Inspiration: What Harmony Looks Like
Often dressage is compared to a dance, with few examples showing such harmony between the horse and rider that you see only the art and none of the work. This beautiful dance can serve as…
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Virtual Lesson: Using Fear to Your Advantage
I could go on and on about how fear is perfectly normal and natural, but if you’re caught up in it you might be rolling your eyes and expecting this post to be all about…
Visual Lesson: Eitan Beth-Halachmy on Training Your Horse to Dump You
Clinicians are a dime a dozen in today’s horse world, and often they give out really useless information to help wheedle you into paying for a clinic or training or to hock some new gadget…
Bettina Drummond: Classical vs Competitive Dressage is a Moral Issue
The incomparable Bettina Drummond continues to speak up and add useful bits of insight to the horse world. This time she’s talking about riding horses as an artistic pursuit vs riding for competition. Intro: “Today’s…
The Longevity of the Dressage Horse
In the beginning of my journey into Dressage, there was confident talk about the longevity of the Dressage horse. It was generally accepted that the Dressage horse wasn’t expected to reach Grand Prix until they…
My Favorite Barrel Race
No lie, I think most people by now know I’m not a big fan of barrel racing… but this is my new favorite video of just that. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jnjHxCDDGdQ But I mean, really, a TUBE TOP?…
The Good, The Bad, The Bitless Bridle…
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 rider to learn is how to use their hands properly. Why you may ask.. because the hands are connected to the wrist bone, the wrist bone is connected to the arm bone… and so on right down to your ten little piggies and the hair on your chinny chin chin.
Olympic Horse Has Personality!
Good to see a horse so personable and who has such a relationship with his rider! I hope everyone is looking forward to the games as much as I am…
How Many Blondes Does It Take To Start A Horse?
I caught this one on my way out the door for the day, and it put a smile on my face. Simple, easy, enjoyable. Reminded me of starting my first horse, minus two blondes… Oh, and for those that think this is a dig at the hair pigment challenged… fyi, I’m a (natural) blonde myself.
More Than Money : The Thoroughbred Horse
I am happy to see a report coming to the public that addresses the downward spiral of Thoroughbreds in racing here in the USA. I am not a large supporter of the Thoroughbred racing industry, long have I seen it as being money motivated as the primary with the horse falling to the wayside as a disposable commodity. I am very happy to hear the round-table discussion going on that addresses factors such as not putting the horse first among other ideas… check it out for yourself.
Reiner Klimke – Ahlerich
In particular I want to draw attention to RK’s legs… they are quiet, they are subtle. In the extended trot we get a beautiful view of these as the horse approaches almost directly towards the camera. Compare this to modern olympic riders and you will see a stark difference.