Every riding instructor has a moment or two in which they wonder if they can actually stay home and read a book while their students listen to the instructor's pre-recorded audio repeating some key phrase that seems clipped, once, once, over and over again.
Just kidding; of course they love what they do...but for the sake of coaches all over the world, here are 5 things every riding coach is tired of repeating like a broken record day in and day out.
1. Use your legs more
We should all know that legs are the answer to everything.
The horse is too slow? leg. Horse too fast? leg. Matt too naughty? leg. Poor jumping distance? If you just keep your legs... hollow transitions? Well, if you don't have enough legs to ride the transition...
you understood! Basically, when in doubt, always add more segments as your first port of call. Besides, how many times have you heard the coach say "the legs are too long!"
Not that often, right?
2. "Look!"
It's like driving a car. In general, we can all agree that things tend to work better when you're looking in the direction you want to go rather than looking at the floor or being distracted by a nearby fence post.
The same goes for riding, which your instructor wants you to take to heart.
If you're a jumper, your trainer is probably constantly reminding you to look up for the next jump early instead of spending time staring casually between the horse's ears. "Look early!" and "Find your next jump!" are some of the most oft-repeated phrases you'll hear any type of jump instructor say during their instruction. Let's be honest here - it's hard to steer well on jumps you've only run three steps before.
If you're a dressage rider, it still applies - but more of a "heads up" approach. We're not sure why dressage riders collectively develop the habit of gazing at their horse's head while riding. There is nothing there. They know it, the coaches know it, the world knows it. However, it continues.
Really, you might just be making the horse uncomfortable when you keep your steely gaze on his ears.
So instead, pay attention to your trainer constantly nagging you to look up at you and you may find your 10m jogging lap improves dramatically!
3. Don't hold back
Once you get past the beginner stage, you'll start to understand how to get the horse forward, over the back and into contact. While most riders understand this concept in their heads, one thing instructors are constantly correcting is our natural tendency to back off.
Likewise, backing up can be likened to driving a car (we see a theme here!). Pulling the handbrake won't accelerate? So why do we make our horses think backwards?
Charlotte Dujardin famously said, "Short reins win the gold", but her mentor, Carl Hester, says what she really meant was the visionary hand that wins the gold.
4. Go one step further
Similar to the legs, almost anything can be solved by moving forward. And not just for lazy horses, because it happens.
Once rode a naughty horse, and when the two of you entered orbit, you were both holding on for your precious life, and you could hear the trainer's voice on some distant planet, "Send him on!" When you Just praying you make it back from outer space alive? Of course you have. We all have them. They're right of course, but it's hard to think about forward motion when you're trying to avoid an imminent threat of death.
But not just any forward motion, remember - this is where it gets tricky. Go forward but don't rush. Move forward without losing your balance. Proceed in an impulsive and relaxed manner.
5. High heels
Reason why girls on horseback avoid high heels: You're "dragging" your heels across the sides of the horse, which will cause your trainer to jump straight back to point 4 - one step further.
