Circles; for something that we spend so much time ‘doing’ with our horses, many riders are more than a little confused when it comes to how to ride a circle. And while the basic ‘riding a circle’ is fairly simple and most all riders can manage, the issue of riding a well-balanced, good quality, well-maintained circle is what leaves many…
Have you ever wondered how some riders seem to effortlessly connect with their horse when riding? It genuinely seems like they are doing nothing in particular, and there is clearly an ongoing conversation, or magic, happening. The secret to seemingly effortless riding is to begin, one by one putting a basic on autopilot – and then revisiting and upgrading them…
Timing is something we all understand. When it is working for us, it feels good. If it’s a little off, things tend to feel rushed or stressed. I think our horses feel the same mixed bag of emotions and tension when the timing is off. In fact, bad timing often is the very thing that causes a ‘hop, skip, and…
A couple of weeks ago, I gave you an audio horse riding lesson on the Daily Strides Podcast. It was all about self-carriage and awareness in your body. Today’s episode is focused specifically on creating the space for better canter transitions with your horse. Getting into canter can be a challenge for many riders. Okay, let’s get a little more…
It seems pretty simple, navigating a corner or bend with your horse. And yet, for many riders, this becomes a complicated task really quickly. The issue is not the turn or the bend. No, the issue is that they are trying to turn their horse, rather than simply setting things up and allowing their horse to turn. As the rider,…
You can feel it when your horse ‘hollows’, right? And I bet you can also feel it when your horse ‘grows a hand’ and begins to carry himself. There is either a feeling of contraction or expansion. Okay, so because we agree on that, it makes sense that your horse can probably feel the same thing… Right? And yet, so…
