A horse show class can seem like a marathon torture session, especially if you’re aboard a cranky horse or trying to hold your position despite the fact that your body’s going numb. Yet you can’t relax just because the...
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...
The Pelham is the most popular leverage bit used in hunters and hunt seat equitation competition. It is designed to use two sets of reins along with a curb chain. One rein attaches to the upper ring on the...
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...
Q: I recently purchased a new pair of field boots. I’ve been wearing them around the house and at the barn to break them in, but they still feel really stiff, and I have some shows coming up. Is...
If you ride English then you already know the importance of correct stirrup length. A stirrup that’s too long usually results in a loose, swinging lower leg. Plus it undermines the rider’s position. Instead of a classic hunt seat...
During the last decade a revolution of sorts has occurred in the design of English stirrups. Riders are no longer restricted to the rigid stainless steel “fillis” style of irons. Many of today’s English riders, especially those who ride...
