A day late

Straightness is an essential part of a horse's education. As rider's there are small things we can do to help our horses learn to be straight.

Horses are designed to move. Many horses that come in for training or rehab have been limited in their movement. They have been confined to small areas. They are only moved when worked and never free to move on their own.

It is the little things that matter. The little things will tell us a lot and give us indications of some pitfalls. We may run into with...

A day late

Lead ropes are not supposed to be tow ropes, nor are they supposed to be anchors. If you find yourself dragging your horse along with a constant pull on the rope, you are using the lead rope as a tow rope. If you are constantly holding back on the lead rope trying to contain your horse's movement, you are using the lead rope as an anchor.

Cold weather thoughts

A day late

Take time to groom your horse. Get an in depth feel of what your horse's coat and muscles feel like. Pay attention if your horse gets agitated with grooming in a particular area. They may be sore. Feel if there are tight muscles in one area of their body. Use your rubber curry or scratchy brushes to stimulate the skin and fascia. Pay attention to temperature. Are there warm areas? Are there cool areas? This could indicate inflammation or restrictions. When cleaning feet, ar

When you don't have a lot of time to work your horse, put work in their everyday routine. Most horses have a consistent path they travel. Through a gate, through a stall door, through and entrance to a wooded area. Find the areas that you horse travels and can't easily avoid the path. Put 4-6 ground poles on that path. This will encourage your horse to lift and flex their joints in their everyday routine.

A day late. I got tired before I finished

Trainer’sTip

Slow down

Horses always revert to the skill and expectations of the rider / handler.

This seemed fitting to reshare with today's wind in Texas. I'll link parts two and three.

Late because I was traveling home from South Carolina.

You can't create self carriage by containing the head. Containing the head creates contraction. Contraction is going to hollow your horse.

Late. Because I forgot yesterday was Tuesday 🤷‍♀️.

A day late because of life.

It takes longer to fix a horse that has incorrect training or never been taught to carry a rider than it does to start one correctly.