Tag: western riding

The difference between the reining horse and the cow horse

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The reining horse and the reined cow horse, the flashy show-offs of the western showpen. We admire them with their grace, beauty, and refinement, but what is the difference between…
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Mastering the Reining Spin

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The reining spin is a coveted pinnacle of achievement for many amateur western riders, yet if you don’t have access to a reining trainer, it can be difficult to teach…
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Teaching the Western Rollback

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  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 Secrets of the Sidepass

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Sidepassing is an important maneuver to master for the western showpen. Many pattern classes – especially ranch horse classes – will ask for sidepassing maneuvers. Sidepassing can be done over…
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The Anatomy of Collection

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Collection, the great holy grail of horsemanship. It’s the unicorn many amateur riders spend years of practice and thousands of dollars chasing. In its simplest form, collection is raising the…
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Ranch Halter: The Most Overlooked Versatility Class

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Ranch Versatility has taken the stock horse show circuit by storm, providing a fresh arena for competitors to flock to. Versatility is generally made up of six classes -- ranch riding,…
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Patterning: Barrels, Poles, and Beyond

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There are many different philosophies out there about how to “pattern” a horse on barrels or poles. One prevalent method that I see a lot though is what I refer…
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Slower doesn’t mean collected

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    There seems to be a bit of a disconnect for some riders in the western show pen. There is still a misconception for some riders that slower somehow…
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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…
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1 Exercise To Collect the Trot and Extend the Walk

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For some riders, getting that collected western trot and a forward walk that doesn’t look like the horse is wading through molasses is a constant battle. I have found that…
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Teaching the Western Backup

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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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Hippotherapy: Horses as Therapy

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Animals are widely considered to be therapeutic for humans, but none so much as the horse. Physical Therapy There are many therapeutic riding programs throughout the world. The technical term…
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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…
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3 Exercises Every Horse Needs to Know (Part 2): Lateral Flexion of the Poll (not the neck)

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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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