Breathing in the new leather fragrance in the tack shop, facing a wall of tall English boots, all gleaming softly, waiting to be tried on, you wonder: Will I be Cinderella, or an ugly stepsister when I take up...
Muffy Seaton from Williston, S.C., is a well-known driver, trainer and breeder of driving ponies. She has been an active combined driving event and pleasure driving competitor, judge and clinician for the past 28 years. In addition, Muffy has...
Trainer and judge Julie Winkel believes that a more perfect position makes a more effective rider. In line with that philosophy, she explains the four different seats she teaches her riders in order to be effective.
The first is the...
Ah,that elusive perfection! Hunter and jumper riders spend years perfecting their position in the saddle, acknowledging the links between form and function and between a visually appealing picture and an effective ride. But what is the less than perfect...
Don't expect instant results, and never force your muscles and joints. Work on the rusty-hinge principle: When a rusty hinge makes a door stiff, you oil the hinge, and then rock the door to and fro to...
Dressage is a sport of precision. Details matter, and in the show-ring, you do need to sweat the small stuff. No matter what the competition looks like, you can focus on presenting your horse at his best and riding...
Q: My 8-year-old gelding has only been ridden in a hackamore. I’d like to start dressage with him, so he needs to wear a bit. I’ve tried every kind of snaffle and he seems to hate them all. He...
It’s easy to fall into the rut of riding through the same course every time you jump, especially if you don’t have the opportunity to work regularly with an instructor who can introduce you to new training techniques. However,...
If you are interested in teaching your inexperienced or young (at least 4 years old) horse to jump, low obstacles should be well within his ability as long as he is sound, physically mature and fit.Teaching a horse...
