Category Archives: Learn

If you have the space for it, a cross country schooling course at home can be a great asset to your training program. After deciding that you have enough room,...

Looking for an assistant trainer or trying to find an assistant position are unique challenges for a horse trainer. How do you know someone will be the right fit, as...

A pony-tailed girl wiggles in her seat, tapping her tiny pink boots together in anticipation of visiting the stable. A boy laughs and swings his lasso at bales of hay,...

For the past several years, the High Performance Equine Sports Medicine Group, led by veterinarians Dr. Mark Revenaugh and Dr. Timothy Ober, has been searching for methods to improve the...

The past couple of weeks have been confusing for equestrians as we try to shift our minds from “pre-purchase exam” to “personal protective equipment” every time we see PPE. I...

At the time of writing there have been 1,029 scientific papers published on COVID-19—two papers in 2019 and 1,027 in 2020! This illustrates how acute the emergence of this pandemic...

I breed, train, and show my own horses. I know the highs and lows of doing what we all love so much. As much as a perfect ride can take...

Fall is here! The leaves are changing and the temperatures are cooling off. It's hard to imagine that such a pretty time of the year could possibly be harmful to...

Finding time to eat three healthy meals in the horse show world? Ain't no one got time for that. Unless, of course, you're Olivia Minicucci. The amateur equestrian/fitness blogger is...

Canadian grand prix rider Sean Jobin has the warm-up routine for his top international horse, Darius, down to a fine science—as in, it's based on actual data. Here he outlines...

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...

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...

All riders want it and almost all wish they had more. “If only I had more confidence I could win more.” “She needs to ride that horse more confidently and...

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...

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...

With all the ghouls and ghosts ready to play their tricks this Halloween, it's easy to forget there's a much more sinister threat lurking high in the shadows. For your...

Disclaimer: I have written this article with a focus on show jumping and my examples reflect this. However, the content holds true for all equestrian disciplines. A great trainer will enthusiastically...

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...

I’m temporarily out of the saddle due to a freak accident. The initial tears I cried were not of pain, but fear as the image sank in of "Knight" spiraling...

How well do you handle the pressures of equestrian? Do emotions in your riding prevent you from achieving your goals? Do they prevent you from enjoying your experience in the...