For a rider to be in control of his or her horse, says Dutch Olympic eventer Andrew Heffernan, “They need to be in control of both ends of the horse.”
It might sound like a dumbed-down statement but if you think about it, doesn’t it seem like we’re always wrestling with one end or the another? The horse is behind our leg or against the bridle, or more likely both, and coaxing them into submission is like trying to sync up two men in a horse suit.
Andrew Heffernan and Millthyme Corolla. Photo by Jenni Autry.
Andrew does a good job of keeping complex concepts simple at this eventing clinic for Dutch trainers held at the KNHS Center in Ermelo, The Netherlands, last week.
The two horses participating, ridden by Joyce van de Kuilen (purple sleeves) and Sanne de Jong (grey sleeves), are both green but responsive as Andrew advances his “control both ends” motto from flatwork to progressively more demanding jumping exercises.
