December 2009 Blog Posts (63)

Questions and answers about riding to music and freestyles!

Here is a question I get all the time about the riding your freestyle at home vs. riding your freestyle at a show. I thought you might all enjoy it! Ruth

Question:

I have ridden my freestyle a number of times in competition. I have ridden it time and time again perfectly at home and know my music very well.

This is my question. I ride my test perfectly at home but when I get to a venue... I am ALWAYS ahead of the music!!! It's not a big problem because I know… Continue

Added by Ruth Hogan Poulsen on December 9, 2009 at 6:47pm — No Comments

Merry Christmas

Wishing you all a very merry Christmas and a happy and healthy 2010.

Added by Sarah at HorseJobs.ca on December 9, 2009 at 3:41pm — 1 Comment

Horse Nutrition: What can change my horse's attitude?

There are some truths, but numerous misconceptions regarding nutrition and your horse's attitude. The confusion comes from the challenge of measuring what "attitude" really means. There is limited proper scientific research regarding the link between nutrition and attitude. Furthermore, many practices used in the industry to change a horse’s attitude often cause secondary side effects that can be detrimental to your horse's welfare, one of the worst is to withhold…

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Added by Equine Nutrition @ Purina on December 9, 2009 at 9:30am — 4 Comments

Bomb Proof Your Horse Before The Show:Tackle the Monsters before they Tackle You.

Bomb Proof Your Horse Before The Show

Tackle the Monsters before they Tackle You

With over 35 years show experience I’ve come to know exactly what is going to upset a horse new to competition.

If the horse eating monsters are handled on the front end, you will have a huge advantage while competing, and definitely have a much,much better over all show experience and confidence builder for both you and your partner.

Just because your horse appears to have a… Continue

Added by Colette Sossaman on December 8, 2009 at 9:59am — No Comments

Robert Dover Talks About His New Role With The Canadian Dressage Team

This fall, Robert Dover was named Coach and Technical Advisor for the Canadian Dressage Team, so when I sat down to interview him I expected a cut and dry discussion about strategy, goals and timetables. What I got was so much more.

Robert is, quite simply, an extraordinary person to talk to. His focus, creativity and positive energy are contagious. It is no wonder his appointment has the Canadian equestrian scene buzzing.

What is your specific role with the… Continue

Added by Barbara F. on December 8, 2009 at 8:30am — No Comments

This Week in Horse History - December 6th Through December 12th

This Week in Horse History - December 6th Through December 12th

December 6, 2008– A horse named Peppy Superboom sold at the National Reining Horse Association/Markel Insurance Futurity Prospect Sale for $240,000, breaking the record for the largest purchase price ever paid at a NRHA sale. Peppy Superboom was born in 2006 and was sired by the NRHA Top 15 All-Time Leading Sire Boomernic. Peppy Superboom was consigned by Schmersal Reining Horses and was…

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Added by Paige Cerulli on December 7, 2009 at 9:00am — No Comments

What kind of horse is he?

I recently rescued a foal from slaughter with my mom, who also works with horses. We've had him for about five months now, and he's around 10 months old. He's really calm for a baby, very friendly and learns quickly. His hooves, we learned, are also really hard for a baby, which our farrier says is better. I'm curious- does anyone think they have an Idea of what breed he is? Of course he's a pinto, XD but my mom thinks he had some quarter horse… Continue

Added by Dana Bowman on December 6, 2009 at 2:33pm — 5 Comments

We Now Return To Our Regularly Scheduled Programming

I am a compulsive list-maker. Always have been. I get substantial satisfaction from crossing an item off my "To-Do" list. I admit it: I have, at times, added an item to my list after completing it, just so I could ceremoniously cross it off. This is why I was so happy to have formulated a goal for Samba and I to begin competing in 2010. With a concrete goal, I could formulate a training plan, and begin to check off items as we progressed.

Before Sammie broke out in hives, we… Continue

Added by saddlebroke on December 6, 2009 at 12:04pm — 3 Comments

Surprise message from Horse Hero and something seriously not funny...

Horse Hero, a great site with some excellent training videos among many other interesting content, emailed me saying they read my earlier post on shadowing Anna Ross Davies and they wondered whether I would want to embed a video interview with her.

As the site operates a subscription (£17.25 a year) I thought I will go for it so all of you who read my blog can have a look for free :)

Here we go, let's hope it… Continue

Added by Wiola Grabowska on December 5, 2009 at 6:30pm — No Comments

training to neck rein

i have a very weird question when you are training to neck rein you use direct and indirect reins....my question is how do you put the indirect rein on the horse bridle?? anyand all ansers are greatly needed thanks becca

Added by becca on December 4, 2009 at 11:04pm — No Comments

Equine Science: Weekly News and Trivia Question - December 4, 2009

Welcome to this week’s Equine Science News blog. For the third week running the equestrian world has been talking lots about Bute and the FEI and earlier this week a shock announcement was made. Catch up on all the latest FEI news here as well as learning about grass sickness, selective breeding, neck anatomy and equine atypical myopathy.

On December 1st, the… Continue

Added by Chloé Sharrocks on December 4, 2009 at 10:05am — No Comments

Thomas Ritter: On The Bit 2.0

On the Bit 2.0

©Thomas Ritter 2009

Gustav Steinbrecht (1884):

“The steadiness of the neck, that is, the secure connection of the individual cervical vertebrae with one another and their correct position relative to one another can be ensured only by unweakened and well developed thrust. The flexibility of the neck, however, can be ensured only by the carrying capacity of the hindquarters. Forehand and hindquarters can therefore be worked only alternatingly against one… Continue

Added by Thomas Ritter on December 4, 2009 at 9:46am — No Comments

Sit Up Straight When You Canter Your Dressage Horse

If you tend to grip with your legs, and lean forward when you canter your dressage horse, here's a simple exercise to help you sit up straight.

Sit in a chair and do the following exercise for muscle memory:

1. Sit up straight with shoulders over hips.

2. Lean back about 4-5 inches

3. Come back up to the vertical.

4. Do this in the rhythm/tempo of the canter.

5. Notice how as your upper body comes back, your hip angle…

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Added by Jane Savoie on December 4, 2009 at 9:30am — No Comments

Believe

This week's To Do List features one of my favorite paintings. For some reason they images are not uploading correctly to Barnmice, so click the link below to see the image:

Weekly To Do List

Added by Karen Brenner on December 4, 2009 at 7:30am — No Comments

BEST OF WILLIAM MICKLEM - 2 - A good idea has to give way to a better idea.

One of my training cornerstones is the philosophy that a good idea has to give way to a better idea. It makes every sense, it encourages continuous study and effort to improve, and it helps avoid polarisation between different ‘schools’ of thought. I never think you can't do something because it hasn't been done before. I believe it is vital we keep an open mind and search for better ideas, especially when better might mean more humane as well as more efficient.…

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Added by William Micklem on December 4, 2009 at 4:00am — 2 Comments

Is there any need for ;newbees' to check out on how a working horse farm works?

Well, when we go back to the big cities we hear so much nonsense about operating a horse farms. We don't want to blame anyone but maybe we can set the record straight. Yes, it's hard work but with some good management skils it can also be a lot of fun and pretty rewarding, also financially and even in todays' time when our economy in general isn't soaring.

But there are some very basic but nevertheless important rules to obey before starting a horse farm. And in the beginning some of… Continue

Added by Alice Stuebling-Salm on December 3, 2009 at 11:00pm — No Comments

Chloe jet and charlie

chloes new pony is called charlie moonrocket has not done a lot but chloe will bring him on with patience and hard work

Added by Anne Marie Turnbull on December 2, 2009 at 3:19pm — No Comments

Horse Nutrition: How do I balance my horse's ration?

The concept of a balanced ration in equine nutrition is similar to humans eating the daily portion of the four food groups.

The first step is to balance water intake. Here the balance is very much like money, you cannot have too much. Water is the most important nutrient in your horse’s diet and needs to be closely monitored.

The second nutrient to balance is long stemmed-fibre. However, much needed research is necessary to substantiate what long stemmed-fibre implies in… Continue

Added by Equine Nutrition @ Purina on December 2, 2009 at 11:30am — No Comments

Saddle Fit - Going Back to Nature?

The current trend in riding, as in most other things, seems to be “going back to nature”. Riders everywhere are interested in current discussions about whether or not to shoe, whether or not to ride bareback, whether or not to “chemically” supplement your horse’s diet. According to documented statistics, the following life expectancies show the opposite to be true:

• Life expectancy of the wild horse (for example Mustang) is 5-7 years.

• Life expectancy of a horse ridden by…

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Added by Jochen Schleese on December 2, 2009 at 10:00am — No Comments

Shadowing the best

Thanks to someone's Internet addiction I ended up being given a fantastic opportunity to shadow Anna Ross Davies - an international Grand Prix dressage rider and trainer. Anna invited me to spend a day with her watching her working her horses at her base at Bury Farm in the morning and teaching variety of clients there and at… Continue

Added by Wiola Grabowska on December 1, 2009 at 4:30pm — 2 Comments