Author Archives: Rebecca Didier

How and when should we invite our horses to stretch? We’ve heard of its therapeutic effects all our riding lives, but have we ever truly understood the process and how...

The word “fascia” has been bouncing around now for a number of years, but it still isn’t a term that’s commonly dropped in horsey circles. We are learning, however, that...

As the weather breaks and we finally see the snow melt from the shaded corners of the pasture, the trails begin to beckon. No doubt those of us who faithfully...

When riding, training, and competing, it seems we are constantly trying to balance how to be kind to our horses while still establishing boundaries that ensure behavior that keeps everyone—horse...

Growing up with horses, we gave saddle fit only the most cursory of consideration. More often than not issues were “solved” with the addition of a foam riser or a...

For a horse to be able to be collected, learning to give to the rein and flex at the poll is vital. “A horse that goes ‘flat’ in his back...

Understanding a few basics about horse type helps you connect the temperament traits your horse displays most frequently to how he might respond to circumstances. This can help you make...

You’d think we had this down ages ago…but according to dressage rider and biomechanics expert Susanne von Dietze, a whole lot of us don’t shorten our reins right. I know,...

Do you think of yourself as an equestrian? Do you think of yourself as an equestrian athlete? If you aren’t accustomed to including the word athlete in your Instagram profile,...

We all know that while in the saddle, the rider communicates with the horse using a language of succinct signals. Oh, yeah…and these signals are called aids. Since the aids...

The place where two spines meet is where the central nervous systems of horse and rider come together. In her book Where Two Spines Align: Dressage Dynamics, Beth Baumert explores...

When you grow up around horses, you know how simply being in their company can provide comfort. It is part of what draws us to horses to begin with…and part...

Seriously: Are you so relaxed on your horse your “supple” is a “flop”? According to rider biomechanics pioneer Mary Wanless in her book The New Anatomy of Rider Connection, this...

“The equine hoof is a complex marvel of natural engineering,” say Susan Kauffmann and Christina Cline in The Essential Hoof Book. “Developing an eye for symmetry and balance is definitely...

Are you usually out of breath after sitting the trot? Do you catch yourself holding your breath over jumps? In her book The Dressage Seat, renowned classical riding expert Anja...

Dr. Beth Glosten earned her medical degree from the University of Washington and practiced as an academic anesthesiologist. She is also a certified Pilates instructor and operates RiderPilates from the...

In her new book Our Horses, Ourselves: Discovering the Common Body, world-renowned dancer and choreographer Paula Josa-Jones explores how horses help what needs helping, and the role our bodies, their...

It is no secret that a foundational piece of rider fitness is strength in your core muscles. The rectus abdominis is the abdominal muscle on the front and outside of...

Training horses, learning how to ride them well, these pursuits can be an obsession. They can bankrupt us, disrupt other relationships, and generally make us crazy. And they can be...

Ah, the wind in your face and your horse’s mane as he turns and snorts and shows you his heels! The carrots in your pockets, the handful of grain, the...