A student asked me why the lesson horse she was riding kept pulling against her. This particular little mare was one of the more popular horses at a busy riding school.As is the fate of nice, easy going lesson horses, she carries around a lot of beginner riders.The young riders (and their parents) are eager
Does your horse not stand still at the mounting block? Or does he walk away as soon as you’re seat is in the saddle? It’s frustrating, unsafe and uncomfortable to start each ride fighting with your horse to stand still as you try to get in the saddle. This is a common frustration that I hear
Has your horse suddenly started bucking in canter? Or maybe bucking into the canter is something he has always done. Riding a bucking horse is an unsettling – even frightening – experience that can lead to a vicious cycle of tension for both you and your horse. A cycle that takes all the joy out of
Are you worried about ruining your horse because you don’t think you’re a good enough rider or leader for him? Learn the steps you need to take now.
Traditional training and natural horsemanship both use particular language that affects not only our horses, but us, as well.Using Aids or CuesFor example, traditional training uses the word “aid” or “cue” to mean an action the rider takes that tells the horse to do something. For example, using a light squeeze from the rider’s leg
“Because that’s the way it’s always been done.” Have you ever heard that phrase (or something similar) used as an explanation for horse training?That expression is often used by people who were “born in the saddle”, so to speak, who use the same techniques that have been used by generations of people before them.No questions asked.Honestly,
Having a stubborn horse who plants his feet firmly, refusing to move, or who ignores you, can be annoying and frustrating. And, it can even become dangerous if that horse also has a tendency to suddenly explode with little or no warning. I’m sharing how I helped my client’s sweet but stubborn horse, become calm,
A Horse Behaving Badly – it can feel frustrating, scary or out right dangerous – for you, your horse and others around you. Dangerous behaviour does need to be addressed. But, it’s far too common in the horse world to simply try to stop the behaviour – blaming the horse for being lazy, stubborn or
Your horse is good… most of the time. But then there are the times when he suddenly, and without warning, spooks, or explodes into some undesirable behaviour. Read on to learn why your horse behaves badly at times and how to prevent it.Recently, I was teaching the first lesson in my Connecting with Horses 4
Recently, a woman contacted me about her son’s 5 year old, quarter horse mare. She is sweet and well behaved on the ground. But, she won’t go forward when ridden.Their coach insists that the mare is just being stubborn and lazy and the son must ‘push her’ until she gives in. When he ‘gets after’
Struggling with your horse riding confidence? This free guide tells you about 7 common mindset shifts anxious horse riders can make to improve your horse riding confidence.
