Why your horse is the best trainer you will ever have
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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…
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…
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…
Why being on the forehand is detrimental to your horse
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Last week we discussed the importance of knowing the ‘why’ behind everything you do with your horse. Here is an important ‘why’ that is sometimes skipped over because so many…
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…
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.…
Toddlers in Timeout: Is this really a human phenomenon?
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Even if you’re not a parent, you’ve probably been an aunt, uncle, or cousin to a toddler at some point. So, you’ve probably experienced the joys of dealing with a…
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…
What does it mean for a horse to have “a lot of heart?”
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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…
Why you don’t need an arena to train and how a lack of facilities can be an advantage
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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…
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…
3 Exercises Every Horse Needs to Know (Part 3): Yielding the Hindquarters
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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…
