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Counter Canter Lessons

Counter cantering is different from merely cantering on the wrong lead. The counter canter can be used as a body control exercise that will teach the horse to better listen to your aids. Here I will give you a few exercises to improve collection, suppleness, and responsiveness in your horse. Continue reading Counter Canter Lessons

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Precise Transitions

Riding correct transitions allows you to learn feel, control, and timing. Moving between gaits only when you ask gives you control of his feet, which is necessary in any riding discipline. Transitions are also a great opportunity to learn how to feel what your horse is doing underneath you, and will help you learn timing of the aids. Continue reading Precise Transitions

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How To Mount A Horse

How to mount a horse

If you are a beginning rider or have always wanted to learn how to ride, here is the place to start. I will teach you how to mount a horse and dismount a horse, and how to do it safely. Continue reading How To Mount A Horse

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Correct Canter Leads

Having your horse consistently pick up the lead you want and maintain it when you ask improves your performance in flat classes, helps get you to the right spot over fences and ground poles, and makes your horse more balanced overall. Continue reading Correct Canter Leads

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A Better Back Up

Backing up correctly can become confusing for a horse when unclear or clashing aids are given to him. Also, the fact that moving away from pressure is unnatural for horses as they are programmed to press into pressure to escape from predators. However, with consistent cues and training your horse will be backing up as fast and as far as you want him to. Continue reading A Better Back Up

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Barn Sour Behaviors

Horses who throw a fit every time you try to leave the barn by refusing, turning back, or even rearing are barn sour and rather be at the comfort of the barn or with his buddies instead of riding with you. Horses can also exhibit a barn sour habit by rushing toward the barn on your way back from a trail ride. Here I will give you some exercises to cure your horse’s barn sour behaviors. Continue reading Barn Sour Behaviors

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Pole Progression: The Walk

Even if you aren’t a hunter/jumper or competing in trail classes, working your horse over ground poles will help you work on control, timing, and rhythm. Here I will outline the basics of getting your horse comfortable crossing poles at a walk then we will progressively get your horse walking, trotting, and cantering confidently over poles. Continue reading Pole Progression: The Walk

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Pole Progression: The Trot

Now that you and your horse have mastered walking through a series of poles, it is time to continue building your skills by trotting through them. Trotting poles brings your control, timing, and rhythm to a new level. Continue reading Pole Progression: The Trot

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Pole Progression: The Canter

Now that you have gotten your horse through the ground poles at the walk and trot it is time for the best part, the canter. When the horse can comfortably canter through a line of poles you are ready to tackle many other challenges, such as jumps and trail obstacles like boxes and gates. Continue reading Pole Progression: The Canter

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Turn On the Haunches

The turn on the haunches, hindquarters, or spin which are all essentially the same movement at different speeds, bend, and degrees on a circle. For clarity, I’ll refer to the movement for this article as a turn on the haunches. Training the horse to turn on the haunches benefits all riders and horses. Reining is all about body control, as is dressage, therefore any maneuver featured in these two disciplines will be helpful to all riders. Continue reading Turn On the Haunches