Horsemanship Archives | Page 2 of 3

Haunted By X’s and O’s

Horse people know the kind of body language horses use to mean “Go away!” A pinned ear, a lifted head, a shift of the hip or a hind leg lifted...

Equestrians are the best of people. Equestrians are the worst of people.

Growing up, most little girls dream of owning a pony. Braiding pink ribbons in their hair, kissing their soft noses, feeling the freedom that comes with having four legs take...

Is Spooking Really a Natural Reaction?

From our earliest interactions with horses, from our very first riding lessons, we learn about equine reactivity, about prey mentality, and we’re warned of the likelihood of the “spook.” So...

Boosting the Horse Industry’s Bottom Line

In 2013, Harvard Business Review published an article by Bronwyn Fryer entitled “The Rise of Compassionate Management (Finally).” The piece formally announces the growing acceptance, and indeed, preference, for compassion...

The Future of Equestrian Sport

I started 2017 by attending two big meetings—one which celebrated the 50th Anniversary of the Intercollegiate Horse Shows Association (IHSA), and one which heralded the start of a new era...

What’s Really Behind Your Horse’s Bad Behavior?

When horses act up, it’s easy to point the finger back at them. But what many horse owners may not know is that their own management practices may actually be...

Liberty Training for the Amateur Equestrian

Nothing will ever replace my childhood daydreams of galloping my horse down the beach without a saddle or bridle, just like Alec Ramsey and "Black" in the first of "The...

Be. Do. Have.

In 1996 I participated in a three day, self-awareness workshop. It was enormously helpful and quite enlightening. One of many concepts I learned made a huge impact in my life....

Humble Pie

I woke up at 6am this morning and refused to leave my bed. It was a bitter 8 degrees outside in Lexington so instead I reached for my phone and...

Your Horse Is Never Wrong

Have you ever watched or ridden your friend’s horse and thought: “I wish my horse was like that?” Have you ever known the husband or wife of one of your...

Why Are You Yelling?! A Better Way to Talk to Your Horse

Most of us recognize that horses communicate with each other via body language, but did you know that you can learn his “words” and “phrases” and use them with horses...

Be the Barn Rat

Recently, a trainer that I admire on Twitter asked me, “How much would you ask to be paid to set jumps?” I thought this was an odd question, but I...

Easing Tension Hotspots For Better Connection

Most of us hold tension in some part of our bodies—our shoulders, our lower backs, our jaws maybe. It might begin as just a little tweak (say, on Monday) and...

Saratoga WarHorse…Saving the Lives of Our Veterans

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zxbE2siHQ8 Since the publication of my book RIDING HOME ~ The Power of Horses to Heal, I have discovered many remarkable programs that utilize horses to heal a number of varied emotional...

Horses and the Power of Now

Live in the moment. Be here now. Look at your feet; that’s where your life is. The past has been spent; the future is an unwritten check but the present...

Mark Russell: My Brother In Spirit

On June 12th, renowned horse trainer Mark Russell suffered a catastrophic neck injury while hosting a clinic in Massachusetts. The accident occurred as Russell was working a young horse. He...

The Four Reasons a Horse Says “No!”

The most asked question in the equine world is: “Why does my horse sometimes refuse to do what I ask him to do?” No matter what situation is occurring the...

Hearing Your Horse Through the Noise

Today, for the first time in my life as a riding instructor, I asked my students to consider what should be the most fundamental question: What does your horse need...

Understanding Herd Interactions and How Horses Relate to Us

How does a horse's personality in the herd relate to how they behave towards people? Horses Lower Down The Herd Hierarchy Horse personality sometimes comes across as one thing with...

Doing Your Horse Justice

"I don't do this horse justice." How often have I heard someone with a nice horse say something along those lines? "My horse could do so much better if he...

Category Archives: Horsemanship