Hi Guys,



So many riders are confused about how to warm-up their horses so they can have a productive schooling session. So here are 9 tips to help you with your warm-ups.



As a rider and trainer, your goal in the warm-up is to take the restrictions away from your dressage horse's body. So depending on the day, your warm-up could be as short as 10 minutes, or it could end up making up your entire ride.…

Continue

Hi Guys,



Here are some great tips for breaking that cycle of fear...



The simplest, quickest, way to relax is to BREATHE.



Now, I know you're breathing or you wouldn't be reading this! ;-) But are you breathing in a way that promotes relaxation?



1. Let's find out. First, let's dissect what you do when you inhale.



Stand up. Take in a really deep breath. Did your shoulders go up? If they did, you're just breathing in your upper…

Continue

Hi Guys,



I hope you enjoy these 3 Easy Tips to Make Sure Your Horse is Crossing His Legs Enough in Leg Yields



When you do leg yields from the centerline to the long side, it's not always easy to make sure that your horse is crossing his legs enough. That's because as long as you manage to get from Point A to Point B, you can fake yourself out into thinking you're really going sideways. But if your horse isn't crossing his legs enough, you're losing most of the suppling,…

Continue

Hi Guys,



In order for your lateral work such as shoulder-in, haunches-in, and half passes to be effective as collecting exercises, your horse must BEND.



Think of the following equation. Bend+Sideways=Engagement. (Engagement means the bending of joints. As your horse bends his hind legs, his croup lowers, and his forehand goes up--kinda like a seesaw or an airplane taking off.)…

Continue

GENERAL

Brian O'Connor is the announcer of the equestrian events - http://special.equisearch.com/blog/brianoconnor/



EVENTING Greg Tryon

http://teamtryon.blogspot.com/



SHOW JUMPING

Beezie Madden - http://teamusa.usatoday.com/bmadden/



DRESSAGE

Debbie McDonald-…

Continue

So starting with yesterday, rough day at work. Just busy busy busy.



I go out to the barn and I'm saddling up Sky. My mom calls and I'm talking to her while saddling up, and I told my mom straight up that I really couldn't talk because I was tacking up. My mom is a horse person, she should know this.



Well, she kept talking. And Sky mildly scared herself, I don't exactly know how, and she jumped in the air and landed on my two middle toes of my left foot. It wasn't her…

Continue

Olympic Short Lists Now Available 31/07/2008

The short lists for the three Olympic disciplines have been unveiled and are now available on the FEI Olympic website.



JUMPING: 79 horses and riders + 14 reserve horses and riders

DRESSAGE: 50 riders and horses + 6 reserve riders and horses

EVENTING: 73 riders and horses



The full lists are available on this page (complete address:…

Continue

US Eventing wants frangible pins compulsory



April 28, 2008





A frangible fence.

The US Eventing Association Eventing Standards Task Force is pushing to make frangible pins compulsory for all cross-country courses in the US.



The move follows the serious injury or death of several riders and horses in the sport recently. Frangible pins allow a jump to collapse if it is hit by a horse. The frangible pin, manufactured by Barriers International, was the… Continue