Suppleness, in training horses. Flexibility in life.
“Blessed are the flexible for they shall not be bent out of shape.” I describe suppleness in training horses as lack of “brace” – longitudinally or laterally.
Reflections of a Riding Coach
Horse Families: riders and those who give them a leg up.
Horse shows can pull families together…and sadly, others apart. As coaches, let’s do our part to support our families – they’re the building blocks of our communities and nation in a messy world.
Riding coach. Horse Trainer. Equestrian “Sculptor”
Some my sculptures, done when I was 20 yrs. old. Although I sold my kiln and tools when training horses and coaching riders became my career, I’m still in the business of sculpting horses and riders!
Horse sale scams
“Horse classified scams run rampant.” The sad truth is that in every corner of the horse world, sport or business, there are those finding new ways to bend a straight line crooked.
Horse show rules, pasture fence lines and living well between the limits.
The latest horse show rule books were delivered to my mailbox.
These are the rules. These are the ring dimensions. These are the tack restrictions.
With clear, well laid out rules-of-play, we’re free to push the limits of excellence, within the limits of the rules of the ring. With clear, well-laid-out fence lines, horses are free to buck, play and graze.
I guess a “you-do-you”, “follow your heart” view of the world doesn’t really work, regardless of how cool it sounds in a song lyric or Disney movie…
Responding to Pressure – horse and humans. Part 2
We’re always horse training – there’s no neutral. I encourage riders to be mindful of each moment – on the ground or in the saddle, catching those little resistances and using them as horse training yield-to-pressure opportunities …The payoff is my horse is less likely to say “no” when the pressure’s on. Fewer costly wrong leads, added strides, or seconds lost in speed events.
What about humans? 10 months of pandemic pressures have squeezed many of us emotionally, financially, relationally and physically. When I’m feeling squeezed by circumstances, what does it bring out in me?
At the horse show in-gate of the new year
Here we are, at the gate of a new year – it’s like approaching the horse show ring, walking up the chute, through the in-gate… and into the unknown – do you feel your heart pounding??
The story of Christmas in a messy, horse trailer tack room.
If your horse trailer tack room door is jammed closed and bulging, you’re in good company. We never did get around to the annual pre-show cleaning… no horse shows…. It’s shaping up to be a grey Christmas – in the grey zone of a lock-down, things aren’t as they’re supposed to be. Our rituals and routines are as messed up as our trailer tack room…. Funny how the story of Christmas is about the birth of a child in the middle of a mess.
Horses like predictability. So do we.
A predictable environment for a prey animal is a safe environment. Horses thrive on a predictable training system and feeding schedule. No surprises.
I guess in many ways we’re the same, don’t you think?
Horses and the homing instinct.
Anyone who’s goaded and zig-zagged their horse away from the barn only to have him beeline back; anyone who’s experienced their circle bulge as though magnetized toward the arena entrance or the break-of-gait at the show ring in-gate knows…horses have a homing instinct.