“I have to remind myself that if I’m not on top of my competition game for a couple months … they don’t care. They are safe, and fed and cared for.” (more…)
“Reward the try, and as the situation arises again, ask again. The half-halt through a full-body hold, allows them to learn. Pulling takes that opportunity off the table.” (more…)
“Each day, we change it up a bit … While I fully believe that keeping it interesting and challenging their brain is a huge plus, these smart but sometimes-anxious horses also need to know how to get the answer right.” (more…)
“It is often the slow repetitive progression through without rider interference that helps them think and slow their brain and thus, their feet…” (more…)
“I imagine that, like people, there are no horses who feel no discomfort when asked to work. They will have sore joints, eventually tired muscles, sometimes a tweak of pain here or there. Sure. And for some, there will be acute pain.” (more…)
We all know that horses get ulcers. The causes are wide and varied. There’s no silver bullet when it comes to eliminating ulcer triggers, but there are ways to effectively address them. Read on for more: (more…)
“Letting it be hard is hard in this industry. There is no good ability to stop. The chores need to be done, the other horses’ care doesn’t get to waiver.” (more…)
“If you’re at an impasse, if you’re stuck… there are always other[s]… to talk to… Aim for folks who know and love Thoroughbreds and understand both the track and off track lives.” (more…)
“I spend an inordinate amount of my life thinking about what ‘works’ when riding and training Thoroughbreds … they all share keeping the rider effective but out of the way of the horse.” (more…)
“Allowing them to sort it out and to have that support … creates a space for trust to start to knit itself together. They already know they can rely on themselves, but with regular rides of soft, confident ‘ask and allow,’ that genetic courage can bind into trust.” (more…)
“By not being in charge, I gained the perspective on how to follow — a little insight on how to horse in the game of riding. I learned that setting and maintaining rhythm meant being able to acknowledge and match the existing one.” (more…)
“… sometimes, getting them to understand what you want means finding creative ways to ‘make it work’ for a while until you can slowly, and carefully train in that ‘right’ answer.” (more…)
“Positive, confident experiences are key — and not overdoing it is huge. I don’t make a big deal out of jumping; just a few fences at the end or middle of a flat ride as they build up strength and awareness of the ask.” (more…)
“There is logic there… The logic is that a happy horse who is matched with a job that it can successfully do will also keep the humans who pay its bills happy. And with that, the horse will have a better shot of long-term quality care in each of its future homes.” (more…)
The holidays officially are here. If you have a hard-to-buy-for equestrian in your life, here are some awesome, sometimes-practical, sometimes-frivolous, downright accurate gift suggestions. (more…)
Fall is here. The days are getting shorter. And in many parts of the world, the competition season is winding down. However, that doesn’t mean your work with your horse needs to as well. Here are three things you can do to make the best of the most of the off season: (more…)
“That trot — the overly big one, where power isn’t quite perfectly controlled yet — that is where you can really see potential AND build good strength and muscle. So with a soft hand and slightly more upright back, I ask them to hold that big trot as long as they can.” (more…)
“I’m here to argue that even if you own the equine version of the love of your life, you should still hunt down opportunities to hop on different horses… they will not only help to expose your challenges, but also they will make you better, stronger and more confident for your own horse.” (more…)
“These horses are bred to have ‘go’ and to have the heart to be able to reach into the deepest depths of their beings and pull out even more ‘go’ when the rest has been exhausted. And even then they are able to dig deeper and pull out even more than that.” (more…)
