#HORSE TRAINING
Tuesday Video: Strength and Balance Drill for All Disciplines From Pippa Funnell
Even the very best practice the basics every day — and Pippa Funnell is no exception! Check out her set-up to work on flatwork, jumping, and your own position and balance all at once:
Thoroughbred Logic, Presented by Kentucky Performance Products: Develop by Allowing
“Allowing them to sort it out and to have that support … creates a space for trust to start to knit itself together. They already know they can rely on themselves, but with regular rides of soft, confident ‘ask and allow,’ that genetic courage can bind into trust.” (more…)
Thoroughbred Logic, Presented by Kentucky Performance Products: New Year’s Resolutions For/From Your Thoroughbred
Here are some key goals for — or perhaps from? — your Thoroughbred for the coming year. (more…)
Thoroughbred Logic: Making (Productive) Accommodations
“… sometimes, getting them to understand what you want means finding creative ways to ‘make it work’ for a while until you can slowly, and carefully train in that ‘right’ answer.” (more…)
Thoroughbred Logic: Getting Started Over Fences
“Positive, confident experiences are key — and not overdoing it is huge. I don’t make a big deal out of jumping; just a few fences at the end or middle of a flat ride as they build up strength and awareness of the ask.” (more…)
Training in the Right Way: Evaluating Canter Photos
This week’s article continues the discussion on what you can see in a still photo, specifically evaluating canter photos.
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Thoroughbred Logic: The Disappearing Triangles…
… or another way to think about “inside leg to outside rein.” Read on for more. (more…)
Fantasy Farm Friday: World Class Training Facility
Not all fantasy “farms” are places we live. No, some of them are places we wish we could train — or send our horses to be trained. (more…)
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 you can really see potential AND build good strength and muscle. So with a soft hand and slightly more upright back, I ask them to hold that big trot as long as they can.” (more…)
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 the deepest depths of their beings and pull out even more ‘go’ when the rest has been exhausted. And even then they are able to dig deeper and pull out even more than that.” (more…)
9 Things Every Horse Needs to Know
Having a horse that is a good citizen isn’t just a way to earn brownie points — it’s absolutely necessary for the safety of you as well as others who may have to handle or treat your horse at some point. Therefore, there are a few basic skills every horse needs to have. (more…)
The Mechanic vs. the Race Car Driver
When it comes to competing in speed events, a lot of us have heard the adage, “You can be a trainer or you can be a jockey.” I recently heard a different take on this, and it really clicked: You can be the mechanic or you can be the race car driver — but you can’t be both.
Training in the Right Way: Let’s Talk About the Training Scale
The training scale is a method with which to order your thoughts within the training process. It is a logical progression of how a horse is developed from untrained (feral) to fully trained (mostly civilized).
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SmartPak Monday Morning Feed: Baby’s First Bath
Introducing your young horse to bath time can be an adventure… to say the least. Here are some tips from SmartPak on making it a positive experience. (more…)
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, the lovely human kept apologizing for interrupting the ride. Nope. This was helpful — this was a chance for him to just hang out…”
Thoroughbred Logic: Making Better Horse People
“[T]his is a mindset of being flexible and creative — of listening to the horse and trying to figure out solutions … is recognizing that so much of owning or even leasing horses is about constant learning and spending time with them …”
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Thoroughbred Logic, Presented by Kentucky Performance Products: The Balance – Speed Relationship
“…if you can get your horse balanced . . . they can collect, they can turn, and they can do all of those things as slow or as quickly as you’d like without the necessity of using speed to balance themselves.” (more…)
Thoroughbred Logic: The Art of Tying
“… what I do create here, and what this article is about, is a horse who ties well enough, ground ties well enough, and learns to stay calm and independent whether there is pressure on the other end of their line or not.” (more…)
Patterns for the Weekend: Getting Better Hind End Engagement
Getting great movement from your horse requires the combination of a number of elements, but hind end engagement is one of the key factors. Without it, impulsion is nearly impossible. Read on for a great exercise to get your horse to engage his hind end: (more…)
The Power of Patience: Helping Max Be Magnificent
Today, Candace introduces Max, a talented Irish Sport Horse with a propensity for drama. She shares her observations from watching Victoria Teuton work on Max’s confidence, calm and patience. (more…)
The Power of Patience: Waterstone, the One £ Champion
“My goal for this three-part series is to spare horses the sad (and sometimes catastrophic) results of over-eager, in-a-rush, trainers/riders. Part I: Waterstone emerged as a treasure for a ‘quid.'” (more…)
Rescued to Stardom, Part I: Meet Koda
Meet Koda, a not quite 14 hand high shaggy little Mustang with a BIG personality. This first of three articles introduces us to the lovable guy as we get ready to follow him and Ashley on their training journey.
Thoroughbred Logic: Riding the Nervous Horse (Part 1)
Many horse owners try to calm their horses’ nerves to make them more manageable through supplements and sedatives. However, for trainer Aubrey Graham, addressing a horse’s nerves is more about rider relaxation and equitation than chemicals. (more…)
