Have you ever been lunging your horse and find yourself saying “Whoa there Tonto” a little too often?! That moment when your horse seems to go from cool and calm to tripping over themselves as the speed quickens! I can 100% hand over heart say that, from experience, this has the potential to make even the calmest of riders stress…
What is it about the idea of a fresh start that is so appealing? You know, a clean slate, a blank canvas. A ‘do-over’! As riders, we often make the crucial mistake of approaching all of our work with our horse, or improving our riding this way. And this can be a mistake because we are not asking one important…
While many people associate driving a Ferrari with happy things, most riders know that ‘riding’ the Ferrari of the yard is not that enjoyable at all! Riding a horse who rushes and runs everywhere is usually frustrating and challenging! And, assuming that you have ruled out physical issues, if your horse is rushing and racing, it’s time to focus on…
Being on a horse who is determined to run as fast as he possibly can towards every pole, fence, or jump that he sees is nerve-wracking! There are many reasons your horse might do this. And assuming that you have ruled out discomfort or pain, then retraining can begin. Unfortunately, retraining a horse who has become practiced in rushing jumps…
There is this lovely place that you will reach with your horse in your training where you are working together. Both of you are invested in creating a desired outcome. This point is usually when you can begin to create and maintain consistent contact. It’s like an unwritten agreement between the two of you. And once consistent contact is created…
Contact is something so many riders want to achieve when working with their horses. However, it’s always worthwhile remembering that your horse was not born knowing how to be ridden. This means that contact is something both of you must learn about and then refine through your work together. For many horses, the challenge is made even more difficult when…
