Every time you interact with your horse, there is the possibility of improving your communication and understanding. However, planning and intention must be present for each ride to be an actual stepping stone. Having one without the other will not give you the outcome you are hoping for. Creating the plan and setting the intention is key to each ride…
I find it a little mind-boggling how, the longer we spend developing ourselves as riders, the more we need to unlearn. Especially when it comes to those first one or two initial horse riding lessons! Using your hands and arms to ‘steer’ the horse is one of those things. And, flexion is often one of the best concepts to help…
Can changing one thing really help you to improve your riding? I think so, and the great news is that regardless of how well you ride, you can begin to implement this the very next time you’re in the saddle. This exercise is suitable for you to ride in walk, trot, and canter. It is also something you can use…
I am all for intentional, relaxing hacks with your horse. And I also think that it’s worth remembering that not all hacks have to be for ‘doing nothing’. In fact, there are some things that may actually happen more easily when out of the arena. Working contact is, for some riders and horses, one of those things. We are always…
Why is it that, as equestrians, we often want to immediately have what we see others with? And I’m not just talking about saddles, boots, and gloves… But the actual ‘horse’, exercises, movements, training, and level of performance. We ‘know’ that time is required, but gosh, time can mean a lot of things to a lot of different riders! When…
It can be frustrating when you know exactly what you want to achieve when training or retraining your horse, but it seems to be taking ‘forever’! It seems that no matter how much you explain your horse, he’s not ‘getting it’. Training or retraining your horse is something that takes time. And, sometimes, it is our own impatience or actions…
