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…
As a rider, it is important to always look for ways to keep your schooling work interesting; for you and your horse. One of the ways you can do this is by working on different lunging exercises. And they don’t have to be ‘fancy’ or complex. In fact, there are a few basic exercises you can begin working on introducing,…
Just last week, I noticed a rider literally dragging their horse from the stables towards the arena. The rider was about a meter in front of the horse’s head. Her face was red with effort! And her horse was literally going nowhere slowly. It occurred to me that so many riders make things really difficult for themselves by not having…
It’s a big question, and it’s a question that so many riders wonder about. “Can I train my horse, alone?”. For many riders, they will answer this question with another one; “An I a ‘good enough’ rider?”. There are millions of riders all over the world, all with different combinations of skills and talents; being a ‘good’ rider is relative!…
Self carriage is something a lot of riders have on their ‘goals’ list for their horse. As though it is something that can be achieved once and ‘ticked off’. Done and dusted. If only… I believe that self carriage is a sign of development and growth in both horse and rider. A start in the sharing of responsibilities that lead…
How many times have you been working with your horse on the lunge, only to have your line end up a tangled mess? Or perhaps your horse did something unexpected. Maybe he turned in or went from 0 to 60 in .5 of a second, and you couldn’t respond quickly enough because of a loopy, knotted, or twisted lunge line?…
