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Olympic Games, the Original Amateur Hour
There was a time when only amateurs were allowed to compete in the Olympics. It seems strange now thinking back on it, especially given how many boxes of Wheaties have...
There was a time when only amateurs were allowed to compete in the Olympics. It seems strange now thinking back on it, especially given how many boxes of Wheaties have...
Sitting trot is a major milestone in your development as a rider. It is a demonstration of your independent seat and it will allow you to ride in harmony with...
Nearly every athlete, young or old, dreams of winning an Olympic medal. Considered the highest achievement an athlete can attain, a medal from The Games signifies sacrifice, prowess and above...
Horses are playful animals, and my young warmblood True is no exception. He loves to play with his equine buddies in pasture, galloping around, kicking and bucking, chasing them up...
For more than 1,500 years the world was void of the Olympic Games. That void was thanks to Roman Emperor Theodosius I who was so hell-bent on promoting Christianity, that...
Grrr…. Need I say more than the title of this post? Spring is so lovely—temps warm up, pastures get green, months of dirt can be washed off—but oh, the wind....
If you've read my previous Olympic-themed posts, you know that women were not allowed to attend or participate in the Ancient Games. And for the most part that was true....
My green warmblood True and I have started riding around a 275-acre ranch after our work in the arena is finished. It’s a nice way for him to cool out...
Horses have been a part of the Olympics from close to the start. There is no way our four-legged friends, who helped shape humanity on multiple levels, could be left...
I can remember where I was standing. It was just an ordinary coffee shop, somewhere in Midtown New York. The midday rush was on, and the counter was swamped with...
Anyone who has spent enough time around horses knows there’s a strong, uncommon bond between our species. Through a millennia-long partnership that dates to 3500 B.C., we’ve developed a unique,...
Uh-oh! Our boy True has discovered mares. Most of his buddies so far have been geldings. When the occasional mare walked past, he was curious and attentive. But only recently...
The human prefrontal cortex loves progress. Forward, forward, forward. Set the goal and move inexorably toward it. Sometimes you can’t go as far forward as you’d like in one leap,...
Sometimes forced dismounts are met with laughter and other times tears and ambulances. I think it’s fair to say that 99.9% of the time we’re jettisoned from the saddle it’s...
Young horses demand certain types of nutrition and veterinary care that are a little different from adult equine needs. My young Warmblood True has been very healthy. I attribute that...
This week I was plum out of ideas, so I thought I’d go out on a limb and try a chatbot AI program to see if it could offer any...
If you turn to page 1 of the 1976 Pony Club Manual of Horsemanship you will find instructions on how to dismount. Page one. That’s how important this is. I’m...
Flying lead changes are on my short list for True at this point in his training. We’ve been doing a lot of simple changes, shortening the number of trot steps...
This excerpt from Anne Kursinski’s book, Riding & Jumping Clinic, takes the rider through an exercise that helps leverage a key component of a good distance: rhythm. Refining Your Sense...