The shoulder-in is one of the best exercises for suppling a horse, building his strength, and increasing his freedom in the shoulder. But the precursor to the shoulder-in is the shoulder-fore, which is also an excellent movement to help with...
Q. I’m just getting started in the lower levels of eventing and am wondering about the best saddle to buy for the sport. Do I really need two or three different saddles, or can I get by with one...
Decorative markings brushed into the horse’s coat--quarter marks--enhance the conformation of a well-muscled hip and croup, and draw attention to the cleanliness and shine of a well-conditioned show horse. Quarter marks not only highlight a horse’s conformation and give...
Ever wonder why sometimes you and your horse can’t quite put in a great round over jumps? Maybe the problem isn’t the jumps themselves, but rather your approaches to them. You can improve your ride to the jump by...
Q. My 5-year-old gelding holds a quiet, steady rhythm to his jumps, but he tends to land on his forehand and gets strung out after the fences. What can I do about this?A. Your problem is not unusual. Although...
We spend much of our time in the saddle honing the walk, trot and canter, but there are two other speeds that are required in English disciplines: the hand gallop and the gallop. In the good old days of...
So much preparation is spent riding toward a jump that riders often neglect to continue riding after the jump. Whether it’s contemplating what just went wrong, mentally celebrating a wondrous effort or just plain old daydreaming, a lot can...
Can you keep your horse on the bit through basic dressage movements? Is he comfortable negotiating difficult terrain while hacking out? Can he handle a course of small jumps with ease? If you answered yes to all three, you’ve...
On-the-aids goes out the window when you ask for canter. Your horse trots faster and faster until he finally plunges into canter, which he maintains only for a few unbalanced moments before he falls back into that equally not-fun-at-all...
