If there was a single message I wanted to get across in Ride Every Stride, it would be this: be present. It is so important to be in the moment and take things one step at a time. While you need to have a destination in mind, something aim for, you also have to accept the fact that your journey never ends—even after you meet your goals.
As part of my ongoing focus on safety, I want my horses to stand absolutely still to be mounted. Let's talk about how I accomplish that, and how you can too.
One of my favorite quotes is this: every good horse anticipates, but every great horse waits. In this episode we talk about some of the techniques I use to achieve that goal of a great horse. I also share some tips for success in the show ring.
No matter how well trained our horses are, they're still horses, and they're going to act like horses, doing things horses do. Having a safe, productive, and fun life with our horses demands that we be always aware of that reality.
If you sometimes have trouble getting your horse loaded onto a trailer, you're going to like our conversation about how to do it safely and without undue stress on you or your horse.
If fear interferes with your achievement of your horse-related goals, you're not alone. In this episode we begin a conversation about overcoming fear through developing relationships of trust, which leads to confidence. These are concepts that apply both in horsemanship and in life.
After a brief update on my condition following an incident on a young horse, this episode is our response to a common question about which leg cues to use to get the desired response from a horse.
Following up on our conversation in episode 14 about bits, we're going to talk about which bit to choose, how to adjust it (should you have one wrinkle in the corner of the horse's mouth? two wrinkles? . . . ), the types of headstalls and reins, and more.
I get a lot of questions about bits, which is understandable because of the wide variety of styles and types of bits sold in the horsemanship market. In this episode we talk about the different types of bits, why and when they're used, and what the "right" bit can (and more important, what it can't) do.
Collection is a common buzzword in the horse industry, but how many people truly understand it? In this episode we'll discuss what collection is, why it matters, and how to achieve it.
Listen to our discussion about the things you need to understand and do to get your horse into the proper lead.
While it may be fun to ride a loping horse, there's nothing fun about being on the back of a horse that's startled and bolted and is running out of control. A listener asked for some tips on how to deal with a horse that bolts.
Over the years I've heard a lot of questions, but high on the list of the most frequent questions are things like, "Why does my horse buck?" and "How do I get my horse to quit rearing up?" These are two of the horse's behaviors that scare us the most, and with good reason. But understanding why horses do these things will help us understand how to prevent these behaviors in the first place.
What is the key to solving the challenge of a herd-bound horse?
What are the 4 questions we should ask ourselves each time we work with our horses, and how can they help us become better horsemen and horsewomen? (And these questions are incredibly useful in everyday life as well.)
Could a retired Thoroughbred racehorse be the right horse for you? In this episode we consider some things you should consider in deciding whether to buy or adopt an off the track Thoroughbred.
Though we may own horses for the pleasures of riding them, most of our time with them is spent with our feet on the ground. Every minute you spend with your horse you're training him. Remembering that, and being intentional about it, can help you make the best use of your time to help your horse be a pleasure for both you and others to be around
Some horses react badly to being tied up, using all their strength to pull against the restraint. Can this be prevented? Can it be "cured"? In this episode we respond to a question from a clinic participant about horses that "set back" when tied.
We’ve been talking about the ABCs of Horsemanship, laying a foundation for what’s to come in future episodes. Picking up where we left off last time, in this episode of Ride Every Stride we’re talking about the third (and last) of those ABCs. The Absolute Basic Criteria of Horsemanship, part 3 — Stopping Forward Movement In this episode […]
As I've said many times over the years, when it comes to horsemanship (and maybe life?), there's nothing beyond the basics. For horsemanship, those basics are what I call the Absolute Basic Criteria. Picking up where we left off last time, in this episode of Ride Every Stride we're talking about the second of those ABCs--the control of forward movement.