Author: Ken McNabb

Doing anything in a herd of horses has the potential to be dangerous. If you don’t have the respect of every horse in your herd, you can be run over or inadvertently kicked as your horses establish their pecking order. It is very important that you establish your leadership in the herd to maintain your safety. If one horse kicks or threatens another horse while you are in the area,

A spooky horse can be difficult to ride. You might feel you never know what will set off the next jump, and sometimes one horse spooking will set off the horses around him. It is easy for a spook to turn into a wreck.

When you are first teaching a young horse to carry a rider at the lope, you want him to learn to be relaxed and confident. Starting the process with these things in mind will help you avoid lots of the common problems that you might see at the lope, like rushing, running away, and anxiety on the part of the horse and the rider.

This month, we’ll cover a fun exercise that will improve your riding and confidence in the saddle. I want to start by saying that safety always needs to be your first concern and for this exercise you need a broke horse that you trust completely. You also need a friend on the ground that knows you and your horse and is aware of your riding level.