Aside from barrel racing, pole bending is the most popular speed event in America. Throughout show season, at local competitions, gymkhanas and breed shows, you’ll find the top riders dashing through a set of six poles so fast it’s...
"The Vaquero method of training is a beautiful song,” explains Sheila Varian, “sung with the softness and beauty of the rhythm of the horse. It’s about the total harmony and togetherness of horse and rider.”Based on centuries-old traditions, the...
About the AuthorKim and Kari Baker are identical twins who raise Appaloosas on their Montana...
Riding the flat and running walk on a Walking Horse is like floating through air—it’s the ultimate ride,” says performance horse trainer Wendy Said, who has trained pleasure (flat shod) Tennessee Walking Horses, among other breeds, in Southern California...
Practice makes perfect, right? Yes, but if your speed event practice consists of running a pattern over and over again, all that hard work could backfire. Horses that run a barrel or pole pattern for practice begin to think...
When schooling, the majority of western riders focus their attention on establishing consistently slow and steady gaits, which are essential for competition in many western events. However, there is a downside to reducing a horse's speed—he can lose the...
A good equitation rider will always stand out by creating the impression that horse and rider are one, riding effortlessly and effectively so that it appears he or she could just as easily be sitting up there having a...
One of the things that draws us to horses is their beauty. In halter classes, this attribute is center stage. Both grooming and health care play a role in creating an eye-pleasing picture.The single best thing you can...
Like contestants in a Miss America pageant they strut and parade their exceptional beauty and perfect bodies. Their glossy coats reflect the sunlight like varnish, emphasizing every movement and highlighting the sinuous curve of muscle rippling as they walk...
Neck reining to a western horse is like a steering wheel is to a car. Without it, you have no control over where you go. It's one of the first fundamentals a western horse learns, and without good neck-reining...
