Have you ever had the experience of riding a horse who was so heavy on the forehand, it felt as though your arms were a couple of inches longer by the time you dismounted?! The whole experience is exhausting! It feels as though you are literally carrying the horse’s head and neck by bracing your shoulders and arms against him…
There seems to be two types of riders in the world, those that love an OTTB and those that don’t! I am squarely in the former category and if you are also there, well make yourself comfortable because this week on Daily Strides we are focusing on basic exercises you can begin implementing with your OTTB today that will help…
Why is your horse falling in? More importantly, how do you know if your horse is falling in? The quickest and easiest way I can explain falling in is to imagine you are riding a circle. One that you have planned out beautifully in your head. However, as your horse travels around it you seem to be getting more and…
Is there a more frustrating and exhausting experience when riding to match that of being on a horse that is not paying you a blind bit of notice?! You are on board kicking and pumping away. And all the while your horse is just meandering along. Ignoring you completely and acting as though he is on a relaxing Sunday outing.…
Walking… Does your horse do it with a sense of purpose, or is he rather resembling a slowly rolling ball of jelly; going nowhere slowly? The problem many riders have is when we ask our horse to ‘walk on’, he becomes tense and stiff… The walk, when it is a good walk, should be forward-moving, unrestricted, and natural. There should…
Do you find that when you ask your horse for a more expressive trot, he just seems to begin running onto his forehand with you, becoming heavier and heavier with each stride? You’re not alone! Many riders set out looking to achieve an active, working trot… But due to lots of different factors, this can end up just ‘running’…
