Ask Cari

Improve your riding skills regardless of what level or disicpline you ride. Test yourself eveyday to determine if you are riding with purpose or simply meandering around the arena or countryside. Take whatever excercise you are working on and experiment, slow it down, lengthen the stride, test your balance. Remember, practice makes perfect and it takes thousands of repetitions to change a bad habit.

Study a video of yourself riding and determine what you would like to improve. Almost without fail, relaxation and harmony are common goals. Clarify your weak points and develop a plan to improve them. It is vital to keep a training journal of your goals and progress.

Most importantly, be gentle with yourself. Riding does not ever improve with tension or temper. If you make a mistake, stop, regroup and try again. If your horse makes a mistake, ask yourself if you created that error or did he simply not understand what you were asking. A wonderful rule to follow is to smile and count to 3 before attempting to correct the movement. A smile relaxes your body and lightens your thoughts. Try not to overanalyze the situation. The most beautiful riders appear effortless and light, dancing in perfect harmony with their horse.