#HORSE TRAINING

Thoroughbred Logic, Presented by Kentucky Performance Products: An Exercise for Rhythm

“… the goal for the past couple weeks has not been to increase his jumping experience or see how big of an oxer he can clear … but to shore up the foundation and his rhythm so that he can go do the big things without the need for an equally big bit.” (more…)

Thoroughbred Logic, Presented by Kentucky Performance Products: Your Horse Is a Croissant

“The idea is pretty simple — a horse that is not entirely straight (what horse ever really is???) generally lines up in a crescent of some variation from nose to tail.” (more…)

Thoroughbred Logic, Presented by Kentucky Performance Products: Timelines and Expectations

“… there isn’t any set timeline. [Horses], apparently like this year’s spring, take their time if they need it. And if they don’t — that’s great too.” (more…)

Thoroughbred Logic, Presented by Kentucky Performance Products: To Cookie or Not to Cookie

“…for Thoroughbreds, treats are an interesting thing. For many, what they know about treats depends on how they were raised on the race farm and how kind their trainer was at the track.” (more…)

Thoroughbred Logic, Presented by Kentucky Performance Products: The Good Buyer

“Some of these humans — those who buy, board, ride and compete these horses — are fantastic. Many, well … no so much. In the world of selling/rehoming Thoroughbreds, I have the chance to encounter the fullness of that human spectrum.” (more…)

Catch Riding: Listening to the Horse’s Owner (and Not Unsolicited Advice From Others)

“To those who feel compelled to offer corrections when a rider simply is following an owner’s guidance, it is worth remembering that there is wisdom in stepping back and observing… Instead of criticizing…”

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Thoroughbred Logic, Presented by Kentucky Performance Products: Clarify the Post

“[T]he rider needs to determine the metronome beat they want and then become it. Using the post to quietly insist on an even rhythm allows the horse to settle into the other asks …” (more…)

Emotional Awareness in Riding: Understanding the Emotional Horse

Many of us are out here riding the emotional waves of our equine counterparts — cough, mares, cough — and it feels like the waves just keep crashing down on us. This article will provide some emotional awareness tips to help you navigate these dragons!

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Thoroughbred Logic, Presented by Kentucky Performance Products: Slowing the Rush

“Sometimes pure joy & enthusiasm are possible causes of rushing, but often it is a lack of confidence that sends these horses forward faster… there are ways to figure it out, to slow down the feet, slow down the brain, & let the jumps come to you at a more reasonable rate.” (more…)

Thoroughbred Logic, Presented by Kentucky Performance Products: 8 Tips for Getting the Correct Lead

“Despite the consistency of the shape and direction of the tracks in this country, American Thoroughbreds run on both leads …” (more…)

Thoroughbred Logic, Presented by Kentucky Performance Products: My Current “Get Jumping” Setup

“The trick to working with both ‘cozy’ spaces and young, never-jumped-before Thoroughbreds is a combination of single fences and a small grid.” (more…)

Thoroughbred Logic, Presented by Kentucky Performance Products: Confidence With Unpredictability

“The fear of getting hurt isn’t always something you can just get someone to kick on through, no matter how much you believe they and the horse can do what is being asked.”

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Thoroughbred Logic, Presented by Kentucky Performance Products: ISO a “Safe” Horse

“What annoy[s] me so much about ‘safe’ is that it is unclear and massively subjective. My version of safe is not my client’s version of safe is not your kid’s trainer’s version of safe.” (more…)

Thoroughbred Logic, by Kentucky Performance Products: Demystifying ‘Spooky’ Season

“The wind, weather, and absurd Halloween tchotch (I’m looking at you you blow up dragons and 20-foot tall skeletons) do not create a spooky horse out of one who is usually brave. Rather, a consistent horse is one whose reactions are predictable …” (more…)

The Importance of a Trainer Who Can Adapt to Your Needs

“You must be formless, shapeless, like water. When you pour water in a cup, it becomes the cup. When you pour water in a bottle, it becomes the bottle. When you pour water in a teapot, it becomes the teapot. Water can drip and it can crash. Become like water my friend.” – Bruce Lee

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Thoroughbred Logic, Presented by Kentucky Performance Products: Match Making (The Ramen Redux)

When someone decides they want to be a horse trainer, rarely do they also say they want to be a match maker. But the truth of the matter is, that’s often what horse training and selling is all about. (more…)

Thoroughbred Logic, Presented by Kentucky Performance Products: Four Rides A Week

“For a horse in full work, I like the number four. This gives you enough time in the saddle to accomplish goals and work towards training without forgetting to let them be a horse and have fun.”

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