Glenshee Equestrian Centre

AoifeTheRambler asked some great follow-up questions in a comment on my previous post , so I thought I’d take a few minutes to answer them because I think they are important issues we all deal with when using the following/automatic release.  While I don’t claim this is the definitive ruling on any of these issues, in my opinion and based on my experience, this is how I’d address them: Q:    “I used to keep my shoulders back (along with most of my torso) no matter what back in the age of the crest release, but now I curl up slightly when I go forward. Is this due to the release, and if so, do you have any tips to fix it without interfering with my release?” A:   Most of us are taught to ride with an arched back and square shoulders to go along with the crest release.  And with the crest release, this kind of position is possible because the elbows are bent and the support of the upper body rests in the hands, not the hips and back. ...

I love getting my www.thehorse.com e-mails, as they are usually filled with interesting news and information for concerned horse owners/trainers like me. So I was a bit dumbfounded by this recent article title: Study: Horses Prefer Less Rein Tension It stated: “According to a new study by European equitation scientists, horses might prefer to avoid rein tension rather than just get used to it. And beyond a certain force threshold, rein tension can cause conflict behavior . To make the most of training and to keep the horse's mouth sensitive, riders need to know when to apply less rein tension, generally when the horse displays conflict behavior.” When I read the title of this study I thought to myself, “uh, no shit, Sherlock.” Like a previous study stating, “ Study: Shelter-Seeking Behavior Most Common in Poor Weather Conditions ” this was not a major newsflash. But it was a topic near and dear to my training, so I read on and, to my great unsurprise, t...