In every issue of Horse & Rider you'll find articles on training by the country's leading experts, the latest on equine health care from top veterinarians, trail riding tips from savvy back country riders, and much more!
FOR THE FIRST PART OF THIS EXERCISE, enlist a group of four to eight horses to form the beehive that’ll offer confidence and support to your horse. Then work with a single, experienced buddy horse. Use a loop (roping) rein to avoid dropping a split rein when managing your gun. Warm up your horse so he’s responsive and ready to work. Consider inserting equine earplugs to help muffle the sound. This process assumes you can safely handle a firearm one-handed. Use blank ammunition. One This entire process builds your horse’s confidence. Because horses are herd animals, the hive of horses offers your mount comfort as he becomes desensitized to the sound of gunfire. Begin with your partner in the shooting position (at the front and to one side of the…
YOU’RE STANDING IN YOUR VET’S OFFICE when he delivers the blow. “Your horse has a tendon injury, and it could be extremely difficult to heal.” Not only does your riding plan come to an abrupt end until your horse recovers, but you’re also faced with making decisions about a treatment plan. Do you want to take the conservative road, with a rest and rehabilitation program that counts on Mother Nature to do her best? Or should you explore more aggressive treatment options like stem cells or platelet-rich plasma that might expedite your horse’s recovery and increase his chance to get back in the game? Horse owners face a lot of confusing information about regenerative medicine, with terms like “pluripotent” and “mesenchymal” making things even harder to understand. So, what’s it…
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Before the focus on specialization in show horses, it wasn’t uncommon to see a horse compete in multiple classes—pattern work, rail work, cattle events, English and Western classes. While specialization has its benefits, it can get stale. Adding an event or diversity to your horse’s everyday routine helps keep both you and your horse fresh, engaged, and motivated. After all, how many circles can a reiner lope without losing interest? Or how many times can a Western pleasure horse go around on the rail without developing bad habits or a poor attitude? How many days can you spend doing the same thing over and over in an office cube and not get bored? Here I’ll offer my advice for choosing an event and getting started, as well as discuss the…
You’ve got the arena to yourself, so you settle your horse into a nice warm-up jog, moving along the rail. Soon, you reverse, jog in the other direction, circle a few times…and your mind begins to wander. Schooling in circles can be boring—for you and your horse. And if your mind is wandering, chances are, his is too. Products we feature have been selected by our editorial staff. If you make a purchase using the links included, we may earn a commission. For more information click here. Break out of that rail rut with arena exercises that will freshen your workout and your horse’s outlook. Use them to ease into your regular training sessions, warm up before your classes at a show, or get the “fresh” out before a trail…
