EXERCISES FROM ANNE KURSINSKI

Five-time Olympian Anne Kursinski told riders at her Market Street stable in Frenchtown, New Jersey, that she believed in them. But, she said, they needed to believe in themselves, too. “I push you in these clinics because I believe you can do more. I believe the horses can do more. … I push you to get you out of your comfort zone so you can experience something different.”

Throughout the three-day November clinic, Kursinski gave the riders a variety of exercises to help them become aware of what they and their horses were doing. She was also a stickler for details, like halting exactly where she said, because then those skills become automatic. “I don’t have to think where my eyes are. I don’t have to think where my heels are. Stopping straight becomes automatic,” she explained.

Kursinski also wanted clear communication, which she said starts on the flat. “The better you get the horses trained off the aids on the flat, the better they will jump.” She said that when she rides, she asks the horses different questions to test their responsiveness to her aids. Below are some questions she helped clinic riders, who were split into three groups, work on with their horses.

Get a Reaction

If riders asked their horses to go forward or sideways and they didn’t get a reaction, Kursinski told them to use a stronger leg or spur or reach back