At first blush, the title of this entry is a tad obtuse. How is horse training like chess? Sort of sounds like the riddle from Alice in Wonderland, “How is a raven like a writing desk?” In the Lewis Carol classic, the riddle is nonsense spoken by a madman. In our case, it is my…
So you want to make your horse a warhorse?
I received the following query via Facebook yesterday: “I am considering to become involved in SCA equestrian activities, and was wondering what I should take into consideration, especially concerning horses…what to look for, how to know if they enjoy it etc…Would you have advice for a beginner in this area…I have been riding since I was a…
The Frame of the horse while riding…
I ran across these on Christine Sander’s Facebook page and some of the comments below were offered by her. They are intended to show the muscle groups that are in use when a horse is at various levels of collection. The information processed in these illustrations is from Goody “Horse Anatomy”. What he provides on…
The Equine Mind – As I See It
In recent months I have spoken with several horse trainers and owners, on the subject of the “intelligence” of horses, individually and as identified in specific breeds. I put the word intelligence in quotes because the first thing I concluded was that before we can even start discussing how smart a horse or breed may…
Why A Bad Day Is Not Necessarily A Bad Day
Something happened during my training session today that doesn’t happen often. I came off a horse. Soil test, unplanned dismount, rider relocation, call it what you will, I was on the horse, funky things happened, I was looking up thinking “What a beautiful blue sky… hey, wasn’t I riding a horse a moment ago?” For…
Hoof Abscess – Things I Have Recently Learned
Having always owned horses with great feet, that never required shoes due to their thick hoof walls and general superiority, I had never had to deal with hoof abscesses before this winter. Enter Zephyr. Z, while possessing fine hoof walls as well, is unfortunately a little flat-footed. This means the soles of his hoofs come…
Asymmetry and Balance – Overview
Body Asymmetry refers to the imbalance in muscle development common to nearly all horses. Horses, like humans, are stronger on one side than they are on the other. That is to say they are “Right Handed” or “Left Handed” if you will. From their first steps, the young horse will balance better on one side…
Jupiter – Straightness and Balance
The onset of winter has caused a slight alteration of the training schedule for all the horses. I have begun working Jupiter less frequently, but for longer sessions. He always comes to the gate to meet me, even when I am only coming to get one of the other horses, so it is a little…
Orion – Raising The Bar
Of late, I have starting to think that perhaps I have set my sights too low when it comes to Orion. By this I mean I have always maintained that all I needed or wanted from him was a horse I could ride into mock combat and be competitive in the medieval games we take…
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