It is easy to become ‘stuck’, both physically and mentally, when riding in a smaller space. As riders, we tend to ‘slow things down’ to the point where we lose forwardness. Forwardness, both physical and mental, is essential to riding anything well… This episode of the Daily Strides Podcast comes from the 1st lesson of 5 on the topic and…
As riders, we know that training a horse involves a delicate balance of communication, trust-building, and physical conditioning. And, over the years, I have become more and more convinced of the power of simple ground pole exercises to help horses and riders. Whether they are ‘fancy’ poles or just straight-ish poles found in a forest or woods, these unassuming wooden…
If you enjoy jumping with your horse, riding that clear round is all important. Luckily there are a few key areas you can work on in your training that will help you to begin seeing more of them. Adjusting the length of your horse’s strides is just one of those. And it’s also a pretty useful exercise for all horses…
Whether you enjoy jumping or not, the fact of the matter remains… When approached correctly and consistently, jumping can greatly benefit both horses and riders in a long-term training program. Even if there is no intention of actually ‘jumping’ competitively. And this is true regardless of discipline, training level, and experience. When introduced the right way, and then strategically used…
Jumping is one of those things most riders love or hate. In my experience, their personal preferences depend on how well they can use the space between jumps. If every jumping track feels like a tug of war from start to finish, it’s easy to see how jumping itself won’t be all that enjoyable. The same applies if the rider…
The canter and using groundpoles; as the song goes, these are a few of my favorite things! And I especially love how, with a few well-placed and simple groundpoles, the canter can begin to become more intentional, rhythmic, and balanced. The added bonus is that so does the rider… So, that being said, let’s improve the canter for you and…
