Sitting the Trot Is a Privilege
Much has been written recently on the importance of riding without stirrups, and of sitting the trot. In order to achieve…
5 Minute Clinic
Take a Riding Lesson with Siri (the Disembodied Voice in Your Phone)
Many say SmartPhones have no place in a riding lesson. This exercise relies on one. The “Hey Siri” drill, from The…
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Train Balance, Adjustability and Accuracy with the Super S Line
The Super S Line looks harder than it rides. This EquiVault exercise is designed to teach the horse and rider to…
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Improve Rideability After the Jump with the TnT Exercise
Establishing control of the horse after a fence is one of the biggest challenges in show jumping. The TnT (Turnbacks ‘n…
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Now You See It…Now You Don’t
Sometimes finding the distance to a jump or seeing your spot on course is just downright frustrating. The ability flickers in…
Inspired by the ASPCA Maclay Final? Try This Exercise at Home!
Round 1 of the 20202 ASPCA Maclay Final tested control. “You had some questions that kept being repeated—long to short, long…
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No Time Is Ever Spent Wasted in the Walk
My horse has been rehabbing from an injury for almost six months. For the first three of those months, all I…
Get the Most Out of Your Equestrian Education
Show jumping is a sport of precision, intensity, dedication, and teamwork. To have sustained success, riders and trainers need to be…
Clinics, COVID, and Community: How The Online Riders Collective & Equestrian Aid Foundation are Helping
What a difference a few weeks makes. At the beginning of April, people were going to the grocery store without masks,…
Fixing Rhythm Problems in the Walk
They say the walk is the easiest gait to ruin, but that doesn’t mean we should avoid schooling it altogether! It…
Gymnastics, a Training Pillar at Millar Brooke Farm
Gymnastic exercises are used extensively at Millar Brooke Farm to prepare horses for the competition ring—from young prospects up to Olympic…
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Riding a Square for Better Turns
British dressage instructor Sally Amsterdamer specializes in flat training show jumpers. Judging by her client roster she’s rather good at her…
Developing an Elastic Arm and Independent Seat
“When you have elastic arms and an independent seat—you support your upper body from your security in the tack and balance…
Developing Your Eye for Distances with Bernie Traurig
Over the course of his impressive career, Bernie Traurig is perhaps most renown for having achieved in four equestrian sports what most…
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Help for the Habitual Circler with Bernie Traurig
We’ve all done it. You’re five strides away from the jump and don’t see a good distance, panic sets in and…
Training the Vertical-to-Vertical Combination with Bernie Traurig
The vertical-to-vertical combination—it sounds like a simple exercise. But, as a training tool, it is actually quite complicated, says US team veteran…
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Improve Your Flying Lead Changes With Bernie Traurig
Automatic flying changes. It sounds like a desirable skill in a horse. But is it in practice? USET veteran and EquestrianCoach.com…
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Focus on Hip Angle to Perfect the Half Seat with Bernie Traurig
“Jumping courses today in different disciplines requires different seats at different moments in time on course. Sometimes we are up out…
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Perfect the Two Positions of the Canter with Bernie Traurig
Last week, T.J. O’Mara captured his second major equitation title in as many weeks weeks. (He’s the 2016 Platinum Performance/USEF Show Jumping Talent Search Finals—East and…
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Master the Three Positions of the Leg with Bernie Traurig
It’s equitation finals season! Time to drop the stirrups and pick up a few position tips from the pros—so we can…
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Master Rhythm and Balance with The Mercedes
“Riding is multitasking. If you can’t multitask, you’re going to have a problem,” says flat riding specialist Sally Amsterdamer. “You can’t…
Improve Turns and Obedience with “The Cartwheel”
Pole work is an important part of training a horse, both physically and mentally, says Sally Amsterdamer, a British dressage instructor…
The Most Overlooked Fundamental in Flat Training
If you do a Google search for “Juergen von Buttlar,” you’ll find one article and a few random quotes from people promoting the…
