I have been a very good horse this year, so I was wondering if you could pass this list on to Santa and the Elves! Here is my holiday wish list.…

Last week, I started this series to help you decide how and when to introduce new work. That blog focused on Training and First Levels. What follows is Part 2 of that series.



Let's say your horse is solid at first level. Look ahead to the Second Level movements. Check out the dressage tests. You'll see that you need to work on shoulder-in, haunches-in, renvers, simple changes of lead, reinback and turns on the haunches.



You'll also notice that the big…

ZACK

1979 – 2010

Polo pony, Barrel racer

Trail horse, Babysitter

I caught your last breath in my hand

and I will forever hold it in my heart

Your spirit runs free once again!

October 18 2010 was a sad day here. Our beloved Zack was humanely euthanized due to complications from cancer and old age. He is missed!

The Running Horse

A…

Riders often ask me, "How do I know it's the right time to start training something a bit harder?"



This is a big topic so I'm going to cover it over two blogs. In this blog, I'll give you a way to come up with a logical plan for introducing new work at Training Level. Next week, I'll show you to plan to move up to Second and Third Level. I'll also show you how you can use feedback from competition to help you decide whether or not you're ready to move up.



First, I…

Congress!!

Recently, the U.S. experienced the World Equestrian Games in Lexington, Kentucky and the horse world lit up with the news and events. But…

Hi Julie,



I've got a question about our five-year-old Paint gelding. My wife swears that he prefers men riders to women riders. I'm almost to conclude the same thing, even though I really am skeptical about that. It seems the women who have ridden him, including my wife, have had him act up consistently, and are fearful of him.…

Hi Guys,



Riding with soft hands is an awesome goal, and your horse will thank you for it. In this training tip, I'm going to give you both some simple physical exercises and also some fun mental exercises to help you achieve this goal.



Here are 2 physical exercises.



1. Tie two reins or ropes or even two pieces of baling twine to a sturdy fence. Hold the ropes as if they are reins. Take up a contact of at least 10 pounds in each hand. Then, adjust the weight…

Hello,

I have a Tennessee walker and she rides around the arena fine until she passes the gate. Then it happens, she starts to walk sideways in to the gate. I am a new rider so I'm not sure what to do. When I try to correct her she thinks I'm telling her to stop. How do I do it?





Your horse is simply gate sour and wants to stop at the gate and go out of it and back to the barn. All horses have this tendency, if not handled correctly, and it is sometimes…

So I'm pretty new to blogging, but I decided that I had a super day today and it would be fun to at least document some of it. Today was Treasure's third show of the year (second show away from home) and he was absolutely brilliant!! I think today was the first time he went to a show and didn't spook at anything - a milestone for sure! He was a bit quick for the judge's liking in our Western…

Today was a beautiful day. I tried to work all my horses but only got a few done. Its all good though.

I did ground work with Fergie, (Painted Beauty), (my newest baby a 3 yo paint. The filly from my late paint mare, B (My Bayou Beauty). I got her completely green. So I am starting from scratch.)

I lunged Fergie in the arena with a western…

Hi Guys,



Attitude is a choice. You don't have to have a bad day. Here are 3 simple ways to insure that every ride you have with your horse is a great one!



1. Learn to see things in shades of grey.



Want to know how to have a great ride everyday? Stop expecting perfection. Don't look at training and competing in black or white terms. Instead, learn to see things in "shades of gray". The key to seeing shades of gray is to recognize…

Hi Julie,

Try to settle this discussion - please! Is posting on the correct "diagonal" only important in English riding? I always thought it was about the horse's balance in a bend....some say it's just not a "western thing"...and will post in a western saddle, but not with any regard for the diagonal???



Sharon





Sharon,

You are correct that posting…

Hi Guys,



One of the biggest mistakes riders make when we're trying to overcome horseback riding fears is that we direct our efforts toward the conscious mind. You know--willpower, iron-jawed determination. The problem with that strategy is that you can only make short-term, temporary changes when you direct your efforts to your conscious mind. To make permanent changes, direct your efforts to the part of your brain that truly determines your actions--your subconscious mind.…