Perfect Practice Makes Perfect from Practical Horseman | EquiSearch
Crystal ball © iStockphoto.com; rider © Arnd Bronkhorst One of my favorite sayings is, "Practice does not make perfect ... perfect practice makes perfect." If you endlessly practice the wrong thing with your horse while expecting improvement, you are not only training your horse wrong, you are crazy. Endless repetition of error with an expectation of correct change is a good working definition of insanity.
While you are at it, don't forget your best tool for developing a deep, secure, independent dressage position: riding without stirrups. At first, your toes will point away from the horse. Keep stretching your hip joint, and eventually you will find you can ride with a parallel leg and a deep, influential seat.Advertisement
Dressage collection in the future will be based on your present ability to ride a 20-meter circle with a calm, balanced, engaged, rhythmical working trot. Show-jumping accuracy in the future will be based on your present ability to canter with a calm, balanced, engaged, rhythmical working canter to an obstacle. Shortcuts to collected trot never work; neither do shortcuts to developing your accuracy over obstacles. Keep the rhythm, and collection and accuracy will both follow naturally and correctly. (If you are not sure what your level of competence is right now, download my rider rating chart.)
Perfect Practice Makes Perfect from Practical Horseman | EquiSearch
Crystal ball © iStockphoto.com; rider © Arnd Bronkhorst One of my favorite sayings is, "Practice does not make perfect ... perfect practice makes perfect." If you endlessly practice the wrong thing with your horse while expecting improvement, you are not only training your horse wrong, you are crazy. Endless repetition of error with an expectation of correct change is a good working definition of insanity.
While you are at it, don't forget your best tool for developing a deep, secure, independent dressage position: riding without stirrups. At first, your toes will point away from the horse. Keep stretching your hip joint, and 
eventually you will find you can ride with a parallel leg and a deep, influential seat.Advertisement
Dressage collection in the future will be based on your present ability to ride a 20-meter circle with a calm, balanced, engaged, rhythmical working trot. Show-jumping accuracy in the future will be based on your present ability to canter with a calm, balanced, engaged, rhythmical working canter to an obstacle. Shortcuts to collected trot never work; neither do shortcuts to developing your accuracy over obstacles. Keep the rhythm, and collection and accuracy will both follow naturally and correctly. (If you are not sure what your level of competence is right now, download my rider rating chart.)