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!
ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT FACTORS to having great horsemanship is your lower leg position. Ideally, you want your leg to be pulled back under your hip and as straight as possible. It’s not just about putting your heels down and sitting pretty. See which three drills collegiate coach and professional horsewoman Avery Sinclair says must be in your routine. 1. Stand in your stirrups. How: While sitting on your horse in proper horsemanship position, put all of the weight in your heels and stand up out of your seat about 2 inches. Use your core and thighs to hold this stance rather than squeezing your knees which will inevitably cause your legs to bend and inch up. It is best to start this exercise while your horse is stopped…
DO YOU OWN A VETERAN SHOW HORSE? Well-trained senior horses are among the most rewarding of all mounts when it comes to competitive success and the sheer enjoyment of riding. For that reason, they’re worthy of special consideration in how you ride and manage them. Here, I’ll share the approach that’s working well with a senior performance horse in my barn: Smart Like Steady, or “Oscar,” a 16-year-old Quarter Horse. We acquired Oscar in 2017, and in 2018 my wife Robyn showed him successfully in the World Equestrian Games, where he was the oldest equine competitor. He was also the most senior horse in the non-pro division at the 2019 Run for a Million reining. To learn how to apply Oscar’s special-care plan to your good senior horse, read on.…
Trigger is tired, but you don’t know why. Sure, it’s been a busy week of showing, but you’ve been working like crazy to get him fit. He’s worked six days a week, and spends an hour every day on the hot walker. When it came time for the most important class of the show, Trigger just plain ran out of gas. He was grouchy, lazy, and didn’t want to work. “Is he sick?” you wonder. “Maybe I should call the vet!” Maybe Trigger’s just plain tired! With all of your efforts to get him fit, did you remember to give him a break? If you’re an overachiever with a serious goal in mind, it’s easy to believe that the harder you work, the better your horse will be. But more’s…
To prepare for your busy riding schedule, you’ve committed to getting into better shape. You start a new diet, ramp up your workout routine, and get more disciplined about riding. After a few weeks, you’re exhausted, your motivation wanes, and you find yourself back where you started—feeling defeated. With your horse, you know that if you try to fix everything at once, nitpicking at every small mistake, he’ll get overwhelmed and not progress. Is that the approach you take when you make changes to your own lifestyle? You try to overhaul your nutrition, exercise routine, and activity level all at once and wonder why you struggle—just like your horse would. Instead, focus on one change at a time. Here I’ll share 30 manageable adjustments you can make to your nutrition,…
