An Intro to Lunging with a Cavesson
https://youtu.be/yOzAmxCCPxY In the past, I've addressed lunging in the classical style using a bit and side reins. However, some people expressed an interest in learning how to lunge without a…
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Category: General Horsemanship
Calmness: A Key to Collection
As aspiring equestrians, we love to talk about collection. I talk about it quite a bit on this blog. But there seems to be one factor that most people overlook…
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Correction vs. Preemption: What is the difference?
In horse training, there is a distinct difference between correcting a mistake and preempting a mistake. Too often, as equestrians, we find ourselves instinctually preempting mistakes before the horse has…
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Desensitizing: Shutting Down vs Calming Down
With all this "natural horsemanship" that has been a growing trend, people just love to desensitize their horses to death. They think that because their horse can stand there quietly…
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How to Build Up Your Horse’s Topline
A strong topline is vital to any horse's training. A strong topline helps ensure correct saddle fit, long term soundness, and overall ability to perform demanding physical tasks. Some people…
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10 Habits of Highly Effective Riders
Have you ever wondered what qualities set the best riders and trainers apart from the rest? Unfortunately there is no magic formula, however, there are some common habits that highly…
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How do I ride inside leg to outside rein?
Riding inside leg to outside rein is one of the foundation exercises of classical dressage. Really, it should be the foundation for any discipline. It is a vital component that…
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What is pressure and release training?
You've probably heard about pressure and release training at some point. It's become all the rage with this "natural horsemanship" movement. However, this is a very misunderstood method of training.…
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The Language of Silence
So often we forget that horses are non-verbal creatures. We teach them verbal commands like walk, trot, canter, and whoa. However, responding to verbal commands goes against their nature. In…
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Consistency vs Repetition
In horse training we talk a lot about horses' need for consistency. However, their need for consistency is too often mistaken for a need for repetition. There is a…
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Habitation vs Desensitization
You probably hear a lot about desensitization in horse training. It is a common approach used to acclimate horses to strange objects and environments. The most common application of this…
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Sequence Your Aids: How and Why
We've talked several times now about the importance of consistency. Horses are creatures of habit. This is why we use set cues to ask for certain behaviors. This may seem…
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The Intelligence Factor: Are Horses Really as Simple-minded as We Think?
There seems to be a lot of misconceptions about equine intelligence. A common comment I hear about horses is "oh, they've got a brain the size of a walnut, they…
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What does it mean for a horse to have a good handle?
It is fairly common in the western industry to hear trainers remark about what a "good handle" a horse has. Many newcomers to the industry get confused by this statement…
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4 Great Rider Fitness Exercises
Last week we discussed conditioning your horse after a layoff. But, just as important as horse fitness is rider fitness. No matter what level of exercise you maintained during the…
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Conditioning Your Horse After a Layoff
Many horses are not kept in consistent work over winter. This, of course, leads to a lack of fitness and muscle tone that must be taken into account when starting…
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Teaching Your Horse to Take Responsibility for His Own Feet
A few weeks ago, we discussed the dangers of micromanaging and why it is detrimental to your horse's training. However, that discussion raises the question of how do we teach our horses…
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Micromanaging: Are you helping or hindering?
You’ve got a wonderfully trained horse. He’s dead broke, bombproof even, if there is such a thing. He listens to your every cue, attentive to the smallest shifts of body…
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Equine Stage Fright: Fixing Rough Lope Transitions
Transitions are a sticking point for many riders, especially the lope transition. Even if you get everything perfectly set up, asking for a lope transition can often lead to balking,…
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Teaching the Western Rollback
The roll-back is a vital maneuver for the western showpen, especially for reining and cowhorse class. Fortunately, it is a relatively simple maneuver once you break it down. Prerequisites…
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The difference between a halt and a stop
No matter your discipline, at some point in the show pen you are going to be asked to halt. The halt is a deceptively simple maneuver that is often overlooked…
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Common Mistakes That Many Riders Make When Catching a Horse
Catching is one of the most common problems faced by horse owners. So, if you are struggling with catching your horse, know that you are not alone. Most of us…
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Why the “Rescue” Label Can Do More Harm Than Good
This is a direct follow-up to Friday’s article on The Secret to Turning Every Horse Into Your Dream Horse. When you hear a horse labeled as a “rescue,” what is…
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The Secret to Turning Every Horse Into Your Dream Horse
I’ve had several friends ask me “how do you always manage to find these amazing horses?” They look at the horses I have and seem to think that I have…
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Why your horse is the best trainer you will ever have
As equestrians, we are always (or should always be) on the lookout for good teachers we can learn from. As amateur equestrians though, we don’t always have the resources to…
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Clicker Training: Dogs vs Horses
Clicker training is a controversial topic in the horse world that gained popularity along with the rise of the natural horsemanship movement. Some hail it as a humane way to…
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Is “anthropomorphizing” really as dangerous as people say it is?
Oh yes, I just went there. This is a huge taboo to some people who insist that horses are working animals who should be classified as livestock while others prefer…
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Training a Bombproof Horse
This one of the most common questions in the industry: how do I get my horse bombproof? First, I don’t like the term “bombproof.” It implies that a horse will…
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Teaching the Western Backup
The western backup is one of the maneuvers that is seen as simple by so many, but actually takes quite a bit of training to get all the pieces in…
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The Trained Monkey Bandwagon
In riding, we tend to focus our efforts and education on learning the “how” of everything. “How do I warm up my horse?” “How do I know my saddle fits…
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Standing While Mounting
This may seem like such a small and insignificant exercise, but it far more important than many people realize. Too often I see people who need someone to hold…
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Facing the Fear Monster
We’ve all faced this one at some point in our riding career. Maybe you had a accident with broken bones and shattered confidence. Or maybe you lost the one horse…
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Bonding with Your Horse: Are you his friend or his leader?
It is common to hear horse owners talking about their “bond” with their horse. Some see “bonding” as a sort of mystical art that is the pinnacle of horsemanship while…
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The Importance of Examining Your Horse’s Sweat Patterns After a Ride
Proper saddle fit is important for every horse, whether you are a trail rider or a show competitor. One of the easiest ways to check for saddle fit is to…
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Why “Heels Down” Is Right Out
No matter your level of riding, we’ve all been there. Constantly fighting to keep those heels down. It’s a mantra that get drilled into us from day one. But is…
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4 Keys to a Good Warmup
The warmup is a vital part of training that is too often overlooked. Sometimes you see riders walking their horses in the warmup letting them get strung out and lazy.…
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9 Good Horse Training Habits
1. Let the horse catch you We’ve all been there. It’s 4am the morning of the show. Everything is packed. The trailer is loaded and sitting in the driveway. You’re…
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Teaching a Horse How to Learn
This is a follow-up to my June 16th article What does it mean for a horse to have “a lot of heart?” At first, this one sounds like an oxymoron,…
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Practice Until You Can’t Get it Wrong
Riding is like any sport. It takes practice to get good, but it is not enough to practice until you can get it right. If you want to become truly…
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What does it mean for a horse to have “a lot of heart?”
Have you ever been mystified when hearing a trainer or rider comment that they like a horse with “a lot of heart?" This is a phrase that is often thrown…
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Why you don’t need an arena to train and how a lack of facilities can be an advantage
There is a common misconception that you need a "proper" arena to train horses. I’ve heard too many people justify giving up on their show dreams by saying: “Well I…
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The Big Bit Band-Aid
One of the big controversies in the horse world, particularly in the western arena, is over-bitting. The show pen seems to have developed the mentality that bigger is better and…
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3 Exercises Every Horse Needs to Know (Part 3): Yielding the Hindquarters
This is part 3 of a series covering my 3 most important exercises that every horse needs to know to make them a safe riding companion: Lunging Lateral flexion at…
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3 Exercises Every Horse Needs to Know (Part 2): Lateral Flexion of the Poll (not the neck)
This is part 2 of a 3-part series that will cover my 3 most important exercises that every horse needs to know to make them a safe riding companion: Lunging…
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3 Exercises Every Horse Needs to Know (Part 1): Lunging
I’ve had several people tell me, “I would be so scared to try that with my horse, you are so brave.” It makes me chuckle when I hear this because…
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3 Secrets to Improve Your Riding
As riders, we are always looking for that magical secret to develop our riding. There are a few simple keys that I’ve discovered that advanced my riding overnight. The most…
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