Perfect Your Western Lead Change
July 28, 2023
In reining or working cow horse competitions, you’ll need to show that your horse can change leads on command while keeping a steady loping cadence. To score well in these western classes, you’ll need to perform lead changes as you lope to the center of the arena. Your body position...
Master the Long Trot for Ranch Riding
May 8, 2023
“The extended trot, or the long trot, is the signature move of ranch riding,” says trainer and showman Aaron Ralston. “No other western show event requires your horse to stay in a long trot instead of a lope.” In the popular American Quarter Horse Association ranch riding class, judges want...
Mastering Split Reins
February 11, 2023
Split reins are by far the most versatile type of reins used in western riding, but they can be a bit challenging to master. The two separate reins can get tangled, dropped, or become uneven while riders struggle to properly manipulate them. Improper use can also disqualify you from your...
Ace Your Western Riding Pattern
January 14, 2023
Marked by fluid lead changes around a cone-marked course, western riding is a challenging class for all-around competitors. But with skill, preparation and careful navigation, you can guide your horse to a penalty-free score. Here, trainer Bruce Vickery shares his advice to confidently tackle the western riding class. The Goal...
Making a Career Out of Trick Riding
January 8, 2023
Developing a special partnership with a horse takes equal parts hard work, perseverance, and passion, but once formed, such a bond can last a lifetime. For Japanese-American cowgirl Miko Moriuchi McFarland and her American Paint Horse, Sparkle Grady One Eye (“Bandit”), an unshakable relationship has helped them stand out from...
Teach Your Horse to Drag a Log
January 4, 2023
A versatile ranch horse can do anything his rider asks—including pulling gear or livestock with a rope connected to the saddle horn. Versatility ranch horse competitions mirror real-life ranch tasks that include a rope-drag obstacle in the ranch trail class. Adult ranch trail riders must pull an object by rope...
Ranch Riding Downward Transitions
July 7, 2022
Of all the ranch versatility events, ranch riding has gained the most popularity; it’s also become the most competitive. If you’re on a quest to achieve high marks in ranch riding, three-time American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) Versatility Ranch Horse World Champion Mike Major says you’ll want to perfect your...
Wally the Western Dressage Horse
June 4, 2022
If anyone could be labeled a hunter princess, it was me. For nearly four decades I strove for the perfect hunter round and learned to maintain a semblance of grace during an equitation class. Yet I would eventually end up embracing the world of western dressage, all thanks to my...
Master Riding Over Logs
May 12, 2022
Will your horse ride over logs easily and with interest? In popular ranch riding classes, log obstacles are part of every pattern. Most often, the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) patterns call for walking or trotting over logs. A few patterns also call for lope-overs or a sidepass over logs...
Using Romal Reins to Improve Communication
April 4, 2022
A staple piece of tack for many West Coast western riders, romal reins can be a bit of a mystery if you learned how to ride in the eastern parts of the United States. While this rein started as a reined cow horse mainstay, its use has spread across the...
