HUNTERS
Hunters are judged on their form over a course of natural looking fences, and on their manners and the quality of their gaits on the flat. The ideal hunter:
• walks or trots into the ring relaxed, on a …
Training
Let me start by saying whether or not you will be successful with your horse doesn’t depend on how long you’ve been around horses. Horses do not read résumés. What horses do look for is whether you are a Confident, …
In this article, humour columnist Doug Breen ponders the value of horses and riding in our lives, and his children's, beyond a dollar amount.
If you take riding lessons, your coach will at some point teach you the common basic aids for cantering from the trot.
They are:
1) First, establish a sitting trot and maintain a correct, deep position in the saddle.
2) …
Try lungeing him. Lungeing means having your horse travel around you on a circle at the end of a long line, and it has many uses:
* starting a young horse’s training or retraining a spoiled horse
* improving condition …
Reining had its start on working cattle ranches where cowboys had to gather, move and hold cattle on the open range. Keep reading for more information.
My previous article (“Finding Frame” July/August 2011) described five different frames your horse can carry himself in and how each of those frames affects the development of his back, abdominal and hindquarter muscles. There are three healthy frames – long …
Whether natural horsemanship trainers have managed to recreate, in the human/horse dynamic, an equine social order is questionable.
There is a right time and a wrong time to cue your horse for a movement, and if you don’t have the timing right, you could be asking for the impossible. For instance, the only time you can influence your …
The horse might be young and eager to take in the sights and sounds of a new life under saddle, or simply have a tendency to pay attention to anything but the rider. Show jumper and coach Mac Cone of …
Hands that are light, quiet and soft enhance the horse's balance, suppleness and way of carrying himself by supporting the direction given by the rider.
Here are seven attainable goals you can set this season:
1. Focus on your ride, not the ribbons.
Unless you are competing in a sport against the clock such as show jumping, you will find that most horse sports are …
Many a sleepless night starts with all those questions of “what happens if….” or “what do I do if…” So, instead of losing sleep, prepare yourself now for how to act when things go your way – or don’t go …
When it comes right down to it, grooming is ground work. As with every other aspect of training, it should focus on helping your horse feel calmer and more relaxed whenever he is with you. Too often though, grooming is …
Tying a horse is such a common part of horsemanship that most people never give it a thought. But if you have experienced or witnessed a horse panicking while tied to a hitching post or a trailer, you know how …