Have you ever had the misfortune of a plan going awry when in the saddle?  Perhaps something small such as a refusal or run out, or maybe something a little 'bigger' such as a fall or stumble?  Either way, since it happened, you find that whenever you are in a similar situation or are reminded of it... Things are just, well, different.

Losing your confidence when riding is one of those things that no matter how small or insignificant the initial incident, has all the potential…

Coordination; It's always a wonderful feeling when you can do something effectively without having to put too much thought or effort into it. Being able to cultivate this skill, regardless of what is being done, takes a large number of hours invested in practice. However in order for that practice to be beneficial, it must be correct or perfect practice.

This is the one element that trips many riders up when it comes to having more coordination in the saddle. Hours are spent…

Sooner or later, it happens.  Maybe you are at the barn and others are about to mount up and ride, or you have been invited by your horse friends to go ride at a clinic or on a trail ride.  You give excuse after excuse so that you don’t have to ride never admitting the real reason.  But you know the truth:  You are afraid to ride.  Perhaps you had a bad fall from your horse or you saw a bad horse accident.  Maybe the fear seems to have come out of nowhere.  All you know is that…

Sometimes life leaves us no choice but to immediately go from the horse barn back to our “outside lives.” Whether it’s heading to the office or a family function, we may find ourselves trying to hide the evidence we’ve been to the barn. If you have to return to your “outside life” immediately after…

With the cooler weather and shorter days, it becomes more and more difficult to get yourself out to the barn and into the saddle. Finding that initial motivation to go ride can be a real challenge, so we've come up with some great tips to get yourself motivated and out to the barn.

Schedule a Ride with a…

The active equestrian spends a lot of time in the sun. From long horse show days to training rides to lessons, we’re outside a lot. If you want to keep your skin looking great, follow these tips to care for your skin.

Remember Your Sunscreen

Don’t head out on a ride without your sunscreen!…

So, a little while ago I decided to attempt rollerskating(against my will) at a cursed rollerskating ring, and I pulled a Shaggy(if you've ever seen Scooby Doo and watched episodes with Shaggy falling oh-so dramatically and amusingly,you know what I meant, stop laughing, it hurt), and I fractured my(tail) bone(I refuse to call it what it is, just Google it!) which resulted in a pained back. My doctor explained to me I would be sore for months and…

1st of the series 'Ride Like You've Never Been Thrown' From the Rider Newspaper*

Part 1

As Equine enthusiasts, some of us dream of spending every waking hour at the barn. Some spend exorbitant amounts of money on their lovable steeds. We talk a different stable language even in the presents of our ‘unstable’…

Sometimes it just feels as if we're not getting anywhere. Another beautiful autumn, the last show of the year goes by and the difference between this month and last month is hard to discern. It seems as if we're just inching forward. We're fighting a World War I battle, a titanic struggle over a few yards, at great cost and effort with nothing to show.

And there is…

If you’ve ever been on a runaway horse, you know how frightening that can be. And if you haven’t been on one yet, then we hope you never have that experience! True, out-of-control runaways are highly dangerous, and stopping them can be a challenge. The one-rein emergency stop is the go-to trick for stopping a runaway horse, but it can be dangerous. Is there a better way?

The…

Last month we featured a blog post on how to handle a rider who’s been in a serious fall. In some cases, it will be plainly evident that a rider is injured – they’re knocked unconscious or they have broken a bone. In other cases, though, the injuries might not be quite so apparent.

Concussions are serious injuries that are dangerous if they go…

I let my friend R.M. have her first real horse ride on Oakley. It was a thrill and a pleasure for us both. Firstly, because, for years, we've had an ongoing argument:

"I know how to ride."

"No, you don't."

"But I've been on lots of trail…

Do you know what to do in the event that a rider is injured and is left unconscious? Could you recognize the signs of shock, and do you know how to treat it? If you spend time around horses, then it’s possible that you will have to help a rider in a serious situation. Let’s review the First-Aid basics that you will want to know.

Dealing with a…

This is for you, Mom, for all that you do for your horse-loving daughter. This is to say thank you for how you never told your daughter she’d “grow out of it” when she came to you at six years old with wide eyes and dreams of a pony of her own. Thank you for always slowing the car down when you passed horse farms so that she could press herself up against the window to catch a glimpse of the glossy-bodied equines and the brilliant white fencing and that beautiful, entrancing…

Humans are designed to thrive in a cycle of stress/challenge and recovery/rest. Tomorrows horse show takes care of the stress, but what really counts as R&R to perform at your best?

Is it:

• Kicking back at the exhibitor party the night before?
• Braiding, grooming, bathing at the stable with your horse and barn…