Have you been caught up in the whirlwind of thinking that much of riding is about impressing your fellow riders, your instructor, trainer, the judges at the show, all the other competitors, your students and clients, and perhaps non-horsey spectators? What about impressing your horse? I am reminded of a time in my own life …

Negative, negative, NEGATIVE! It is all too easy to get caught in the trap without realizing it, but it is a worthy topic of discussion none-the-less. Are you a Negaholic? Even in disguise? Negativity is addictive, and can present itself in so many ways. Perhaps you are already aware of it, the first step, and …

It isn’t that I am against dangerous stunts. I even find them entertaining when they involve a professional, who isn’t advocating that beginner’s should try this at home or are capable of teaching themselves how to successfully do them. There are many who do stunts and tricks and so on, that impress me to no …

I have been in commensurations about the fact that I need to purchase a new saddle pad or two for the last couple of months and procrastinating in one way or another over actually just spending the money and getting something. It isn’t about the money, let’s face it, buying a quilted dressage pad is …

It isn’t because I love picking on competitive Dressage, it is because it is prevalent in competitive Dressage since it is right in front of us, that I can point to the examples so easily seen. False forms of collection abound in every arena however, and it isn’t because it is more fun to fake …

There are many opportunities we are presented with as riders that can risk us putting the horse’s welfare second, or third, or… Often it comes to me that difficulties in making decisions about a certain action, aid, cue, pursuing a particular goal, etc, arise when we are uncertain if we are putting the horse first …

A recent post on a discussion forum that I am a member of caught my attention this week. Relationships are what I deal with every day, think about at almost every turn of my mind, and am involved in constantly. The relationships I have with my horses, co-workers, colleagues, family members, friends, acquaintances, so on …

If we were to believe 100% with all of our being that a negative thought could produce a negative action, a negative reaction and a negative outcome… would we continue to have negative thoughts? It has been well documented by those who experience it firsthand, what we think we create, or we attract, or we …

What are the purposes of enclosing the horse’s mouth in Dressage or English riding? The employ of a tightened caveson, or flash, or other arrangement of noseband in the riding of the horse has long been purported as necessary to help the horse accept the pressure on the bit. To help develop the horse’s mouth. …

I’ve written about the importance of bend in previous posts, but I would like to once again emphasize its use, as well as expand upon and explore the benefits of correct bend further. The bend that I am referring to in the horse, is the from nose to tail. It encompasses the whole of the …