In every issue of Horse & Rider you'll find articles on training by the country's leading experts, the latest on equine health care from top veterinarians, trail riding tips from savvy back country riders, and much more!
CONFIDENCE ON A HORSE IS ALL ABOUT feeling in control. When you can trust that you direct when and where and how fast your horse moves, and that you can transition downward anytime you choose, you can feel like a confident, effective rider. Unfortunately, it’s easy for us to fool ourselves on this point. We can assume that we are controlling our horse quite precisely, but if we’re not actually measuring our results, we don’t really know whether we are or not. This exercise answers that question for you. It makes use of cones to mark exactly where your transitions must occur. With a clear visual target to gauge by, you can learn whether or not you’re nailing your transitions and, if not, use the cones to refine your cueing…
THE IDEA OF A FOOD FIGHT takes on a whole new meaning when it comes to horses eating at a common feeder. Most skirmishes over a position at the feed “trough” don’t result in injury, but there is always that potential. So, what can you do to minimize the risk of fighting over food access, and also, how do you ensure that all the horses get equal opportunity to access their meals? First off, it works best to group horses according to compatibility. Usually, this means housing geldings with geldings and mares with mares, rather than mixing the sexes. You’ll know who gets along best by watching them in group situations. Food adds a contentious element, so be sure to check how the horses relate when food is delivered to…
To ride your best, you must put your mind over mechanics. By that I mean, rather than obsessing over the mechanics of cueing, use your brainpower to develop three essentials of good horsemanship: balance, decision-making, and consistency. I’ve done a little of everything, including reining, jumping, all-around, and more. Each discipline has its own way of asking a horse to do something. In reining you take your leg off to stop. In Western pleasure, you put your leg on. Ultimately, you can whistle Dixie to get a horse to stop—as long as you’re consistent in doing so. Riders often confuse themselves by continually changing their mechanics based on what they most recently learned from a clinic or an article. I tell my youths and non-pros, you don’t have to ride…
You wouldn’t dream of sabotaging your horse’s training or making his life miserable. But if you routinely make the blunders I discuss here, you’re guilty of exactly that. Your horse learns not only from the lessons you teach him on purpose but also from a whole range of things you do that affect him daily. As the saying goes, you’re either training or un-training him every moment you’re with him. Plus your attitude and approach to training can influence how well he responds to you. Avoid the blunders I describe here, and you’ll improve your horsemanship, increase your horse’s responsiveness, and make him happier. Here’s what to stop doing. 1. Pick, Pick, Pick The blunder: Constantly nagging your horse to get the response you want. You’re like the mother who’s…
