Riding

How tight do you hold your reins? And can that impact the rideability of your horse on a given day? According to researchers from the University of Gottingen, in Germany, the impartial measure of rein tension can explain rideability scores given during performance horse testing. If you aren’t already familiar, current German mare & stallion …

If you’re like me you don’t always have a friend to accompany you down the trails. Granted I’ve opted to avoid going solo when riding unpredictable or green horses, but even the most bomb-proof horse can get you hurt. Just saw this great new app for your smartphone called Safe Rider that not only provides …

  I am owned by an exquisite mare. We call her ‘The Diva’. She is opinionated, fiery, smart, and thinks people are pretty darn fun to hang out with. One sunny August day, seven years ago, she pushed through a herd of Hanoverian yearlings and planted herself right in front of me. This little filly …

Rolex has come and gone for this year. I am in awe of riders and especially horses that can endure such an athletic feat.  There is a heady excitement at show grounds at such a level. It can be intoxicating.  I know it all too well from my lifetime of showing.  Yet, I can no …

I remember times when I was younger, and now as an adult less frequently but still on the rare occasion, when I would be having a conversation with someone and be so excited or nervous or somehow wound up that my voice would begin to rise and rise and get louder and louder until I …

It’s March and the weather is warming, then cooling, then raining, then snowing. My body is in a fight to survive this weather. I have Fibromyalgia and CFS/ME. I am in 24/7 pain and have exhaustion that can hit so severely that I cannot climb the stairs without my heart bounding and getting out of …

Whether we are aware or not, as equestrians and horse riders we give constant critique – all while we do not always openly receive it in the same proportion. The primary way in which we give critique is to our horse when we handle, groom, ride, train and so forth. A constant running commentary can …

I have a lovely 13-year-old student who is much more mature than those years. She is gifted, committed and built to sit on a horse. She has been in a saddle since she was six. To each lesson she brings a mixed bag of anxiety, self doubt, fear of failure and extreme shyness. Her predisposition to anxiety causes …

For as long as I can remember I have worshipped horses. One of my earliest memories is of cantering my imaginary horse around a field while my mother had her riding lesson. I was four years old.   I have lived and breathed horses my whole life. They are my sanctuary in a sometimes noisy and …

Studies in animals, and humans, have shown that the mere association with reward for particular behavior can quickly replace the need for direct reward. The brain assumes that a reward is coming and begins to signal that we ought to behave in a particular manner to receive that reward. In turn, this neural firing on …

Do you ride without stirrups on a regular basis? It has been 7 years since I began riding without stirrups, with one exception – when I go down the trail and spend a significant amount of time posting and two-point. This began as a pact with a good friend of mine to encourage one another …

Every single one of us needs to be nurtured by an inspirational equestrian from time to time. Riding horses, whether you are conscious of it or not, is an art form – and like all artists there is something to be said for inspiration in order for us to be at our best. In our …