Circles; for something that we spend so much time ‘doing’ with our horses, many riders are more than a little confused when it comes to how to ride a circle. And while the basic ‘riding a circle’ is fairly simple and most all riders can manage, the issue of riding a well-balanced, good quality, well-maintained circle is what leaves many…
It can feel really overwhelming when we begin looking at all the different things you need to include when training your horse, right? All these ‘steps’ and ‘principles’ are big pieces of a puzzle in their own right; they also have to work together in order to get the full picture! The training scale is a proven way for you…
Have you ever wondered how some riders seem to effortlessly connect with their horse when riding? It genuinely seems like they are doing nothing in particular, and there is clearly an ongoing conversation, or magic, happening. The secret to seemingly effortless riding is to begin, one by one putting a basic on autopilot – and then revisiting and upgrading them…
Have you ever ridden in an open space, a large open space? A space with no boundaries, or fences, or hedges, or any natural ‘this is the end of this space’ obstacles. It takes a lot more focus to ride accurate shapes and straight lines. We tend to ‘wander’… So many of us forget how beneficial an artificial aid the…
Landing on the correct diagonal can be hit and miss for many riders. Let’s face it, there’s a chance you’ll get it right 50% of the time! And while most riders are pretty well versed on their diagonals in the trot… It’s ‘feeling’ the diagonal that causes confusion. Trotting has a two-time beat. The 1,2,1,2,1,2,1,2,1,2 that you experience and feel…
Can you put into words what the half halt is? Let’s say you are speaking with your friend, who is not a horsey person, and you’re telling her all about the half halt. What would you say? This week I had two eye-opening conversations. One with a rider and one with my sister… I drew a similar conclusion from both…
