Sometimes what you witness is “fashion” rather than anything based in physiology or biomechanics. People see it and there’s a “copycat” effect. It makes them feel like they’re doing something. Read More

If I did not know what horse you are talking about, this would be a difficult question to answer. The first matter to address is “Are you being fair to the horse?” If she has very limited turnout with no opportunity to exercise then she deserves to have more than two chances a week to get some attention. Whether it’s you or someone else, whether it’s riding or lungeing or grooming or handling, that doesn’t really matter. It’s not keeping her cooped up that’s important. Read More

The best answer here is “yes.” As has been said elsewhere, for better or worse you are always changing your horse. The real issue is to make sure it’s intentional and in desirable ways. Read More

Whether it’s a CDI which you catch streaming on the USEF channel or a local, low-key schooling show, controversy over whether the winner has deserved to win is par for the course. Everyone has axes to pick and bones to grind so the lack of unanimity in this matter ought not to shock you. Read More

This is an interesting question because it speaks to how various movements relate to each other. Whatever figure or movement is being performed, the rider’s first job is to ensure that the basic principles of dressage are honored. This is the Training Pyramid stuff and the qualities enumerated in the Collective Marks. Beyond this, each movement has a set of criteria which should be fulfilled – these are listed in the first part of the Dressage section of the rulebook with fairly elaborate descriptions of each one. Read More

“As little as possible, as much as is necessary” is more than a cliché. It is sound advice. Read More

I am a big fan of long lining and lunging on a circle with double lines. I think of conventional lunging as a fundamental step in the starting of young horses – the first thing to do beyond teaching them ground manners. Well before I even consider attaching side reins, basic lunging teaches the horse to yield laterally and to step forward from the whip (later extrapolated to the leg). It lets you teach the horse about limits and about moving attentively in a stabilized tempo. Adding the side reins gives the horse something to work into rather than simply free flowing into empty space. Over time you can progressively develop strength in the horse’s hindquarters and a round topline which will lead you towards collection. Read More

BILL– Let’s start with some assumptions. You’re able to make a correct shoulder-in along the rail—the horse is in front of your legs; he is in lateral balance; he accepts the bit; and he follows your weight so that you don’t have to poke him every stride to perform the movement. Read More

BILL– Other than a few exceptions noted below, the answer is a resounding no! Back in the day when we had a live-in working student, I found that three lessons a week worked pretty well. It was okay if during another day or two, they were semi-supervised, but all riders need time to figure things out on their own, to experiment, to learn how to screw up, notice the problem, and engineer a fix for it. You can’t do this if you are never allowed to take a step on your own. Read More

My instructor sometimes mentions names of people from a long time ago and looks at me funny when I don’t know who they are.
Is it important to know of these people? Read More