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 …
Resolving Postural Problems, Improving Movement Patterns, and Preventing Injury By Jec Aristotle Ballou Over time, horses (like people) acquire postural habits, compensate for soreness and injury, and develop poor movement patterns. This limits performance ability, causes unsoundness and health issues, and ultimately undermines the horse’s overall well-being. Jec Aristotle …
Direct Your Horse and Let Him Do His Job By Evan Bonner Does your horse take the initiative in his work? Why should we ask our horse to be responsible? Do you allow your horse to be accountable for his actions, and how do you do that? I believe …
Read MoreTrainer’s Corner: Give Your Horse the Responsibility
Bending Aids and an Exercise By Lynn Palm Last month I described what correct bend is, and the aids to achieve it. In this article I’ll review the key points and give you an exercise to help train your horse to bend correctly. Review of Bending When a horse …
Read MoreTrainer’s Corner: How to Put Your Horse in Balance – Part 2
Christoph Hess, a FĂ©dĂ©ration Equestre International (FEI) “I” Judge in both dressage and eventing, is highly respected around the world as a teacher of riding and the development of the horse according to classical principles. Here he collects some of his very best riding and training tips along with well-honed …
Read MoreMedia Barn: Book Review – Ride Better with Christoph Hess
Raising a Baby Deserves Careful Consideration By Kim Roe Purchasing a young horse (weanling to yearling) is something many horse owners consider at some point. Some people reason that it’s a path to owning a higher-quality horse in a more affordable package than a mature, trained horse. For many …
