One horseman phrased it like this, “Body control isn’t a big thing. Body control is everything!” In light of this truism, I want to talk about leg yielding and side-passing and how you can refine it for more precise body control.

I define horseback riding and horsemanship as two separate categories. If you are simply a horseback rider, you’ve acquired a few basic skills that keep your mind in the middle and a leg on either side. Horseback riding is simply the act of not falling off. Almost anyone can be a horseback rider.

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.

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.

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.

Whether you are a weekend trail rider or a high-level performance horse trainer, stopping, and stopping correctly, is an absolute necessity. Let’s look at some basic elements to this maneuver.

“What’s going on? I thought that person was a good rider. Don’t they know that they are on the wrong lead?” That’s typically what the novice rider thinks or says while observing a trainer counter-cantering a horse.

A few years ago, Steve and Tootie Bland came up with the idea of having a competition where horsemanship clinicians would showcase their colt starting skills. Working with young unbroken horses, in a specified time frame and under strict training guidelines,

Last month, I discussed the preparation that’s necessary before I climb aboard a colt for the first time. Before mounting, I need to have my colt comfortable wearing the saddle and moving out through the full range of motion with the saddle on.

I recently walked by a construction site, which had a picture posted of the building that was to go there. As I observed the large mounds of dirt, ditches, culverts, and pipelines, I couldn’t imagine how this chaotic scene would one day resemble the architect’s picture.