Imagine a Career with Horses Not once in my childhood, in high school nor college, did it ever occur to me that I might have a career in the horse industry. Certainly, in my wildest dreams, I never would have imagined teaching horsemanship as a career for nearly three decades. The first time someone paid me to ride a horse, I was 14 years old and I could not believe my lucky … [Read more...]
Riding With Awareness
A group of seven of my horse-loving friends decided to get together and ride each Wednesday evening this summer. Our group consisted of new riders as well as pros, green horses and finished show horses. Our goal was to have fun riding together and to practice skills so that we would keep advancing our horsemanship. Everyone one can keep learning and riding together with friends … [Read more...]
Nurturing The Try In Your Horse
I have lived with and worked with horses for more than half a century. And the older I get, the more appreciation I have for horses and their willingness, generosity and ability to forgive. It never ceases to amaze me how they tolerate some of the crazy things we humans do and how they will keep on trying to please. Over the decades, I have learned that horses thrive on … [Read more...]
Bitless Or Bridle-Less? What Is The Difference?
Bitless or Bridle-less? To me, there’s a big difference. Often when I write about riding my horses bridle-less, people confuse it with the issue of riding bitless. To me, they are totally different subjects. At expos and clinics, I am often asked, “Is it okay for me to ride my horse bitless?” It is presumed in this circumstance that you will use headgear of some sort-- be it … [Read more...]
To Shoe Or Not To Shoe?
To me, this is not a simple yes-or-no, black-or-white answer. Just as there are many good reasons not to shoe your horse, there are many reasons why you might want to shoe. There are few things with horses that are absolute—always this way or never that way. I am generally suspicious when someone takes an unmovable stance on an issue. I worry that such an outlook may … [Read more...]
Barn Rules, Cleanliness & Respect At Feeding Time
Like most horse trainers, when it comes to my barn, I run a tight ship and I like things very orderly and very systematic. Even though my barn is totally private—no outside horses for training, no boarders, no clients—for my horses and my staff, I have high expectations. Rules for Horses: Having happy, well-behaved horses is a high priority for me. The health and care of our … [Read more...]
