Whatever our goals and whatever level or discipline we are training for with our horses, from time to time we all find ourselves in a position where we need to go back to basics in order to progress.

From the rider’s point of view, if it’s light and balanced, it should feel good. If a rider gets to the point where they are either working too hard or the horse is not responding in the way the rider expects, then it can be a really useful time to re-assess which part of the foundational training needs to be re-visited.

Conflicting aids can cause unnecessary stress and tension to both horse and rider and so going back to basics is often the most efficient way to get the training back on track.

For me, the turning point was deciding to take some time out with a dressage horse who was co-operative but was so, so lazy, heavy in the contact and very uninspiring. It has taken a while but going back to basics is the best thing that I ever did for him; it highlighted the problems really clearly and gave us an obvious pathway to follow to find the solution.

It wasn’t long before my horse was relaxed, happy and was really enjoying his work again. My aching legs and sore shoulders are a thing of the past and with my horse’s new found enthusiasm and willingness, he is now carrying me, instead of me carrying him.

So – now we keep it simple and think like a horse instead of a human - we train our horses in a way they understand !