FIDGETING AND HEAD TOSSER

You got a horse that is not comfortable, always fidgeting and tossing its head? Can't figure out why? Well, before you go through an endless series of bits, thinking it's the bit, get a thermal image of the poll, shoulder/neck and head. You'll know instantly if there is an inflamed area, where it is and possibly…

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4. Encounter Wait, Revisit

Some horses are naturally braver than other, and some horses tend to be fairly skittish and flighty. Horses can become more confident when they are exposed to many different things – when they associate positive

experiences with the different objects/ environments.

Getting your horse to touch different objects is one way to build confidence. Provided the…

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Trailer Loading – It doesn’t have to be hell on wheels

My method of trailer loading is simple – if the horse is thinking about going inside the trailer then I leave the horse alone, but as soon as the horse stops thinking about going in the trailer then I start to bug

them.

Remember to…

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Herd Bound Problems – your buddies will live without you

Horses can become herd bound for a variety of reasons. Sometimes horses don’t feel safe when they are not with other horses, and sometimes horses feel they have to get back to the herd to protect them. Either

way, we need to teach horses that it is okay to leave the herd and that the

horse can be safe with you.…

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Please Pick Your Feet Up

Handling advice to make the farrier experience much more…

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A 2 month foal is having difficulty leading, her owner writes:

“She foaled out at a breeding stable where… Continue

Natural Horsemanship Solutions: Nippy Issues Solved

An owner writes about her 2 month old foal “she is starting to get a little mouthy, if she tries to bite, I usually just poke her on the nose. Is this the right thing to…

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We often can see rider's setting their horse's heads by pulling the reins back and forth and the horse ends up in a head set, without experiencing true collection.... so how can we get our horses to offer collection and a nice round head set?…

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Refusing and Rushing Horses



Having a horse refuse a fence can be a frustrating and a scary experience. It happens to the best of us and usually our first reaction is to blame the horse. Take a step back and look at it from the horse’s perspective. Leave your crop back in the barn so you’re not tempted to use it—a refusal is usually a message from your horse that there is some reason they cannot jump. Recognize the communication and try to figure… Continue

The Incredible Shrinking Leg (or How To Avoid Losing Your Stirrups!)

I've been giving a bunch of seat and leg position riding lessons lately, and I've discovered some interesting things about the correlation of the pelvis, lower leg, and losing

your stirrups.…

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Hey everyone... just letting you know that my Oct. News Letter is going out tonight! At midnight!! if you would like to receive this months news letter filled with tips to riding with music, tips from my favorite farrier, audio link about what the judges are looking (listening) for, and more, sign up on my web site...



www.ruthhoganpoulsen.com



I also would love to hear from you on a few topics... so write in and ask you question, or give me you thoughts!! Ruth…



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Equestrian Cross-Training



Some young equestrians hit the riding ring Sunday morning for a rare opportunity with an Olympic-caliber rider, who also happens to be a Vermont native. But they weren't learning about the technicalities of jumping in the often tense-filled horse ring, they were learning about moving to the music.



It is crunch time for Geoffrey Hesslink and… Continue

Does your horse come above the bit, toss his head or climb with his head and neck into every canter transition? If your answer is yes, you should ask yourself the following questions.

Picking up the canter on the bit is a big issue for a lot of riders. In this article, I'll give you some questions you should try to answer. You MAY find the ROOT of the problem!



There is a reason that your horse displays this behavior. Don’t look at the symptom. Get to the root of the problem. The… Continue

I have been getting so may questions about picking out great riding music, i though i would give you a few more pointers!! For more information, sign up for my free newsletter! Its easy, FREE and private!



www.ruthhoganpoulsen.com





1. Choose music that has dynamic changes. Dynamic changes are audible changes within the music (either volume or intensity) where you can make transitions. (for example, the music should FEEL or SOUND like there is a transition to an… Continue