Training & Instruction for the Sport of Carriage Driving
Each year the United States Equestrian Federation recognizes the top horses in each discipline and level the horse is competing at. For the second year in a row, Loretta earned the top spot in her division. Loretta earned the 2024 Combined Driving HOTY at the Advanced Novice level [FEI 2*] after having won the 2023 […]
When I say “young horses,” I mean anything under 4 years old. I get a lot of questions about what we should be doing with those yearlings, 2 and 3 year olds. The answer is quite simple.
I’ve had quite a few people asking me about getting horses going again after their long winter off. The question always is: How to get the horse back in shape without over-doing it, but fit that work into the already demanding schedules that humans have to keep? Start with the rule in mind: “less is […]
When you hear hooves, you naturally think of horses before you’d think of zebras. It’s the simplest explanation. When we have training issues with our horses, we don’t always use such simple logic. Occam’s razor can help!
Things you should be doing with your horse during the COVID shut-down. Lots of people are spending a lot more time at home than normal. If you have your horses at home, this can equate to a bunch of bonus time to spend with your horses. That’s a real silver lining in this difficult time. […]
Questions Answered!
You can watch a recording of my live question and answer session from March 30th, 2020.
We talked about collars, marathon times, long lining, getting lazy horses to walk, then getting the hot ones to relax, and more.
Check out the full recording plus links to the reference materials and recommended long lines.
When you’re teaching a horse to drive, sometimes everything goes great until it doesn’t. Things may go great in the preliminary work, but then you hit an impasse. Those problems can be mild, as described below. However, if the problems go unchecked, or ignored, they may be a prelude to a runaway. This question was […]
I’ve had great teachers to learn from in my life as a carriage driving trainer. Many of them were human. However, some of the best teachers have been horses.
The best ones will catching you doing your job right. The other ones will make you better by waiting for you to figure it out.
Is the single jointed bit the root of all evil? Many people shy away from a bit that has been used successfully for generations. What’s bad, and not so bad about a single jointed bit?
I’m often asked, “How much is too much contact, and how little is too little.” The answer often depends on what it is that you’re doing with your horse. But the question of how much contact you should use goes beyond the specific activity your are doing with your horse. It can change within the course of a single workout. Instead of focusing on “How much contact should I have?” you should focus on “What is the most effective contact for that moment?” Read more and watch the video.
Breast collars are the most common style of harness for carriage drivers of all types these days. They’re light weight and easy to fit to just about any horse. However, lately there’s been some discussion about how much pressure is placed in the neck strap when your horse is pulling. Should you be concern?
I hope you had a great Thanksgiving! Mine has been pretty darn good, and still going strong. I get to have two this year since my sky family will be celebrating our own “FriendsGiving” this weekend. This is definitely one of my favorite holidays of all of them. Cook, eat, drink, be merry. So freekin […]
The most valuable skill you can teach a horse is to stand still. You may think that’s an overstatement but it’s not even the slightest exaggeration. You can accomplish more in all of your training by giving your horse “the skill of being still.” Unfortunately, many people fall into the trap of thinking that patience […]
It took less than 20 seconds from start to finish, and I’ll spend the next 6 weeks feeling these 3 reminders daily: Sometimes, shit can go wrong faster than you can move. Horses, even small ones, are exponentially larger than we are. No one is above the previous two conditions coming together and putting you […]
I hate to say something like “How was your season?” because to me, this is prime-time for driving. I love driving in fall despite the dwindling daylight and falling temperatures. Maybe not so much of an issue for those of you in warmer parts of the world, or on the other side of the globe. […]
