I share this story to make an important point about the benefit of training that promotes what the horse is naturally good at, moving with freedom, relaxation and energy.

Many horses move with tension and are just waiting until they can stand still to relax. This is not good for them and can be...

Be safe and sensible when saddling by sticking to a practical routine.

When saddling, the horse must be "with us" and in a sweet spot, so that we can put the saddle on, mount up, and move off safely. They are connected to us, regardless of the environment or what we are asking of them. 

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Ok I’m going to vent here! And propose a solution. Let's do it. 

You know what really bothers me? When good ideas are delivered badly and it affects horses' well being. I see this more nowadays in young horse training as online videos spread the ineffective use of this technique. It is...

I love the thinking part of the horse's brain! We can..and must…engage that curious and confident part of a horse. 

I’ve narrowed things down to two connected mental states a horse can be in when they are with us. On a regular day I want to engage both because each has a...

“Softness has relaxation and respect in it.” 

Ask yourself; Is my horse Soft? Is my horse Light? What's the difference between the two?

A soft, willing and respectful horse looks and feels different than a light horse. They have a different feeling inside. In soft horses, there's...

Tame is not always safe. Tame without leadership can be an unexpected bomb!

Why?

If a horse is accustomed to taking a feel off their own mind or feeling off of their own world they can react in a way that they instinctively believe keeps them safe in a world constantly changing around them. They...

Three Rules:

1. To rest is to rust.

2. You only keep what you give away.

3. Live everyday no matter how old you get, the best is yet to come. 

I recently had a visit with my dear friend, Herb Williams. Herb was the owner and host of the international show, Super Dogs. With this famed...

Let's talk about equitation tips! Proper equitation is simply our good posture on the back of a  horse. The fundamental elements of this body position is to mirror a horse, stay out of the way, in balance as each stride changes. Easy right?. . .

Baseline Equitation on the FLAT - A rider...

Building connection with horses is a work in progress!

As riders, we seek softness from our horses at all times. Softness is defined here as when our horse is tuned in to us in the same way they are tuned into each other, like in a herd.  They are in a state of awareness (without fear), of...

Teaching a horse to willingly follow a feel is an important part of your communication and applies to skills on the ground and in the saddle.

This component of the Primary Equine Language is about moving the horse with a constant physical pressure such as your hand directly on them, the...

Student Question: 

I was reading Alois Podhajsky (former Director of the Spanish Riding School in Vienna) and am wondering; where does the rider’s weight go on lateral moves? This question has historically been answered differently in English vs. Western disciplines.  

My...