Getting into canter on an easygoing or lazy horse can be exhausting! And while we do love our laidback equines… Can we all be honest in admitting how, sometimes, just a little more enthusiasm would change everything? The good news is that you can quickly begin to change this in your horse. You see, often, the trot to canter is…
Riding, just like life, is about enjoying the journey rather than just the destination. However, when you’re transitioning from the trot into the canter – and your horse seems determined to show you just how fast he can actually trot beforehand; well, the journey is not all that enjoyable! I don’t know of a single rider who enjoys the ‘rush’…
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…
There is a point in every rider’s journey where balance becomes less about staying on and more about increasing overall effectiveness. However, in order to positively influence the horse, the rider needs to begin working on developing better balance. I feel that one of the best ways to do this is by developing independent aids. Independent from both the influence…
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…
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…
