Heading into the show ring is stressful enough—the last thing you need is a wild ride in the warm-up ring beforehand. At hunter/jumper shows, the warm-up can be a crowded, chaotic place with horses and riders everywhere, going in...
For anyone that aspires to compete in eventing, cross-country jumping is a critical skill to master. However, opportunities for schooling are often limited by location, not to mention winter weather. Fortunately, there are many cross-country concepts that you can...
Even if you can nail the distance to every fence, your hunter is sure to stay out of the ribbons if he can’t easily perform a flying lead change. The following tips will help you learn how to ask...
Q: My 5-year-old gelding’s introduction to dressage is going well, but I can’t figure out how to keep him from collapsing his shoulder inward when we do circles or bend in the corners. How do I help him stay...
Selecting the correct bit is one of the most important parts of training your horse and bringing out his best performance. Here, Gina Miles, the 2008 Olympic individual silver medalist in three-day eventing, shares advice to help you navigate...
Knowing how to use a direct rein is an important skill
whether you ride English or western. Unlike neck reining, where the horse turns
in response to pressure from the outside rein lying against its neck, a direct
rein aid leads a...
Baby pads aren’t for baby horses. They’re thin rectangles of
cotton (about 32” x 28”) that fit between your horse’s back and whichever other
saddle pad you’d like to keep clean and neat. Not to be confused with traditional
square saddle pads,...
The opening rein is a specific rein aid that comes in handy under certain circumstances. English riders often use an opening rein to straighten a horse through a line of jumps or to cue their jumper for an upcoming...
Regardless of your riding discipline, the ability to post the trot is an important horsemanship skill. Though posting is primarily associated with English riders, western riders—including cowboys—also post to the long trot. To be certain, covering long distances at...
If you have taken a few lessons and have decided that you're going to stick with it, now is the time to invest in some safe riding gear. You don’t have to run to the tack store and purchase...
