“Oh really? I thought when I first saw the title of this book….. This is really good stuff.”
dressage
Murdoch Minute No. 58: Find Your Hip Joints
Use this Murdoch Minute to locate your hip joints. Whenever you begin to feel a bit stiff or tense remind yourself of their location so that you let go of excess tension in your seat and legs.
Your Wrist Connection
Do you have trouble keeping you shoulders back or staying in balance when working on the flat? Have you had trouble keeping your position when you jump? Do you use a crest release (hands on the horse’s neck) and yet still pitch forward on landing? Here’s a quick tip to improve your hand position and overall balance which you can practice while working in the arena or over fences.
Murdoch Minute No. 02: Elbows By Your Sides
Do you have trouble stopping your horse? Do you brace against your stirrups while pulling back on the reins? Does your horse fall forward when you move off? You may be doing too much with your arms and not enough with your seat. Stabilizing your elbows by your sides may be the answer.
Murdoch Minute No. 06: Balancing Your Head
Do you have trouble looking where you are going? Does your neck get tense when your ride or become stiff afterward? Do you have difficulty sitting the trot? The solution may be all in your head. Here’s a quick tip for finding a good comfortable head position.
Murdoch Minute No. 17 Shorten your reins without pulling on your horse’s mouth
Do you ever find yourself scrambling to shorten your reins? Does your horse throw his head up as a result? Do you pitch forward when you shorten the reins? Or maybe the only way you know how to shorten them is what I call the ‘creepy crawly’ method. Here is a three-step process to shortening your reins quickly, efficiently and without pulling on your horse’s mouth.
