You can help your horse stay in good balance by sitting evenly on your seatbones.

Here’s a cool image to help you make sure you’re part of the solution instead of part of the problem.

Imagine you're sitting on top of a basketball.

If you lean forward, the basketball shoots out the back.

If you lean back, the basketball shoots out in front of you.

If you lean to…

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I had an unusual life growing up in the desert with horses. Our horses were able to run free most of the day in a herd and go where they wished. They were loose and there were no fences to keep them from doing exactly what they…

We all strive for the perfect distance.

We practise perfect equitation/body alignment.

We use grids...we use trotting poles...we practise our two point position for hours.

I hear coaches tell student to move on the horse/slow down the horse,...curve your broken line....hold for three allow for three....all in the name of the perfect spot.

I will hear a coach comment..."you had a long spot....you need to add move leg to move him…

^{This Week in Horse History - February 8th Through February 14th}

February 8^th, 1983 – Thoroughbred racehorse Shergar was stolen from his home in County Kildare, Ireland. Shergar was worth $13.5 million. Shergar was a five-year old champion Irish racehorse. Thieves forced Shergar’s groom James Fitzpatrick to load him onto a trailer. They demanded a…

Having children with severe allergies changes your perspective when you need to rush your 5 year old to the Emergency from an asthma attack from being in an exceptionally clean barn and she didn't even touch anything.

I was 35 then and sold my appendix mare..10 years later...I have purchased (after much research) two young American Bashkir Curly Horses. The thinking was to have some time to let these guys develop and as they grew -my teenage daughters would be on their way to…

In between all the winter weather I just got to ride once this week. Debbie was worried about the ring being so wet, but since I was stiff from lying around the house I was perfectly happy just to walk. When we had finally groomed all the mud off of Mia, tacked her up and got to the ring I sort of groaned inside, lots and lots of big and bigger puddles. I was expecting having to coax Mia through each one.



I have been trying to get Mia completely comfortable with her…

Well I took two of my 4 horses to a sleep over at another barn for some lessons in Classical work, and I was very proud of them. Stonee, my giant horse, is afraid of everything and very insecure, due to being kept in one barn for 8 years of his life and not really getting out. He was much better this time, the anxiety is lessening. And Indy, my 4 year old Appendix was an absolute star! She loaded well after having inspected the trailer, and travelled well. After the lessons she hung out with…

It is commonly heard in almost every lesson or at every warm up ring at shows.

"Get those shoulders back...or point the toes up"

I find this particular articulation to be misleading to the rider.

When a rider "brings the shoulders back" they generally believe the coach wants them to bring the shouldes back by engaging the muscles along that run along the spine while wrapping the shoulder blades around an imaginary fist to bring the upper body back…

Can you tell if your riding position is straight and centered on your horse? Or are you collapsing at your waist and sitting crookedly?

Ask a ground person to stand behind your horse.

1. Is your seat in the center of the dressage saddle so that each…

It is so easy at times to lose control slightly and ask too much of your horse...or possibly worst, to intentionally ask too much in a deliberate and continual way in the belief that 'stretching' the horse in this way will yield greater progress. Education is the key, but to develop the experience, feel, and sensitivity to judge with some accuracy how much a horse can be asked is not a short journey. However what a hugely rewarding…