Spurs are associated with horsemanship, right along-side bits and saddles. Yet there remains confusion and sometimes intimidation in regard to their use in some riders’ minds. This article is an attempt to “demystify” spurs and discuss who should use them along with when and how.
Read More
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.
Read More
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.
Read More
A few days ago, I drove through South Park, Colorado (yes, there really is such a place and it is well depicted in the cartoon), looking out over hundreds of thousands of acres of pasture land with thousands of cattle, horses, elk and antelope ranging,
Read More
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.
Read More
When I was 15 years old, a friend loaned me a guitar and showed me three cords to play. I could play almost every cowboy western song I knew with just those three cords! It’s now over thirty years later and I still enjoy playing my guitar. Someone told me recently, “Richard, I don’t know of anyone who has played as long as you have played and improved as little as you have improved!”
Read More
There are certain qualities every horse needs to succeed, no matter what discipline. Every horse should be forward, straight, and balanced. Let’s look at these concepts in closer detail.
Forward does not mean fast. What it does mean is that your horse is using his
hindquarters to propel himself forward rather than pulling himself forward from his front end.
It will be beneficial when you first sit in the saddle to take a few moments to check your posture...
Read More
The following postural techniques will help to show you how breathing will support the essence of...
Read More
The practice of hobbling has been around since humans began riding horses. For some horsemen hobbling is as common and comfortable as putting on a halter. For others, hobbling a horse seems intimidating and maybe even dangerous.
Read More