Exercises to Improve a Beginner’s Riding Position
Susan Deal
Part 3 of Susan Deal’s "Forward Riding Series – Exercises for a Rider’s First Year"
This is the 3rd installment of Susan Deal’s video series devoted to teaching beginners the fundamentals of forward riding. In this lesson she focuses on the rider’s position while offering insightful techniques from the teacher’s perspective on how to get the most out of a young or inexperienced equestrian. As a rider you’ll learn proper placement of the foot in the stirrup, how to hold the reins, basic seats, how to avoid clashing aids, tips on how to improve your seat and balance and other basics every equestrian should learn during their first riding lessons.
Running Time: 7 minutes and 37 seconds
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Learning How To Post The Trot
Susan Deal
Part 4 of Susan Deal’s "Forward Riding Series – Exercises for a Rider’s First Year"
Susan Deal, top trainer for young riders, takes us through a typical lesson when teaching a new rider to post the trot and use the weight aid. The goal of this video lesson is to get the rider more secure in the saddle. Starting out on the lunge line, Susan has the rider do various exercises to help them keep an even posting rhythm and a strong balance over the leg.
Running Time: 7 minutes and 47 seconds
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Pony Division Basics
Beverly Jovais
Join top pony trainer, Beverly Jovais, in this series where she introduces the basics of the pony division, giving newcomers to the pony ring a sense of what is required to compete in this division. In this series she outlines the numbers associated with ponies, such as pony strides & pony heights, guides her young student through properly presenting a pony for the model & under saddle classes, and narrates a hunter and a handy round.
Running Time: 14 minutes and 41 seconds
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The First Lesson for a Beginner Rider
Susan Deal
Part 2 of Susan Deal’s "Forward Riding Series – Exercises for a Rider’s First Year"
Join USHJA certified trainer, Susan Deal, as she gives young students their first lesson on a horse and starts them on the path of proper position and correct horsemanship. In this video Susan, with her upbeat, encouraging style, shows us her methods for starting a beginner equestrian off right by covering stirrup and girth adjustments, mounting, picking up the reins, proper position, and basic rein aids. The exercises she uses are designed to get the rider comfortable in the saddle.
Running Time: 18 minutes and 58 seconds
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The Opening Rein: Teaching the Beginning Rider to Steer a Horse
Susan Deal
Part 6 of Susan Deal’s "Forward Riding Series – Exercises for a Rider’s First Year"
In her sixth lesson, Susan Deal introduces a young rider to the most basic “steering” rein aid. Using serpentine exercises, the student learns to control the horse’s direction with the opening rein.
Running Time: 1 minute and 58 seconds
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Training a Rider to Mount and Dismount a Horse
Susan Deal
Part 1 of Susan Deal’s "Forward Riding Series – Exercises for a Rider’s First Year"
In this first video lesson, Susan Deal shows a first-time rider how to mount and dismount a horse. She offers some great tips and safety precautions any new rider should learn to properly get on and off of a horse in a way that is not only safe for the rider, but the horse as well.
Running Time: 4 minutes and 2 seconds
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Types of Ponies to Use When Teaching a Young Rider
Susan Deal
Introduction to Susan Deal’s "Forward Riding Series – Exercises for a Rider’s First Year"
Susan Deal, USHJA certified trainer and National Judge, utilizes a classical system of teaching that takes young riders from their fist lesson all the way through their first year of riding. In this video series Susan shares her strategies for developing good riders as well as good horsemen. She offers insightful techniques from the teacher’s perspective, covering all the riding milestones from the first lesson through jumping courses. This collection of videos is a compressive guideline with step-by-step instructions for teachers and students alike.
In this introduction to her video series, Susan shows us what type of horse/pony is best for teaching young students to ride. Susan finds it important to use a well-educated horse and one that has been trained in the forward system of riding. All ponies need to have quiet dispositions and not be easily spooked. Matching up the right horse and rider is key because properly mounted students can learn as much from the horse as they can from the trainer. Susan shows us some of the ponies she uses for the different stages of riding and also for the different body types of riders.
Running Time: 2 minutes and 42 seconds
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Advanced Exercises To Develop A Better Eye: Part 2
Bernie Traurig
Once you’ve developed the ability to see your distances proficiently, you’re ready to fine-tune your eye. In this segment Bernie uses cavalettis and small jumps in exercises that will teach you how to create the perfect take off point in relation to the course.
View the first part of this series:
Exercises to Develop a Better Eye: Part 1-A
Exercises to Develop a Better Eye: Part 1-B
Running Time: 16 minutes and 59 seconds
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Air Time – Getting Tight In The Tack Over Jumps With Zazou Hoffman
Bernie Traurig & Zazou Hoffman
Maintaining a secure balance with your horse over the fence is crucial. In this video Bernie outlines a series of exercises designed to improve your balance & security in the tack – beautifully demonstrated by Maclay winner, Zazou Hoffman.
Running Time: 12 minutes and 47 seconds
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An Exercise To Perfect The Automatic Release
Bernie Traurig
A great way to get off the neck for balance and move from the crest release to connection with the mouth, or the "Automatic Release."
Running Time: 12 minutes and 7 seconds
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An Interview Featuring Her ASPCA Maclay National Championship Win
Zazou Hoffman
Get to know Maclay Champion, Zazou Hoffman, from her introduction to the sport, to her biggest influences. In this exciting video youʼll get Zazou’s own play by play of the key moments from her win at the 2009 ASPCA Maclay National Championships aboard “Ivy.”
Running Time: 14 minutes and 12 seconds.
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An Interview Featuring Her Recent WEF Success
Missy Clark
Get to know Missy Clark from her introduction to the sport to her greatest influences. Missy is well known for her ability to mold riders as well as horses into National Champions in the equitation ring time and again, but her talents don’t end there. Watch how her dedication to the sport is producing Grand Prix super stars as well. This in depth interview includes Missy’s play by play of Darragh Kenny’s recent WEF Grand Prix win aboard Missy’s horse, "Gael Force."
Running Time: 15 minutes and 54 seconds
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Angles & Narrows
Gina Miles
Angles & narrows are prominent obstacles found on the cross country course. In this segment, Gina shows us how to introduce the young or inexperienced horse to these types of jumps in the show jumping arena using confidence building exercises over smaller fences.
Running Time: 12 minutes and 5 seconds
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Application of the Aids
Julie Winkel
Julie Winkel talks about the system she teaches for applying aids that produces seamless transitions and invisible, harmonious communication between rider & horse.
Running Time: 17 minutes and 37 seconds
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Back Pain in the Horse
Dr. Rob Boswell & Dr. Geoff Vernon
Top sport horse veterinarians and back specialists, Geoff Vernon and Rob Boswell, discuss the various back problems that can crop up for our equine partners. They highlight the different treatment options from the most high-tech to over-the-counter remedies and provide advice to the everyday horseman on how to recognize back pain in your horse.
Running Time: 18 minutes and 48 seconds
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Backing Issues
Bernie Traurig
Does your horse freeze when you ask him to back up? Perhaps he raises his head to evade the command and backs awkwardly with his head too high? Does your horse back crookedly or tense up in anticipation of a back or is he simply confused by what you are asking of him? If any of these issues sound familiar, Bernie created this topic just for you. Solving backing problems brings you one step closer to improving all your downward transitions, not to mention, your horse’s mouth.
Running Time: 16 minutes and 23 seconds
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Balance in the Stirrups: The Half-Seat
Bernie Traurig
The Half-Seat is the cornerstone of the American Forward Riding System. In this topic Bernie reiterates just how essential it is to perfect this position.
Running Time: 7 minutes and 58 seconds
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