Ready for hunting? Not sure!

After a week of amazing spring weather I’ve almost (not quite) forgotten what a lousy winter we’ve had. It’s been absolutely wonderful to go and ride Freedom and Zelda, to feel the warmth of the sun, to not sink up to our collective knees in snow. In theory, hunt season started last Tuesday. Sadly, the […]

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Saddle fit for riders makes a real difference

There’s so much focus now in equine forums about saddle fit for horses that sometimes fit for riders gets overlooked. Sure, it’s important for the saddle to fit your horse. But it also needs to fit you! Fighting the tack every stride does not make you a better rider, it makes you a frustrated one. […]

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Great explanation of the half halt

Using the half halt (or as Jane Savoie puts it, the half go) is a great way to rebalance your horse, get them to work through their back and maintain their impulsion. I’m working on this a lot with Zelda right now. This video gives a very good and clear explanation of the aids to […]

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How to build up your horse’s topline

To build the muscles that strengthen a horse’s topline, first you have to get the horse to work correctly — to use his back, engage his abdominals, and push from behind and connect with your hand. You can tell when a horse isn’t working correctly by looking at his musculature. If your horse’s underneck is […]

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