Fun horse tack find
When Natasha Raina of Two Horse Tack approached me, I was intrigued by her claims about her custom tack. What I discovered was a wonderful story and products that have applications for just about any discipline, breed or even one’s imagination. What first intrigued me were the applications for the Registered Irish Draught horse community. […]
Inspiration from a challenged world equestrian competitor
It can be easy to get discouraged when dealing with personal challenges. We tend to make all kinds of excuses for not going to the barn, rushing through chores, abdicating horse care to another or depriving ourselves of other moments to enjoy our horse. Our daily grind can get in the way of what fuels […]
Do you have jitters about that first ride off the property ride with your horse?
Act fast (before June 4th) to grab our e-booklet Preparing you and your horse for the first off-the-property ride for free Novices and professionals alike get butterflies (and sleepless nights) thinking about how that first ride away from home might go. Of course, for experienced riders this usually involves a first for the horse, where […]
Exciting news from Horse Sense and Cents™
After six months in this labor of love, we have a product that everyone involved is extremely excited about – and proud to be a part of. If you’ve ever dreamed of a job with horses in the mix or want to see more detail on who’s involved, go to Inventing Your Horse Career.
How’s fighting with your horse working for you?
“Out of the quarrel with others we make rhetoric; out of the quarrel with ourselves we make poetry.” -William Butler Yeats, writer, Nobel laureate (1865-1939) Few seem to have mastered the activity of standing your ground without being combative when it comes to horses. Of course, being insistent isn’t even always appropriate, depending on the […]
Working with into-pressure horses
There’s a big difference between a horse that doesn’t have a proper foundation and one that automatically comes toward you with pressure because it’s so deeply ingrained in their psyche. Rude behavior needs to be addressed very differently, but in these cases where the horse is responding honestly, you won’t get far if your tact is to ‘teach him respect.’
Do we really want to try to train horses to be unflappable?
Even if you don’t think the horse should be part of the conversation, if you fail to incorporate his personality and issues into your training plans, you’re bound to get hurt.
Zenyatta gets her due
“I came from an industry that sued its fans when they started stealing music through Napster,” he said. “There is sentiment in this business and you have to play to it. It is true in show business and it is true in racing. If you have a horse who gets people in the heart, then they want to come see them and get to know more about them, and you have the Beatles again.”
Please help me help horses and their owners
You won’t get pat answers claiming to solve all your problems, but you will get ideas on how you can learn to read, respond to and connect with your horse in ways you may not have imagined.
Starting under saddle with alpha fillies is always interesting: Part 3 and the last of a series
The day I entered the paddock without a cookie and was greeted with charging, teeth bared, kicking and striking is the day I decided to put her into training much earlier than planned. I like to give young horses a week or so to acclimate to the new surroundings and routine before engaging in a serious training regimen, but she earned an early start.