It’s More Than Horse Shows
An opportunity to study and teach equine behaviour and research in the classroom provided more insights into the way horses think and learn.
Hazards, horses and helmets
What’s the best choice to control risk in working with horses? Researchers surveyed 1,700 horse people (owners, riders, and enthusiasts). The #1 choice? Helmets. Training was low on the list. “People working with horses seem to simply accept the tradition that equestrianism is high-risk”, said a speaker at August’s U of Guelph Equitation Science conference—a … Read moreHazards, horses and helmets
“Is it a need or a want?” –the Black Friday balance.
As the dust settles after the rush of Black Friday and the Visa bills arrive, I was thinking about how easy it is to get our credit and our lives out of balance in our consumer culture . Bling and brands – when I began judging I was struck by how little influence fashion trends … Read more“Is it a need or a want?” –the Black Friday balance.
From the horse’s mouth
What book influenced you as a young rider? It’s fun to ask this to my clinic participants. Black Beauty typically tops the list. But this classic is more influential than I thought – so I learned at this weekend’s Equine Industry Symposium at the U of Guelph. Written from the horse’s point of view, Sewell’s … Read moreFrom the horse’s mouth
Nosebands – how tight is too tight?
Standard equipment in English disciplines. Training equipment in western. While nosebands are designed to prevent bit evasion, in the horse business, we’re inclined to think “If a little is good, more is better! Are we masking bit evasion without asking WHY the horse might be resisting? Who knows where the “two-finger rule” for fitting bridle … Read moreNosebands – how tight is too tight?
10 Horse Arena Work Boredom Busters
Here are 10 tips to spice up your schooling, if you need some inspiration to avoid the couch and get into the saddle in these darker evenings! – suggestions from equisearch.com. However, I omitted # 6,7 – I thought they were boring! Keep in mind that every time you ride, you are “training” your … Read more10 Horse Arena Work Boredom Busters
Lunging horses – why bother?
I’ve learned so much about horses by watching them – particularly the countless ones I’ve watched revolve around me on the lunge line.(One at a time of course). I’ve learned to “read horse” by studying the subtleties of body language and facial expression, noting signs of stress, distraction and relaxation. Lunging has tuned my eye- … Read moreLunging horses – why bother?
Riding bareback: when natural is not necessarily better.
That bareback beach riding bucket list experience – a tender moment for the rider, yet perhaps differently “tender” for the horse… In several recent studies researchers have confirmed the benefits of pressure distribution thanks to saddle trees, making them a better option than the localized pressure from some treeless saddles or riding bareback. With the … Read moreRiding bareback: when natural is not necessarily better.
Use your corners – advice for riders.
Good reminder from dressage Olympian and useful tip for hunter and western competitors. “The corner is such a valuable opportunity to correct, and we all have a tendency to fly straight through it focusing on the next marker. Utilise every corner to gauge your balance and self carriage, your power and responsiveness to your aids … Read moreUse your corners – advice for riders.
Hope riding on a white horse.
Well, as the dust settles from our Canadian election, some folks had their hopes dashed – others had their hope stirred.Hopes for happiness, prosperity, justice….Yet, in the words of the late Chuck Colson: “Salvation will not arrive on Air Force One.” Removed from his seat of power as Counsel to the President, landing in a … Read moreHope riding on a white horse.
Understanding horses
“You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view…” quote from To Kill A Mockingbird. How do we know what we know about horses? Working with the staff and volunteers (good sports!) of the Windreach therapeutic riding program, participants gained insights from equitation science and from between the reins … Read moreUnderstanding horses