Whenever I am at a competition, I spend more time watching the warm-up ring than the competition ring, itself. Much can be learned by watching the horses warm-up and hearing...
There are many possible causes of laminitis but the vast majority of cases have a hormonal/endocrine root. There is a peak in the spring, related to grazing young, high sugar...
For most of us, especially in the hunter ring, perfection is something that we absolutely aspire to. At the end of the day, though, if we've stayed on, jumped all...
Do you ever wish you could lunge your brain to make it quieter and more cooperative? Good news: there is a way. Sport and life come with emotions and sometimes...
Sure, I had my focus on the athletes that I coached throughout the Olympic Games. But Rio was also a great case study for the habits of highly successful athletes that ever competitor...
When you think of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), your first thought is probably the organization's extensive work on behalf of homeless dogs and...
Picture this: human and animal moving in unison, coming together for a brief connection. Those who witness are left holding their breath in complete wonderment of what the rider must...
If you’re like me, you look at your first-pony photos (it’s all about nostalgia these days) and cringe a bit at the position of your leg—no doubt, stuck a little...
You're late for your class. You're racing to tack your horse, learn your course, and oh yeah, get your long hair up and under your helmet with some semblance of...
The most important aspect of show jumping performance is the ability of the horse to keep all of the rails in the cups. Horses that have a relatively low percentage...
Course designers have a number of tools at their disposal when building a course. They play with the types of jumps and the elements they're built with. They tweak the distance...
Star power can do a lot to generate support for a good cause. And there’s a reason why some of equestrian sport’s brightest stars never fail to support the ASPCA’s work to...
When we work horses, especially young ones, we ask them to give us not only their total focus but also a very high degree of physical exertion. As with human...
Anyone who knows me well knows that I love numbers. They allow us to quantify performance and search for patterns within sport that may not be otherwise apparent. For this...
Michael Phelps’ victory over Chad Le Clos in the 200m butterfly at the Rio Olympics was truly something to witness. First, we got a glimpse behind the scenes in the...
I never canter randomly. Whether on an event horse or a Morgan, in a jumping saddle or dressage saddle, I constantly work to improve my eye for a distance. I'll...
So, you have been seduced by the misty allure of sporting scenes from Downton Abbey and aspire to follow hounds this fall? Perhaps you’re a literary type, and the romance...
Cleaning tack. It's probably one of the first skills you learned as a rider or driver, and chances are, it's as much a part of your regular routine as grooming,...
So you're going to buy a new horse—congratulations! This is one of the most exciting and anticipation-filled moments of your riding career. You've narrowed down the candidates. You've found the...
