Articles break complex subjects down to explanations that don’t require a dictionary to understand. They’ll help you get a better perspective on everything from basics of horsemanship, equipment, competition, and training techniques.
Here’s a collection of downloadable articles of some of my writing. Many of these articles have appeared in magazines, blog posts or other places. Now you can have them to download to your computer and print out to make your own collection of your favorite articles.
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Are you prepared for a runaway with your carriage horse? It can be one of the most frightening experiences of your life. Knowing what to do (and what not to do) can make all the difference. This 11 page guide gives you the coaching that I give all of my students for the best chance of survival in a runaway. -
It can be pretty intimidating when your horse spooks in the carriage. Employing the right strategies can keep a simple spook from boiling over into a full-blown runaway. This article gives you the tips and tricks get past the spooks and keep them from turning into something worse.
* 2019 Revised Edition ~ With more info and illustrations
Receive this lesson plan free with your purchase of the online class "Drive Past the Spook."
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There’s more to getting a horse straight than meets the eye. It involves communication, timing, and balance. Getting your horse straight leads to better accuracy and movement in all of your horse's gaits. Learn more through this downloadable article.
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Of all of your horse’s movements, the walk is the most important. That’s because it’s your horse’s foundation upon which all other gaits are built upon. Learn more about the walk, and how to improve it in this 7 page downloadable article.
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Creating a great halt has more benefits than just stopping where and when you want. A great halt encourages engagement, balance, and straightness. Learn how to get your horse’s halt on target and in balance.
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Following safe a hitching method keeps you and your horse safe. Download this article to learn the best practices for hitching and unhitching the single horse.
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For many carriage drivers using public roads is a fact of life. This article gives you some tips on how to stay safe on the road while working your horses.
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Contact is one of the most important principles in carriage driving. Contact is the connection from the driver, through the reins, to the bit, and ultimately the horse, that allows communication to flow between the horse and driver.
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As a driver, your reins communicate the vast majority of your intentions to your horse. However, most drivers make this one critical error in their driving that makes it much more difficult for the horse to hear those communications.
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A great warmup is critical to a great performance. Learn how to create a warmup routine that sets you and your horse up for success.
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This is the story of how two rotten ponies taught me how to teach horses everywhere how to stand. Read it for fun, but there's some good insight in there too!
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It doesn’t matter if you handle one rein in each hand as a rider, or all four reins in your left hand as a four-in-hand driver, there’s one rein that is, and always will be the most important rein. That one rein that can make all of the difference for bending through turns, square halts, or picking up the correct lead. It’s the outside rein.
