Author: Charles Wilhelm

The Warm Up

Regardless of the discipline in which you ride, warm up time is important. Whether you ride for performance or leisure, the warm up routine should be the same. For every horse there is a certain amount of flat work, particular exercises and maneuvers that need to be done.

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Accepting Bad Behavior

I remember growing up and hearing that we must use light hands and not pull on our horses. However, when we kept our hands light on the reins, we did not necessarily communicate with the horse. So, through lack of education and knowledge we ended up making our horses heavier.

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Feel and Timing

One of the current topics of discussion and an important part of horsemanship is timing and feel. For me it is more correct to say feel and timing. You must feel what the horse is doing and then act promptly. Let’s look at what these aspects are and why they are important?

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More on Western Dressage

Recently, there has been a lot of discussion in the media about western or cowboy dressage. I have also seen comments on Face book regarding making it a discipline. According to one Western Dressage website, “Western Dressage is not just another class to enter, not just another skill to learn.

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Western Dressage

There have been many articles about western, or as I call it, cowboy dressage, by individuals well known in the western world. I think the interest in western dressage is a good thing but I also think that in a way people are missing an important point.

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