Bee and the Horse
The Academic Art of Riding Blog from Poland
Category: Training
Thoughts about Leading
The other day I observed a young woman and her horse. She took it out of the (sandy) paddock and walked towards the stables. She marched in front, chatting with her friend who groomed her horse some meters away, and didn’t look much at…
Positive or Negative Reinforcement? Some Thoughts About the Use of Pressure.
Lately I have been thinking a lot about the use of pressure in horse training. It seems to me that there are two fractions in the horse world today – those who use pressure and release for training and those who condemn it. And…
Meet My New Horse!
This is Langdyssegaards Minor, or Minor for short, 4 years old pure bred Frederiksborg horse. I found him in Denmark this spring while I was a working student for Bent Branderup. His breeder is Lene Dursben, one of the best and biggest breeders of Frederiksborg…
Pressure and Release vs. Fear-Induced Reactions in Horse Training
In my training, I use pressure and release technique (negative reinforcement) as well as positive reinforcement. In this article, I would like to discuss my own understanding of pressure and release. I once had a conversation with someone who told me, my horses don’t…
Reaction vs Response
Whether a horse is reacting or responding to an aid actually makes a big difference in our training. During my first internship at Bent Branderup’s, Christofer Dahlgren spoke to us one evening about the difference between reaction and response, an idea which changed my…
I See You Now
You might have noticed that it was a bit quiet around Nazir and I lately. That’s because I had almost given up. If you have followed my journey, you know that looking for a way how to work with Nazir, and him being totally…
Horizontal Balance
On the way to collection there is horizontal balance. The horse goes from it’s natural balance to shifting more weight to the hind legs and becoming more free in the shoulders. If you imagine an old fashioned scale, then the scale is about equal….
You Have to Be Brave Before You Can Become Good
I get many questions by riders who would like advise on how to improve their riding or groundwork. At the same time, many of them seem to focus more on limiting conditions than on what is possible. And it is really true: if you…
What is collection?
Last days I have thought a lot about this. Let me tell you a little anecdote that brought me a step closer to understanding collection: When I was a working student at Bent Branderup’s place, he was talking about collection with one of…
The Power of Praise
The power of praise can not be overestimated! Horses will go out of their way if they feel your honest appreciation and love. Etienne Beudant said “„Demand little, repeat often, praise a lot!“. How can we understand this? First, “demand little” does not mean…
