I never liked wearing a helmet. I had all the lame excuses: too hot, too heavy, can’t see. Yet, I was an instructor and my insurance company required that my students wear helmets. All the while, like most of...
“We love having a sport that we can all play.”“Everyone cheers for other teams, and the more experienced riders are always happy to help the younger or less experienced to learn a new skill or to help them improve...
As horse owners we all know how accident and emergency prone horses can be. It’s almost as if they wake up each morning thinking, "How can I get myself into trouble today?” Having the knowledge and skill to handle...
When it comes to horses, the unthinkable can and does happen. The experience may be incredibly thrilling. You breed a foal that goes on to competitive success. It can also be devastating—your beloved equine partner breaks a leg in...
As modern day horse owners, we have to budget our income so we can afford a horse, and then we have to budget our time so we can squeeze in as many minutes as possible at the barn. Unfortunately,...
The beauty of selling products on the Internet is that, virtually, the world is your market. This is a boon for those of us who have accumulated horse equipment that we no longer need, either because we’ve changed horses,...
Halting is an essential skill for obvious reasons—dismounting, avoiding collisions and so on. The halt is more than just coming to a stop, however. A good halt shows that your horse is listening to and respecting your aids, is...
Horsemanship is considered by many exhibitors to be among the most difficult of the western pattern classes. It requires soft, invisible cues from the rider to the horse to execute precise transitions and maneuvers in a relaxed and willing...
A native of the Emerald Isle, the Connemara Pony has charmed the world with its disposition and athleticism. More >>Because of their small stature and conformation, ponies are usually treated differently than horses. They are often relegated to the...
Lauren O’Brien’s seventh-place finish at the Rolex Kentucky Four-Star Event this year may not have made the sports headlines, but for 41-year-old O’Brien, from Vass, N.C., and her long-time equine partner, Dunraths Alto, 16, that top-10 finish—achieved after jumping...
