As you anxiously wait at the first cone to begin your showmanship pattern, you watch the exhibitor in front of you. The judge, pen in hand, seems to anticipate an error and is ready to scribble a minus at...
Q: I have a high-energy mare that gets really strong and quick whenever we jump. She pulls on the bit, and I have a hard time slowing her down. Do you have any suggestions on how I can make...
The money barrel, the first one in a barrel racing pattern, sets up your entire run. Success depends on how well you make the first turn.Fallon Taylor of Dynasty Equine in Whitesboro, Texas, is a five-time National Finals...
Note: This is day 26 of my 30-day blogging challenge. What the heck is a 30-day blogging challenge? Read about it here.I rode saddle seat for most of my teenage years and my twenties. I've alluded to this on...
When Jolli Pressler rode down the centerline at the first-ever western dressage world championships in November 2012, her primary goal was to remember to breathe. Everything else would be icing on the cake.
"I’m as nervous as can be,” said...
You don’t have to be a competitor to reap the benefits of dressage training with your horse. Any horse can learn the basic lateral movements of the turn on the forehand and the leg-yield. Unlike the more advanced lateral...
Here are more tips to improve your runs, from champion barrel racer Lindsay Sears.For the horse that always gets off to a slow start from the alley, breeze him a short distance. Work in a pasture, on a...
You’re in the alley ready for your barrel run, and your horse is just as excited as you are. But although you thought you were prepared, your horse starts slow from the alley, or he tips a barrel. Maybe...
Nobody likes being a lawn dart. But thanks to the laws of physics, you can become a human projectile when your galloping horse suddenly slams on the brakes in front of a jump or abruptly swerves to the side....
Did you hear that the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) would be requiring helmets for barrel racers under age 18? If you did, you’re not alone. News of such a change apparently originated on Facebook and quickly circulated through...
