The ideal western horse, according to trainer Patty Meek, is one that "gives to the bridle and is supple, giving both at the poll and to the left and right." Beyond responding just to the rider's hand, the horse...
Don’t forget your safety sense when longeing. The following guidelines will help keep you safe. Equipment:
A cotton longeline, rather than synthetic, will stop rope burns.
A broken...
The yearling longeline class provides a showcase for up-and-coming English and western pleasure horses and an opportunity for the owners of these young horses to participate in horse show events. In order to compete successfully, these immature horses must...
Prominent Quarter Horse trainer Dana Hokana has a philosophy of thoroughly educating the young horse in the snaffle bit before moving him into a curb bridle. Just as a child must learn the basics in elementary school, Hokana believes...
Wouldn't it be nice to find a single tool that would get your horse's attention, lengthen and shorten his stride, increase his balance, tune up his cadence, fix his rollbacks, teach him to drive and allow him to blow...
You've pondered styles, researched suppliers, sat in seats, evaluated trees, though about girth lengths, decided on the perfect size for your horse and compared prices. Your catalogs are tabbed and dog-eared, and you've visited every tack shop you could...
A smooth, seamless walk-to-lope transition isn't just a must in the show pen. A horse that can easily strike off without throwing his head up and lunging into the gait, or breaking first into a trot, provides a more balanced,...
Once upon a time Sparky was one fired-up horse. Responsive, alert, ready to do what his owner asked. Now, Sparky acts more like a fouled spark plug sluggish, unresponsive and hard to get going.Then there's Garfield, who was never...
Conditioning a performance horse for work is an art and requires good judgment on the part of the rider. You need a fine-tuned feel for how much and how soon to increase a horse's work to build up its...
