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On Becoming a Better Rider by Al Dunning In this issue we celebrate the equine centered lifestyle. As most equestrians strive to improve their skills in the saddle, it seemed natural to ask Al his thoughts on becoming a better rider. Question: How much of good riding do you …
How to Select an Equine Athlete by Al Dunning Many people wonder how to predict the next champion, whether considering a homebred youngster or while searching for an unproven horse to buy. We asked Al these three questions about selecting a quality equine athlete. Question: When selecting horses …
3 Factors to Improve Your Horse’s “Golden Years” by Jackie Davenport In the past months I’ve talked about how indoor or “arena trail” work can benefit both horse and rider and it is a discipline that many horses and their riders can continue doing very successfully as they age …
by Jackie Davenport In the horse show world nothing is static: events develop, new events are added, rules change and rules are added as needed. The relatively recent addition of English riding styles to arena trail or, “English trail” as I call it, is one of these evolutionary steps. English …
by Jackie Davenport As you read last month, arena trail is all about negotiating obstacles with style and agility while, ideally, never touching a thing. Horses must be able to work over and through obstacles and turn and maneuver in tight spaces and this can be challenging. However, practicing …
by Jackie Davenport Whatever the trail course or its obstacles, it can be a blast to watch the “go” of a well schooled horse that is confident, curious and athletic. Arena trail is not only fun to watch, more importantly some amount of trail training benefits all horses and …
The Speed and Cattle Phase by Kim Roe The goal of working equitation is to highlight the qualities of a horse that is going to be useful on the ranch. The first two trials are dressage and ease of handling, and judges test the accuracy, suppleness, fluidity of movement, …
The Ease of Handling Trial by Kim Roe Last month we covered the dressage phase of working equitation, now we explore phase 2: the “ease of handling” trial. This trial involves a course of 8 – 15 obstacles ridden slowly and precisely, like dressage through obstacles. The objective of this …
The Dressage Phase by Kim Roe As a dressage trainer and rider, I became interested in the discipline of working equitation because it includes a dressage phase. I appreciate the harmony between horse and rider that is developed in dressage, and the way that good dressage work can transform almost …
Engage Your Dressage Horse with an Exciting New Discipline by Kim Roe Most horses, like most people, need a job that has a clear beginning and a clear end. This clarity brings the horse mentally and physically into the game we are playing and includes sports such as cutting, …