3 Tips for more collection
If you want to work towards collection, tempo changes and transitions are very useful exercises. But… only if you execute the transition or tempo change correctly. Only then will your horse improve and transfer more weight to the hindquarters. But when do you execute a transition or tempo change correctly? Before you start working […]
How do you ride an asymmetrical horse?
We all want to ride a correctly moving, straightened horse. But what can you do if your horse is still asymmetric? A member of my online training asked me during a live Q&A how she could best ride an asymmetric horse. And I gave her the following advice: Every horse is asymmetric, some more than […]
8 Tips to warm up your horse in the right way
A successful training session starts with warming up your horse in the right way. If you warm up well, your horse will be supple and respond actively to your aids. Besides, warming up correctly is crucial if you want to prevent injuries! But what’s the right way to warm up your horse? Maybe you […]
Always ride your horse deep into the corner? Wrong!
Ride your corners! Don’t cut the corner! Ride deep into the corner! We’ve all heard these phrases. At least I have and I’m sure you have as well. I mean, we have to ride deep into the corner, right? Or not? A member of Rien van der Schaft’s online program asked us how deep she should ride […]
Riding from front to back with a loose rein, is that possible?
Riding from back to front with a loose rein, is that possible? There are a lot of different ways in which you can ride your horse from back to front. But they all have got one thing in common: a correct connection. But can you also ride a horse from back to front when you […]
The Circle Of Energy: How, What And Why?
A good connection, that’s what we all want… but how do we accomplish this? What if your horse wants to curl up or keeps taking over the tempo? Or gets tense when you try to ride him towards the hand? Rien explains it according to the Circle of Energy. What is meant with the […]
Big improvement in connection in just 2 weeks (video)
A lot of riders struggle with getting a good connection. And sometimes it takes quite some time to improve the contact, requiring a lot of patience from the rider. However, sometimes, big improvements can be made in a short amount of time. Keep your horse ‘through’..? I had someone coming over for a lesson and […]
#1 Connection Check
When do you have the right connection? Is that when your horse walks in a certain position? And how does that differ between a young horse and a horse that competes at the highest level? I have a very handy check that applies to both a young horse and a horse that has already been […]
Most common mistakes when straightening your horse
Got the idea that your horse is not entirely straight? That can be right! Because every horse is somehow crooked. Just like we are left- or right-handed, every horse has a preference for the right or left hand by nature. Therefore, we often speak of left-bent or right-bent horses. With a right-bent horse, the left […]
If your horse is ‘lazy’, ride a lot of transitions. Right?
Perhaps you’ve heard this phrase before: If your horse is ‘lazy’, then you have to ride a lot of transitions within the gait. Then he will react better to your leg aids and become more active. But is that really the case? Transitions within the gait means riding forward and also taking back the pace. […]