Back to school challenge
If you are bringing your horse back to work after a lazy summer, make sure to make a plan first – this will make progress faster and healthier.
Good posture on the trail
Groundwork should not be reserved for the arena only. You can do some wonderful groundwork and set up a good foundation for healthy posture on the trail too.
A closer look at postural changes
Training your eye to spot good posture can be tricky. Here is a closer look at some things to be watching out for.
Moving on circles is hard work
Because lunging is such a common practice, we often forget how difficult moving on circles is for horses. We need to be aware of this is we want to make sure to teach our horses how to handle the challenge of moving on a bend.
Keeping hypermobile horses healthy
Hypermobility is a very widespread problem in the modern horse world. It comes with a host of health problems, which is why we need to do everything we can in terms of injury prevention.
5 benefits of working in walk
When working our horses to develop stamina or strength, we mostly focus on work in trot and canter, but we shouldn't forget that the walk is actually a great way to develop both muscles and endurance. And while we might see it only as a warm-up and cool-down gait, we shouldn't overlook its potential benefits. Here are five ways in which working in walk can benefit your horse.
Riding bareback – yes or no?
A question that often comes up is whether or not it's ok to ride the horse without a saddle. As always, the answer will be – it depends. Riding bareback can be a good opportunity for the rider to be better balanced and to learn how to better use his core muscles, but it can have negative effects on the horse.
5 groundwork mistakes to avoid
Groundwork is an excellent tool if used properly. Here are 5 common mistakes that compromise the beneficial effects of this kind of work.
It's not what you do, it's how you do it
When it comes to which exercises are appropriate for a specific goal, it all depends on the manner in which they are executed.
Not all muscles are created equal
Is there such a thing as too much muscle development? You bet! Here is why it’s important to differentiate between two major groups of muscles.
Winter is over – time to get back to work!
If your horse has had some time off from work in the winter, now is the time to start slowly bringing them back to work.
Rehabbing girthy horses - Part Two
You've addressed the pain, you've checked saddle fit, but the horse is still acting up while being tacked up. What now? The answer lies in the nervous system.
The five rules of lunging horses
Lunging the horse is a great way to keep them balanced and fit, but we need to follow certain guidelines if we want to make sure we are not harming them in the process.
Relaxation is just as important as training
Many horses are constantly in an alert state and have trouble relaxing. Taking the time to relax and do nothing can be very beneficial.
How to retrain a horse
Here is a closer look at the ingredients of teaching good posture – communication, coordination and strength.
What are the goals of retraining horses?
Teaching good movement can be a daunting task. Breaking it down into smaller goals will help us stay on the right path and train in a systematic way.
Winter time
Here are some tips on how to keep your senior horse fit and moving well in the winter months.