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Horses Learn

Musings

The Great Horse Migration: A Tale of Tails, Trails, and (Almost) Tears

Picture this: It’s the crack of dawn, a rooster is crowing in the distance, and I’m standing in front of my herd, my trusty truck and trailer ready. No, I’m not about to embark on a Wild West adventure. Instead, I’m preparing for something more daunting – moving my horses to a new farm. Yes, folks, buckle up because this tale is filled with everything from mischievous geldings to board-bashing mares. As soon as the day broke, it was showtime. We had the trailers ready, the stalls cleaned, and a pocket full of horse treats. But in my heart, I...

Queen Rose

Tips

What I Have Learned: Heels Down Is Overrated.

Have you ever wanted to go back and tell your younger self what you have learned over time? After 50 years of riding and showing horses, I considered what I had learned and what lessons I could pass on to others. I remembered my first Western dressage show. I bombed the test. I had to figure out the judge’s comments and return to the riding drawing board to fix the thing. I had no idea about how to work on dressage movements. I didn’t really understand the descriptions of the maneuvers and had to ask my classical dressage friends, who...

WYO DOC PEP

Western Dressage / Training

Equitation Western Dressage Style

Western dressage has evolved over the last several years. Watching so many people get involved and ride this great discipline has been fun. I am thrilled to see more shows incorporating the equitation class into their programs. This month I want to talk about what western dressage equitation is and how it is judged. The Objective First and foremost, the objective of any equitation class is to evaluate the rider’s ability to perform, in partnership with the horse, maneuvers and gaits with confidence while maintaining balance, function, and correct body position. That means your hands, seat, and aids are looked...

Flex at the Poll

Tips / Training / Western Dressage

Balance

I had the privilege of going to the Western Dressage Association of America’s clinic in Denver this year. As always, everyone was terrific. We had informative conversations about maneuvers, rules, new tests, and training. A common theme kept appearing in each conversation that I found to be very interesting. No matter what maneuver or test was discussed, there was always emphasis on the rider’s need to be balanced in the saddle. A balanced seat is a foundation of riding western dressage. Sometimes we get so focused on a circle or moving in a straight line that we forget about having...

Western Dressage

Western Dressage / Training

What Is Western Dressage?

If I had a dime for every time I was asked this, I would have a lot of dimes. Western dressage is an infant discipline, especially in the East. Eight years ago, when I started my western dressage journey, I learned on YouTube. There were no instructors, no coaches, nothing. I asked my Classical dressage friends what terms like change reins meant. Today, I am happy to see more western dressage riders and shows here in Ohio and other Eastern States. It warms my heart now to hear riders say, “western dressage, what is that?” I jump in and tell...

Queen Rose

Musings

Ride The Horse That Shows Up

In the beginning, there was a red-headed mare. Her name is Rose, and she is an Arabian Saddlebred. I fell in love with her immediately. She was so elegant and sweet and followed me around the barn. She would call out whenever she saw me. I would spend hours grooming her and telling her beautiful she was. She became my heart horse. We showed halter her first year with me, and she was unstoppable. Then came the time to start riding. Rose loved being a halter horse. Riding, however, was a different story. She would turn and bite me or...

flexion

Training / Tips

Flexion and Bend Are Not Created or Executed Equally.

Let’s start with flexion. Flexion is the bend from the poll to the wither. Flexion is how we supple the horse to get ready for the bend. When traveling in a direction, let’s say to the right, the top of the poll to the first vertebrae is slightly curved or flexed to the right. Notice that I said the poll is flexed, not the neck. Inside Let to Outside Rein You will have contact with your inside leg on the horse; therefore, you should feel the horse’s right hind leg (if moving to the right) engaged, meaning a solid push...

Horses Learn

How Horses Learn / Training

6 Ways A Rider Affects How A Horse Learns

   I thought an interesting topic to discuss would be how as riders, we affect how horses learn. This can give us great insight into teaching our horse new maneuvers or fine-tuning old ones. I’m often so intrigued watching riders at shows. I occasionally hear riders saying things like “He’s never done that before.” Or “Why won’t hedo this gait for me today?”. Usually, these comments come after seeing a horse acting up. But why isthis happening? What are we doing wrong? The answer could be as simple as riders giving altered orconfusing cues. Variance in cues can sometimes happen when...

Freewalk

Training / Tips / Western Dressage

The Free walk

Let’s talk about the free walk The free walk is an essential maneuver in western dressage. Yet it is the gait that riders spend the least time working on. Although simple, we must remember that the walk has to show the same quality as every other gait and free walk is no exception. It has its own place on the judge’s sheet. In fact, it is a double coefficient. So, what are the judges looking for, and how do we accomplish a quality free walk? Freedom of Gait In the free walk, the horse is allowed complete freedom of the...