Author: Erica Franz

I've been riding since I was 9, and in love with horses from the day I was born. Living in Washington with my horse and 5 dogs.
The Popularity Contest

The Popularity Contest

No one knows ourselves so well as we do – absolutely NO ONE. Not our parents, siblings, best friends. So why would those against us – our enemies – know us any better?

Popularity is a fleeting experience, just as being the enemy is. Our only endeavor of any value is not to gain the high opinion of those horse riders around us and across the globe. The only opinion that has merit is that of the horse we are working with in that very moment. That split second we have a choice – to be popular to the horse, or popular to the crowd. Usually it is the latter that wins out in public forums, unfortunately.

The Proper Fit

The Proper Fit

Have you ever worn clothes that were too loose or too snug? Remember that uncomfortable feeling you had the entire time? Or carried a backpack that almost sat on your rear, maybe worse when it was hiked up to your neck and you couldn’t take it off without intense assistance?

Flexing the Stiff Horse
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Flexing the Stiff Horse

This question is raised frequently – how to soften and flex a horse who is stiff in the neck. There is a problem with the question however, because it assumes that addressing the horse’s stiff neck will actually correct the stiffness. In reality, flexing the horse’s neck alone only causes a disconnection between the neck and the hind legs. If you do not understand the implications of this disconnection you can create more problems later on – making it difficult or impossible to get true collection from the horse.

Horses are Abused, Why are We Afraid?

Horses are Abused, Why are We Afraid?

There is a painful truth – horses are abused every day. Equestrians at every level, in every discipline, at every age level, skill level, and popularity level are involved in some form of abuse. That is not to say that all equestrians period abuse their horses, but rather to say that abuse does not discriminate. They come from every country and not all of them are obvious.

And, we have all witnessed some form of abuse against horses.

Who Is Clinton Anderson?

Who Is Clinton Anderson?

I’ve received several requests to write about my impressions of Clinton Anderson and his Down Under Horsemanship… but the truth is that if I were asked to give my impression about every clinician out there my blog would be full of the same repetitious posts warning of salesmen. In my mind, not only Clinton Anderson but, almost every clinician out there is little more than a salesman working away to sell a product and turn a buck.
Don’t get me wrong, there are many who are good-hearted and honestly believe in what they are selling, and then there are others who know that what they are selling is a pile of rubbish but continue selling it anyhow.