One of the easiest ways to track your training progress is to feel your horse’s body all over while you’re tacking him up every day. This physical check-in allows you to detect how he is responding to your program,...
Q: My horse is afraid of brightly colored or decorated jumps. How can I desensitize him?
A: This is a very common problem for horses that have only schooled over plain-looking jumps. When they get to a show, they...
In the American Saddlebred show ring, the ultimate honor is to win the open three-gaited or five-gaited championship. Like the park division, horses in these classes display extreme animation and showcase the pinnacle of saddle seat type."The three-gaited horse...
The nuances of different saddle seat divisions may seem baffling to an outsider. But if you aspire to compete in this discipline, you need to determine the correct division for your horse. We asked professionals from the Morgan, Arabian...
If you have ever ridden a Training or First Level dressage test, you have become pretty acquainted with what we call the stretchy circle, the 20-meter test of your horse’s ability to elongate his posture while maintaining rhythm, bend,...
Q: My horse has always had difficulty picking up his left lead properly, and he has a tendency to bow out his shoulder to the right all the time. Keeping him straight is a constant challenge. My trainer thinks...
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...
Q: My horse’s trot is irregular and feels uncollected. How can I make it smoother and more collected?
A: The training scale is an easy place to start and will give you a path to follow in developing your...
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...
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....
