It becomes easy to see when watching this clip, exactly how Reiner Klimke became not only a champion in his own respect, but an icon of great horsemanship. There is a thread of modern competitive dressage leaking through his performance, primarily the trot work, however RK is a rider deserving of accolades for his refined …

The proposed system of NAIS (national animal identification system) has ruffled the feathers of many equestrians, not merely from the standpoint of more paperwork, hassle and headache. It is important to understand how this can affect all equestrians from basic health care of their animals to competitions and travel. Do you know the implementation plan …

Pressure is what we experience every day of our lives, either self-imposed or given to us by those around us and in our lives. For the horse it is a little simpler, from our perspective anyhow, the horse does not take ‘home’ pressure from the rider or trainer when the session is over. They don’t …

The bend I refer to is that of specifically the neck and generally the entire body. The bend is one of four factors I consider in the working of the horse, that are rules so to speak and guidelines. When something is not functioning properly, i.e. a movement isn’t as correct as I would like, …

Leg Aids Clarified In this day and age, it often seems that the “correct” use of the aids is with emphasis on the legs for most of the work, and little is left to the hands. Just how do the leg aids interact with the horse to communicate our wishes? In this article, you’ll learn …

Why Horses Really Run Away   Your huffing and puffing, cursing the very horse that you wish wanted to be with you badly enough to stop running away. Likely you have broken a sweat, your halter and lead have become a tangled mess beyond recognition, and you could have ridden two horses in the time …

Defining and Solving   Resistance in the horse can come in several forms, at times violent and on the other end of the spectrum, passive. Both forms are harmful, frustrating and a sign that the horse does not fully understand what is being asked of him. Let us take a deeper look at the forms …

What is ego, and where does it belong in the act of riding, training and otherwise interacting with horses? Ego; noun 1. Self-aggrandizement: an act undertaken to increase your own power and influence or to draw attention to your own importance. 2. An inflated feeling of pride in your superiority to others. I would like …

Part II : Direct & Indirect Rein In the first part of this article, we covered the Rules of the Aids, along with introducing and describing the Half Halt and Reverse Half Halt. We now continue on, in a very logical way, to discuss the Direct and Indirect Rein. These two aids are the means …

Part I; Introduction, Half Halt & Reverse Half Halt I should think that the best place to begin with describing the aids we use to influence the horse, is to first find the exact meaning of aid. By Definition: Aid: noun (plural aids) Help, succor, assistance, relief. The person who promotes or helps in something …