Does the thoughts of riding shoulder in leave you feeling less than confident in your riding abilities.  Are you a little unsure about the angle, the bend and the degree of collection required in order to successfully ride the movement? Shoulder in is super for encouraging suppleness and collection in your horse, however if ridden incorrectly, things can quickly begin going the opposite way of your desired results...

The audio version of this…

More importantly, how do you know if your horse is falling in?  The quickest and easiest way I can explain this is to imagine you are riding a circle which you have planned out beautifully in your head; but as your horse travels around it you seem to be getting more and more off track with each passing stride; in fact what started out as a 20m circle is soon resembling a 10m triangle, drawn by a three year old...

Or another area this where problem can tend to rear its ugly…

Ride Like You've Never Been Thrown

Part Four

True Grit

I have named this final segment ‘True Grit’ as I believe that this woman is the epitome of the term. She is strong minded and even stronger willed. She was competing at Congress before…

As published in the Rider Newspaper

Ride Like You’ve Never Been Thrown

Part 3

A Diamond Dozen

When I started writing this series of articles to assist those who have…

It is autumn now. I should be writing poetic blogs about geese on the wing, abundant golden harvests, or maybe a symbolic essay about the seasons of life. I’m not in the mood.

Every day the sun comes up later, and goes down earlier.  The drought has drained my beautiful pond, my pasture has fried and died. Hay prices are simply impossible. Some of the elder barn residents are…

STEP BY STEP & COLORADO HORSE PARK FOUNDATIONS RAISE THOUSANDS FOR FAMILIES DISPLACED BY WALDO CANYON FIRES AT SUMMER IN ROCKIES SERIES

CHILDREN RECEIVE SCHOOL SUPPLIES THANKS TO STEP BY STEP’S “SCHOOL IN A BACKPACK”

ONLINE INITIATIVE BEFORE FALL CLASSES BEGIN…

It goes without saying that Duke Ellington is right, about most everything. And even horses agree.

But I get ahead of myself. This is how it starts: you’re riding, moving in unison with your horse. You’re fluid, and free-…

When the autumn time change happens, I always feel like my house gets smaller- by a few acres. The outside is my favorite room and I resent winter for taking it from me.

And is it just me- or is every winter somehow a bit more twisted and confused than the one before?

In the dark months, everything on the prairie seems the very definition of the dead of winter. It’s a monotone landscape, flat-cold, with not many trees to distract my sullen gaze.

And just when…

In 1985, HorseGuard created the original electric fencing tape that transformed the concept of horse fencing. The award-winning traditional tape was designed with the horse’s safety in mind by Serge Lecacheur, an experienced European breeder. Since the original product launch, continuous research and improvements have led to the development of revolutionary, high-quality fencing system solutions that are safe, easy to use and built to last.…

“Do you ever wake up and wonder how your life got you to this day? Oh well, no time to daydream. Off to church with the donkeys.” That was my Facebook post, and my friend responded, “Donkey church or donkeys take you to church?”

Neither. Actually the donkeys get invited every year (last year.) But the comment got me thinking about Donkey Church. What would that be like? Is there a…

Top 10 Wind List:

The advantages of not having an indoor arena on the flat, windy, treeless plains of Colorado.

10. Less time is spent working the arena -as all hoof prints are erased hourly, along with the top inch of sand.

9. Wind helps with the spring grooming -working like a brand new shedding blade.

8. Riding with feel is increased as your goggles get covered with dust, or you simply ride  with your eyes closed one direction .

7. Un-cued, near…

Riders know this lesson; if you get bucked off you have to climb back on. That’s the rule. Horse or rider are better for it. They say that the hardest thing about riding is hitting the ground (sigh) but I disagree. The recovery is often more challenging.

I think we are afraid of what we know- more than the unknown. Experience makes it personal. Once we have…

VERY EXCITING NEWS FROM TEAM POULSEN!

I have VERY exciting news for you! I have purchased a farm in

Wellington, Florida to be able to continue to give my clients and

horses the best possible training facility and "home away from home"…

.

This…

I am happy to share a video clip on my blog called “Free, Powerful and Beautiful”.

The video has been made after I have worked on a higher level on energy with the horses and I have taken a fresh new look at my own leadership skills.…

I am having such a pleasure working with my horses and not too long ago I discovered the advantage of training my horses using music.

In between working with the new dressage exercises from Carolyn Resnicks blog. In-between theses exercises I…

I am having such a pleasure working with my horses and not too long ago I discovered the advantage of training my horses using music.

In between working with the new dressage exercises from Carolyn Resnicks blog. In-between theses exercises I have had a good progress in…