The rider’s aids are the tools with which the rider communicates with his/her horse. The “natural” aids the rider uses are the seat, the legs, and the hands. The rider’s legs and seat control the two-thirds of the horse’s body from the withers back. The rider’s hands control the forward one-third of the horse’s body, including the shoulders, neck, and head.
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How many times have you been out on the trail and either you, or someone you ride with, lets his...
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This summer I’ve had three young people come and ride with me in an apprenticeship program. These are great students and I enjoy working with them. On our first day together I gave them my “aspiring trainer” speech. I thought I’d share the condensed version with you.
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Richard begins “A Horseman’s Journey” by introducing us to a two-year old Quarter Horse colt named Rocky that Richard will be training. And then throughout the book, we follow along as Richard works with Rocky, taking the young horse from being a halter-broke colt to one that is skilled in reined cow horse work.
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Welcome back to Western Pleasure 101. This is the final article in the three-part Western Pleasure series. First, I’d like to thank ridemagazine.com; the readers; Sandy Baldwin, who has put my words into print, and my clients; who have supported this project. These articles are for individuals who are not able to commit their horses to full training, but who are still interested in Western Pleasure.
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Last month, we covered teaching your horse to load in the trailer safely and calmly. Many times trailer loading problems are caused by a bad experience or an injury to the horse while he is being hauled. Problems such as these are often the hardest to fix.
This month, I will talk about trailer safety, which includes inspecting and evaluating the components and features of your trailer. I’ll also talk about trailering safely and how to make your horse’s experience while going down the road as safe and relaxing as possible.
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Many of you show and compete with your horse on a regular basis. Your training regimen, no doubt, consists of mastering and refining those maneuvers you’ll be asked to execute in the show pen. Pleasure horse riders spend hours jogging and loping quietly on the rail. A cutter will drill with a flag or mechanical cow. The reiner will constantly try to improve each maneuver of the reining pattern.
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This is the second article in our series on the western pleasure disciplines. These articles are intended for riders who want to get into western pleasure and can’t go to a training barn or who would like to do it on their own, as there are many shows where an amateur or novice can participate. My previous article discussed the selection of a horse. This article discusses a bit about the history of western pleasure, what we’re looking for in the western pleasure horse, and what can be done to train a horse for a western pleasure show.
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If you compete in timed events with your horse, chances are you or someone you compete with has...
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Most people who do any form of exercise know that it is important to warm up. Because a horse is an athlete too, he also needs a pre-exercise warm-up routine to help loosen and limber up his muscles after standing in a stall or in a pasture. A warm-up also prepares the horse’s mind, as well as his body, for the work you will be asking him to do — whether it is schooling, trail riding, pleasure riding, or showing.
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