Leg yielding is ... an invaluable exercise that teaches a rider how to move a horse's body and teaches a horse to connect from back to front. The leg yield can be ridden anywhere on a straight line or a circle and is a foundation for ... ...
Are you having trouble with your back ups and stops? Maybe your horse is not stopping quickly enough or straight enough. Maybe when you ask your horse to back up you feel like you have to pull really hard. When you stop from a ...
There are several things to consider when you are taking up the task of learning to ride a horse. Whether this is a new endeavor for you or you've been working at it for a while, showing up prepared for your lesson ...
When we think of contact with the gaited horse, we have to explore much further into the gaited horse's mouth and look at different concepts and terms that shapes our trail horse's needs. ...
The Importance of Seat, Legs and Hands in the Gaited Horse
All good horsemen and horsewomen will agree that "SEAT-LEGS-HANDS" coordinate together in a smooth action, to assist the horse in achieving his foundation gait. ...
You need to teach your horse to get out of your space: To back up, go forward, and to stop on cue with the halter and lead rope. To get him to stop, you need to add pressure in a backward ...
These are the basic steps to create the L/R over the hip shot. This is the matching shot to the R/L over the hip shot. The biggest difference is the stock will be facing in the opposite direction moving from the roper's left to right. This places ...
Training the Gaited Trail Horse: Developing the Gear Box
Ever ask yourself what is the difference between a gaited horse breed, and non-gaited horse breed? Several good books have been written on this subject, but there still remains an extreme amount of confusion regarding the difference. ...
Don't Put Off 'til Tomorrow What Must be Done Today
Quite often owners bring their horses to me to be "fixed". Most of the time what needs to be fixed wouldn't be necessary if the problem had been addressed right when it first appeared. Horses are very much like kids ...
Have you ever asked yourself or friends, what is a good definition for the unwanted horse? For each person you ask you will get a different answer, depending on the situation, and how he, or she understands the problem. One area most ...
The more I train the trail-gaited horse, the more I am convinced that his heart and soul is in his mouth, and the gait is in his top line. The old-timers used to say, "the higher the horse's head, the less brains and the lower the horse's ...
We are coming up on one of my favorite times of the year. As spring rounds the corner, the broodmare bellies are growing and the countdown has started to foaling time. Finally we get to see the products of the genetic equation ...
A year ago, last March 2008, I was honored to be a clinician at the Midwest Horse Fair, Madison Wisconsin, and to host an Extreme Mustang Makeover. ...
When used as a component on the path to advancing your horsemanship, therapeutic movement and building a base of power, strength and agility, the art of walking takes on a new concept beyond being considered a ...
Do you tend to grab are the reins? Do you have a hard time giving to your horse over a jump? Do you want to lock your elbow? Does your horse complain about your contact? Here's a ...
I often discuss fear and confidence together. It can be helpful to think of a sliding scale, with fear on one side and confidence on the other. A horse's responses and reactions will differ slightly as we head down the scale, but the two ...
We've all heard it. You hear it sitting in the stands at a horse show, standing in line at the local tack shop, or riding along the trail with a group of friends. It's got to be the most repeated phrase in the horse world... ...
Chris Littlefield's ranching background taught him the value of training an all-around athlete. He says exposing young horses to a variety of environments and giving them different jobs ...
The most effective riders are the ones prepared for the unexpected. On the most pleasant of afternoons, a simple trail ride can suddenly turn into a fight for survival. Why this happens is a question that is impossible ...
Extreme Mustang Makeover Returns to Texas; Adds Tennessee
After placing more than 300 mustangs for adoption at its 2008 Extreme Mustang Makeover in Fort Worth, Tex., the Mustang Heritage Foundation (MHF) hopes to equal that number, but divide the wealth between two ...
A big hill and deep snow provide the ideal training ground for young horses on the Van Norman Ranch in Northern Nevada. My legs were heavy, weighed down by the wet snow that had almost of out nowhere accumulated ...
Do you have trouble keeping your heels down? Do they creep up even when you jam them down? Are you tired of your instructor yelling at you to get your ‘heels down' because it doesn't ...
NRHA Presents Stacy Westfall Clinic in Oklahoma City
The National Reining Horse Association welcomes well known clinician, trainer and freestyle competitor Stacy Westfall to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma during the 2008 NRHA Futurity ...
Weight aids are the rider's first and most important influence on the horse. Riders often grasp the theory of weight aids long before they develop the physical ability to apply them properly. Without an independent seat, ...
Training your horses around other trained horses is much more effective than training them alone. By creating a positive learning environment that is harmonious, your horse will begin his first lessons in a way that will support his state of ...
The hackamore. It's no gimmick or shortcut, and it certainly isn't for the hasty or impatient horseman. But for some who have taken the time to master its language, this fabled piece of tack has helped ...
Youngsters Grab the Spotlight at Extreme Mustang Makeover
Competition for the younger set concluded with real panache at the 2008 Extreme Mustang Makeover September 19 as $20,000 was awarded in three age groups during Mission 007: Yearling Edition of the four-day ...
