Train Your Horse by the Brain, Not the Bit
Once we see our horse as an equal, instead of an object for our selfish use, we’re met with a new blessing and challenge. The horse’s brain. Yes, I know it’s a reach to think…
Putting Your Horse At Risk is Bad Horsemanship
My number one, numero uno, de facto is that I never ask my horse to put himself in harms way for me. But not all equestrians follow this motto. Quite to the contrary, many put their…
TN Trainer Whipping Her Horse Proves She Isn’t A Trainer
Anyone can give themselves a title, and even get paid for services under that title. But would you call someone a Medical Doctor who hasn’t gone to school for medicine, just because they’ve forged a…
5 Reasons Equestrians Avoid Speaking Up Online
Most equestrians have been involved in at least one online horse community long enough to have met a few trolls. And I dare say, most of us have also had an opportunity to see something…
Cyndi Plasch and the Wiffle Ball Bat Abuse
It’s that time of the year, Midwest Horse Fair is happening in Madison, Wisconsin. In commemoration I’d like to revisit the Cyndi Plasch incident from 2012, when she apparently lost her shit loading a horse…
Nobody Makes You Ride Horses, Be Responsible for Yourself
There is no evil scapegoat we can blame for forcing us to (love) (ride) (train) (compete) our horses. Nope, the only person we can blame is ourselves. But we aren’t terribly good at owning the results…
When Equestrian Art Meets Mozart & Bartabas
It’s never a bad time to watch equestrians outside the mainstream for inspiration. What do you love, what do you hate? Bartabas horses danced on the world’s greatest operatic stage, the famous Felsenreitschule in Salzburg….
Clinton Anderson Really Knows How to Abuse 2-Year-Olds
I might think Clinton Anderson was just the bees knees.. if I were into men who like to yank, crank and spank on young horses. Alas, I’m not. It seems a lot of women are…
Equestrians Should Disagree More, Argue Less
Honest disagreement is often a good sign of progress. Mahatma Gandhi Equestrians are notorious for arguing with their horse. Notorious. This rider lost the argument. It might be a better investment of your energy to…
Dear Wisconsin Equestrians, Stop Starving Your Horses
I’d be less surprised if someone from Arizona, California or Florida, etc. thought this baby was of good condition because they’re not used to seeing horses with full-grown winter coats. But for other Wisconsinites to…
Danny Thomas’ Breaking Method Proves the Archaic Nature of Horsemanship
Horsemanship hasn’t evolved very far, and Danny Thomas provided a glowing demonstration of that fact with these self-posted videos on Facebook. Bragging that he was able to break a Mustang in 30 minutes… Why are…
Dare To Do Something Unexpected With Your Horse
Dare to err and to dream. Deep meaning often lies in childish plays. Friedrich Schiller Horses are not machines. Or robots. They are thinking, feeling, emotional creatures. Just like you and me. But it’s easy…
The Equestrian God Complex
It’s tough to admit you don’t know. That you’re only guessing. That you are, in fact, human and not a god. [12:12] Now I’ve been sort of banging on about this for the last couple…
Equestrians, how’s your self-control?
The emotional kind. Good horsemanship isn’t just about conditioning your horse and riding in the proper position, it also involves self-control. But there is one principle that should never be abandoned, namely, that the rider…
Good Leaders Make Their Horses Feel Safe
Do you think of yourself as your horse’s leader? Do you expect your horse to willingly follow you (literally and figuratively)? Sometimes we let our ego get so full of itself, we believe just showing up…
“Every discipline does it,” is a Pathetic Excuse of Horse Abuse
When I was young, it was common as children to say something like, “but everyone else in my class gets to go!” To which my parents would say, “if everyone in your class jumped off…