EquestrianCoach

14/12/2025

Cynthia Hankins shares with us her insight into some of the common bad habits riders inadvertently acquire. In addition to pointing out these habitual position flaws, Cynthia demonstrates the correct, classical form stamped by the American Hunter/Jumper Forward Riding System. Watch her lesson: Form Follows Function -
https://equestriancoach.com/courses/form-follows-function-over-fences/

Don’t forget to use our Holiday Special discount! Use code HAPPYHORSES at checkout for 30% off sitewide! 🎄🎅🎊

12/12/2025

Happy Holidays from Equestrian Coach!
This Christmas, enjoy 30% off sitewide with code HAPPYHORSES 🎁🎅🎄🐴

Membership to Equestriancoach.com opens the door to a wealth of knowledge provided by some of the best riders, coaches and industry professionals the world has to offer. We bring you the best from Show Jumping, Hunters, Equitation, Dressage, Eventing, and Western Reining Olympians and World Champions. We also feature top veterinarians, farriers, judges, course designers, sports psychologists, and a wide array of accomplished equestrian specialists with years of expertise to share.

Equestrian Coach provides access to comprehensive, classical training and techniques derived from distinguished masters of the sport and modernized for today's jumping disciplines. The core instruction on the site follows the timeless principles of the American Hunter/Jumper Forward Riding System, presented in its entirety, and will benefit those in any jumping discipline at any level.

Don’t miss out! Use code HAPPYHORSES at checkout. 💫🎁

11/12/2025

Watch this incredible film on The Legacy of Bertalan de Némethy (available on YouTube) His legacy permeates every part of what we do today with horses. 🔗 https://youtu.be/XeQYkoE7ZJE?si=cvVBrDvu4aOaDSps

You can learn more about The de Némethy method and watch his lessons on EquestrianCoach.com by visiting https://equestriancoach.com/coach/bertalan-de-nemethy-0/

The story of Bertalan de Némethy, from the very beginning to the fulfillment of the American dream. The man who forever changed the world of show jumping. Be...

09/12/2025

Successfully concluded another clinic at Elevate Sporthorses in Bend, Oregon. Grateful for the continued hospitality of owner Diane van den Berg and for the opportunity to work with the accomplished students and quality horses of the program led by head trainer Rachael van den Berg and Becky Grossman. The facility and organization remain exemplary. I look forward to returning next year! Elevate Sport Horses 🙏

07/12/2025

Equestrian Coach is proud to present the principles and training methods of Bertalan de Némethy. Classical education from the masters of our sport is timeless. Bertalan de Némethy (Feb. 24, 1911 – Jan. 16, 2002) was a cavalry officer in Hungary, and later became the show jumping coach for the US Equestrian Team from 1955 to 1980. Additionally, he was extremely influential in developing many of the riding and training methods used by show jumpers today. Bert was a pioneer in the use of gymnastic exercises and believed them to be an essential tool in the sophisticated training of show jumpers. The incorporation of gymnastics into a horse’s training program will enhance elasticity, agility, strength and coordination. Watch The de Némethy Method Series — Advanced Gymnastics, Part One & Part Two:
https://equestriancoach.com/courses/de-nemethy-method-series/

https://equestriancoach.com/courses/de-nemethy-method-series-advanced-gymnastic-2/

30/11/2025

Forward riding and balance in the stirrups. The Half-Seat or Two-Point is the cornerstone of the American Forward Riding System.

Forward Riding—balance in the stirrups rather than the seat—originated with Italian cavalry officer Federico Caprilli’s revolutionary method in the early 20th century (introduced 1904, fully adopted 1907), which emphasized following the horse’s motion while minimizing the rider’s interference. Caprilli’s ideas spread worldwide; American General Harry D. Chamberlin studied in Italy during the 1920s, brought the system to the U.S. Army cavalry school at Fort Riley, and profoundly influenced American riding for decades. Simultaneously, Russian cavalry captain Vladimir S. Littauer immigrated to the U.S. and popularized the forward seat among civilian riders through his influential books, notably “Commonsense Horsemanship.” Together, these figures adapted Caprilli’s principles into the cornerstone of modern American forward riding.

Watch the following lessons on Equestriancoach.com to improve your position. Use code BF30 through 12/3 to receive 30% off site-wide!

Longe Line Exercises for Seat Improvement & Position Correction: The de Nemethy Method Series – Part One
https://equestriancoach.com/courses/longe-line-exercises-seat-improvement-position-correction/

Building Blocks to a Great Postion, Parts 1-5 - with Bernie Traurig https://equestriancoach.com/courses/building-blocks-great-position-part-1/

Exercises to Enhance the Rider’s Balance - with Archie Cox https://equestriancoach.com/courses/exercises-enhance-riders-balance/

Balance in the Stirrups: The Half-Seat - with Bernie Traurig https://equestriancoach.com/courses/balance-stirrups-half-seat/

A Brief History Of The American Hunter-Jumper Forward Riding System https://equestriancoach.com/courses/brief-history-american-hunter-jumper-forward-riding-system-0/

26/11/2025

Let’s talk about the three leg positions in riding. The leg position of a rider is the first thing I notice and address before proceeding with further instruction. A solid foundation in the tack begins with the lower leg, and I am a huge advocate of the forward seat with proper leg position in the hunter/jumper discipline. This clip will describe our three leg positions in riding: 1. The normal leg; 2. The displacing leg; 3. The braced or leveraged leg. It’s a common observation at my clinics that I find riders lacking the understanding and application of these three leg positions and many riders with a lower leg position too far behind the girth as their default placement.

Continue the lesson: I’ll show you an excellent exercise you can easily incorporate into your everyday riding to improve the functionality of your lower leg in my lesson “Range of Motion Exercise” on EquestrianCoach.com. Link to lesson:
https://equestriancoach.com/courses/range-motion-exercise-introduction-george-morris/

💫💫 Code BF30 gets you 30% off site-wide now through Dec. 3rd. Learn from the best, and grab the courses and tools you’ve been waiting for at the lowest price of the year. Don’t miss out on our Black Friday Sale! 🎉

21/11/2025

When there is contact, the control with the hands can be precise.

Riding on "Contact" - by Vladimir Littauer
The contact between the rider's hands and the horse's is not established by the hand being moved to the rear. Just the reverse should take place; that is, the horse, moving forward with sufficient impulse stretches his neck and, due to the rider keeping a correct length of reins, the horse's mouth feels the rider's hands. Instead of the rider's hands pulling back on the mouth, it is the mouth which gently pulls the rider's hands forward. If the horse lacks natural impulse the rider's legs must create it-this is the general rule.
Riding on contact can also be called "riding on the bit;" the latter expression means that the horse accepts the bit and moves forward boldly as if there were nothing in his mouth. I personally reserve the expression "on the bit" for a more energetic form of riding on contact, but this is a detail. The important thing is that the horse must accept the bit with the neck and head stretched forward.

When riding "on contact" the rider must follow with his hands and arms (through the air), the balancing gestures of his horse's neck and head. It is obvious that when holding the reins by the buckle one doesn't have to worry about these gestures, for the neck has enough room to move at will. But if after the contact is established the rider's hands remain fixed then the horse will continually jerk himself against immobile hands. I don't have to talk about jumping—everyone knows that in one way or another the horse's neck then must be given freedom to act; but it is surprising how many riders neglect this point at a walk and particularly the gallop.
- Schooling Your Horse. Pg.17

Vladimir Littauer trained me practically my entire junior career, and continued to advise me for many years. A riding master and remarkable horseman, he was incredibly influential to my career and education. Follow the Forward Riding System and continue the lessons on equestriancoach.com. Specifically, you can learn more on this topic with my lesson "Developing Good Hands"— https://equestriancoach.com/courses/developing-good-hands/

👉Don’t forget our Black Friday special!! You can use code BF30 now through December 3rd to grab 30% off site-wide! 🌟🌟

19/11/2025

BLACK FRIDAY IS HERE! 🎉🎉 Enjoy 30% off site-wide at equestriancoach.com, happening NOW through December 3rd! Use code 👉 BF30 at checkout.

Equestrian Coach provides access to comprehensive, classical training and techniques derived from distinguished masters of the sport and modernized for today’s jumping disciplines. The core instruction on the site follows the timeless principles of the American Hunter/Jumper Forward Riding System, presented in its entirety, and will benefit those in any jumping discipline at any level.

Don’t miss out! Grab the courses and tools you’ve been wanting at the lowest price of the year. Shop now: code BF30 on equestriancoach.com 🐴🐴🐴

13/11/2025

Get a glimpse of the American Jumping Derby with my ride on Obi-Wan Kenobi in the late 70s. This was a speed class where faults were converted into seconds, so it was quite fast. Incorporated into that speed derby were all the natural jumps that Mason had for the bigger derby class. On this day, the derby was particularly more difficult because it was raining hard and the ground was slippery. Obi-Wan Kenobi was my speed horse and he’s quite agile on his feet—as you can see.

Competing in the American Jumping Derby was one of the highlights of my Equestrian Show Jumping career. Maybe it was my eventing background that made me love this class so much. Mason Phelps organized this spectacular event at his wonderful estate, Glen Farm, in Rhode Island and it was a one-of-a-kind extravaganza for over a decade. It featured massive natural jumps over a very, very long course, which made it a real contest that required special preparation in training the grob, banks, ditches, as well as conditioning one’s horse. A real horseman’s class with a European flavor! — Bernie Traurig

12/11/2025

Here’s a throwback with me, Bernie Traurig, on “Singapore” winning the very first American Jumping Derby in 1976. Michael Page sent me the horse a few months before the Derby to train and sell. At the time, I was riding and training for Teddi Ismond at Hunting Valley Farm in Hiram, Ohio. After winning the Derby, Teddi‘s father purchased Singapore for me to continue showing. I won that Derby three times on three different horses: Singapore, The Cardinal and Eden Vale!

This challenging and rugged derby brought the grit of European show jumping to the U.S., courtesy of Mr. Phelps. Held at his stunning family estate in Rhode Island, the Derby was truly a gem of the show jumping circuit from 1976 through 1988.

Take a priceless look back at some archival footage that was filmed by Gordon Wright & narrated by George Morris. Learn about the history of the American Jumping Derby in this video on YouTube linked here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWVrYTiTNe4

Equestriancoach.com is the world's leading online video training site for equestrians, featuring the top professionals in the sport. Visit us today to view hundreds of other video topics covering a wide range of disciplines.