by Marilyn Pineda Sometimes (most times), all we really need to do to advance in horsemanship skills is learn to slow down. Remember, the first reason most of us have horses is for enjoyment. Too often we miss out on the satisfaction of simply savoring our life experience with them. …
One Step at a Time Through a Water Obstacle by Marilyn Pineda Navigating a body of water—even if it’s only a puddle— very often results in the classic “I don’t want to” response from horses that have not yet developed confidence in their trail training. While it’s possible for …
Conquering the Straddle Pole by Marilyn Pineda It is the Year of the Horse and we’ve definitely been having fun with horses at Fire Mountain Trail Course. A rigorous schedule of trail challenge events, training and practice has helped with mastering a variety of obstacles already this year. However, …
The Secret to Succeeding at Obstacle Challenges by Marilyn Pineda The Pacific Northwest riding season is here and opportunities in trail riding and obstacle challenge events such as what is offered by Equine Trail Sports (ETS) abound. You may not know that ETS events exist from the northern corners …
by Marilyn Pineda A few months ago I started sharing a series of ground training exercises and techniques to practice from the saddle that would provide the basic components of a nice side pass. This month we are going to bring everything together and put the side pass into …
by Marilyn Pineda We have been working on building blocks toward side passing in our Riding Well Grounded exercises on the ground with focus on bending in the neck, yielding to subtle pressure, moving the hindquarters from the ground and from the saddle and moving the front quarters. This …
by Marilyn Pineda One of my favorite accomplishments in horse training is being able to execute a nice side pass. It demonstrates several basic ground training achievements: subtle bending in the neck; yielding to subtle pressure; moving the front quarters in both directions; moving the hindquarters in both directions; and …
More Exercises to Help Build a Smooth Side Pass by Marilyn Pineda As mentioned in last month’s training article, executing a nice side pass with your horse demonstrates several things: bending in the neck, yielding to subtle pressure, moving the front quarters, moving the hindquarters and moving one step …
by Marilyn Pineda We often hear the phrase “be the alpha mare” when given the description of how to relate to our horse if we desire its respect. But what does that mean, and why is it important? Are you the “alpha” with your horse and, if not, how can …
Tips for Backing a Smooth Circle by Marilyn Pineda A couple of gals recently brought their horses to the trail course at Fire Mountain. Bonnie had been here previously as a participant in the Obstacle Challenge Play Day we held in October, but was still interested in listening in …