For years, I was all about control when it came to horses. I wanted to understand how to control them better, and how I could help riders do this… Until, one day, I realized I was working under a false pretense! You see, I figured something out. It was like an ‘oh wow’ moment. There is no way to control…
Whether it comes down to circumstances, weather, or location, finding yourself without a flat, good-quality, horse arena to train in, can often derail everything. It can feel like every single exercise you see or hear about requires acres of space and dozens of poles! And, maybe even more frustrating is when you begin to feel things coming together, only to…
We all have talents. Things that seem to come naturally to us and that we excel at. Your horse is the same. And, in my experience, when we approach training our horses with the idea that we are helping them develop their talents, everyone is happier. Unfortunately, it is common practice for many people to focus on weaknesses. Both in…
Have you noticed how, for many people, the longer they spend in the saddle, the less curious they become about a lot of things ‘riding related’? Now, other riders are the exact opposite, they want to go deeper and further in all aspects of riding. Which is fantastic. If you have found yourself doing something for the sake of just…
Anyone who has ridden in an arena for a prolonged period knows how different the energy feels when they finally get out on the trail. What may have been feeling a little flat and, even, deflated, suddenly comes back to life. Both horse and rider seem to become more keenly self-aware. And more responsive to external elements. Rather than being…
It can seem like something that only novice or beginner riders would worry themselves with; revisiting the basics. After all, surely there’s a point where, as riders, we can ‘set and forget’ a couple of things in our riding? Basics like position and the aids. Or trotting and cantering… And I think a lot of this stems from the fact…