Steal a Kiss or Get Whipped: Welcome to Horseback Courtship
Few aspects of society have transformed over time like the art of courtship. There are many who believe courtship is all but extinct. Vestiges of the old-fashioned methods, like politely asking a lady...
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The Benefits of Lateral Movement
The image of dressage horses prancing sideways might just seem like fancy footwork, but in reality these lateral movements are akin to physical therapy for the horse. From a conditioning standpoint the...
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Researchers Are Digging Into the Ancient Origins of the Arabian Horse
It’s thought to be the oldest breed of riding horse, its distinctive dished nose, wide-set eyes, and large, flared nostrils—that once helped these early chariot horses dissipate heat in the desert—the...
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Four Questions to Ask Before Retraining a Racehorse
Retraining the racehorse—some general considerations… 1. Is he sound? Here’s the hard reality: Unsound=Pasture Ornament at $10-25 a day, which is somewhere between $3,560 and $9,125 a year to sit...
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Horse Vision and Its Effects on Horsemanship
Our horses see the world very differently from us in many ways. These differences in vision, due to the structure and placement of their eyes, have a profound influence on how they react to visual...
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Taxidermists Are Restoring Napoleon’s Famous Arabian Stallion, Le Vizir
Conservation is an important part of museum work, helping to preserve paintings, sculptures, and other priceless artifacts for generations to come. But rarely do conservators find themselves dealing...
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Horses and the Power of Now
Live in the moment. Be here now. Look at your feet; that’s where your life is. The past has been spent; the future is an unwritten check but the present is a gift. There are many ways to say the same...
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Summer Coat and Skin Care Tips
Even if your horse has no skin allergies and manages to avoid wounds or infections, summer still poses threats to the skin and coat. Bleaching and fading related to sun exposure is common and caused by...
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10 Tips for Successful Showing
1. Don’t focus on “winning the class” If you walk in thinking, "I have to get a placing, I must win," you'll send your pressure gauge through the roof. While winning may be something you really want,...
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The Gripe List: What Are Your Horse’s Pet Peeves?
Gripes? Gosh, I’ve got them. Let’s begin with people not picking up after their dogs and end with partners not cleaning out the lint filter on the dryer…and you can only imagine all the things—small...
View ArticleThings Barn Friends Say
No matter where you live, what your discipline, or how fancy your stable is, one thing is for certain: barn friendships are the best kinds of friendships, and they’re pretty much all the same. For...
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Learning to Love the Plateau
In any discipline, reaching a plateau is an inevitable part of the training process. A horse and rider can’t grow in leaps and bounds with every single ride. The plateau can feel like a rut. It can...
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9 Horse Show Packing Tips You Can’t Do Without
There are plenty of situations you can walk into without a plan. Horse showing just isn’t one of them. Whether it’s a quick weekend away or a two-week-long extravaganza, “Working Equestrian’s” Kate...
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Horse Health Myths and Legends
We can all think of at least one old horse care myth that has been debunked but continues to this day. One of the most persistent is that fructan causes pasture associated laminitis, which I’ve...
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At the Trot: to Sit or Post?
As an equine fitness specialist my job is always to ask how we can improve the horse’s body. One of the simplest ways we can do this in daily riding is to think about how we ride the trot: posting vs....
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All About the Mongol Derby, 600 Miles of Beautiful Hell
This week, half a world away on a primitive slice of Mongolian Steppe, 41 ambitious, adventure-starved equestrians are saddling up and heading out for a week of torture on horseback. It’s called the...
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Saratoga WarHorse…Saving the Lives of Our Veterans
Since the publication of my book RIDING HOME ~ The Power of Horses to Heal, I have discovered many remarkable programs that utilize horses to heal a number of varied emotional wounds of men woman and...
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How to Ride Safely Over Spooky Ground
Sparkling white lines and broad swathes of color denoting bike lanes and crosswalks—to us, they are provided to ensure our safety, but so often our horses perceive them as terrifying threats. And those...
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Straight Talk: Getting the Most Out of Your Pre-Purchase Exam
So you’re going to buy a new horse—congratulations! This is one of the most exciting and anticipation-filled moments of your riding career. You’ve narrowed down the candidates. You’ve found the best...
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9 Leather Cleaning Tips Every Horseman Should Know
Cleaning tack. It’s probably one of the first skills you learned as a rider or driver, and chances are, it’s as much a part of your regular routine as grooming, picking feet, and doing horse laundry...
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