Ever notice how horse stories all have the same plot? We get a new horse, usually the wrong one. There’s a period of struggle. We get bad advice, we lose money, we get bucked off. We persist, two steps forward and one step back. In time, the horse ends up …
Ever notice how horse stories all have the same plot? We get a new horse, usually the wrong one. There’s a period of struggle. We get bad advice, we lose money, we get bucked off. We persist, two steps forward and one step back. In time, the horse ends up …
Does the pandemic have you feeling stuck in your riding? Do you long for some one-on-one feedback on your training? Do you have a training issue you can’t resolve and don’t know where to turn for help? If all the canceled clinics, lessons, shows, and fairs are getting you down, …
Read MoreNo Excuses! Education and Training Progress Can Continue During a Pandemic
Does your horse go better out of the arena? It seems like some horses just won’t go forward and no amount of kicking and yelling work. Sometimes they’re gate sour: fast toward the gate but then getting away from the gate is a wrestling match. Horses who are great on …
Read MoreTraining Your Horse to Hate the Arena – Less Correction, More Direction
The horse is relaxed and soft, volunteering his best answer to the rider’s quiet cues. Whether a competition horse or your trail horse, a sweet and successful partnership requires two-way conversations. Find a deeper connection with your horse by listening to his calming signals—the subtle body language horses use to …
Read MoreHow to be Your Performance Horse’s Best Friend – Listen to Horses in Their Own Language
Many articles are written on how to find a good instructor. This article will focus on how to be a good student. Good instructors truly want to help their students learn. Instructors prepare lesson plans and bring their best into the arena. They want their students to succeed and have …
Read MoreHow to Take a Riding Lesson – Eight Ways to be a Good Student
“Rhythm is the term used for the characteristic sequence of footfalls and timing of a pure walk, pure trot, and pure canter. The rhythm should be expressed with energy and in a suitable and consistent tempo, with the horse remaining in the balance and self-carriage appropriate to its level of …
The ability to ride your horse forward is an important basic no matter your discipline. Even if your goal is to have a slow-moving pleasure horse, it’s still important to train your horse to go forward. Horses need to move actively forward for their physical and mental health, and for …
In this day and age of instant everything, waiting can be hard to do, especially when you’re training a young horse (or an older horse for that matter). It’s easy to get excited; everything is now or soon. There are show classes for weanlings and yearlings, two-year-old futurities, and derbies …
#1 Let the horse digest a correction. When you make a correction and your horse responds correctly, let him think about it. Literally stop and let the horse stand still and digest what just happened. You’ll find that if you give your horse a chance to process the situation, he’ll …
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