First things first, let me clear up some terminology. I don’t tend to use the word “lunging” a whole lot because I feel it tends to draw up the image of sending your horse in endless circle after endless circle in the hopes of tiring him out. I hate to Read more
I’ve had several people ask me when they need to do groundwork before they ride and when they can just get on and I’ve found myself having a lot of difficulty answering this question. Although to most people’s eyes I often “just get on”, in my opinion that isn’t possible Read more
It seems to me that we spend way too much time focused on riding and not enough time on anything else. Time spent at the barn is categorized as before riding, riding, and after riding. Instead of spending quality time getting ready to ride, we rush to mount and deal Read more
One of the most common complaints I get from owners is that they cannot get their horse to stand still at the mounting block. Either the horse walks right past it, walks off as they put their foot in the stirrup, or doesn’t wait for them to get fully positioned Read more
It seems to me in this whole world of horses everyone is always rushing. We hurry to tack up, to get on, to finish our ride, to get to the show, to get home, to… What’s the point? Why do we even bother riding if that’s how we really feel? Read more
Lowering your horse’s head is a great way to help your horse relax, give to pressure, and focus on you. It is one of the most basic elements of horsemanship that anyone can learn, but many people have never been taught. I use this exercise any time I am first Read more