There's a difference between thinking about competing "with" or "against" one another.
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I have not competed at Bromont International CDE in many years. This year we decided to attend based on how many good things we heard from our friends who attended last year. We were [...]
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This week marks yet another week that I have been reminded of something so fundamentally true, it can not be escaped: “Teach what your train, train what you teach.” Having recently returned from a successful outing at the Bromont International Driving Championship CDE, I turned to planning the next steps in Loretta’s training. In that process, I reviewed the areas in our work that are going well, and
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Why should recreational drivers practice dressage even if they don't intend to show their horses? Simple exercises can gain you and your horse big benefits such as better communication, improve your horse's balance, and most importantly, greater longevity.
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Yesterday’s dressage test at Live Oak FELT GREAT!! ‘RettaRoo is really starting to get into this new level for her. She’s clearly is beginning to understand the test, and more importantly, like it. Photo [...]
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Photo: picsofyou.com 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 [...]
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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.
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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 [...]
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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!
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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 [...]
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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.
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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 [...]
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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.
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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?
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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.
