Q: I have two horses, and whenever I try to ride one, the other one goes crazy in his pen. He works himself into a sweat, and I’m afraid he’s going to hurt himself or get sick from it....
Q: My horse tosses his head constantly. I had the veterinarian out, and she says his teeth are fine. I even asked a trainer to help me find a comfortable bit and adjust my horse’s headstall, but he still...
Q. At a recent show, both the judge and my trainer said I didn't place well because my young, green horse swapped his leads in the lines and at the base of most of the jumps. Why would my...
Photo by Lesley WardPeople have different learning styles, some learn best by performing a task over and over, some with visual input (looking at an example), while others do well with spoken instruction.1. Notice what approach gives YOU the...
We spend much of our time in the saddle honing the walk, trot and canter, but there are two other speeds that are required in English disciplines: the hand gallop and the gallop. In the good old days of...
Of course you should always ride your horse in the bit that lets him perform at his best. And you must be in control of your horse for that to happen. But while pelhams are common in equitation and...
Are you too busy with your hands? Do you resort to grabbing the reins in an effort to force your horse on the bit? Here’s an exercise to help you develop a more sympathetic feel of your horse’s mouth....
So much preparation is spent riding toward a jump that riders often neglect to continue riding after the jump. Whether it’s contemplating what just went wrong, mentally celebrating a wondrous effort or just plain old daydreaming, a lot can...
In the Old West tradition, horses earned their keep when gathering and trailing cattle on the open range. In fact, getting a herd of cattle to market in those days took a top hand mounted on a horse with...
Can you keep your horse on the bit through basic dressage movements? Is he comfortable negotiating difficult terrain while hacking out? Can he handle a course of small jumps with ease? If you answered yes to all three, you’ve...
