My Soapbox for Equestrian Writings
If you’re not actively working to get better at what you do, there’s a good chance you’re getting worse, no matter what the quality of your initial training may have been. I read this on the Internet (The Energy Project) and it encapsulated what I feel about working with a trainer. I’ve had a lot […]
Read MoreWe had a really good hunt season. Freedom’s ability to jump in the field really grew as he gained confidence and learned to settle better on the approaches to each fence. So I was a bit surprised when I had my first post-season jumping lesson and learned just how crooked he was! Sure, we can […]
Read MoreJane over at the Literary Horse is embarking on a search for a new trainer since her’s just retired. She asked her readers what they look for when they are choosing a trainer. My response started to get so long that I decided I’d better make it into a post! Here’s what I do: If […]
Read MoreAs humans we are all used to doing things with our hands. In fact, during our days we probably do most things with our hands. Unfortunately, that tendency extends to riding. It’s all too easy to ride with our hands and that leaves us focusing on our horses’ heads, rather than on their engines. Recently […]
Read MoreDeveloping your eye for jumping takes practice. But maybe you don’t always want to jump your horse — either your barn doesn’t allow jumping outside of lessons or your horse doesn’t need the extra pounding. Try jumping ground poles. It’s a lot harder than it looks! This is something we always did when there was […]
Read MoreDoes your horse’s canter need better rhythm? Try posting! That’s right, posting to the canter can help your horse relax his back, open up his stride and regulate his speed, all without touching his mouth. I use it sometimes with Freedom to open up his stride without having him get quick. For the rider, posting […]
Read MoreRecently I was listening to a trainer talk about how to prepare a horse for a jump. As she discussed the mechanics of the stride, it reminded me of a talk another trainer had given me several decades ago (let’s not get specific!). He asked me to imagine that my horse was made of rubber. […]
Read MoreOne of the coolest things on the Internet is the wealth of educational materials. I’m not going to be heading to England any time soon to ride with (or audit) a training session with show jumping great Geoff Billington, but I don’t have to. Horse and Country TV brings it right to my laptop. I […]
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