trot: "There is a £20 note/Winning lottery ticket on your saddle if you don't sit on it then it will blow away now SIT!"


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## Saskia (Aug 26, 2009)

Head, shoulder, hip, heel.

Elbows in! 

Inside leg, outside hand. 

Look up.

Smile!


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## SilverSpur (Mar 25, 2010)

when im trick riding im always saying in my mind "dont screw this up!, dont screw this up!"


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## TheRoughrider21 (Aug 25, 2009)

That the bad days just make you appreciate the good ones even more

"You're like a darn married couple, when you're in a bad mood all he wants to do is avoid you and when you're in a good mood, he can't get enough of you." hahaha my friend

"Only the best riders fall, so what the heck are you still doing up there?" My trainer after my ex-horse took off in a mad moment of rodeo bronc.

"How many things are you going to try to get done today? Riding your horse, riding someone else's horse, doing chores, and running to the vet all in a 4 hour span? Well how many of those jobs are you gonna do half-...butted?" My trainer after I had a busy day, but didn't really need to do all of it right away.


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## reachthestars (Jul 2, 2010)

"Rise and fall with the shoulder on the wall." is the one that has been jammed into my poor head so much!

Also "How many strides was that?!" from the militant BNT I used to ride with. 

"Lift your baby toe" instead of heels down works like a charm.


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## GypseCowgirl (Jul 6, 2010)

You can learn from anyone...even if it's what not to do.


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## ridergirl23 (Sep 17, 2009)

I should get my book out, haha i write down all the kelpful things and tricks that my trainers/clinicians tell me. 

But when someone at the barn sees someone else looking down they say: "theres no money down there you know!"

haha


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## HUntet02 (Jun 9, 2010)

Now I think this is in a western setting but not sure but saw on RFDTV
Per Linda Parrelli
"If your seat is correct and your sitting as you should with seatbones, you can reach back and easily touch your horses rump, if your not, you cannot reach your horse". Meaning if your roached forward like I "LOVE" to do you can't get it easily. This little tip has helped me so much I can't tell you how many times Ive re-corrected my very bad habit with this.


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## Iseul (Mar 8, 2010)

_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Eliz (Jun 16, 2010)

LOL Linda parelli? -pukes-

Ride every stride. That one is self explanitory.

Start with the pressure you want him to respond to, THEN increase. I had a tendancy to pull hard at first, then LATER get the horse to respond to lighter cues. It's much easier to give a soft cue, then medium, then HARD. Then, once the horse has the concept and is just being lazy, you can go from soft to HARD in a blink and the horse will most likely prefer to respond to the soft cue to avoid the HARD cue. LOL I guess I didn't have to explain that in such huge detail for you, but there you go.

HAVE FUN!! Sometimes when I compete I get so hung up on what I need to do/don't need to do. If I just breathe and remember horses are what I live for I'm a MUCH better at riding/training/competing.

Hm, I'll have to grab my notes as well


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## HUntet02 (Jun 9, 2010)

*what NOT to do.....*

_*GROW UP...YOu can learn something from anyone whether you like them or not. I know I learned from you today -- what NOT to do..
maybe we think your long exhasperating tip is to painful to read let alone to exhausting to try :shock:...*_




Eliz said:


> LOL Linda parelli? -pukes-
> 
> Ride every stride. That one is self explanitory.
> 
> ...


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## corinowalk (Apr 26, 2010)

^^ Rude much?


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## Skutterbotch (Dec 1, 2009)

I Really learned a lot from remember to LOOK UP! I'm not going to get anywhere by looking at a horse's head!


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## HUntet02 (Jun 9, 2010)

*Easy to do though*

So easy and much better to look at....LOL



Skutterbotch said:


> I Really learned a lot from remember to LOOK UP! I'm not going to get anywhere by looking at a horse's head!


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## TheRoughrider21 (Aug 25, 2009)

HUntet02 said:


> _*GROW UP...YOu can learn something from anyone whether you like them or not. I know I learned from you today -- what NOT to do..*_
> _*maybe we think your long exhasperating tip is to painful to read let alone to exhausting to try :shock:...*_


Wow, defensive much? It's called an opinion. Yeah from people you don't like you can learn what not to do.


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## RedTree (Jan 20, 2010)

Lis said:


> When doing sitting trot: "There is a £20 note/Winning lottery ticket on your saddle if you don't sit on it then it will blow away now SIT!"


haha I think this still it helped me with the canter as well


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## speedy da fish (May 7, 2009)

sometimes i think 'canter, canter, canter, canter' in my head to get a good rhythm to jumps.

'heels down!'


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## Eliz (Jun 16, 2010)

HUntet02 said:


> _*GROW UP...YOu can learn something from anyone whether you like them or not. I know I learned from you today -- what NOT to do..*_
> _*maybe we think your long exhasperating tip is to painful to read let alone to exhausting to try :shock:...*_


Jesus.
"we"? Who are you talking about, you and the mouse in your pocket??
It's sort of funny that you're telling me to grow up with your hot pink letters 
Exhausting? Painful? I'm sorry you're not capable of reading more than three lines...


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## inaclick (Jun 6, 2010)

Seriously , if I want to see a catfight and a huge 35 page drama on this forum, I'll know what to do.

I'll just type "Parelli". It always works here!

Look, I don't like the guy and his lady either, but could we refrain from jumping at each other's throats whenever we see their name typed?
It's derailing any thread, from feeding a horse to riding tips!

Let's try to keep our snapping and puking and whatever other digestion issues we might have out of this eh....


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## Eliz (Jun 16, 2010)

^
Lmoa. "And whatever digestion issues..."
Yes ma'am.


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## inaclick (Jun 6, 2010)

:hug::hug::hug: 

Thanks a billion multiplied with a trillion


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## Juniper (May 4, 2007)

Let's try to keep our snapping and puking and whatever other digestion issues we might have out of this eh....[/QUOTE]
Ha, that was funny. 
Start singing when you are nervous, that has helped me. Makes you breath and takes your mind off it.


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## inaclick (Jun 6, 2010)

Right, so about my riding tips that ring in my head: 

"Don't haunch, heels down, hands down, breathe"

That's the main things I hear when I get to ride


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## Eliz (Jun 16, 2010)

I used to hum alot while riding.
I don't do it much anymore though, because some of my horses take it as a cue LOL

I bet thats a good relaxer in the ring, though.
I get told to pull my shoulders back alot, I tend to lean forward and I have bad posture as it is. 0_o


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## Eliz (Jun 16, 2010)

Sorry for the double post but I should add:
"If it's easy, its probably not right."
This helps me SO much when I get too comfortable riding. It reminds me to watch my EQ


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## drafts4ever (Sep 1, 2009)

keep em coming! It's great to hear what others have been taught. 
I have another one:

If going to the right is his good direction start out going left! no....you're other left! There ya go! *In reference to Sammy on the lunge line*

and one I yelled down the arena at a student "hold on he's pooping...no wait he's peeing STAND UP!!!" she looked so confused poor girl I had to explain it took pressure off her horses kidneys. 

While lunging "stay behind and inside the horses inside shoulder and not by his hip...the 8th rib should be a good place*


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## Eliz (Jun 16, 2010)

^
I've never heard that... about the kidneys?
Of course its sort of rare that a horse pees while I ride it. LOL


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## drafts4ever (Sep 1, 2009)

that's how my trainers always explained it to me and I never really questioned it. Makes a bit of sense though looking at the anatomy of a horse. Before I was told why I just figured it was just easier on them.


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## TheRoughrider21 (Aug 25, 2009)

After my horse got bucky with me and I ahd to spin him around...but started slipping outta my English saddle. "Grab his mane...more...MORE...TIGHTER...do you wanna land on the ground er stay in the saddle? Damnit hang on tight!"...all said in our Wisconsin accent so my southern cousins were laughing there butts off.

"I don't think I wanna do a sitting trot today." "Ok." few minutes later. "Now let's try a sitting trot."-Even if you don't wanna do something, I'm the trainer and you will do it(lesson from my trainer).

Trying to hand-graze my horse so he would dry off before I put him in the pasture. "I just mowed the grass yesterday...there aint none left for him to eat."-lesson-if the graze is feshly mowed...its too short too be eaten

Leading in a young horse that likes to rear in the aisle. "If he rears, he'll hit his head on the ceiling...that'll teach him." After the horse doing this at least half a dozen times...I don't think its working.


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## LoveStory10 (Oct 31, 2009)

Ours are great:

"What is a horses neck for? Its head, not to rest your hands on."
"I'll poke you if you dont suck your stomach in." (he actually poked me lol)
"Jump in the middle or I'll BEAT you all!"
"Fall off and you owe me a coke!" (everytime we fell, we brought coke lol)

*sigh*... we love our instructers


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## TheRoughrider21 (Aug 25, 2009)

^Yours reminded me of some old ones that my trainer used to say. 

"Look at that mane one more time and your baking brownies...for all the boarders, lesson kids, training horse people, and me. And then you're making horse treats for all the horses." Yes I actually had to do that...many times.

"See that cone that you keep stepping on? It'll be planted in your face if you do it again. Direct with your legs!"

"See this?*pulls out hair* You're causing this!"(after me and my friend went racing in the field and tried to outrun a deer.)

"Yes, your horses mane is beautiful. Good job! But if you keep staring at it his face is gonna be deformed from running into the wall."

As you can tell, I have a problem with keeping my eyes up. =D My trainer isn't really mean, I've just known him for forever and we're like best friends so he can make those comments. =P


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## Phantomcolt18 (Sep 25, 2007)

for poles to help me remember to lean during the weaving I play this one song in my head it goes "Lean wit' it, rock wit' it, lean wit' it, rock wit' it" I'm no where's near a fan of rap music but it helps ; P


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## Kelsey (Jul 17, 2010)

If I get confused and start looking all over, at my feet, at my hands, the horse senses that I don't know where I want to be going. If I don't pay much attention to that, and look straight where I want to go, my hands and legs usually follow along and make it easier for the horse to understand my cues  sounds alot easier than done though haha, especially when Miss. Mare doesn't like to sit still for one second!


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## Pinto (Mar 31, 2010)

"Rise and fall with the leg on the wall" for getting the right diagonal every time


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## upupandflyaway1 (May 10, 2010)

"why are you looking at the ground? WHY are you looking at the ground? Up, or you owe me a lap without stirrups!" 

"sit tall! tall! TALLER!! like a string is pulling you up through your shoulderblades!"

"count! 1,2,1,2,1,2 SIT BACK!" 

"if you feel like your going to jump ahead, especially on a trot fence, close your eyes!" 
 Ill think of more. I don't remember much at the moment.


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## drafts4ever (Sep 1, 2009)

upupandflyaway1 said:


> "sit tall! tall! TALLER!! like a string is pulling you up through your shoulderblades!"
> 
> "count! 1,2,1,2,1,2 SIT BACK!"


I'm constantly reminding two of my students these exact ones!!! How funny! 

Aren can't sit up to save his life although he does try , as soon as he gets tired though he slumps and starts to slip. Lauren just learned how to post but she tends to lean forward on the rise and then pops back down and gets off balance so I'm always telling her sit tall sit back...there's a string in your head pulling you to the ceiling. shoulders back! up down up down...sit up!!!! Silly girl.


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## Tasia (Aug 17, 2009)

"Kick sunshine! Kick! He can go faster than that hes a race horse dammit! Look out for those walls! Round the corners! Let him run!"
And no this is not for barrel racing thats for doing fast reining circles!

"Hands up girl! Are you trying to get him to lick his belly? It aint going to happen now lift those hands past your ears!"


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## Kelsey (Jul 17, 2010)

I just learned this today, and it seemed like the answer to all my problems! when turning right, left hand back, lift right arm up. i dont know if thats exactly how its described...but its the best thing ever  
i had NO problems today once i got used to that little rythym!


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## yukontanya (Apr 11, 2010)

"LESS IS MORE" That is the biggest and best hint I have ever had given to me. I always have to remind my self, when I am getting frustrated and worked up I remind my self to step back, take a breath, and do less.


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## Kelsey (Jul 17, 2010)

yukontanya said:


> "LESS IS MORE" That is the biggest and best hint I have ever had given to me. I always have to remind my self, when I am getting frustrated and worked up I remind my self to step back, take a breath, and do less.


that helps me alot too


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## xan2303 (Jul 14, 2010)

i have heard that money 1 2


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## A knack for horses (Jun 17, 2010)

Here are some of mine:

"Never be too proud to grab the saddle horn."

"Don't speak english! Speak horseinese!"

"There is a point of no return on a horse, and once you've reached that point, repeat these 3 steps. Let go, go limp, and start praying to God."

"You know those b*tchy women who are only b*tchy when you question their authority...well when [a horse] questions your authority, you gotta be the b*tch. And any other time, its all peaches and cream."

"Sit up straight like you are proud. You won't bounce as much." (When my instructor said this, I was thinking, "You are certifiably insane woman, there is no way it is easier to ride sitting up straight than crouching and praying to baby Jesus." Well I tried it, and then I thought, "Oh. I see what you are getting at.")


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## inaclick (Jun 6, 2010)

It took me half year and 3 instructors to figure out what the heck did the first one mean when saying 
"Heeeavy...heaaaavy....heaaaavyyy...! "

He ment "heavy in the saddle", as in "sit deep"

I first thought that I am too heavy (and I am kinda underweight, typical sack of bones)


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## drafts4ever (Sep 1, 2009)

On Monday we were having a girls day at the barn. Brooke got on my trainers retired reining cutting sorting horse she used for basic western pleasure now and rode him around. Vicki (trainer) told Kaity (Caden's mommy) to go over to Spinner and stand by his shoulder, walk forward for about 15 seconds and then run off to the left and he'd follow basically sideways. She did it and Spinner jumped sideways over a cone ears forward and went into a mini bucking farting episode. Brooke grabbed the horn on the saddle and both vicki and me start screaming SIT DEEP HEAVY IN THE BUTT PULL BACK TALK TO HIM PULL HIS *** IN A CIRCLE!
Now Brooke stayed on no problem and she's done this before on Spinner a few years back before he retired but she said hearing us yell every balance emergency thing we could think of at her at the same time was like her Spanish teacher getting angry on the phone in the middle of class. she couldn't understand us at all so she was laughing and couldn't hold her self up from laughing so hard so a new thing I've started telling students is 
BREATHE!!! STOP LAUGHING I'M TRYING TO HELP YOU!!!!


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## Thatgirlsacowboy (Aug 17, 2009)

Hahahaha that's hilarious, Drafts! "Stop laughing, I'm trying to help you!!" 

I think the only thing I can remember from my last trainer is, "Sit up and put your shoulders back! Thrust your boobs out!" The first time I heard that one, I almost died with laughter.


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## Lis (Oct 29, 2009)

For rising trot when I was learning how to correctly pick the right diagonal my instructor told me to watch the horses' outside shoulder and every time it came back say Now and then start sitting when I said now. It worked and I barely have to flicker my eyes down anymore to check, can do it quite well through feel alone most times now.


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## drafts4ever (Sep 1, 2009)

haha boobs. My trainers trainer tells her to stick her chest out, if she can see her saddle it's not out far enough! haha. boobs are a good measuring device I guess. 

My first trainer when I was learning to post said up down up down up down for me but I get tongue tied easily so I say 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2. Rise on one fall on two.


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## franknbeans (Jun 7, 2007)

Haha-yeah-mine says to me-"you paid good $$ for those, now stick them out!" lol!! 

I also frequently remind myself of "look down and that is where you 'll end up!" 

and "if it isn't a problem, don't make it one" (meaning any horse/rider can screw up sometimes, don't make a huge deal of it.....just go on)

But my favorite is becoming my mantra......".make the right thing easy, and the wrong thing difficult". Works every time, but takes some thought with different issues we encounter.


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## Juniper (May 4, 2007)

pick up slow, release fast


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