Horse Articles

I believe education doesn't end when you graduate from school. Learning is a life long process. I want to educate my customers as much as possible when it comes to riding, horsemanship and general horse knowledge. I want them to be informed consumers on the subject of horse training and riding instruction. When somebody takes riding lessons from an instructor or training from a horse trainer, they often don't know what they are buying. My goal is to educate my customers so they can go and learn from other good teachers in the future and hopefully avoid the not-so-good ones. The following are articles I've written on various horse topics. They come from my years of experience and what I've learned from my own teachers (both humans and horses). Riding and training is more art than science. I have my own unique perspectives and I hope you will continue to build your own. Thanks for reading!

"Where art ends, violence begins"

Bengt Ljundquist

How to Slay the Fear Monster

By Connie Warner

So everything is going great. You have a riding instructor you like, your taking lessons and learning to ride, then BAM, one day you fall off. Suddenly the thought of getting back on the horse terrorizes you.

The Fear Monster can rear its ugly head on any rider, no matter how new or experienced. Anybody who gets up on a large, unpredictable animal can become fearful. It can take years to get your confidence back, but it doesn’t have to take that long. Speaking from experience as the Queen of the Chickens, I have some things I’ve learned that may help you slay that fear and get you back on track in no time.

What Kind of Rider Are You?

There are two types of riders. Type A and Type B.

Type A

Type A is the fearless rider who is bold and aggressive. This type of rider takes chances, is an adrenalin junkie, is able to do things with a horse that make more timid riders envious. However with that boldness comes many accidents and broken bones. Their sense of feel takes time to develop.

Type B

Type B is yours truly! This kind of rider is more timid, doesn’t mind spending years on the basics and needs a good push from an upbeat, positive, ‘you-can-do-it’ instructor in order to advance. Right from the start, they can feel every twitch and shift from the horse. In a relative short span of time they become aware of the horse’s forehand, back and hindquarters. With more time and experience these types of riders can almost feel their horse’s thoughts! The biggest challenge is to not to become overwhelmed with all the
feeling and push through the occasional bouts of fear and discomfort, hence the need for a positive, demanding coach!

STEP ONE….Think Happy Thoughts

STOP THINKING ABOUT YOUR FALL. Every time you think about it, your brain (the Amygdala to be precise) thinks real damage is happening to your body or could happen. Of
course then the brain sends a protective rush of fear. Great for our ancestors to avoid large animals with pointy teeth, very bad for people wanting to ride horses!

It’s not enough to tell yourself to stop thinking about the fall. You have to replace it with good thoughts. Your brain doesn’t recognize negatives like….”Don’t think about a pink elephant!” All you will think about is pink elephants. You must replace the negative memory with a positive one.

Think of a moment of a ride where you had a really nice walk, what did it feel like? Or a perfect shoulder-in. What did that feel like? It takes a lot of practice to recall a good feeling in your ride and repeat it over and over again in your mind. But the payoff is great. You gradually replace the negative experience and ‘practice’ the perfect ride moment until you’ll be able to do it again (and better) in the future. Your brain doesn’t know what is real and what is imagined. Brains are kind of dumb that way! This replacement thinking won’t
work magically overnight however. You must practice recalling good riding moments over and over. For every time you thought about your wreck, you will have to think a good memory a dozen times or more. Keeping a journal of every ride is a good way to get into this habit.

Just as a side note for creative and imaginative people….do NOT dream up horrific horse accidents that never actually happened to you. Also don’t fill your mind up on those stupid thrills and spills riding videos. YouTube is full of terrible riding and falls. Watch an Olympic rider you admire instead, in fact that’s a great way to develop a mental picture of excellent
riding and it will help improve your own riding in time. 90% of riding is in your head.

STEP TWO…Stop Beating Yourself Up

It’s NOT your fault that you are scared. It’s not a character flaw or proves that you are not ‘cut’ out for riding. You might be a modern human, but your brain is from caveman days! Stress from work, family troubles piled on top of a bad horse fall can cause your brain to kick into flight/fear reflex. In my experience, a brain can handle a little bit of frightful stress,
but too much and it can go haywire. Good news is your brain is simply an organ, it’s not who you are. You can learn to control it and train it to do what you want.

STEP THREE….Surround yourself with positive, upbeat people.

Dump the negative people, including your instructor if you have too. A rising tide lifts all boats. Even if you can’t find positive riding buddies, go seek out non-horse people that are busy chasing their own dreams whatever they might be. Anybody with a can-do attitude is what you want. If they’ve written a book, read it. People who have started successful businesses are good influences as well.

STEP FOUR…. Don’t compare yourself to other riders

When I was a teen, my crazy friends started jumping their horses over big picnic tables. Needless to say, I never wanted to! I was more interested in riding bareback and my dream was to develop an independent seat, hand and leg. Now fast forward several years and I’m jumping bigger jumps than picnic tables and don’t have the broken bones to show for it! I felt like the biggest loser chicken at the time, but today some people think I’ve never been scared. I find that absolutely hilarious, if they only knew how many years I spent being nervous!

Don’t compete against other riders, compete only against yourself, always striving to become a little better rider and person every day.

STEP FIVE….Make a List

What CAN you do confidently with a horse? Make a list. Nothing is too small or unimportant. Here is an example of a list….

Approach a horse.
Pet the horse.
Put a halter on the horse.
Lead the horse.
Groom the horse.
Tack up.
Get on the horse.
Walk the horse.
Turn left at the walk
Turn right at the walk.
Halt.
Dismount.
Untack.
Put horse away.

A rider who is only comfortable walking, might be considered timid to some. However look at this list, it’s a respectful length. There are people who are too timid to even pet a gentle horse, much less able to do all those things. So when you fall into the ‘woe is me slump’, pull out your list and read it. Then pat yourself on the back and lighten up!

STEP SIX…Learn how to think like a horse and take the mystery/unpredictability out of horses

If you asked me to go ride that camel over there, I’d be nervous! I have no idea what makes a camel tick, what their body language means and much less what sort of personality that particular individual camel has. However if an experienced camel trainer taught me all about camels, later gave me camel riding lessons, I would gradually gain confidence and would learn to ride one decently and without fear.

Horses are no different. Even if you’ve been around them for years, you can never learn everything about them. But the more you know, the more mystery and fear is removed. Monsters live in the dark. Shine a flashlight and the fear goes away.

STEP SEVEN….It is more important to trust yourself, then the horse.

The only thing you can control in this life, is you. You could have the most perfect, docile horse on the planet, but you’ll still be scared if you don’t trust yourself or your abilities. You can work with and ride the craziest horses without fear when you develop the knowledge, skills and ability to work with them safely.

Seek out the best, most knowledgable horse people you can find. It’s wiser to spend your money on excellent riding lessons and clinics, than to buy an expensive horse. Like someone said, most people don’t need a $35,000 horse, they need a $1,000 horse and $34,000 in lessons!

Read the best horse books you can find. My main interest is jumpers, but I have dozens of books on dressage, saddle seat, and natural horsemanship. Even within the same riding discipline, everyone has a different perspective, some of the things they say are real gems that you can store away and pull out on the certain day with a certain horse. Don’t limit yourself to one guru trainer either. More the merrier!

STEP EIGHT….Learn to plan and develop a game plan with each horse, every day.

Just like an airplane pilot goes through a pre-flight checklist before taking off, you must do the same with the horse you intend to ride. Here is an example of a pre-ride checklist on a green horse…

My horse, Jim, has only been broke to ride for a month. Yesterday he was very good walking and trotting in the round pen. Today the wind has picked up and its 20 degrees
cooler than yesterday. Even though he was calm yesterday, I will take extra precautions since the weather has changed so much. As I tack him up and tighten
the girth, I am looking at his back, and looking for the tell tail sign of a raised back. If I see him raising his back, I will know he has a couple of bucks stored in there. I think I see his back raised, so I will turn him loose in the round pen with his saddle on. After securing the English stirrups, so they don’t fall down, I close the gate and move to the middle of the round pen. I point the lunge whip at his hindquarters and sure enough he immediately goes bucking off! I continue to let him move around the round pen until he canters both ways and reverses without bucking. Satisfied I put my helmet on, his bridle on and get on quietly. I am very aware of what his back feels like under the saddle. If I feel any lifting, I’m getting off immediately. I feel nothing, so I let him walk a few steps, halt, walk a few steps more halt. Later since he ‘s walking quietly, so its okay to do some trot steps………

This is the way I think every time I’m working a horse. Most of my work is starting young horses, so it’s a constant, thoughtful, non emotional, analytical process. As long as I
approach each horse in a series of small baby steps, there’s no fear on my part because I’m in control. Being alert to changes in the weather, distractions like dogs playing in the tall grass, distant people walking down the hill towards us, loose horses running the pasture and seeing those things like a horse would and acting accordingly prevents most accidents.

STEP NINE….Eat an Elephant

How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time!

Set a tiny goal for every ride and I mean tiny. Are you nervous to trot, then trot one step ONLY. Is that too big of a step for you? Then recruit a friend to clip a lead rope on your horse and have them trot that one step with you. Is that too big of a step yet? Go to the smallest riding area available like a round pen or tiny corral. Is that too big of a step yet? Then set that goal for the week or month. Break that elephant down until you can eat it.

Don’t fall into the trap of setting a huge goal for the day, not making it and then feeling guilty and a failure for not making it. That is a nasty and unproductive cycle. Think like a horse trainer. When we train horses for something we set a big goal, then take millions of baby steps to get there. And with some horses, it might be tens of millions of baby steps! But it’s okay, it’s the final destination that’s important, not how we get there.

STEP TEN…..Fake it till you make it!

I have learned a neat trick while training horses. I can manipulate their body position, so their brains think they are more confident than they actually are! For example, if I have a horse that is scared of tarps, I will take a small plastic tarp and fold it up. Then while I have the horse on a long lead rope, I will hold that tarp against my chest and while walking backwards, pull the horse towards me. The horse touches the tarp and even if he is scared will keep walking towards it. His brain then thinks that he must not be scared of the tarp since he is walking towards it! Dumb, I know. But our brains aren’t much different and can manipulated in the same way.

While you are riding, be very aware that you keep a confident position even if you’re scared. Sit up straight and look where you are going. Don’t curl forward, slumping your houlders forward and looking down, that is a defensive position that people do instinctively to protect their vital organs! If you sit up straight and look ahead, your brain will start to believe that everything is fine and that you are confident!

You must train yourself to relax. It doesn’t happen automatically, you must practice, practice, practice. People hold tension in their lower back and shoulders. Becoming aware of when you have tension is half the battle. Whatever you’re doing, ask yourself, ‘are my lower back muscles tense?’ If so, learn how to relax them. Eventually you’ll be able to relax them on command. By the way, this is the big secret to sitting the trot, loose lower back muscle that can absorb the impact by making millions of tiny vibrations to smooth out the jarring trot.

STEP ELEVEN…..Age is just a number!

Seriously! Unless you have major health problems, don’t use your age as an excuse to keeping you from becoming the best rider you can be. If I had a nickel for every 40 something (heck every 30 something) telling me they are too old to ride, or they don’t bounce like they use to, I’d be rich! There’s a reason we wear helmets and develop pre-ride checklists before we get on our horses. If you are careful and diligent, falls and accidents will be very rare.

STEP TWELVE….But if you are going to fall off, do it with Style!

Jumping riders have the most falls of any riding style. It just goes with the territory and yes it stinks big time. However, time seems to slow down and you do have a while to plan your graceful exit. I recall one fall in particular. The horse I was riding had a very weird rhythm. We were approaching an oxer. He wasn’t going over it so into the air I was launched. I
had enough time to go limp, roll into a ball and avoid hooves and poles all at the same time. Trick to falling off well, is to go limp. Keep your arms and legs in, if possible. People get into trouble when they try to stop their fall with an arm or leg. Try to fall on your butt or side and roll away from the horse.

Afterwards, figure out why the fall happened. Use your instructor or another eye witness to help you. Stay as logical and as unemotional as possible. Do NOT get back on the horse until you’ve figured out what happened. I really dislike the old notion of getting back on right away and not thinking and evaluating first! Every fall I’ve ever had, I can tell you why and what happened. And I’m sure as heck, not going to make that mistake again!

Learn the emergency dismount. In cases where your horse is going bonkers, learn to jump off. Starting with a friend holding your horse, kick both feet out of the stirrups and jump off facing forward. Next with your friend leading at a slow walk, jump off again, bend your knees and lean forward as you land. Practice makes perfect. If you feel comfortable, try it at the trot and if you’re really feeling daring, try it at the canter, land running forward. But if you can do it at the walk and trot, you won’t need to try to stop a crazy horse in order to bail out. You don’t want to be stuck on a runaway horse. Thankfully run away horses are very rare, and if you follow a systematic pre-ride checklist they should be a nonoccurrence.

You might want to do some checking and look up people who do vaulting on horseback. Part of their training consists of falling off the horse on purpose and doing it safely. You might find some good tips and info from them.

Being fearful of riding does not need to be a life sentence, but it can feel like it at the time. As long as you’re willing and determined to get through it, you’ll make it!

Back in the Saddle (AGAIN)- Tips on Returning to Riding

Maybe you rode as a child or teenager. Then life got in the way and before you know it 20 (or more) years happened and you haven’t ridden since. Or maybe a beloved horse died and heartbroken you stopped riding for a while. Or maybe you had a scary fall and even though you didn’t break anything, you stopped riding.

Then suddenly, out-of-blue, you get that urge to ride again. Maybe your young daughter shows an interest (what girl doesn’t like horses?) Or you drive past a few horses in the field and suddenly you want to jump on one. Or maybe you decide that you need to do something fun for yourself and riding sounds more appealing than taking a pottery class. Sometimes a non-horsey spouse is the one to get the interest going again…”hey honey, didn’t you ride as a kid?”

Once horses get in your blood, they never leave. They might be dirty and dusty, step on your feet and sneeze on you. But nothing is better than hanging around them, watching them eat or taking a relaxing trail ride on a fall day. So forget about forgetting about horses. Once you fall in love with them, it’s a lifetime commitment!

No matter what your reason is for leaving riding, take your time easing back into the saddle. Make your riding return a goal, and then break the process down into the following steps.

Find Comfortable Riding Clothes

Western riders have it easy, just jeans and boots. English riders have a lot more to think about!

I HATE breeches and tall boots. I know they look nice, but I daydream that someday, the powers that be, will declare jeans and half chaps formal show wear! But it’s not looking likely at this point. However if you’re like me, consider buying some riding pants (the higher the cotton content, the less the sticky cling) and wearing half chaps. Some half chaps look like tall boots. Or jeans and full chaps work too. Main point is to wear what is comfortable for you.

I like to save money as much as the next guy, but the 20 year old pair of breeches? Just donate them to a museum and get a new pair. There are so many different brands now and price points. I remember back in 1990, there seemed to be two, maybe three brands of riding clothes. Now there seems to be dozens. Find a local tack store and try several until you find something you like.

If you start up riding in the fall or winter, dress in many thin layers. Avoid bulky winter coats. They can easily get caught on the saddle horn causing a nasty accident. A t-shirt layered on top by a polar fleece jacket and a winter vest is usually enough for Virginia winters. Further north get a winter coat made for riding. These coats are tailored at the waist and flare in the back like coat tails.

It’s your choice, as an adult to wear a helmet, but I strongly urge you to wear one. Some stables require everyone to wear an approved helmet. Great advances have been made in helmets. I remember my first approved helmet. It must have weighed 5 lbs, was hot, had no air ventilation and was overall awful! Now they come in all different styles from traditional black velvet to wild colors and patterns. If you think it’s a remote possibility that you may want to show again, go for the traditional style. Many helmets even have adjustment knobs in the back so you can get a perfect fit. The helmet should move with your scalp when you shake your head. Try rocking it back and forth and front to back. Make sure you adjust the harness so it’s comfortable for you.

Gloves are optional. Some people can’t ride without them. If I never see another pair again it will be too soon!

Finding the Right Lesson Barn & Teacher

Next step is to find the right barn for you. Most barns have a mix of child and adult students. You may feel a little odd being the only adult riding with a bunch of kids. Generally speaking, children ride after school and on weekends. If you are able to ride during the day, you’ll be more likely to ride with other adults or better yet, have the place to yourself.

I recommended that you start with half hour private lessons. You’ll get the instructor’s full attention, will be able to work at your own pace and won’t become too tired. Then once you’ve gotten into the grove again, you may enjoy riding in an adult group lesson. But be aware those lessons tend to become social events with horses, which is good or bad depending on how ambitious your goals are. The advantage is you’ll meet other returning riders and can make new friends that will encourage you and keep you on track.

One of the best places to gather names of instructors is the American Riding Instructor Association’s website. Each state is listed and it is likely to have an instructor near you. The test to become an ARIA certified instructor is very demanding. When I took it, I had a very long essay question exam that had to be submitted beforehand and then a 4 hour written test at a testing location. If I wanted to become higher than a Level 1 teacher, I had to submit a videotaped riding lesson to the exam board. The written test consisted of essay question that were judged and scored by some of the top trainers in the country. (They won’t tell you who, but I always wondered if George Morris graded my paper!) I have met many ARIA instructors at the annual national conference and they are a very professional bunch of horse people. Chances are one will serve you well.

When you first talk to prospective teachers, let them know you are a returning rider. A good instructor will congratulate you on your big riding return, relate that they have had other returning riders and will detail a program for you that empathizes slowness and safety until you get your stride back. It’s important that you click with your instructor. Don’t choose somebody that intimidates you. It’s fine to ride in a clinic with a top (and usually unapproachable clinician) but your “everyday” instructor should be someone you feel comfortable asking questions of and you trust their judgment.

There are also basically two types of teachers; the Barking Dictator and the Friendly/Positive Conversational Type teacher. I personally have gotten my fill of the Barking Dictator for this lifetime, but that’s your choice!

Visiting Barns

In addition to finding the right instructor, you should look at the barn they operate out of. Try not to judge a book by its cover. I have been to plenty of beautiful farms that had the best of everything, yet the horse management and general knowledge was lacking. On the other hand, some barns are much more humble, but the teaching and horse management is superb. Keep in mind that horses don’t perform well if their home life is stressful. If the horses aren’t turned out to pasture much, if their feeding times are irregular, if they don’t get along with the horse next door or the other horses in the pasture, real stress can build up over time making the horse unsafe to ride. Try to visit a barn during feeding time. All horses will pace and get a little excited when it’s time to eat, but they should settle down quickly once fed. I remember one lesson barn I rode at as a kid. When feeding time came you thought the barn was going to come down! All of them started screaming, kicking the walls, pounding their buckets, rearing at their next door neighbor, pawing the floors and raking their teeth along the stall walls. They didn’t settle down after being fed either because they would be busy fighting at the neighbor on the other side of the wall. Avoid this kind of place!

Also consider the general atmosphere of the barn. Are the people friendly or are they snobby? What are the employees like? Do they seem content or are they stressed and hurried? The reason you should care is because horses pick up people’s attitudes. If the people around them are calm and happy, chances are the horses will be as well.

Is the barn neat and clean? Are blankets hung up? Are tools put away? Is the tack reasonably clean or do the bits have big green globs of fossilized grass clippings? Little things like this indicate how much pride the people there have in their work.

Your First Lesson

I know it’s hard, but try not to get nervous! This is huge step for you. In certain cases, this simple act of coming to your first riding lesson might be the product of years of wishing you could ride but being too frightened to. Or maybe your just plain excited to get back to what you love. Whatever the emotion, don’t eat a heavy meal before your lesson. Eat something light like a salad or some crackers. You could always chow down afterwards while celebrating your big riding lesson success.

Try not to get into the ‘past self’ versus ‘present self’ comparison trap. As adults we tend to glamourize our wild riding youth. You’re convinced that when you were a kid, you were jumping your horse over ditches bareback, galloping full speed across an open field and then lived to tell your parents about it! Reality is you were probably just jumping cross rails bareback and did a pleasant canter across the pasture. But if you fall into the trap of thinking that you’ve lost every riding skill and ounce of courage you had in the past, you’d be mistaken. Sure as we get older and have families are bodies aren’t as spry as before. But the head knowledge is still there and will only improve with age. Riding isn’t like ice skating. You don’t wear out at 30. Watch a Grand Prix jumping class on t.v. Sometimes they will list the ages of the riders. The older riders always kick the butts of the 20somethings! How cool is that?

Riding is about 20% body strength and about 80% head knowledge. It’s a good idea to take up a light exercise program off the horse and eat better, but it’s more important to work that muscle between the ears. You are the horse’s brain and he is the muscle.

In any case don’t think for a minute that you’re special or unique on the returning rider roller coaster. If you only knew how many riders are going through the same thing! There are multitudes of returning riders like yourself and there are riders who are returning to jumping or horse showing and are in the same mindset boat as you…uncertain, excited, nervous, unsure and hoping everything goes well! Lucky the emotional roller coaster stops and by the 3^rd or 4^th lesson you will be happy and back in the saddle again like you never left it.

The Correct Use and Purpose of Cavalletti

Glossary
Impulsion- The horse uses his hindquarters to drive himself forward. The horse shifts his weight to his back end causing his forehand to lighten and lift. A horse that uses his hindquarters as an engine will stay sounder and healtier longer and is a joy to ride.

Scope- The athletic ability of an individual horse. The term is generally used in accordance to jumping abilty, but can also apply to a horse's stride. A horse's scope of stride can be improved with cavalletti work.

Benefits of Using Ground Poles for Your Horse
* Become more relaxed and flexible.
* Develop rhythmic gaits
* Encourages him to push off harder with his hindquarters.
* Therapeutic benefits for older horses and those with back and hock problems .
* A teaching aid for developing the collected and extended trots.
* Improves a western horse's jog.
* Greatly improves a hunter and jumper's balance, stride length, pace, ability to judge the distance to a jump, and strengthens the muscles used during jumping especially the hindquarters. Regular use of ground poles will greatly improve your horse's jumping ability without causing lameness and behavior problems caused by excessive jumping of fences.
Benefits of Using Ground Poles for the Rider
* Builds confidence in their riding ability.
* Become more aware of their horse's rhythm or lack of, impulsion or lack of, and improve their ability to judge distance.
* Ground poles demand precise riding in order to get the maximum benefit.
* Builds rhythm in the rider. By posting over cavalletti, they learn they can influence their horse's trot.

Equipment Needed
* Tape measure (25' is ideal).
* At least 3 wooden poles (6' wooden landscape poles work well, avoid PVC since they tend to roll easily).
* Optional..wooden blocks with notches cut out to hold the end of the poles in place.

* Flat, level surface in an arena or field.

* Person on the ground to assist with measuring poles.

How To
1. If your horse has never seen a ground pole, begin by walking or leading your horse over a single pole. If you are leading, be sure to stand off to the side in case your horse decides to jump over the pole. Repeat until your horse calmly walks over the pole.
2. Add a second pole 4' away from the first pole.
3. Finally add a third pole 4' away from your second pole.
4. After your horse calmly walks over all three poles; Roll your poles inward until they are all spaced 3'6" apart. This is the recommended distance for trotting poles regardless of the horse's height or stride length.
5. Always approach your poles in a straight line. Ideally you should give yourself at least three straight strides before the poles. Before you get to your poles be sure your horse is moving forward in a comfortable working trot. Slow your horse slightly before you actually go over your poles. You should ride a clear rhythmic trot over each pole. If he races over them and you can't figure out where his feet went but somehow he got over them, then you are going too fast!
6. If you have done your ground poles correctly, you may notice your horse begin to stumble over the poles. This probably means that the scope of his stride has increased. This means he has more adjustabilty in his trot. His ability to take a longer step and shorter step is improving. As your horse grows in strength, roll your poles out in increments of 3". If you wish to shorten his step, roll your poles inwards in increments of 3". This process needs to be done according to each individual horse's ability.

A Quick Word on Head and Neck Position
In short, don't worry about how your horse holds his head and neck. Your job as a rider is to make sure your horse is moving forward without dragging his front end around. He should move forward enthusiastically. His walk should march, his trot is rhythmic and elastic and his canter should be lifting and rocking. When a horse is using his hindquarters as an engine, his head and neck will find their correct place on their own. But it is your job to encourage and inspire your horse to move forward!

What To Do When The Worse Happens
The following isn't intended as a Do-It-Yourself horse training guide, but here are some safety tips when your horse acts his worse. What to Do When Your Horse....

Bucks
Pull his head up. If you can't think of anything else to do, pull his head up. If your able to react quickly enough; pull his head, sit up tall, put your lower leg forward. It's a great idea to pratice this BEFORE the emergency occurs! Horses are not able to buck when their head is in the air.

Rears
Good luck trying to find good information on how to handle this problem. The usual advice is to send your horse to a trainer. This is very true. You should never deal with rearing unless your a professional. However if your horse unexpectedly rears, do the following: lean forward (2 point position, good for all riders to learn, not just jumping ones), make your reins loose, grab mane, don't yell, kick him or try to punish him.

Worse thing you could ever do is pull back on the reins when he's going up. You can pull him over backwards. Don't try to punish him either. There is some horrible advice out there about breaking water balloons over the horse's head when he's rearing or knocking him in the head with a crop or similar items. I don't care what expert tells you this, this is a good way to get seriously injured or even killed.

The higher a horse rears, the more unsteady he becomes on his feet. If he pops up a little bit, that one thing. But if he's High-ho-Silver, than look out! Try to keep your horse as calm as possible when he is this upset. You can't control that he rears or not, but if you can keep calm yourself, you'll better the odds you'll stay safe.

Spooks
I still hate spooking. It always makes me spook as well! The best thing you can do is practice good riding position. So when your horse spooks in the future, you'll have a better seat to ride out the quick jump to the side.

You have a choice when deciding to wear a safety helmet. I think the above situations are a good reason!

How Safe Is Your Tack ?

We never think of inspecting our equipment until something breaks!

I remember riding at a lesson barn when my stirrup leather broke. I was jumping and after landing from the last jump, my right stirrup just got longer and longer! The thread had finally given out. Since then I've checked all of my customers stirrup leathers and have found many of them giving way and in bad need of restitching.
Here's a few common stressed places to check for wear and tear. If you found something that needs to be repaired; either have it restitched at a saddlers or replace it.

1. Back of your english stirrup leathers
2. Saddle billets (give each a hard tug when cleaning your saddle)
3. Girth elastic (elastic can stretch out and weaken, also tear)
4. The leather tabs that connect your girth buckles to the elastic inserts
5. Check all fixed and sliding keepers on your bridle, (these can pull apart)
6. Bridle hooks are still present at the bit and at the reins (sometimes these break!)
7. Reins haven't been nearly chewed through by a hungry horse!
8. Anything made of rubber, Rubber gets brittle when old.
Some rubber parts to consider: rubber band from peacock safety stirrups, martingale stops, bit guards
These are the most common repair spots. Always look over your tack when cleaning.

Bits Don't Control Horses, People Do!
Bits don't control horses, people do. Now before you call me a wierdo, consider it for minute.

Let’s pretend you somehow managed to mount a completely wild horse. He's never seen a halter or a human for that matter. As far as he's concerned you might as well be a horse eating monster alien creature. He's terrified! Do you really think a chunk of metal in his mouth is going to stop him from running into the sunset? He mind is going to flip into sheer survival mode. This basically means his IQ is around 0. In his insane, overwhelming urge to live, he'll break every bone in his body in order to save himself. At no point in this situation is he going to start thinking logically and say "oh gee, wait a minute, I have that french link style snaffle bit in my mouth made of those new metal alloys, guess I'm trained now!"

It's only through a careful, progressive training system that trains horses. It's not the bits used. If you don't have your horse's brain plug in, you have a wild animal on your hands. That being said, you should try a variety of bits on your horse. The correct bit makes the communication clearer. A bit is simply a tool. It's similar to a telephone. Try different "telephones" until your horse says "I can hear you now!"

If you approaching bits as simply control devices without good horse training methods in place, your doomed to fail. You will find yourself going to more and more harsh bits. The new bit in question might work for a while, then the horse gets too strong and you'll have to go harsher. This is bad riding and bad horsemanship.
This destructive process extends to improperly used training devices as well (draw reins and the like). Draw reins, for example, are not intended for extra control or extra brakes. Properly used draw reins give the horse some boundaries to work within. They should not be used by inexperienced riders and only used with professional guidence. As dressage trainer Charles DeKunffy says "draw reins are razor blades in a monkey's hands."

Learn to control your horse's mind and you'll control the whole horse. 90% of riding is thinking.

My Horse Won't Stop "Wiggin Out"!

Albert Einstein once said "Energy can't be created or destroyed." He was talking about science, but there is something in that quote that can be applied to horses.
How many times have you been out trail riding and your horse "jigs" nervously back to barn? Or you want him to stand still after cantering so you can talk to somebody and he's ready to jump out of his skin? What happens when you try to force him to stand still? The problem escalates! In fact, he might even pop off of his front feet (my pc way of saying 'rear').

Here's a simple solution to stop your horse's anxious energy temper tantrums...give up! Give up on trying to make him behave. Its an illusion that we can MAKE our horses do anything. They are way bigger, faster and stronger. The way we control our horses is with our (hopefully) superior intelligence. If your horse can't stand still and is in "go-go" mode, put him to work. Go trot a big circle,give him a job to do. If you've been working on having him bend to the inside and push harder with his inside hind leg...hey here's your opportunity! Most horses when asked to work on purpose, tend to lose enthusiasm

If they don't and only work harder, well now you might have a top performance horse on your hands!

Here's a simple rule of thumb. Nobody falls off when a horse takes off. No, its not fun. But how often do you see a flat racing jockey fall off? Rarely. Their more likely to get hurt loading into the starting gate.

You are more likely to get hurt on a horse that is moving too slow, than one that is moving too fast. If the energy can't go out, it goes up! Move in a forward direction or be prepared to audition for the bucking bronco contest. If your jumping a course and not going forward enough here's a short list of bad things that can happen to you:
Horse stops at jump
Horse refuses jump
Horse does a stop n' pop (run up to jump, pause, and then leap like a deer....bad plan!

Here is a list of things that can happen to you if you ride too fast:
Horse jumps the course fast
If you were riding a jumper, that would be a good thing!

Here's the moral of the story. If your horse is energetic, use it. You can't stop that energy. Burn his extra energy off on a circle. (I recommend a posting trot, canter can inspire bucking). If you try to rein your enthusiastic horse in, you'll turn him into an equine bunny rabbit. !

Heads Up!

Tips For Riding in a Group Jumping Lesson

Jumping lessons tend to be group lessons. Someone who has just started riding will generally start off with private lessons and then will move onto the group lesson suitable for their riding level. Here are some quick tips for making it a safe, enjoyable and and educational experience.

Jumping horses always have the right-a-way
Be very aware of your surroundings. Be aware of what the instructor is saying even if they are not addressing you. Also be familiar with the types of jumps in the ring and their names. If the instructor tells Suzie Q to jump the green oxer on the left lead, look to that area and stay out of the way. This might mean to get closer to the rail, cut the ring in half or if necessary, stop. Be sure to make sure no one else is coming up behind you if you halt however!

Yell "Heads Up, jumping green oxer"!
Or something similar. If saying 'heads up" sounds too cheesy, then "green oxer" is fine. Make sure you yell loud enough, so others can hear you. This becomes more important in a busy horse show warm up ring. During a lesson, the instructor telling you what to jump should be enough. If another rider is day dreaming and not moving out of the way, yell your intentions. If she still doesn't move, make a large circle and let the instructor do the talking!

Try not to stand in line while waiting your turn to jump

When I rode in clinics in college this was nearly impossible. With fourteen or so other riders in the ring and ten jumps, good luck trying to keep moving. However in smaller lesson situations, keep your horse walking. Horses can't simply stop and start like a car. If you've been standing around and then go jump, expect your horse to not be forward enough to your first jumps. Its better to be too forward than not enough. By keeping your horse moving, you increase your chances of a good jumping approach.

Pass left hand to left hand if nobody is jumping

When going in opposite directions to others, pass on their left side. Dressage riders tend to be very serious about this rule, hunt seat riders a little more lax. Just look where your going and try to follow this rule as much as possible. If a horse is coming head on towards you at the canter and is on the "wrong" side, don't pull out in front of them to get on the proper side! Use common sense.

Show respect to other riders and your instructor

Listen to your teacher. Try your best to do what is asked. Don't show negative emotion if you make a mistake. Ask questions when you don't understand. Avoid chit chat with onlookers during the lesson. Don't ever engage in any idle chit chat with anyone if your riding in a super serious jumping clinic! I've seen George Morris yell at a lady for talking in the audience and there was a couple of hundred spectators present! Those guys are strict!

Learn from watching the other riders
Lots of things can be learned by watching others. Hear what the instructor is saying to correct the rider. See if you can spot what they are talking about. At first you won't have a clue, but as time goes on you may catch it quicker than the teacher. This is a helpful learning tool if you are a serious rider or a riding instructor yourself.

Have fun and enjoy your group lessons!

Watch That Weather Forecast!

Always consider the weather when riding and working around horses. Here are some potential issues with different weather events.

Autumn
After a super hot summer, that first cool breeze will really wake your horse up! Horses are cold weather critters. Summer is very unpleasant for them. Take a fur coat and biting flies into account, summer makes for an unhappy time! When the first fall breezes come whipping through, horses can get pretty excited in a hurry! Avoid riding in open fields on those first breezy days.

Winter
Not a typical Virginia problem (why I moved!) but in areas with heavy snow and ice snowfall, there are things to take into account. Snow can melt and ball up in a horses feet, especially when they are wearing shoes. Ice is extra slippery with metal shoes. Some people have had success with spraying non-stick cooking spray on the horse’s soles to avoid ice build-up.

Lighting
You'd think this was a no-brainer! Don't ride in lighting! However I knew someone who was hit by lighting while riding (they lived). I don't encourage people to even ride in an indoor ring during a lighting storm. Its simply too dangerous.

Rain
Some horses don't care, others hate it. It’s a good idea to train your horse to tolerate being ridden in rain. Chances are you may get caught riding someday and it begins to rain. Be very careful not to turn too fast on wet grass. Unless your horse is wearing grass caulks, grass is slippery when wet.

Strong Winds

Horses respond most to two things; white objects and moving objects. There color eye sight isn't as good as ours, they don't miss any motion though. Wind whipping around trees and bushes ignites the horse's imagination of tigers and bears ready to eat them! Winds bring interesting and new smells as well. Interesting to a horse means "leave now and ask questions later." Ride long enough and you'll learn to hate windy days!

Hot Weather

Take it easy when the weather gets into the upper 80s and above. Avoid riding from noon to 3pm. Early in the morning or evenings are better times to ride. I have a friend from Florida and they rode in the middle of the night! Its very easy for a horse to become overheated and you as well. Wearing cool cotton clothing and vented helmets are good idea. I prefer to use cotton saddle pads and avoid synthetic tack items, including things made of neoprene.
Cold Weather

I don't have an exact degree rule, but if the temp is in teens or negative numbers, my riding gets put off to warmer days. I can't imagine it being good for the horse's lunges on extremely cold days.

Hunter/Jumper? Isn't that the same thing?

There is some confusion with the term hunter/jumper. Here is a short description of both styles.

Hunter
Originating out of the fox hunting field, ideal hunters demonstrate level headiness, a 12 foot canter stride, a good quality bascule (knees tucked up to chest, round jump), and the ability to jump on a looser rein. The jumping courses are fairly simple, usually only eight or nine jumps; outside line, diagonal line, outside line, diagonal line. The jumps tend to be wider than lower level jumper jumps. By the time the course designer adds flower boxes, even a vertical becomes an oxer! The wider the jumps, the better the horse looks jumping them. Hunters are judged on their style and obedience. Courses are not timed, and tend to take 2 minutes to 3 minutes on average. Tack is very conservative. Horses are not allowed to wear boots and in the rated shows, manes and tails are braided.

Jumper
My personal favorite! Jumpers are judged on time. The courses have many more jumps. The paths to each jump are rarely in a straight line. Jumpers must be very tuned into their rider and be quick to turn and respond. At the highest level, grand prix, horses must be able to gallop one second and collect their stride the next. Combinations of three jumps in row are frequently included. The jumps at the grand prix level can get as large as 6 foot tall or taller! Faults (negative points) are assigned to jump poles that are knocked down. Even though the competition is non-objective, a rider who has prepared their horse well will come out ahead. I had the opportunity to ride two of Tim Grubb's retired Grand Prix horses in college. Both where trained to 4th level dressage.

$$$$ Starting Your Child in Riding Without Going Broke $$$$

There they go again. You drive by the field full of horses and the chorus rounds of "I wanna horse, I wanna horse," start up in the backseat. Visions of Shirely Temple riding an expensive pony, galloping over green fields of an English estate pop into your mind. 'Either I can buy them a pony or send them to Harvard' you think. Not so fast, getting your child started in riding is not nearly as cost prohibited as one might think. In fact, compared to alot of child activities like dance and sports, riding can be relatively inexpensive.

First, I don't recommend people buy their child a horse or pony. Unless of course, your child has stuck to riding for 3 or more years and/or the parents are riders themselves. Childhood is a time to explore lots of different things and activities. A horse is too big of a financial and emotional investment for a child to lose interest in. Horses can be difficult to resell and the boarding, farrier and vet bills continue even if the child isn't riding.

I recommend starting with weekly riding lessons. For first time riders and kids ages 4-7, a 30 minute lesson is a good introduction. But before your child rides for the first time, they will need some basic gear.

1. Certified Riding Helmets
Their bike helmet won't do. Riding helmets are safety tested and should be certified by ASTM/SEI. Don't confuse safety helmets with hunt caps that aren't protective in a fall. Certified riding helmets have much higher strength requirements than bike helmets. The impact loads are much greater in a fall than what a bike helmet is intended for.

When I was a kid, riding helmets were quite expensive and very hot and heavy. Now days a light weight helmet with vents for summer riding can be had for as little as $20 or $30. You can pay as much as $500 for a top of the line titanium show helmet. (I'd say that's overkill for a growing child!)

Good places to shop for a helmet are Tractor Supply or local tack stores. It's best to try a helmet on in person, rather than order through a catalog. The harness strap should fit snuggly, but not be uncomfortable. The helmet must also move with the child's scalp when the visor is jiggled. Also of course, not be so big that the child can't see! (that happens more than you might think!) If you aren't certain about the fit, ask someone who works at the store. Anyone who rides should have lots of personal experience with helmets.

You may also want to consider a 'dial-to-fit' helmet. The helmet can be changed to fit a few different head sizes as the child grows. This is a relatively new technology and it saves buying a new helmet every year!

If the child isn't crazy about wearing a helmet, (some boys are less than thrilled), look into the new colored helmets available. Unless your child wants to horse show in the future (black, black, black), look at the different color options available. There is pink, blue, green, purple and I've even seen patterns.

As much as I love to buy used and save money in the process, its best to buy your helmet new. You can't always tell if the helmet has been damaged in a fall. This can compromise it's protective qualities. There could be a hidden crack in its shell, and sellers aren't always forthcoming in revealing an item's history.

2. Safe riding boots
These come in many different styles and sizes. For a growing child, I recommend paddock boots. Even for showing, paddock boots are correct attire. English tall boots are very expensive (starting at $100 "if your lucky" and upwards!) and it makes no sense to buy these when the child will grow out of them in 2.5 seconds! You can also look into inexpensive child's hiking boots at the discount stores. Just be sure that the boot has an inch long or so heel and look for a smooth sole.

Used boots are fine. Sometimes you can find clothing exchanges with older child riders. Also check out ebay. There are sellers that sell new paddock boots very cheaply. Once your child grows out of them, you can resell them or pass them on to a younger child.

The easiest paddock boots to deal with are the ones with zippers. Sometimes you can find pull-on boots. Anything less to tie is a good thing and safer around horses!

3. Long pants

I know it gets insanely hot in the summer, but riding in shorts will tear your legs up. I have met riders in the past, that could ride in shorts, but maybe they had iron skin! For the rest of us mere mortals long pants are a must!
Cotton riding pants or breeches work well. Look for breeches that are called "schooling pants". Show breeches can be very expensive ($50 and up), but schooling breeches can run around $20 or so.

If your like me and think jeans should be the new horse show uniform, this is fine as well. Sometimes jeans can bunch up around the knees, leaving painful red rub marks. To combat this, you might want to buy a pair of half chaps.

Half chaps are made of leather or suede. Either material works well, the suede tends to be less expensive and can come in a variety of fun, kid-friendly colors. Half chaps vary greatly in price $200 to $15. I bought my husband a pair of decent half chaps, new from ebay for only $15.00!
Its unlikely a child will grow out of their half chaps very quickly. Many have ribbing material that will stretch out to fit.

So lets tally up the damages!
Riding Helmet $20-$30
Riding Boots (Paddock style) $10-$30

Optional half chaps $15-$30 OR Schooling Breeches $10-$30

This is just a rough estimate. You may be able to beat my price ranges. Consider borrowing if your sister-in-law's child is currently bored with riding. Ask around, you might be surprised what deals you can cook up.

Help! I'm on the wrong diagonal AGAIN

The first riding instructor I ever had insisted that I would be able to "feel" my diagonals and that it would become "second nature" just like breathing. Well 20 years later I still don't have a clue what she was talking about! In fact I'm not certain she even knew which diagonal was correct! While I'm still waiting for this magical "I can just feel the correct diagonal" to take over my riding, I've learned a few sure fire tips for picking up the correct one.

1. Start posting the second he starts trotting!
If you can do this every time, every time you'll be correct. If your on a green horse and don't want to be out of the saddle when he starts trotting (because he might decide to jump off his feet instead) wait an even number of beats. Sit and count 1-2 then post or Sit and count 1-2-3-4 then post or Sit and count 1-2-3-4-5-6 then post. Always in even numbers.

2. When in doubt, check yourself
Still not sure? Just remember this saying "rise and fall with the leg on the wall". Watch the shoulder closest to the fence, when it moves forward; be out of the saddle. Just don't stare down at his shoulder forever (you might lose your balance and fall off!) ask for someone to tell you which diagonal your on and then remember what his shoulder looks like going forward when your riding from above.

3. If your diagonal is wrong, fix it.
You can change your diagonals two different ways. You can either sit two beats, or you can stand two beats. Either way gets the job done. However if you are showing, you may want to stick with the conventional sitting of two beats. At home though, practice both ways.

4. And since we're talking about diagonals...
If you are a hunt seat ride, try this exercise. If you've ever found yourself getting left behind on the jumps or falling backwards into your saddle while doing two-point or posting, your upper body doesn't have enough forward angle. While your horse is trotting, post your trot and stay up for two beats and then sit one, stand up for the next two beats and sit one. The motion will largely be in your hips. If you are forward enough (or too much, even) this exercise will be easy. If your too straight in your upper body, you'll barely be able to do this. Lean forward a bit more until your able to do this exercise.
Posting well just takes lots of practice!

The Two Rules of Horse Training

There are as many training techniques as there are horses. This is a great thing. Every good trainer brings with them different experiences and different versions of standard training techniques. There is no one right way to train. Horses are highly intelligent, complex and emotional animals and need to be approached and respected as individuals. One size does not fit all!

A good school teacher recognizes that each of her students learn differently. Some children learn by demonstration, some by hearing instructions, others learn by doing. Horses have different learning styles as well. Some horses learn best by being free in the roundpen, others like the security of long lining and lungeing. A great trainer has knowledge of different methods and when one method isn't working, they aren't afraid to change course and try something different.

No matter what method a trainer chooses to use, there are two rules to follow.

1. The horse MUST be calmer at the end of the session, than he was at the beginning.
The horse doesn't speak "human", but throughout a session, he will tell you what he thinks of the process. A horse that is happy, secure and comfortable in his lesson will frequently chew. His head and neck may also drop. When he moves, he is always moving in a forward direction. This set of body language is what trainer Richard Shrake calls "green light" movements. They mean you may proceed to next step. If, however, your horse backs up, swings sideways, clamps his lower jaw (may also grind his teeth), this means you need to move down a level.

If you pay attention to his body language, respecting his feelings on the process, the session will ultimately add up to being a "good one". When you end finally, he will have a pleasant feeling about his lesson and will be calmer than when you started. If you do a great job teaching him, he will be glad to see you again. In the next training session, he will volunteer to do what he learned from the time before (DON'T discourage this even if its not what you asked for!)

2. The horse and the trainer CANNOT get hurt OR be in a situation where injury is possible.
Teaching a horse to tie by using a snubbing post or riding a young horse that is in his bucking phase, are a few, of many ways that injury is possible. A safe alternative to both of these "old fashioned" methods is to teach a horse to give forward to pressure before tying, and then use a quick release knot and a leather halter. To avoid the bucking bronc show, saddle your horse in the round pen and let him buck himself out, WITHOUT a rider. He isn't safe to ride until he can canter and change direction with no bucking and his saddle on.

Like the old saying goes "there are bold pilots and old pilots, but no old bold pilots!" Horses are too valuable to risk stupid, dangerous, fast training methods, and people are too fragile to risk getting hurt. Many people have been killed by a well placed kick or a fall. Not saying a rider will never fall off, but each fall should be a lesson learned. There was a series of events that lead to that fall, and those mistakes shouldn't be repeated. Maybe the horse was too excited by a cold autumn wind and should have been ridden in the arena rather than out in a big field. Or maybe the rider didn't release enough over a big jump and got bucked off on the other side. Even if the horse and rider has done the activity before, each day is different and things like the weather, the horse or riders mood should be taken into account.

Good training sessions should be boring to watch for the thrill seeker audience member!

Follow these two rules and get creative with your training. Or if you have no desire to train yourself, make sure your trainer follows these two rules. If something doesn't look safe, speak up! Don't be afraid to question experts. A professional shouldn't take offense and be willing to teach you what he or she is doing in a logical, clear manner. Its your neck and your horse's neck that are most important!

Give Your Horse The Benefit of The Doubt

The biggest mistake a person can make when diagnosing a training problem is to be in the "wrong" spirit. You first must get straight in yourself that the horse in question isn't acting out in spite. He isn't purposely misbehaving. I believe that 90% of the horses out there are honest. Yes, they all have a lazy streak. But the majority will display behavior problems when they don't honestly understand something.

Imagine yourself in a foreign country and you don't understand one word of language spoken. You are lost and try to ask somebody for directions. They don't speak a bit of English or any other language you might be familiar with. Plus they are terribly impatient to boot. You ask, "where is 5th street?" They reply "blah blah blah". You ask again, but maybe you wave your arms around and make a face. The foreign person gets more impatient, certainly doesn't appreciate your waving about and yells "BLAH BLAH BLAH!" Since your desperate to find 5th street, you keep in vain trying to communicate with him. Every effort you make is replied with "blah blah blah" at a higher volume. Yes, volume has been raised, but it still makes zero sense.

This is how your horse feels. To add to his stress, he also has to learn not only the foreign language of humans, but also the language of a DIFFERENT SPECIES! Add in the fact he's living in a barn separated from physical contact of herd mates and forced to eat measured meals instead of natural grazing and it's a wonder horses do as well in captivity as they do!

If your horse is displaying behavior you don't like, don't jump to conclusions. He's not doing it to spite you. Horses are passive, peace loving animals. Don't let their large size, power and speed blind you into thinking their aggressive tough guys. Horses have more in common with timid bunny rabbits than tigers. In fact, horses are prey like rabbits. (Any animal with their eyes on the side of the head rather than the front, fall into the prey category).

Let's say your horse is rearing. This is a dangerous act. Here is the way I would approach the problem. First I would have him check medically. This check-up would include his teeth (wolf teeth) and his back for starters. If he checks out healthy, next item to consider is his tack. Does his saddle fit? Does his bit fit? If all is good there, it becomes a training issue.

Horses rear when experiencing extreme frustration. He has been given no choice and he feels cornered with no good options. He might also be afraid of an object....this object includes humans! I commonly find 3 year olds that were started by their DIY owners. If the training process was unclear, they can get frustrated and that leads to rearing.

The owner during the course of the young horses life has been teaching the horse a new language. The horse thinks he knows it, but he really misunderstood and then wasn't corrected by the owner. Let's pretend the horse can learn to speak english words. The owner wants to teach his horse the word "cat". The horse misunderstands and says "dog". The owner rewards him. The owner thinks the horse knows the word "cat", but the horse knows the word "dog". Now the owner tells the horse to say the word "cat". "Dog" says the horse proudly. The owner says "NO, you got it wrong!" The horse gets frustrated at this point, "I got it right, why am I in trouble!?" "AUGH!" (this is the time he rears or does a host of other bad behaviors).

Now the key point in my story is the owner didn't correct the horse first when he got the wrong word. When our horse is trying to learn, but misunderstands, we need to think up another way to explain it. There's lots of different ways to teach it patiently using different methods. This is where creativity comes into horsemanship. But under no circumstances do we turn into cave men and start using violent or inhumane methods of training. Be mindful of the fact, that humans have a natural instinct to fly into aggression. (Read 'Heart of Darkness' by Joseph Conrad for more on this subject). If you feel yourself losing patience, put the horse away. Or ask somebody for help. Don't listen to that annoying voice that says "I gotta get this done RIGHT NOW". Horses can't be microwaved, they got to slow cook. Training takes time, but short cuts take longer!

If your horse acts up, ask yourself first "what did I do to cause him to act up?" Next question, "how do I teach him what I want without resorting to violence?"

Here is a few examples of unsafe and/or inhumane training methods:

 Running a horse round and round and round the lunge line or round pen is order to exhaust him. Nothing wrong with using these techniques to take a little edge off, but endless running teaches your horse nothing.

 Using a snubbing post instead of teaching the horse to give to pressure first.

 Tying a western pleasure horse's head high to a post for hours on end, so when he's untied his head will drop down from exhaustion. Same goes for tying a horses head around to his tail in order to achieve "flexion".

 Any sort of technique that is used with the spirit of intimidation, invalidation or force.
If you observe techniques that seem cruel or harsh, speak up! In the last several years, excellent trainers such as John Lyons have brought humane, kind techniques to the public. But there is still much room to improve the industry.

Character Development of The Horseman

I read a book in high school that rocked my world. No, it wasn't the latest teen novel! It was Charles DeKnuffy's 'Creative Horsemanship' It set up the foundation of my training philosophy. In the book, he talks about how an aspiring horse person needs to work on their character development.

Over and over the author stressed the importance of humility when dealing with horses. Not to be confused with the term "humiliated". The meaning of these two words can be confused in our modern culture. Our culture is obsessed with winning. We're taught in school and through the years that we must be winners. Even if you aren't winning, give the appearance of winning. I think this may be the reason behind the mortgage meltdown. No longer is a basic house to raise a family enough. People feel the pressure to own a large impressive home in spite of the realities of the family income. Its all about keeping up with appearances or keeping up the Jones.

But in order to ride, train and work with horses well, we must have a healthy amount of humility. If our horse isn't doing what we want, our first question isn't "why is he being bad?", its "what am I doing wrong?" Now more than ever, in this 'win-at-all-ts' society, we must admit to ourselves that we made a mistake. Admit we screwed up and change course. And while we're at it, lets give ourselves permission to fail. "Successful people are those standing ontop of their mountain of failure." (Dave Ramsey)

How radical is that idea? Its okay if I make a mistake, its okay if I fail. Important thing is, along with a healthy dose of humility, I'll start over and try something different.

If we let them, horses are our greatest teachers. We need to kick our pride away and listen to the lessons they teach us.

What's That Jump Called?
Here's a quick pictorial guide to different kinds of jumps.

Cross Rail

Likely the first jump you learn when beginning jumping. Cross rails are a great training aid for encouraging the horse to jump the middle. Raise the ends as high as possible on the standards and your horse will be more likely to improve his bascule (jumping form). To start riders and horses jumping oxers, I spread the dirt end of the rail away from the base of the jump. This creates a little bit of a spread.

There are a few kinds of oxers (called Spreads in England). All oxers have two sets of standards. 'Ramp oxers' are the easiest to jump. The front rail is lower than the back rail. ALWAYS jump in the direction of low rail to high rail. Jumping it backwards causes a trap for the horse. He will get the impression of a false groundline and misjudge his jump.

Some riders will do this on purpose so the horse will hit the rail and jump higher the next time. I don't agree with this method. I have ridden with some top trainers and have never been asked to do this.

The next kind of oxer is called a 'square oxer'. Both front and back rails are set at the same height. This jump can be taken both directions. This is slightly more difficult to jump because, unlike the ramp oxer, there's no gradual increase in height.

Most interesting oxer of all is called a 'Swedish oxer'. Think of it as a double cross rail, with the rails going in opposite directions. Jump the middle and your jumping a square oxer. Jumping one side of it and your jumping a ramp oxer. Jumping the opposite side and your jumping it backwards. Swedish oxers tend to be a large jump because of their construction. Normally you'd want to aim for the middle.

Vertical

A basic jump, but not as easy as it looks, especially at the higher levels. A true vertical doesn't include any flower boxes at the base. It hopefully includes a ground pole on both sides. (If a ground pole is only on one side, jump it in the direction of ground pole to jump). If a ground pole is not included, we use to call those "air verticals", I doubt that is an offical term! No ground pole, makes them difficult for the horse to judge since there's no ground line to tell him where to jump.

Tack Shopping List For The First Time English Horse Owner
Feeling overwhelmed in the tack store? Here is a basic list of equipment needed by the average english horse.

1. halter and cotton lead rope
2. English saddle (dressage, hunt, or all-purpose) New or used depending on your budget
3. Leather girth with elastic at least on one end
4. 1 or 2 square saddle pads, 1 or 2 white fleece contour pads if your planning to show
5. leather bridle with snaffle bit and reins (ask your trainer to help you choose a bit)
6. stirrup irons and stirrup leathers
7. hoof pick
8. rubber curry comb
9. 2-3 brushes, stiff to soft bristles
10. mane & tail brush
11. fly spray
12. riding boots for you and an approved riding helmet that fits properly
13. bar of saddle soap, tack sponge, neatsfoot oil
14. horse shampoo, horse sponge and sweat scrapper
15. winter turnout blanket
16. light horse sheet

If you plan to jump, you may want to include jumping boots for your horse. Ask your trainer to help you select the right ones. You may or may not need bell boots, splint boots or hind boots.

Another potential item might be a breastplate. This keeps the saddle from sliding too far back. If you find your saddle sitting further back than you placed it prior to riding, a breastplate will solve this problem.

A standing martingale is popular equipment for hunters. Not all horses need this. It keeps the horse from raising his head too high. Make sure its adjusted correctly before riding.

Sometimes It's Just Not Worth It

Recently, I received a phone call from a distressed horse owner. He had purchased a new horse and badly needed some advice. His new horse had bucked him off hard and then when that unseated him, reared up high. The strange part of this story is he had test rode the horse successfully at the sellers barn. A number of things could have caused this behavior. The first thing to consider is medical problems. If the horse, unknowingly to the owner, injured his back, the saddle may have caused him intense pain. Another thought is the horse was on a new property and maybe something scared him. Or, very unfortunately, maybe the seller wasn't honest and had the horse sedated during the test ride.

Most long time riders have heard the old saying, "when you fall off, be sure to get right back on." I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that is a foolish idea without troubleshooting what caused the fall in the first place. Horses are very big and very strong and humans are pretty fragile. If you wish to live to see an old age, you need to forget that saying and keep your brain plugged in! Don't climb back on unless you are certain WHY you came off.

If you are bewildered like my caller, ask for help in diagnosing the problem. Ask your vet to exam your horse's back and teeth (bit contact with wolf teeth can cause a horse to rear). Ask a saddle fitter to check your tack and that the saddle isn't resting on the spine. Ask a quality trainer to view your horse in action.
Despite if your panel of experts figure out the cause or not, if you don't feel safe riding that horse again, then don't. There have been some horses in my past that I won't ride again. (The large draft cross that took off sideways at a full gallop as soon as my foot hit the stirrup comes to mind!) Don't feel embarrassed or guilty about your lack of motivation to ride Mr. Wild Thing. Your hesitation is your good sense trying to keep you safe!

I once had a customer who's horse had wobblers (a neurological disease that causes the horse to randomly falls down). She confessed to me she was scared to ride the horse. His disease had advanced to the point he was falling down several times a day! Incredibly, she felt guilty for not wanting to ride him!

Don't feel like you are less of a rider or horseperson if you don't want to ride every horse in existence. There are three or four horses I have come across in my life that I would never ride or work with again. Not all horses are meant to be ridden. Some horses have been spoiled and do know they are stronger and bigger than humans are and have zero respect for us. These horses weren't born this way, but they were severly mishandled and learned very dangerous behavior.

When a horse flips himself over and shows no emotion during the event, you've met a dangerous one. Luckily these horses are rare. But they are out there. If that little voice in your head says to not get on a particular horse LISTEN TO IT! Even if you have a trainer or instructor telling you to do it, ignore them. You alone are responsible for your safety. No helmet or safety vest in the world is going to protect you 100%.

Also be aware of the difference between riding a horse that is a new challenge for you versus one that is too much for you yet. Horses are a little like cars. When you start riding, you should be driving the mini-van. As you advance, you start driving the hot little sports cars!

Go slow and be careful out there!

Overcoming the Ghosts of Trainers Past

There was a movie that came out several years ago about a stage actress being haunted by the ghost of her former drama teacher. It wasn’t made clear if the drama teacher was still alive or not, but every time the stage actress would audition for a role, there he would be, barking in her ear that she wasn’t doing it right or she needed to do that better or she wasn’t good enough to land the role. Eventually she gained enough confidence and finally dismissed this haunting spector of a drama teacher. I can’t recall the name of this movie (the movie itself was a real bore) but the actress being haunted by her former teacher struck a cord with me!

My Story

Fictitious names are used to protect the goofballs!

I grew up riding any horse I could get on. Jumping on bareback, I would tear across open fields and over jumps, wind in my face and only holding onto a little mane. The barn I spent most of my teenage years at was stocked full of auction horses. That is when I learned to love training and figuring out different horses. The barn owner, a real character in his own right, would haul them in by the trailer full. He picked up everything from Saddlebreds, Quarter Horses, Arabians, Thoroughbreds, gaited horses to drafts. He figured that with a little re-training that he could turn a quick buck. (Did I mention he was a character!?) I rode all of these horses plus any others that had taken to bucking or rearing with their owners. “Let Connie ride them, she’ll fix ‘em”, was said a lot!

I took riding lessons, but there weren’t many qualified teachers available. Finally after riding for about ten years, I got the chance to ride with a real instructor. Let’s call her Mrs.T . She was an accomplished rider. She was strict, possessed no sense of humor, but was a very good teacher. Being young myself, it wasn’t long before I had her up on a pedestal. If she said go jump that fence, I would never question it. It didn’t matter how awful you rode the jump, under no circumstances were you to shake your head afterwards or otherwise display any emotion or else you’d get it!

After five years of intense lessons I was able to jump 3’6-3’9 comfortably and ride 4^th level dressage. She was excellent at stressing the importance of flat work for hunters and jumpers. Today I love riding on the flat almost as much as the jumping.

She was an excellent teacher but Mrs. T’s mental state was a different matter. Mrs. T, for whatever reason, had a very disjointed personality. It was impossible to know what she was thinking or where she was coming from. She wasn’t consistent in her treatment of the other students either. If you jumped 3’9 or lower, you were required to keep your shirt tucked in, groom every sweat mark off of your horse and clean your tack after every ride. If you were able to jump 4’ or higher it was fine if your horse was put away wet, kept dirty tack or talked back at her in an arrogant manner.

One student in particular, ( let’s call him Zack), was her favorite student. Favorite student maybe isn’t a strong enough word, 'infatuated with' might be more like it! He was loud, arrogant and a rough rider. He had no fear and could just about push any horse over any jump. Mrs. T spent most of my (and other students) lesson time bragging about her precious Zack. If you were having trouble getting enough confidence gathered together to get over a particular jump, it wasn’t long before the Zack comparisons began! Or worse yet, getting pulled off the horse so super star Zack can show you how it was done. Had I not been young and impressionable AND placed Mrs. T on a pedestal, this would have become a classic eye-rolling moment. But instead it affected my confidence level, which is a fleeting thing with riders anyway and jumping riders in particular!

(BTW, I looked up good ol’ Zack riding on YouTube, he’s not looking so hot anymore!)

Now ten years later; with Mrs. T and Zack safely corraled back in the Midwest, I’m free to start building back my jumping confidence. If you have followed my Facebook postings, two weeks ago I started jumping lessons with Harry de Leyer and already am seeing huge improvements in my confidence level. After only two lessons, he has me back at the 3’6 level and I’m certain he’ll help me go beyond. His style is a cheerful, “you can do it” attitude. He’s got just the right amount of pushing, without overfacing. The best part; there’s no Zack appearing in the arena to show me how to do it!

Some Helpful Tips

If anything in my story sounds familiar to you, here are a few quick tips to help you overcome your own Mrs. T and Zack.

Everybody is a unique individual and everybody has their own passions and abilities. Comparing two riders is like comparing an apple and an orange. It is unfair and can stifle the “lesser” rider.

A student can learn valuable things from a visual demonstration that are difficult or impossible to put into words. If the teacher gets on the horse or points out a more advanced rider as an educational experience, that has a lot of value. However if the intent is to make the student feel worse about themselves, there is no point and it can put a real damper on the confidence level. If this is a regular occurance, look for a new teacher. When the student is ready, the teacher will appear.

If riding is really your passion in life, you must work very hard to reach your full potential. In my case it was done by setting a long series of goals, meeting each one and then working towards the next one. Each goal is broken down into tiny baby steps. Take a baby step every day and you'll be amazed when later they’ve turned into a long journey. I like to use holidays to track my progress. For example, if it’s Halloween, I think back to where I was last Halloween. Then pat yourself on the head while your carving that Jack O Lantern! (just put the knife down first though!)

And lastly, never think that you’re the only rider who is nervous or is lacking in confidence. Every rider has their own path to follow, and that path can be anything but smooth walking from time to time. The important thing is to keep walking!