All is Fair in Love and Training?
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...
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,...
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...
Choreographer and equestrian Paula Josa-Jones has written an intelligently observed, beautifully rendered collection of experiences and inspirations detailing her artist’s journey of learning to be more fully present in the...
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...
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...
You know what’s great? When you can put your hands on your horse and make him feel better: rejuvenated when he’s tired, calm when he’s under stress, and comforted when...
It was early in our equine education that we learned the terms for the common white markings found on the head and legs of the horse. At five it’s pretty...
Remember that ridiculous Monty Python comedy sketch “The Ministry of Silly Walks”? It has inspired all manner of copycat moments over the years, and while this might be neither the...
What if I told you that with patient, conscientious placement of your hands on specific areas of the horse's body, you can bring about profound change in his physical and...
Mark Rashid has made a name for himself by interweaving principles of the martial arts into his horse training and his teaching. A second-degree black belt in Yoshinkan aikido, he...