Baby pads aren’t for baby horses. They’re thin rectangles of
cotton (about 32” x 28”) that fit between your horse’s back and whichever other
saddle pad you’d like to keep clean and neat. Not to be confused with traditional
square saddle pads,...
The opening rein is a specific rein aid that comes in handy under certain circumstances. English riders often use an opening rein to straighten a horse through a line of jumps or to cue their jumper for an upcoming...
Regardless of your riding discipline, the ability to post the trot is an important horsemanship skill. Though posting is primarily associated with English riders, western riders—including cowboys—also post to the long trot. To be certain, covering long distances at...
If you have taken a few lessons and have decided that you're going to stick with it, now is the time to invest in some safe riding gear. You don’t have to run to the tack store and purchase...
Not everyone wants a fancy warmblood with European bloodlines. And, quite frankly, not everyone can afford one. Despite the trend toward warmbloods in the show-ring, there are many diehard Thoroughbred fans. The Thoroughbred is an athletic, courageous horse with a...
Teaching a green horse his leads isn’t easy. Before you resort to running around in circles, stop and consider whether you’ve adequately prepared your greenie for this new lesson. Your horse should willingly move forward from your leg. Next,...
All riding horses are taught to respond to pressure from the rider’s leg, whether it’s pressure telling the horse to move over or pressure telling the horse to move faster. Spurs can help enhance and fortify leg pressure cues....
A horse that bolts is scary indeed because it’s like being aboard a runaway train. Though your first impulse is to stop the horse by pulling back with both reins, that’s usually ineffective. A panicked, determined horse is simply...
The half-halt is probably one of the most misunderstood, misused, skipped over and hardest to learn skills in riding. That may sound exaggerated, but even if you think you know how to half-halt, are you really sure you have...
One of the biggest questions concerning young performance horses is when to start their serious training. Being too hasty can risk both physical injury and behavioral problems. Horses mature at various rates, and their readiness to work needs to...
