Category Archives: Uncategorized

This is how Donia, a 4-year-old warmblood filly, came out of her paddock one day. To most people, such behavior is intimidating to say the least, and should be punished. But let’s take a look at how her trainer, Sarah … Continue reading →

A true canter is a 3-beat movement plus a moment of suspension. It is also known as the “rocking horse” stride because the nature of the gait causes the horse to rock up and down from head to tail. The … Continue reading →

What does it mean to “bend” your horse, and why is it such an important part of training? The following series of photos with their corresponding descriptions attempt to address some fundamentals: Here is Corado, a 17-yr-old warmblood being worked … Continue reading →

There is much controversy in the dressage world about stretching and, God forbid, allowing the horse to travel with its weight on the forehand. But here is that very combination seen from a different perspective. As this horse stretches, you … Continue reading →

So, you want to go to a horse show… …or so you thought, until the alarm goes off at 3:00 or 4:00 or 5:00 a.m. and your fatigue, mixed with adrenaline from the nerves that now seem to be getting … Continue reading →

Continued from last time… 14. Locate Elements Relationally At the end of my last post I posed the question: “How do we show up (for our horse) in a way that allows us to be the leader of our herd … Continue reading →

Continued from last time… 12. Stacking functions In permaculture design, stacking functions is a way of ensuring that whatever we do in life has multiple benefits. That’s a pretty broad statement, but if we narrow our focus to our back … Continue reading →

Continued from last time… 11. Make the least change for the greatest effect. How does one take a dangerous horse and bring out it’s “good nature” in the most efficient way possible without putting oneself at risk? This is the … Continue reading →

Continued from last time… 1o. Pollution is an unused resource. The word “pollution” is an interesting term. Briefly, it is defined as “a substance or thing that has harmful or poisonous effects.” “So,” you might ask, “does pollution in horses … Continue reading →