My Soapbox for Equestrian Writings
For the past few days I’ve been watching another owner/rider dispute unfold on COTH. Certainly after reading about this experience, the Henny dispute and the issues over La Biosthetique Sam, I’d sure as heck think twice about buying a horse for a rider to compete. The comments on the most recent threads repeat several common […]
Read MoreSo, you’d think that as a foxhunter that rides an OTTB, I’d be a galloping pro. Not so. Ironically, given my choice of riding discipline, I’ve never particularly liked to go fast. Okay, the people who ride with me will tell you I don’t like to go slowly either. But I do like to feel […]
Read MoreRoss’s grandmother, Mandy, posted a link to another YouTube video and a comment on my “update” thread. Since some of you wouldn’t see it buried in the comments, here it is. I do feel badly for these folks as I’m sure they did not expect that first video to not only go viral, but get […]
Read MoreHalf halts are a way that the rider can re-balance your horse. But it’s a term that gets tossed around frequently without adequate explanation. As a result, many people think they are doing a half halt but don’t know why and don’t do it correctly. Much of the confusion probably lies in the use of […]
Read MoreI have always been a snaffle kind of rider. Partly it’s because I generally have had horses that require more kick than whoa; partly it’s because I use other aids to control speed and rhythm; and partly it’s because I like a horse to take a solid contact with the bit. Look in my bit […]
Read MoreFreedom is very, well, energetic right now. I took him out yesterday, hacked him over to the ring where the footing is good and I could let him move. Pretty soon I realized that the best thing to do with him was just let him canter. It would stretch his back and help get the […]
Read MoreIn my last post I talked about teaching your horse to lower its head while you’re on the ground. It’s also helpful to know how to achieve that same calming effect when you’re mounted or when your horse is moving (since it’s not so practical to jump off your horse when he starts to get […]
Read MoreWouldn’t it be nice to train your horse to relax? That way when you encounter the scary herd of cattle, the flock of wild turkeys or a package dangling from a mailbox you could calm your horse down before you were in the next county. That’s why many people train their horse to lower its […]
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