Monthly Archive for: ‘September, 2010’

Yes, American-based slaughter plants have been closed and horse slaughter ruled illegal in the states. But… horses are still being sold to kill buyers in the US and then transported across the border to both Canada and Mexico where horse slaughter continues. And… the same issues exist in those plants as did American plants of …

Despite the FEI’s ruling that Rollkur is a banned practice, and instead has favored the use of LDR (Low, Deep, Round), there is plenty of evidence to the contrary that hyperflexion is a norm for competitors. The World Equestrian Games, hosted in Kentucky this year is already proving the perfect grounds to spot the practice …

I really prefer having things told to me straight, don’t lie to me and then give an excuse as to why you couldn’t tell me the truth in the first place. That is why I strongly dislike this common and popular tool of Natural Horsemanship and feel it is of greater detriment to horse and …

The word Dressage can be translated from French to mean “training” and although it has lost some of its credibility thanks to competition, the original intentions are invaluable. Even if you strictly ride western and loath the sight of any english discipline you can benefit from incorporating the fundamentals of Dressage into your riding and …

Pat Parelli recently ruffled feathers when he presented a demonstration at the Royal Festival of the Horse in England while working with the eventer Robert Whittaker’s horse Catwalk. Apparently it was offensive enough to cause people to walk out in disgust, as well as confront Parelli directly and post video on Youtube. That isn’t the …

There is a plethora of clinicians and trainers trying to sell themselves to riders in order to make money, but that isn’t exactly what I’m referring to. I imagine that like myself, there have been times when you’ve watched someone go through the exact same motions and come out with far greater success than yourself. …

Sticking to something until you see it to the very end just might earn you a reputation of being reliable and a success, or it may hold you back for years and years and years chasing something that is not worth the effort. But how do you decide which is which? And what of that …

If you haven’t heard about EndoTapping you might just be behind the times by several years. I first heard mentions of this training tool back in 2000 and 2001 from a talented horseman by the name of Allan Pogue. It was originated by one J.P. Giacomini to aid in the relaxation and learning curve of …

Is this a new wave of me being positively impressed upon by equestrians? It must be my lucky month because I’ve had the pleasure of meeting a fantastic horsewoman just before September rolled in and now I can count my lucky stars and say that Manolo Mendez may also have won a place in my …

Have I ever ridden in a bitless bridle? Yes. Have I ever ridden bridle-less? Yes. Do I recommend or do either regularly… no. And here’s why. One of the most difficult things for a rider to learn is how to use their hands properly. Wait, no. Let me restate that. THE most difficult thing for …

A two-part special has recently been published online highlighting the skills of Master horseman Luis Valenca Rodrigues that I’d like to share with my readers. If you are unfamiliar don’t feel terrible, he is in Portugal and as is unfortunately the common case has not reached the recognizability of other Masters yet who reached their …

I’m not sure if it is common knowledge that actor William Shatner, known best for his role in Star Trek and as the Priceline.com Price Defender, is also an avid horseman. I happened upon this interesting article just today that goes into detail about how Shatner came to acting at an early age, grew, stalled, …