In the question of rider balance over the horse, I have been taught of late to take that idea of can you stand if we were to remove the horse from under you to can you take your weight off the saddle and stay balanced while riding. I find this a good way to check myself out as I go, and it helps me find symmetry to my way of going with the horse.

You have no idea how true that explanation actually is. Just came off my horse at 70 years of age and broke my leg. After many years of trying in vein and lots of wasted money only very few instructors know how to teach an adult beginner. Just standing there telling you what you are doing wrong isn’t telling you how to fix it.

This was a great illumination for me when your protégé Stephaney Fish Crossman instructed me a few months ago. My horse finally went forward with rhythm and for the 1st time I was able to keep my heels properly aligned.

Would have been good to have seen a rider do it ?

Thank you for this video! This is so helpful!

Hey man that was super super helpful. I face a hard time getting a lazy horse to respond to my leg aids some days. I’ve tried the whip as well. Do you think there's anything else I can do to get him to transition to a trot?

Where can u buy these?

I attended a MW clinic and the one thing that made a difference, after getting all the correct alignment, lateral and longitudinally, is pushing your stomach towards your hands and sitting very close to the front of the movement. It's vital when riding big moving horses. It then feels like you are riding a pony not a 16.3 warmblood!

what is the name of that chair you are sitted on?

I get what you are saying thankyou! But how do you get your horse to bring his back up?

Thank you Mary, you say things so clearly. And thank you to Amiee Brimhall for telling me about you.

I ride Reining Horses I don’t know much about the discipline of dressage, but it seems very similar as we sit with a straight back slightly rounded. It’s imperative to keep a horse completely underneath you, as well as keeping your body straight which sends a signal back to the horse not to lean either way, shoulder or hip. Have I got the right idea?

A lady gave me your book 2 year ago or so been slowly going through it.. I go through stages where the more I read the worse my riding gets bcs I'm trying to apply it to my riding and the more streesed I get but then something kicks and wow may u just say your book is my best trainer u are very good my sitting trot has never been this good and u explain things to the point where there is no possibility that u don't understand what u mean or that someone could maybe miss understand u no that doesn't happen bcs u get to the very detail and I move it thank you thank you

I love the rider's hands and elbows!! I'm jealous!

Mary your are changing my way of Riding and my horse especially thanks you sooo much! I‘ve just found one Rwym Trainer and I am Training Myself for my horse and my own sake. We are discovering a new and healthy war of riding. We Are so happy and are making a Huge improvement in our relationship (me and my horse!). Thank you for Sharing your Knowledge!

Hello! I am an entrepreneur. I translate English books about training (Isabel Werth, Carl Hester etc) for Ukrainian Equestrian Sport Federation. I want to ask you can I take videos from your KZbin channel and translate them? I want to share them on my small KZbin channel with link to your original videos. Thank You!

The problem is that "on the bit" is an obsession for some people and is encouraged by instructors because if the horse has his head in a natural position (which it should be with novice and beginner riders) it is seen as lack of skill. It is something which should never be encouraged until the rider has sufficient skill to use his weight and aids which are mostly from the advancement of the use of the seat and mechanics.

No girly chatter...much appreciated! Looking for more.

if i close my eyes while riding at the walk and sitting trot i can feel a tiny figure 8 under my seat bones. i do this in very short increments here and there around the arena. it really helps. love this explanation of the plugging in method, its extremely helpful! ty!

I love these videos thank you so much for being able to explain in so many ways!!

Your bike looks like a fake horse

So good

So helpful. Thank you so much for sharing

Useless

Thank you, at last someone explaining it in a way I can understand, especially looking at it through the human body, it makes obvious sense now.

the halt is a three part action. you must first feel the in out motion of the horses sides against your softly relaxed legs take the rhythm and engage your seat bones to start slowing the rhythm , next try pulsing with your fingers on the reins in rhythm with the steps inside finger outside finger in out to further tell the horse to begin the transition and what speed of transition, the third step would be to release the leg and hands as your horse makes the final step. This helps reinforce the fact that although he must carry the bit it is his responsibility to not clamp or pull on the bit either. Think of the bit as a cactus, if you carry it softly and gently you do not get hurt, if you clutch and grab you get spiked. It also helps to think of all transitions as if trying to shift gears on a car or truck. The shifting has to be done in the right sequence at the right time.

I just got a saddle stool to work on my flexibility in my hips as part of my ground work. My goal is to learn to melt in and connect to my seat bones while increasing my ability to relax as well. Do you do this and if so can you direct me to find it. I determined to do this because of my Pilates.

Never thought about it this way, Thank you!

Your videos are never useful. Demonstrate dont just talk

İ need her book so badly

Fuck i have seen three videos of u none of them really say how to correctly steer ! You have just talked about the same thing in three vids

Release of pressure is “relief”, surely, not a “reward”. The release is reinforcing if the desired behaviour is more likely to occur again once the stimulus is removed. I understand that operant conditioning involves more than just negative reinforcement. Having set the environment up to maximise success for the learner, I understood positive reinforcement was a preferable alternative before using negative reinforcement? A horse, like a hippo or hedgehog or any other being with a pulse, learns through all four quadrants. Why is it assumed horses only learn through -R I wonder ?

Do you have a video in Russian translation????

To halt, simply close the seat and legs and elevate your posture and stop following his motion and I guarantee the he will halt. If you tend to ride with a closed seat you will find that the horse will be sticky

How does this mesh with the idea of a horse having consistent contact with the bit? If your horse doesn't have contact on the bit, yeah they will run into the bit. How can you communicate with your horse without contact? Why are we teaching horses that the reins mean to stop when we should be teaching halt from our seat?

I switched to bitless. I challenge speaker or anyone to using a bit over bitless

LMAO!

Partially correct. One should not talk about the butt but the crotch; not the clit but the inner area of the top of the legs. The butt is a useless piece of mass that only confuses the horse, if anything. Also, you ought to learn the proper, thorough and adequate use of the bit; otherwise, for what I hear in this video, you might as well go bit-less. Finally, the art of the deal consist not in making the horse do things; quite contrarily, proper riding means telling the horse what to do. Asking, helping, etc. are but hypocritical terms, which confuse beginners and belittle horses.

Watch Isabell Werth riding and learn.

"IF YOU HAVE THE TALENT GREAT, IF YOU HAVEN'T HARD LUCK!!" Not a nice thing to say, maybe should have said that's something you can work on. Bit bloody harsh, wouldn't want a lesson with this woman, quite rude.

Love this! More please!

Very helpful video. Thank You

Wow, that was excellent, thank you.

So if your steering the horse like a wheel barrel... does one hand go down a little and the other one go up? For instance when you’re taking a left does your left hand go down a little bit and you’re right and go up while your body leans a tiny bit to the left? Do you lean a little with your body?

Top class explanation, with helpful analogies. My complements for such clear instructions and explanations. Thank you for a superb video.

The knowledge how to NOT hurt horses is always given absolutely for free. This lady explains why horses have their limitations. Learn from her. You can't do certain things either. Any fysiotherapist can tell you. And remember the general rule: no metal. No bits, no spurs, no whip, no tie downs or martingales. No pain, no fear, no dominating or forcing. Speak horse bodylanguage and you won't need all that tackle and metal. And forget about the costume and the accessories. It's not a fashion event. Don't jump or race a horse. They don't like dressage either. Anything he resists naturally is not good for him. Don't keep them in stalls away from other horse or you're asking for trouble. A horse is a herd animal. It is also a prey animal and he scares easily. When he spooks, don't yank on his reigns. It only upsets him more. Groundwork is the basis and patience and baby steps is the only way. Build trust. Prove you are the trustworthy leader that keeps him safe, not the dominatrix that really belongs in an S&M club. And I will keep pestering horsepeople until you start respecting a horse as a leaving creature with rights of his own, not a machine with buttons to push. Horses have off days too.

Getting it on the bit is torture in the hands of people who don't know what they are doing. Go bitless, it is safer that way for the horse. Humans are only human. They make mistakes. They startle, they are impatient and annoyed and so many are just plain mean and angry. And the horses get punished for it. Play it safe. There is an alternative to that bit that is better for the horse and just as fine for the human. Sure it means you have to change your ways, but the reward will be great. If it is wrong, change it. Don't hurt horses, do your groundwork, teach him what you want of him while walking next to him, and go bitless. He will be so grateful that he will happily do everything for you.

No need for bit! Bits where created for control and pain.