Aubrey Graham
Thoroughbred Logic: Making the Best of the Off Season
Fall is here. The days are getting shorter. And in many parts of the world, the competition season →
Thoroughbred Logic: Why the Canter-to-Trot Transition is Awesome
“That trot — the overly big one, where power isn’t quite perfectly controlled yet — that is where →
Thoroughbred Logic: Ride Other Horses
“I’m here to argue that even if you own the equine version of the love of your life, →
Thoroughbred Logic: Why “Tiring Them Out” Doesn’t Work
“These horses are bred to have ‘go’ and to have the heart to be able to reach into →
Thoroughbred Logic: The Warm Up Arena
“Everyone wants a good warmup. Everyone wants a cooperative horse. But sometimes you just have to accept what →
Thoroughbred Logic: The Joy of Selling Thoroughbreds
“Part of my job — and where the joy lies — is in finding the definition of ‘safe’ →
Thoroughbred Logic: Hands & Dumb (But Effective) Metaphors
“Stability coupled with soft, educated movements help the horse go best and understand the ask. But how do →
Thoroughbred Logic: The Half-Seat
“When we as second-career trainers and riders hop on, we are bringing heavier tack, often heavier humans and →
Thoroughbred Logic: Focus!
“Despite all they have seen at the track, big atmospheres can be challenging for baby Thoroughbreds and so →
Thoroughbred Logic: The Burrito Metaphor
“The silly thing about this metaphor is that it tends to work. It is super useful for getting →
Thoroughbred Logic: Reputations and Red Flags
“In contrast to humans, a horse’s agency is perhaps more circumscribed by the situations, hands, tack, health, and →
Thoroughbred Logic: “Under-Riding”
“I think the main idea is to step out of one’s comfort zone, hop on new horses and →
Thoroughbred Logic: Steadier Hands
“Sometimes the antidote to an unsteady head and contact is not just a softer hand, but a steadier →
Thoroughbred Logic: Grit & the Saga of Finding Good Help
“All told, the only people who will stay are those who want it. Because everyone could make more →
Thoroughbred Logic: The Race Record & The No/Low Number of Starts
“… when I see that a horse never started, instead of being excited that they have no damage →
Thoroughbred Logic: Conformation Photo Critique
“Conformation photos are hard. But they are also so ridiculously important. Put bluntly, a good conformation photo can →
Thoroughbred Logic: Strategic Capitulation Welcome
“… it is always better to catch the unsteady gait before it fails… But when the horse breaks →
Thoroughbred Logic: To Capitulate… Or Not
“The process of not capitulating to equine-suggested up transitions is outstandingly awkward but it pays off in the →
Thoroughbred Logic: Surviving (& Thriving in) the Heat
“You may have to build up to proper condition in tiny chunks and short hacks… But, riding through →
Thoroughbred Logic: Learning to Hang Out
“[T]he other day a new student came down to see the place and as we stood and chatted, →
Thoroughbred Logic: Feeding the Hard Keeper
“I might find my way to some eggs and leftovers at some point, but… my horses … eat →
Thoroughbred Logic: How to Slow Down
“…perhaps the best, but hardest thing to do: don’t panic. Take a deep breath and stay bungee but →
Thoroughbred Logic: Making Better Horse People
“[T]his is a mindset of being flexible and creative — of listening to the horse and trying to →
Thoroughbred Logic: Use Your Core
“The combination of core and confidence make a positive-reinforcing cycle that lead to greater strength, and for lack →
Thoroughbred Logic: All the Potential
“[T]here are the [horses] that might not have the most impressive height, might not have a pedigree with →