The Gallop
Stretch Your Neck to Ride Better
Many riders have neck and shoulder tension, which derives from the body’s reaction of “turning on” the trapezius muscle (see illustration above) in their daily lives. When there is a neuromuscular...
Color Me Happy! There’s a New Guide to Horse Coat Colors in Town
When I was a little girl, I had a herd of imaginary horses and rode them by turns. There was a golden palomino, with lots of chrome, and a chestnut...
Mounting Anxiety?
How do you think your horse feels about being mounted? Does he fidget? Throw his head up? Drop his back? Root at the bit? It is easy to unbalance your...
Saying Yes to Scary: My Turn Riding for George Morris
Karen Robertson on Carlos at the Rose City Opener National Hunter Derby, Bend, Oregon (photo courtesy of Barbara Dudley). TSB author Karen Robertson mulls over her upcoming date with The...
Trot-Canter Cavalletti Challenge
Olympian Ingrid Klimke is known for her positive horse training techniques, as well as her remarkable success in international competition. In this exercise from her forthcoming book TRAINING HORSES THE INGRID...
Warming Up for the Dressage Test: Tips from Olympian Phillip Dutton
The dressage warm-up arena can be a crowded place. Photo by Amber Heintzberger from MODERN EVENTING WITH PHILLIP DUTTON. Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event 2017 starts today with the first horse...
The Ultimate Act of “Recycling”
The definition of “recycle” is to convert waste into reusable material. But when it comes to the idea of “recycling,” few of us think of something we waste on a...
Let’s Dance! This Arena Exercise for Horses Rocks
When the circles seem to never (ever…ever) end and your horse starts spooking at his own pile of manure just for something different to do, it’s time to liven up...
Is Your Horse 100%?
Photo by Patti Bose from IS YOUR HORSE 100%? by Margret Henkels. It’s a question we are all faced with, more often than not. Is my horse feeling his best?...
Get Engaged! How Any Horse Can Develop Beautiful, Balanced Forward Motion
Eitan Beth-Halachmy on Santa Fe Renegade. Photo by Lesley Deutsch. The United States Dressage Federation (USDF) defines engagement as “increased flexion of the lumbosacral joint and the joints of the hind leg...
Counter-Canter, Counter-Flexion: An Exercise by Raymond the Horse
If horses could talk, what would they say about the exercises we ask them to do and the movements we have them perform? Grand Prix dressage rider and popular equestrian...
The First Ride: Analyzing a Horse on the Flat
Doug Payne is a well-known equestrian on the international scene, perhaps most recognized as the eventer-most-likely-to-wear-a-helmet-cam. His pulse-quickening videos are seemingly everywhere, leaving hundreds of would-be riders dizzy from their...