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’…
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…
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…
All riders can be put into one of two categories when it comes to the canter… Those who can move their seat in the canter with their horse – and those who can’t. This is a bitter pill to swallow for those on the ‘can’t’ side of the fence. And yet, it is something that they would secretly love to…
The canter and using groundpoles; as the song goes, these are a few of my favorite things! And I especially love how, with a few well-placed and simple groundpoles, the canter can begin to become more intentional, rhythmic, and balanced. The added bonus is that so does the rider… So, that being said, let’s improve the canter for you and…
Have you ever thought about what you can feel, in the saddle as you ride your horse? The physical connection points you have with your horse each time you’re in the saddle. Often we can become so caught up with our aids and what we ‘should’ be doing, that we forget to focus on the actual points of physical connection…
