My Favorite Barrel Race
No lie, I think most people by now know I’m not a big fan of barrel racing… but this is my new favorite video of just that. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jnjHxCDDGdQ But I mean, really, a TUBE TOP?…
Quick Posts
Posts of only a few paragraphs in length or less.
Just A Little Criticism
There’s this idea, which is so prevalent among equestrians, and in many other niche groups as well, that critique or criticism of anyone or thing in the group is inherently evil. Especially if you aren’t a…
Is Winning The Battle Worth Starting A War?
When you’re around horses long enough you’ll eventually hear something along the lines of not letting your horse “win” if you should differ on opinions with one another. But by deciding the horse ought to…
Safer Trail Riding with Safe Rider App
If you’re like me you don’t always have a friend to accompany you down the trails. Granted I’ve opted to avoid going solo when riding unpredictable or green horses, but even the most bomb-proof horse…
The 12 Step Program for an Equestrian
Train inside your commitment. It is the foundation you build your house on. Stay focused on your commitment. Things do not always move at the pace we think they ought to. The tiniest bit of movement…
What is your commitment?
Rolex has come and gone for this year. I am in awe of riders and especially horses that can endure such an athletic feat. There is a heady excitement at show grounds at such a…
Inspiring Our Horses & Equestrians Through Leadership
Simon Sinek presents a fascinating idea – a different perspective towards inspiration and leadership. As equestrians we’re more than just riders or passengers in the saddle. We are also leaders for our horses and for…
Are You An Idle Equestrian?
“Therefore, ideleness which is the cause of so many evils must be hated by all good men. Even if idleness were not a deadly enemy of good customs and the cause of every vice, as everyone knows it is, what man, though inept, could wish to spend his life without using his mind, his limbs, his every faculty? Does an idle man differ from a tree trunk, a statue, or a putrid corpse?”
The Value of Ponying Young Horses
I have been ponying horses for a number of years now, on a regular basis, and am absolutely convinced of its value and efficacy with young horses as well as older trained riding horses. There…
Good Hands Require Intelligent Thought
By nature we are designed to work against the horse, and the use of our hands is no different. When we sit in the saddle we respond in fear by leaning forwards rather than sitting up taller or leaning slightly backwards.
Mastering the Mounting Block
“My horse refuses to stand still at the mounting block, or even get close!” Sound familiar? I discovered this clever trick to make the mounting block issues a breeze and to entice your horse to WANT to hang out nice and close…
Cowboy Breaking
This still happens? I imagine the result of this training to be a horse who is unattached to humans, works based off repetitive cues rather than the conversation with the rider, and that avoids being caught to go for a ride. And I’m not certain the purpose of having her jump over a barrel when first being started under a rider, is it the prevention of bucking?
Using Riding Gloves to Build Confidence
Handling the lunge rope and the reins without gloves felt, well, awful. It simply did not run freely through my hands at will as they had when I wore gloves. My fingers seemed to almost stick incomprehensibly to the reins or the lunge line at the most inappropriate times, truly compromising the signals I was attempting to make. They fumbled and fought against one another in an effort to the correct the sticky fingers problem to no avail.
The Bloodless Bull “Fight”
This is a great example of how playful horses are naturally… and definitely the best alternative to watching the gory display of a traditional bull fight.
The Popularity Contest
No one knows ourselves so well as we do – absolutely NO ONE. Not our parents, siblings, best friends. So why would those against us – our enemies – know us any better?
Popularity is a fleeting experience, just as being the enemy is. Our only endeavor of any value is not to gain the high opinion of those horse riders around us and across the globe. The only opinion that has merit is that of the horse we are working with in that very moment. That split second we have a choice – to be popular to the horse, or popular to the crowd. Usually it is the latter that wins out in public forums, unfortunately.
The Proper Fit
Have you ever worn clothes that were too loose or too snug? Remember that uncomfortable feeling you had the entire time? Or carried a backpack that almost sat on your rear, maybe worse when it was hiked up to your neck and you couldn’t take it off without intense assistance?