Strides for Success

Tag: training

  • Stop Trying to Control Your Horse!

    Stop Trying to Control Your Horse!

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    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 a horse – or at least a way to do this that encourages the development and training of horse and rider.

    And I really and truly believe that if more riders could understand this, they can make progress far more quickly. And enjoy the whole training journey a whole lot more as well…  In this episode of the Daily Strides Podcast, I am diving into all of the reasons that trying to control your horse is actually holding you both back from doing more in your work together.

    Why You Cannot Control Your Horse

    I realize that horse riding is essentially the act of us, the riders, getting onto our horse’s backs and having them do what we want them to do.  We can debate this all day long, but this is the long and the short of it!  However, it is also really important to remember three things:-

          1. We must ‘ASK’ our horses to do whatever it is we want them to do
          2. Our horse must UNDERSTAND what we are asking
          3. Our horse must actually ‘WANT’ to do it…

    If either of those three elements is missing, things can come undone very quickly!  Now, I am going to make an assumption here that you are a conscientious, caring, and compassionate equestrian, who is not into forcing your horse (whips, ropes, and all other methods) to do things against their will…

    Your horse has a mind of his own that you can never control. So, it makes sense to stop trying – and rather focus your efforts on controlling what you can, so that you can have a more positive influence over your horse…

    What You Can Control

    In order to increase your positive influence, you can work on controlling the one thing you can do; yourself.  Unfortunately, this is often easier said than done! For many novice riders, the challenge is physical.  Coordinating your aids and developing independence can feel exhausting in the early days of riding.  And, for more advanced riders, it becomes a real mind game.

    Being able to identify thoughts and beliefs that are limiting your progress in the saddle is a skill riders must work on developing if they want to do more and go further in their riding. 

    One of the best ways I have found to do this is to have a riding journal ready after each ride or session with your horse.  As soon as you dismount and have looked after your horse, begin writing things down.  This way, over time, you will begin to see patterns.

    Couple this with some form of exercise that will complement your riding and develop strength and fitness.  Hiking, cycling, swimming, strength training, yoga, pilates… Whatever takes your fancy really!  I suggest doing something you enjoy, and then if you find that you are needing further work in a specific area, going deeper then.

    The only way you can develop your skills as a rider is to develop yourself. And doing this is the way to then helping your horse to do the same as well. 

    Where to Focus Your Attention

    From here, instead of each ride being about how well you can control your horse, change the focus.  Think about how well you can set your horse up for success. How well can you plan what you want him to do, and then communicate that to him in a way he understands and is happy to try?

    When you work on setting things up, rather than controlling everything, you give your horse the opportunity to begin really being a partner in your work together. Rather than a robot. 

    And this leads to horses who can think for themselves in a safe, calm, and effective way.  Remember, you won’t get it right 100% of the time.  And when you do find yourself in one of those ‘sticky’ situations, it is always good to know that your horse can figure it out and get you both out of it.  Phew! But this is a skill you MUST allow him to develop.  And you can only do this by stopping trying to control your horse all of the time!

    Allowing for Mistakes (lots of them)

    One of the ways we learn is by making mistakes.  We realize the mistake and find a different way to do the thing that produces a different outcome.  Your horse is similar.  He also learns by making mistakes.  And yet, as riders, this can be something we dread to allow to happen!  But it simply MUST.

    One of your responsibilities as a trainer for your horse is to allow room for him to make mistakes. Allow, notice, and then simply correct.  Then allow again…

    It is rare to see a toddler simply stand up and walk on their first attempt.  They must attempt walking a lot before they get it right. Each attempt will result in wobbles, or loss of balance, and usually, falling down.  However, we accept this as par for the course because they are learning something new. So let’s begin to gift both ourselves and our horses with the same level of grace, compassion, and understanding.

    See each mistake your horse makes as an opportunity for him to grow and develop. Then, simply make the correction in a calm, timely manner – and forget about it. 

    Using Correction to Develop Responsibility

    When you correct your horse but continue to remember the mistake, you will end up trying to control your horse. This irrational fear of him making the same mistake again will dampen out everything else in your ride together… And erode your horse’s confidence.

    Your horse’s confidence will grow in his own abilities if you simply correct each mistake, and then move on! This means allowing him to make the same mistake over, and over until he gets it right. All without judgment or holding a grudge! 

    Trust me, when you leave behind trying to control your horse, and embrace becoming more of a positive influence on your horse, your riding will transform.

    Happy Riding
    Lorna

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  • Groundwork for Horses and Rhythm in Training

    Groundwork for Horses and Rhythm in Training

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    Rhythm is genuinely one of those things that can seem so simple on the surface.  And, don’t get me wrong, rhythm is a fairly simple concept. However, when we begin applying it to horses and riding, it is truly eye-opening just how deep we can go with the idea. A little like groundwork for horses…

    And, because rhythm is something we can approach from different perspectives and filters, the possibilities are pretty endless. So when we combine rhythm and groundwork for horses, we can really begin to develop and train. Both ourselves, and our horses.

    When working with your horse using groundwork, you can actually begin to both ‘see and feel’ how important rhythm is. 

    Syncing Your Body with Your Horse

    I am a firm believer in modeling or demonstrating things for your horse. To do this, we must first become aware of our body and how we are using it to communicate with our horses.  Become aware of your actions, breathing, rhythm, and energy in general. Once you are aware of your own physical presence, you can begin to ‘sync’ this with your horse.

    Try to coordinate your legs and footsteps with your horse’s hind legs and hind feet. Similarly, your shoulders with your horse’s shoulders. This is both for movement and, often, placement as well. 

    Start in the walk.  As you walk, move your feet in sync with your horse’s hind feet. Once you are both ‘in sync’, you can begin experimenting with how you can influence this part of your horse.  The rhythm and the length of stride.

    You can also begin to influence how the weight is carried by applying the half halt while on the ground, next to your horse. 

    Half Halt and Rhythm

    Rhythm, in and of itself, is generally pretty easy to establish. Finding a repeating sequence of footfalls is not too difficult.  However, very often the quality of the initially easily discovered rhythm can leave a lot of room for improvement. And this is where, as riders (whether in the saddle or on the ground) we must work on improving our abilities to ‘balance’ things a little more.

    Improving your skills as a rider means that you improve your coordination, your feel, and your understanding so that you can have a greater positive influence over your horse. 

    A half halt is a key tool when you’re working on this.  Being able to walk beside your horse and effectively ask for the half halt is a skill that takes time to refine. Doing this in a way that your horse understands is also pretty important! So, it makes sense that you understand your aids, and how to time them correctly. I have a full episode on this topic “Your Half Halt on the Ground with Your Horse” that goes deeper into this topic. 

    When you can use a combination of your aids, including your weight aids, at the right time to ask your horse to half halt while beside him/her on the ground, you can begin to ask bigger questions

    Groundwork for Horses

    Once you can begin to identify what is moving concerning our horse’s legs and bodies, and we understand how it is moving… We can place more focus on our influence over the movement.  And the options are limitless for how to develop this further. I am a firm believer that most of what we can do in the saddle, can be worked on while on the ground, whether this is true groundwork or lunging.

    And just like riding, groundwork takes dedication, consistency, time, and focus.  It requires both you and your horse to learn new things and is a great opportunity to grow your partnership together.

    From working in the stable while grooming and tacking up, to working in the arena, groundwork for horses is as versatile as it gets from a training perspective. In fact, I am pretty sure that if there is something you are struggling with in your riding, by finding a way to work on it, directly or indirectly, through groundwork, you can improve or transform it in your riding.

    I have created a full 4-week self-study program for you to use to really begin achieving results in your riding – and all while on the ground. There are audio horse riding lessons for you to use each day to develop your horse and improve your skills as a rider. And all are created with the intention to improve your riding as well. All of the details are HERE

    Happy Riding
    Lorna

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  • Have More Success When Training Your Horse Alone

    Have More Success When Training Your Horse Alone

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    Are all the months starting to look and feel the same for you and your horse? Especially if you have been training your horse alone! Have you been experiencing a case of ‘same ride again’ on repeat, over and over again?  If so, here are 5 tips to help you to achieve more when training your horse.  Especially if you are working alone without a trainer or a coach to help.

    More Success When Training Your Horse Alone

    Let’s be honest here, we all want ‘more’.  We want to do things in as little time as possible, and in the easiest way possible as well.  And while the following pointers will certainly help you to do this, it is also really important to remember 2 other key ingredients when training horses.

    You must factor in time and consistency when working with your horse. If either one of those is missing, any results you achieve will most likely be short-term.

    So, while you begin working and using the following formula for each training session, make sure you are coupling it with those two most important of important elements as well.

     1. Focus on One Thing

    This is one of those ‘simple to say, but not all that easy to do’ things when it comes to riding. I mean, how hard could it possibly be to focus on one outcome for each ride?  Oh… More difficult than you think!

    Distractions are everywhere when working with your horse. You will notice ‘other things’ that need attention literally crop up around every single corner! 

    One of your greatest responsibilities as your horse’s trainer is deciding if each of those ‘other things’ is something that needs to be worked on immediately when training your horse alone.  Is it something that, without first really working on it, will actually prevent you from whatever it is you do want to achieve in that ride? Or is it something that can be the focus of another training session at another time?

     2. Be Intentional Before You Mount Up

    Regardless if you give your horse a 10-minute’ lick and a promise’ groom, or a 30-minute luxurious make-over, there is always more you can do inside of each session.  When you know what you will work on in the arena, you can begin to incorporate elements into your time before mounting up.

    For example, if your focus for the upcoming training session together is to create cleaner transitions into the canter, you could work on a little responsiveness while grooming.  Things like asking your horse to move ‘over’. Or asking for him to move ‘back’.

    It is worth remembering that you are ALWAYS training your horse, alone or not. From the moment he knows that you are there, the conversation has begun… 

    1254 More Success When Training Your Horse Alone 2

    3. Use Your Warm-Up

    The first 10 minutes of each ride with your horse have the potential to set the tone for whatever follows. So rather than letting it all unfold by chance, it makes sense to become more intentional with it.  If you already know what you will be working on inside of the actual working part of your riding session with your horse, use this time to visualize how it will look and feel when you achieve it.

    One of the best things we can do to support ourselves as riders is to begin taking the actions of someone who has already achieved what we want. 

    Maybe that looks like sitting up taller.  Or use the time to ‘fine tune’ your position and aids. It might involve some breathing exercises.  Closing your eyes and really get to feel what your horse is doing underneath you. The list is endless, and we have not even begun to mention your horse in the list!

    Your warm-up and cool-down periods are valuable time you can work on improving, connecting with, or developing your relationship with your horse, or your skills as a rider. 

    4. Dedicate 15 to 20 Minutes

    I think the biggest mistakes riders make are doing too much in a single session and then losing hope when they cannot sustain or see the results they were after for very long.  As I mentioned at the beginning, when you’re training your horse alone, time is an important part of the process.

    You will achieve more when training your horse alone if you can create more short, quality, focused sessions together. Rather than long, tiring rides that are too far apart. 

    When you know what you want to work on, commit to 15 or 20 minutes of quality work on it.  This will allow both you and your horse to develop your concentration, physical strength, and fitness.

    Regularly doing things will also allow you both to develop your confidence; in yourselves and each other. Both are key when successfully training your horse alone.

    5. Keep Track of Your Training

    Finally, as your horse’s trainer (yes, you are!), it is your responsibility to record and track your rides and your progress.  Relying purely on feelings and emotions when it comes to training is a recipe for disaster.

    It is only when you have actual evidence of each ride, and you review this evidence, that you can begin to see patterns that you can use to make even more progress. 

    It is also worth noticing what happens after you track for a significant period of time; your ideas about what works and what doesn’t become more clear.  You will begin to instinctively know, without even having to think, what to do in most situations you find yourself with your horse.

    The longer you track, the more you can begin to trust your feelings and emotions regarding your riding… And more ‘in tune’ you will become with both yourself and your horse. 

    For me, that makes all of the effort initially required to track worthwhile :)

    Happy Riding
    Lorna

    Find in the Gaps In Your Horse’s Training

    If you are interested in learning more about where you might be missing pieces in your riding, sign up for my new free training “ FIND THE GAPS IN YOUR HORSE’S TRAINING“.  This audio training can be listened to, via podcast app, to help you figure out where to begin working with your horse.

    You can sign up and get it, for free, HERE

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  • Train Your Horse in Twenty Minutes or Less

    Train Your Horse in Twenty Minutes or Less

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    Time, or the lack thereof, is often the number one thing that keeps riders from training their own horses.  And while time is an essential part of the puzzle in order to develop and grow your horse successfully, often we overestimate how much of it we actually need.

    In fact, one of the reasons riders often don’t have enough time to work with their horse has more to do with a lack of planning and less about a lack of time.

    So, if you are currently in a season of your life where time seems to always be against you and your horse working together… I have a solution.  Firstly, plan your sessions (more on that just now). And then begin looking for more ‘quality’ and fewer quantity ways to train. 

    Lunging is the perfect solution for riders who want to use the little time they have available to continue working with their horse.

    Why Is Lunging Perfect?

    When you lunge your horse correctly, everything improves.  I realise that is a pretty big statement.  And I also stand by it.  However, the key word in that sentence is ‘correctly’.  To be clear, I am not speaking about running your horse in endless circles for 20 minutes.  That is not lunging.

    Correct lunging allows you to engage with your horse in a meaningful way. It is also quick and easy to get going with when time is short.

    With very little ‘specialized’ equipment needed, it is also a cost-effective addition to your skill set as a rider and trainer.  And remember, if you are working with your horse, you are a trainer.

    Within 5 minutes you can be in a lunging space and working your horse; lunging is that simple.

    Short, Quality Work Sessions

    Lunging is also a perfect choice for those days when time is short due to how much can be achieved in a relatively short space of time.  When we ride, there is a considerable amount of time needed to firstly prepare both your horse and yourself.  From there, there is often a longer warming-up period and a cooling-off period.  And then there is the ‘work’ itself in between.

    When lunging, you can begin ‘working’ while warming up. This can be as simple as refining your aids and your horse’s responsiveness.

    Then, because you can clearly see and gain feedback on what is happening with your horse, you can move forward more quickly with different concepts and training. For example, you will be able to actually see the half-halt at play in your horse’s movements.  And by knowing that it is effective, you can ask more questions immediately.

    Removes Any Rider Issues

    One of the reasons lunging is so effective in a much shorter period of time is due to the rider not being ‘on board’.  As riders, we really can underestimate how much influence we have over our horses when in the saddle.  And how negative a lot of this influence can be!

    When you give your horse the space to figure things out himself, while still using your aids to communicate and guide, it makes sense that you’ll both progress quicker.

    From riders hunkering down into the half halt and causing hollowness instead of lightness.  To riders tipping or tilting to one side or another causing balance issues.  And, of course, the often ‘wonky’ coordination that riders often experience with their aids.

    Lunging gives you the space to really become clear on your aids, and your horse the space to understand those aids and respond without hindrance.

    Train Your Horse 20 Minutes or Less

    Finally, the original reason I suggested lunging; it is a fantastic tool when time is short.  Whether you do ‘5 a side’ or ‘7 a side’, you can really focus on what you want to achieve and make it happen.

    The key to successfully using lunging in your training program is to actually plan what you want the outcome of each session to be.

    The sky’s the limit when it comes to what you can work on when lunging your horse.  Responsiveness, forwardness, transitions, half halt, lightness, pole work, rhythm, suppleness, collection, straightness, self-carriage, contact, etc., etc.

    What is there going on in your riding or training that needs more clarity or more development? That can more than likely be worked on while lunging.  By creating a set intention for each session, you can continue to train your horse – even when time is short!

    If you would like to find out more about getting started on lunging, you can download a free training HERE

    Happy Lunging

    Lorna

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  • Strategically Using Your Time when Training or Retraining Your Horse

    Strategically Using Your Time when Training or Retraining Your Horse

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    Why is it that, as equestrians, we often want to immediately have what we see others with?  And I’m not just talking about saddles, boots, and gloves… But the actual ‘horse’, exercises, movements, training, and level of performance.  We ‘know’ that time is required, but gosh, time can mean a lot of things to a lot of different riders!

    When you are working alone riding and training your horse, strategically using your time is vitally important if you are to make progress. 

    Today, I want to suggest a few key areas you can begin to think about in order to do this… So to keep both you and your horse moving forward in your training, and your development while keeping everyone happy in interested.

    CLICK HERE to have a PDF of this article delivered straight to your inbox to print off or save and read later

    Creating a Defined Outcome

    I’m going to start this by being really honest; better is not a goal.  Wanting to be ‘better’ will not help or progress your riding or your training.  Better is a feeling.  We feel good when we feel better.  However, we might not always be doing as well as we feel at that moment…

    Stop using ‘better’ as an outcome in your riding and your training. Start using outcomes you can measure… Or, even better, anyone watching can measure! 

    Rather than ‘better canter transitions, why not use ‘clean and happen a split second after asking’ canter transitions?  Or rather than ‘better trails’, use ‘can ride 3km on our own, unaided, unassisted, and consistently relaxed’ trails?

    It’s worth remembering that as you and your horse develop, the same topic can still be used as an outcome, its just the details of whats being measured changes…

    So ‘clean transitions become ‘maintaining the contact’ transitions.  And ‘3km relaxed and alone trail rides’ become ’10km challenging while remaining relaxed and trusting the partnership trail’ rides. I give more examples in the actual episode, so make sure you give it a listen…

    Okay, so once we are agreed that ‘better’ is not a goal or an outcome, let’s carry on ;)

    Can Your Horse Do this?

    Now, for most riders the answer is “Eh, Yes!, I mean, I’m pretty sure, right?”. I feel that this particular ‘time factor’ must be divided into two separate categories.  The first is for riders who are trying to force an issue on a horse who has no intention of EVER being the horse they want them to ‘become’.  Everyone has talents, and every horse has talents.  It takes a really responsible and intuitive rider to admit that their goals might not be their ‘heart horse’s talents…

     Will your horse have the ability to do this ‘happily’ in the future? (Happliy is a key word!).

    And the second is for riders who feel confident that their horse is definitely the horse for the job at hand.  The question is about where they are now, and what they need to be before they can do this ‘thing’.  Many of us simply just think our horses can ‘do’ things.  After all, we see them doing the things all of the time in the field with their friends, right?!

    Has your horse the ability to do this ‘thing’ the correct way, at some point in the future – and what does he need to learn or develop in order to get there?

    What Does He Know Already?

    Why is it that when we’re training horses, it is often easier to see the downsides to what our horse already knows?  The challenges and issues with the training or retraining that has to happen…  Why not begin seeing some of these past lessons (I do say some) as opportunities?

    What is it your horse already knows (good or bad) that you can use to help him understand a concept you’re trying to impress on him now?

    We all ‘know’ things that help us understand other things better.  Your horse is no different.  When you begin actively looking for ways that you can better explain things to him using what he already knows, you can ‘leap frog’ some of the ‘time’ involved with learning new things… That’s worth considering, right?!

    What Previous Training is Working Against You Now?

    Similarly, there are things that your horse ‘thinks’ are good and correct, that is probably holding you both back!  We once had a horse here, an OTTB, who had this exact issue.  And it was a groundwork, not a riding issue.  Yet, it affected everything…

    Someone had trained this horse to rear on command when the ‘rider’ was on the ground in front of her… The issue was that we didn’t know the command! 

    This was a tall (16.3hh) horse who would rear up, and flick out her front feet while doing it. Afterward, she would elegantly stop waving (put all 4 feet on the ground) and give the terrified/surprised/confused/perplexed handler a look of “I made my move, now you make yours…”!

    Trying to explain to her that we didn’t want that ‘move’ was incredibly difficult when we didn’t even know what initiated it in the first place! 

    So we focused on what we did know; our training methods.  We overly celebrated all ‘wanted moves’ and ignored the unwanted ones.  Over time, she slowly forgot about her casting for Zorro movie training, and rather began to understand what was required in this part of her career…

    The key to all of this was time. And knowing that she was working on an outdated expectation – which was our responsibility to help her understand. 

    Being Strategic with Time

    This leads me to my last point… Are you being realistic with your timeframe when it comes to training or retraining your horse?  Does the plan that you have laid out on paper, or digitally, accurately reflect where both of you are right now?

    And your resources? Does your plan match the resources you have available?  Your time, your other commitments, your finances, your focus, attention, etc…

    The key to using your time strategically, regardless of how little or how much you have, is to know what needs to be done.

    As you begin working with and training or retraining your horse, you will begin to gain more clarity around this.  You will see where your horse has potential ‘gaps’ in their training.  And. you will know what you can include in each session to help ‘fill’ those gaps.

    Happy Riding
    Lorna

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  • 5 Reasons You’re Stuck when Training or Retraining Your Horse

    5 Reasons You’re Stuck when Training or Retraining Your Horse

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    It can be frustrating when you know exactly what you want to achieve when training or retraining your horse, but it seems to be taking ‘forever’!  It seems that no matter how much you explain your horse, he’s not ‘getting it’.

    Training or retraining your horse is something that takes time.  And, sometimes, it is our own impatience or actions that actually keep things stuck where progress is concerned. 

    Today I want to cover the 5 most common causes that may cause you to become a little stuck when training or retaining your horse.

     1. Lack of Consistency

    When we first think about consistency in our riding, we often think about our actual riding schedule.  How many days a week or month we are working with our horse.  And, yes, this is important.  However, what’s far more important in my opinion is what’s happening in each of those individual sessions.

    You are always training or retraining your horse. On the ground, in the field, on the trail, and in the arena.

    Practice is important.  However, only practicing specific things when the mood takes you will not get you the results you want.  How you are doing one this is how you must do everything.  Simply ‘practicing’ won’t make perfect.

    The key is to make sure you are consistent with your communication, your expectations, and your responses through all that you do. 

     2. Confusing Training and Re-Training

    Training and retraining your horse are two very different things.  And when we are working with our horses, it is really important to know the difference between the two. You can download a free printable article CLICK HERE
    that goes into more detail on this.

    Training is creating an expectation or an outcome to a certain question. Retraining is changing the expectation or outcome when the same question is applied. 

    When your horse already knows to do a certain thing a certain way that you want to change or modify, this is retraining.  And, just like us, when a certain expectation or habit has been in place for a while, it can sometimes be a challenge to change!

    Many riders fail to truly understand ‘retraining’. They don’t invest enough time in truly changing the associations or responses their horse has. This will often become really clear when pressure is applied to the situation and the horse reverts back to the ‘old way’ of behaving or responding.

    Equally as common is the rider who forgets that their horse does not understand the question.  Rather than becoming frustrated or annoyed, reframe this with ‘how can I better explain this to my horse.

    3. Differences Between ‘Thinking’ and ‘Doing’

    Have you ever watched a video of yourself doing something? Riding, dancing, running…? The thing that strikes most people when they do this is the vast difference between how they ‘think’ they are doing the thing, and how they are actually doing the thing!

    I regularly work with riders who really do need video evidence that I am not imagining seeing their lower leg constantly swing or their inside hand drop. That is the difference between ‘thinking’ and ‘doing’.

    If you have hit a bit of a plateau when training or retraining your horse, check yourself and what you are doing. 

    I strongly suggest videoing yourself.  I think that in this day and age, it’s as simple as using your phone propped on something and riding past it a few times.  It can be truly eye-opening.  Review your video and really look for any possible ‘mixed signals’ in the communication.

    Lack of coordination, your aids not being as independent as you thought, and just doing the wrong thing can all cause your training to stall and plateau. 

     4. Lack of Knowledge

    The final mistake you could be making when training or retraining your horse is simply not knowing enough.  Make sure you don’t fall into the trap of seeing someone else do something and then assuming you can do the same.  I see this happen a lot with regards to riders watching videos or ‘tutorials’ online.  If someone can do something well enough to create and post a video about it, there’s a pretty good chance that they have been practicing that thing for quite a while!

    Many riders are trying different methods or techniques with their horses without actually really knowing ‘why’ and ‘how’ it produces the result it does. 

    When training or retraining your horse, it is vital to understand as much as you can about the topic you’re working on.  The pre-requisites, preparation, aids, what it will feel or look like (especially at first), and how to develop it further.

    Knowing the aids to the canter is not enough when training or retraining your horse to perform a more timely, clean, and correct transition into the canter! 

    If you are trying to train or retrain your horse, begin scheduling an hour or two each week to actually LEARN more.  Going deeper into each topic and understanding how it fits in.  This will lead to more lasting success for you and your horse.

    5. Not Enough Time…

    You would never expect to go for a 3km run today and then be fit enough to run a full marathon tomorrow, would you?! And yet, as riders, we can often expect this of our horses!  This actually really ties all of the things we have already spoken about today together.

    Time is essential to build lasting results when training or retraining your horse. Physically, mentally, and emotionally.

    If you are not seeing results, could it be that you have not yet allowed enough time? Development, especially when correct, takes time. This can seem boring and long-winded.  And yet, this is often the difference between a horse that develops and a horse that stagnates in its training.

    The good news is that if you can couple time with consistency and correct actions, you will soon begin to see changes in both your skills as a rider. And your horse’s way of going.

    Happy Riding
    Lorna

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