I used to think holding space was about willing something to happen. So I would stand there trying to make something happen with my mind without getting too tense or tight or upset that nothing was happening. It didn’t work very well and I really couldn’t focus on what I Read more
I wrote about this on Facebook briefly earlier this week and I thought it really warranted it’s own article. To me the little things will always and forever be the most important, yet time and time again they are what is overlooked. When I teach I spend most of my Read more
As most of you probably don’t know I have transitioned all of my horses to be barefoot over the course of last winter. We are now almost a year in and boy have I learned a lot. So where did this urge to go barefoot come from? I went to Read more
When I’m working with horses and riders one topic that comes up almost every single lesson is boundaries. In fact with most “problem” horses you can track the roots of the issue to a lack of boundaries, unclear boundaries, or confusing boundaries. It seems that most of the horse world Read more
When you are working with a horse that has a mind of his own there will always be things that don’t go quite as planned. This is the moment that I see riders make the most mistakes. As humans our nature is to try to force something to go our Read more
The half halt is one of the simplest, yet least understood concepts in riding. In very basic terms the half half is half of a halt. A halt is performed by the horse rocking back onto his haunches, balancing, and slowing his gait until he stops moving. If we think Read more
I recently had a conversation that brought up a lot of stuff for me and really helped clarify some ideas. I figured what better topic for a blog? This conversation centered around coddling in the context of when is it coddling versus respecting boundaries. I think the horse world tends Read more
In my experience the “dull” horses are the ones that are actually the most sensitive. Yet they are labeled as dull by owners and even other trainers. These are the horses often ridden with whip and spur. Maybe they have a big bit as well. For some reason these horses Read more
I have a lot of students currently that have trouble steering. And this has been an issue the majority of my students have struggled with at one point or another. I could blame it on my teaching or my horses, which I’m sure play a role, but I think it Read more
I currently have a few horses that are really learning to use themselves. They are all suffering from PSSM, which has certainly contributed to their fundamental lack of balance and awareness of where to put their feet. Since I am sure I am not alone in having horses like this Read more