Horsemanship Archives | Horse Network

Horse Behavior Is Just Horse Behavior…Or Is It?

If you own and ride horses, you spend a good amount of time sleuthing—trying to figure out why they might be behaving a certain way at a certain time or...

Six Things Horses Value in a Rider

We riders often have laundry lists of the qualities we value in horses. These can be general, like most competitors wanting athletes in their barns, and they can be specific,...

The Breakthrough I Witnessed in the Healing Power of Horses

I’m all in for “anything horse.” Riding, grooming, sharing a horse’s space, stroking a muzzle, emanating every fiber of love of my being for the creature, whispering sweet nothings into...

So You Think You’re a Horseman?

If you can start a young horse, retrain a “problem” horse, expertly maneuver a truck and trailer, give both IM and IV injections, and safely handle a stallion—or better yet,...

Dear Stranger, Please Stop Grabbing Horses by the Face

August is county fair time here in the Midwest—the time of year when urban and rural life collide. This year, whilst perusing pop up barn aisles at the local fair,...

The Generalization Game

I have been asked to write on a lot of topics. Why are Thoroughbreds better than other breeds? Why are geldings better than mares? Why do I love bay horses...

Four Reasons Every Aspiring Horse Professional Should Gain Experience Abroad

When you’re young—especially if you’re in the horse industry—everyone talks about the need to gain experience abroad. It doesn’t matter where you go, they say, just go somewhere that has...

Does Your Horse Have a Solid Foundation?

Whether you and your horse are just starting out or you’ve been riding together for years, the secret to getting results beyond what you’ve been getting is in learning how...

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...

7 Rules for Getting Riding Aids Right

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...

Horses and Humans in Winter

Winter can bring the doldrums even to our horses. In their natural environment, the air gets colder, the ground gets harder, food gets scarcer and predators get hungrier. Like us,...

Steffen Peters Wants to Teach You His Secrets

Come Nov. 9-12, North America’s premier equestrian gathering will feature four days of non-stop horses, shopping, and horse shopping. And that’s only one of the reasons you’re going to fall in love with...

The 24th Equine Affaire in Massachusetts Is About to Sweep West Springfield Off Its Feet

Come Nov. 9-12, North America's premiere equestrian gathering will feature four days of non-stop horses, shopping, and horse shopping. And that's only one of the reasons you're going to fall in love with...

The Horses of Poldark

On Sunday, season three of Masterpiece’s Swashbuckling series, Poldark, thunders back onto tiny screens across the United States. This 18th-century drama stars Aiden Turner as Ross Poldark, a roguishly handsome,...

It’s Complicated: Starting Over in My Horse Relationship

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...

Where Have All the Horsemen Gone?

I hum this in my head to the tune of “Where Have All the Cowboys Gone?” by Paula Cole at least once a week, and even moreso this last week...

10 Grooming Practices that Make Me Want to Punch Myself in the Throat

Nobody is perfect—statement of fact. We are all guilty of occasionally cutting corners or running out of time and brushing something off with a muttered, "Urgh, it’ll be fine." That...

Why Moms Make the Best Stallion Handlers

Stallions, in many ways, are like overgrown kids, and 'mom skills' can come in really handy. For instance, sensing when things are too quiet and having eyes in the back...

Filling in the Training Gaps

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...

Pain and Patience: Befriending My Father’s Horse

This article was supposed to be a new installment in my Liberty Training for Amateurs series, however, I've been consumed by a terrible tragedy. My father, avid equestrian James P....

Category Archives: Horsemanship