Building trust and confidence with a head shy horse takes time, patience and consistency. Treat his head and neck with great respect, never pushing, pulling or hitting him there. When you are grooming him or just hanging out, take the …
Training
To prevent (and hopefully cure) girthiness/cinchiness, be polite as you get it tight. You may just eliminate one reason not to stand in the cross-ties!
If you’ve ever been surprised by the point of a dental instrument, you know it …
In previous articles, we have discussed many ways in which you can influence your horse’s mind. This time, we will talk about the physical aspects of manoeuvring your horse’s body in order to achieve an even greater level of balance, …
Horses of all disciplines and levels of training can benefit from stretching their necks and backs as a regular part of their training.
In this article, Lindsay Grice offers advice for teaching your horse how to cross poles with proper technique and timing.
A horse’s focus can shift in a heartbeat – transforming him from a willing, on-task partner to one who is concerned only with self-preservation. At times, his flight instinct can override his training. The moment your horse becomes scared or …
Assuming there is no physical problem (i.e. sore muscles, joints, chiropractic or tack fit issues, etc.), then there may be other reasons for the lead swap.
Initially trained to speak “direct rein”, as the horse advances in education you’ll begin to communicate with a curb bit and introduce pressure on the neck.
The use of training aids – such as spurs, whips, draw reins and martingales – is a polarizing subject among decision makers of major equine associations and riders alike. Some say they are useful tools in the hands of an …
In this article, we will be talking about how you can influence your horse to choose the thinking part of his brain, rather than the reactive side, when faced with everyday decisions. The mind of the horse is very powerful, …
Stop and back. It’s the final segment in many show patterns, putting the finishing punctuation on the phrases of the manoeuvres you’ve linked together for a winning presentation.
Equitation, western horsemanship, western riding and reining are among the classes that …
Here are some tips to improve lateral control and keep your horse on the track of your choice without derailing!
Have you ever experienced the feeling of your horse shutting down or freezing up on you during a ride? Picture yourself riding along on a nice quiet trail, when, all of a sudden, your horse is completely consumed by the …
The hand gallop is a great physical and mental exercise for horses and riders of all disciplines - and it's fun!
“I don’t use spurs, because I don’t want to make my horse dull!” If you share this opinion, you’re in good company; many of the riders I meet feel the same way. But what if I suggested that the opposite …
