Of course you should always ride your horse in the bit that lets him perform at his best. And you must be in control of your horse for that to happen. But while pelhams are common in equitation and...
Are you too busy with your hands? Do you resort to grabbing the reins in an effort to force your horse on the bit? Here’s an exercise to help you develop a more sympathetic feel of your horse’s mouth....
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...
In the Old West tradition, horses earned their keep when gathering and trailing cattle on the open range. In fact, getting a herd of cattle to market in those days took a top hand mounted on a horse with...
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...
Getting out on the trail gives you and your horse an opportunity to enjoy a change of scenery or a new challenge. But being out on the trail also means that you may be on your own if faced...
Shady, meandering bridle trails, vast stretches of deserted beaches and granite-strewn switchbacks high above the timber line may be as close to heaven as a person can get and still sit in the saddle, right? Maybe. If your horse...
Nobody has opened more gates in competition with greater success than Cynthia Cantleberry. This Paso Robles, California, trainer has amassed an unprecedented 14 AQHA World Championship trail titles in her career, which makes her the winningest trail competitor in...
One thing that never changes about horsemanship is that most riders search endlessly for ways to improve the performance of their mounts. Not quite satisfied with what we're getting out of our horses, we'll try this technique or that...
