My Soapbox for Equestrian Writings
Getting in shape to ride in a balanced half seat is painful. I can remember many lessons when my legs ached and my balance was precarious. I had instructors who insisted on perfecting my two point position. Maybe you’ve been there: arms out to the side, arms overhead, no stirrups, and endless circles and figures […]
Read MoreMost of the time your horse (hopefully) stops on cue. You increase the contact on your reins and simultaneously ask your horse to slow by stopping his forward motion with resistance from your seat. On rare occasions, you may need more stopping power. It could be that your horse has bolted or started bucking, or […]
Read MoreOne of the secrets to maintaining an elastic connection with your horse’s mouth is to ride with a soft, bent elbow. When you straighten your arms and brace you are unable to follow the movement of the horse’s mouth so you are holding rather than supporting. You also lose the benefit of your body’s core. […]
Read MoreIf you’ve ever read George Morris’ Jumping Clinic column in Practical Horseman, you must check out this site. It has the best spoof of the column that I’ve ever read. The rest of the site is pretty darn funny too. Nice to see some horse people with a sense of humor! For those readers not […]
Read MoreHow appropriate that right after my last post (on choosing a clinician), I took a lesson. I hadn’t taken a lesson for months and I knew I had slipped into some bad habits. My husband can’t understand why I still need instruction; “after all,” he says, “don’t you know how to ride yet?” In theory, […]
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