When the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games came to the United States, American horse enthusiasts became well-versed in the eight equestrian disciplines that were included there. But did you know that the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) recognizes two...
Yesterday, we featured an introduction to tent-pegging, one of the two regional disciplines recognized and governed by the FEI. The other one of those disciplines is horseball, a team sport that requires agility, courage and horsemanship skill.Horseball is played...
The sitting trot holds a unique, and perhaps even a little notorious, reputation. Many riders are of the opinion that the sitting trot is difficult to master and is punishing, too—jarring, bouncing, uncomfortable (regardless of how experienced you are)...
As you enter at A, the judge’s steely eyes will be firmly fixed upon you and your horse for the next few nerve-wracking minutes. But what’s going through her mind as she watches you? Is she judging the perfect...
Maintaining a balanced, consistent, and controlled canter on the correct lead presents enough challenges. But what if your horse has trouble holding his canter? If your horse starts off fine but repeatedly breaks to the trot, then you need...
Q: My horse will not halt for more than a few seconds. This is especially irritating when we jump a course that calls for a halt. Even when I keep my body and aids steady, after a few second...
Though a few famous show jumpers were known for their exuberant displays after clearing challenging obstacles, bucking and playing after a jump isn’t admirable behavior. Not only can it unseat a rider, but it’s marked as a major fault...
Both English and western riders can sometimes be misguided as to how to hold the reins correctly. That diminishes their communication with their horse. When direct rein aids are used, a rein is held in each hand. In this...
Q: When I jump my horse he always takes off way too early, to the point that I’m scared of crashing or falling off. It helps to set placement poles in front of the jumps but as soon as...
Q: One of the horses I ride was professionally
trained for western pleasure. Now I want to ride him English and do some low
jumping, but whenever I try to canter he just lopes instead. This makes jumping
very awkward. Plus, continually...
