Would you be able to stop your horse if he spooked and took off? "Most of us prefer not to jump off a running horse,” says reining champion Stacy Westfall. "Being able to stop is a huge part of...
In spring 2006, two of HI’s editors, Toni McAllister and Micaela Myers, attended a Galles-Harrel cutting clinic in Menifee, Calif., the home of world champion cutter Leon Harrel and his business partner, cutting competitor Rick Galles of Indy 500...
Maintaining a balanced, consistent, and controlled canter on the correct lead presents enough challenges. But what if your horse has trouble holding his canter? If your horse starts off fine but repeatedly breaks to the trot, then you need...
Part of the allure of riding western is sitting astride a slow-legged horse as it moseys
along at a jog. Faster than a walk, slower and more relaxed than a lope, the jog is the
gait most favored for covering ground...
Trainer and clinician Jonathan Field demonstrates how to develop a partnership with your horse and keep him focused on you, even when distractions arise. For more on this topic, see the Natural Horsemanship column in the February 2012 issue...
A sports car driver directly influences the outcome of the car's performance. When your vehicle has four legs instead of four wheels, you are in the driver's seat and determine the outcome of the ride.
Using your rein, leg...
Though tack designed with a working western flair is popular, complete with narrow leather ties securing bits and reins to headstalls, the venerable Chicago screw seems here to stay. Chicago screws consist of two parts, and one half is...
Both English and western riders can sometimes be misguided as to how to hold the reins correctly. That diminishes their communication with their horse. When direct rein aids are used, a rein is held in each hand. In this...
Q: My gelding is a great ride in the round pen
or on a trail, but as soon as I get him in an open field he starts stops
listening to me and starts bucking. I have tried groundwork, but it...
Barrel racers know that overpracticing the pattern
can sour a speed horse. But what do the pros do during the week to keep their
horses in tip-top shape, both mentally and physically, for competition season?
Champion barrel racer and trainer Sue Smith...
