Over the years, I have had many conversations pertaining to bit use and misuse and the choice several horse owners have made to go with one bit option or another or to forego the use of a bit entirely. These discussions have ranged from horror at how one trainer abuses the mouths of the horses…
The Horse’s Vision and Its Effects on Horsemanship
Our horses see the world very differently from us in many ways. These differences, due to the structure and placement of their eyes, have profound influences on how they react to visual stimuli and should be thoughtfully considered during their training and indeed in all aspects of horsemanship. These differences include the field of view,…
Want A Better Ride? Remember To Smile
So here is an unusual little tip I was never told by any riding instructor, ever. If you are having a difficult ride, smile about it. Yup, that’s it. That’s the whole tip. Find something about the situation that brings a great big smile to your face. For you Harry Potter fans out there, think…
My Path to Perfection
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 lay out 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…
What Is Most Important…
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 importance….
The Basics Of Stepping Into The Saddle
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 have been riding for years, do not have the proper mounting technique as I have come to understand it. Like many things involving horses, it seems the most obvious thing…
The Automaton Horse
“However, the art of riding must not raise a slave. The means of dressage must not become a chain that the horse tries to break, wasting all of his energy. On the other hand, dressage should not put the horse to sleep and make it into a machine. What can the rider expect from such…
The Right Horse
In my previous article, I wrote about choosing the right training ‘path’ for your interests. That subject had many inherent potential pitfalls as far as upsetting folks by coming out as against someone’s heartfelt or long-held belief, but it was nothing compared to the one I am tackling here. Let me begin by saying that…
The ‘Magic’ of Horse Training
I was having a discussion about horse training with a buddy of mine the other day about how people should pick the trainer that is right for them. At one point I started drawing parallels between how some people almost religiously follow the dogma of one style of training or riding without really putting much…
The Myth of the Quiet Horse
The Myth of the Quiet Horse or why ‘relaxed and calm’ is not always preferable Yes, here I go again, with the cryptic titles. “What on earth is he on about this time? He is now going to find fault with my calm, relaxed horse?” I sometimes wish I had been brought up speaking some…
-
Recent Posts
-
Archives
- January 2024
- October 2021
- September 2021
- December 2020
- November 2020
- December 2019
- August 2015
- June 2015
- October 2014
- June 2014
- February 2014
- January 2014
- December 2013
- November 2013
- October 2013
- September 2013
- April 2013
- February 2013
- October 2012
- September 2012
- October 2011
- May 2011
- April 2011
- March 2011
- February 2011
- November 2010
- October 2010
- August 2010
-
Meta