Month: January 2014

The Qualities Of Herd Leadership

January 22, 2014
Training Discussion

“The trust between human and horse is based on the same behavioral rules that regulate social life within the herd: Those who have obtained a higher rank in the herd assume at the same time the responsibility for the weaker members.” Kurt Albrecht von Ziegner This was not written by one of the popular American ‘Natural…

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My Path to Perfection

January 21, 2014
Observations

Yes, perfection is an impossible goal, we all know this, but that is irrelevant to the search for it. In this article I hope to layout the guidelines I follow in my own quest for perfection. My personal view of the best approach to the study of classical riding–or more simply–the study of horsemanship in general, can be summed up…

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The Academic Path: Recognizing and Embracing the Good

January 12, 2014
Training Discussion

Some years ago I came to the realization that my journey in pursuit of ‘classical horsemanship’ had taken an interesting turn as a result of a conflict between what I thought I already ‘knew to be true’ and what I was starting to see when I watched more skilled riders. At this time I had been…

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What Is Most Important…

January 7, 2014
ObservationsTraining Discussion

What should our goals be when training a horse?  What is most important and what are we willing to sacrifice to achieve it? To some, it is the immediacy of the horse’s response that is most important, for others it is the level of power and athleticism the horse displays that is of primary import….

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The Basics Of Stepping Into The Saddle

January 1, 2014
GeneralObservations

Here I go again, offering instruction in something everyone already knows how to do. Well, I have been noticing of late students, many of whom that have been riding for years, not having the proper mounting technique as I have come to understand it. Like many things involving horses, it seems the most obvious thing in…

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