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Buff is a quiet 16 hand TB gelding available for a 2day or 3day week lease (any days but Wednesdays & Saturdays).  PM if you want to come try him!  Poolesville Maryland

Buff is a quiet 16 hand TB gelding available for a 2day or 3day week lease (any days but Wednesdays & Saturdays). PM if you want to come try him! Poolesville Maryland ... See MoreSee Less

Training Tip Tuesday... Working the foundation of the Training Pyramid today. It is good practice to return to the basics periodically to test the horse's rhythm and suppleness. Without those, the remaining parts of the pyramid are not possible.

Ride 10-meter voltes in each corner with a change of direction across the center of the ring. In the voltes, it is important to pay close attention to your geometry and that the horse is bending from poll to tail around the inside leg. If you are not sure if your geometry is correct, you can always count each quarter of the circle to see if you get the same number of strides. If all 4 quarters count the same, then you have an accurate circle.

Maintain the horse's rhythm as you leave the volte to the middle of the long side and turn onto the line between E&B. Remember, the turn onto and leaving this line are like riding a corner and there should be a straight line as you travel across the ring. The change of bend can take place over 3 strides, so as not to upset the balance of the horse. Straighten the horse over "X" and begin the new bend the stride after "X."

This may seem like a really simple exercise, but it's complexity is in the details. This can be performed in all gaits. You can do flying changes over X if your horse has them - testing the straightness of your change. You can add transitions or a halt at "X." Try to be 100% accurate in your geometry, voltes, corners, bend and straightness. It's much harder than it seems.

You might try a lengthening down the long side or across the diagonal after you have ridden the exercise correctly to see if you have more impulsion and stretch.

If you struggle to maintain a straight line, try placing the letter across the arena from you between the horse's ears and look straight ahead as if you are looking past the letter (not at your horse).

Let us know how it goes. Happy riding. #dressagetraining #dressage
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Great job Sofia and Morgan at the PVDA dressage show yesterday - with Morgan even cracking 70% to win her class! We are so lucky to have Rascal and Lance (back) at Bascule teaching a new batch of teensImage attachmentImage attachment

Great job Sofia and Morgan at the PVDA dressage show yesterday - with Morgan even cracking 70% to win her class! We are so lucky to have Rascal and Lance (back) at Bascule teaching a new batch of teens ... See MoreSee Less

New Point 2 adult medium air vest with 2 cartridges $425.  PM if you want to try it on!Image attachmentImage attachment+2Image attachment

New Point 2 adult medium air vest with 2 cartridges $425. PM if you want to try it on! ... See MoreSee Less

You all know I’m a “mare person” so already slightly biased on this QH mare that Tess owns.  
She is, without a doubt, one of the NICEST horses.  She is the dream mix of smart, athletic, sensible, sound (barefoot) and SAFE for any first time horse owner.  I’m so impressed that I want her to stay when Tess heads to her first year at Cornell (repro vet in the making!)!  
  If you are considering purchasing your first (or a move up from a limited/aged pony) horse, this mare is the bomb!  Wish we could afford to have her as a lesson horse (and you know how great our professors are at Bascule)!
    She has a home in NY and will be leaving i July, so now if the time to reach out and come try her!  It’s a short window to decide if you want to add her to your family, or surprise your  child with a long term partner who will take care of them!
   PM me for more info!Image attachment

You all know I’m a “mare person” so already slightly biased on this QH mare that Tess owns.
She is, without a doubt, one of the NICEST horses. She is the dream mix of smart, athletic, sensible, sound (barefoot) and SAFE for any first time horse owner. I’m so impressed that I want her to stay when Tess heads to her first year at Cornell (repro vet in the making!)!
If you are considering purchasing your first (or a move up from a limited/aged pony) horse, this mare is the bomb! Wish we could afford to have her as a lesson horse (and you know how great our professors are at Bascule)!
She has a home in NY and will be leaving i July, so now if the time to reach out and come try her! It’s a short window to decide if you want to add her to your family, or surprise your child with a long term partner who will take care of them!
PM me for more info!
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Glad the rain finally let up so we could have a great school this morning at Seneca Valley Pony Club!

Glad the rain finally let up so we could have a great school this morning at Seneca Valley Pony Club! ... See MoreSee Less

I don’t know which rider type is more likely to make a horse tense and nervous, a tense nervous rider or a rigidly serious rider, but both can create a chain reaction.

The nervous rider tightens up and makes the horse more reactive, which makes the rider get even tighter, so there’s one snowball situation.

The demanding, drilling rider makes the horse more reactive, the tension in the horse makes the rider MORE determined, and there goes another snowball.

Ideally a confident rider with calm teaching skills helps keep a steady horse steady and can help the already anxious horse become less reactive.

Of the two rider types, both need to change, but there is likely to be more rigidity, less willingness to adapt, in the second rider profile.
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