Work at the walk, practiced and touted by old classical dressage masters, is always better than letting a horse stand around when he is not able to perform a regular training schedule. Walking allows for full contraction of the...
The shortest distance between two points may be a straight line, but it’s not always the fastest—especially in barrel racing. If you want to shave seconds off your time and leave the barrels standing when you cross the timer,...
We riders are bright creatures. We memorize long courses, process multi-part instructions, and generally do the whole patting-your-head-and-rubbing-your-stomach routine from the back of a thousand-pound animal with a mind of its own. Except when we can’t. Occasionally, your mental...
Lessons are a regular part of the lives of most equestrians, and because of this, we as riders grow accustomed to following directions given by our instructors as we travel around the arena doing schooling exercises with our horse....
Last winter, the International Modern Pentathlon Union (Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne, or UIPM) decided to remove equestrian show jumping from its slate of five sports. Without directly referring to the controversy that occurred during the 2020 Tokyo Olympic...
If you’ve been to a horse expo, you’ve probably seen a bridleless riding demonstration. The lack of tack looks like an inspiring next plane of communication and connection with your horse. But is bridleless riding an attainable goal for...
Riders transitioning to the double bridle for dressage or saddle seat classes can find it intimidating at first to handle two reins and two bits and to understand the reins’ actions on both the snaffle and curb.In this article,...
The wind is howling, the snow is knee-deep, you can no longer feel your face, and your horse is standing all the way on the other side of the pasture watching you. You contemplate reasons why you do not...
The horse spins to the right, then left, at a reining show. With his full body engaged and his hindquarters carrying his weight, it appears that the spin is a fast turn on the haunches. However, to master this...
If you’re like me, you are probably wondering how you could get one step closer to having a responsive horse on the aids, just like the top riders. To test your connection and communication with your horse, try the...
