When competing with horses, there are a lot of things you can’t control. You can’t control the schedule. You can’t control who the judge is. You can’t control the arena conditions. You can’t control the weather. You can’t control...
To reach the point in the reining arena where you’ll slide to a stop, you must first build up speed and guide your horse in the rundown. But what happens when your horse thinks that heading straight across the...
A staple piece of tack for many West Coast western riders, romal reins can be a bit of a mystery if you learned how to ride in the eastern parts of the United States. While this rein started as...
Life can surpass the best of fiction, particularly for someone like Eitan Beth-Halachmy, the founder of cowboy dressage. Called “8” by his friends, he first came on the radar of many horse enthusiasts for his performances in the opening...
Years ago, if you attended a Saddlebred horse show, you could expect to see high-stepping, animated horses shown in saddle seat and fine harness classes and not much else. And while the beauty and excitement of the saddle seat...
The shortest distance between two points may be a straight line, but it’s not always the fastest—especially in barrel racing. If you want to shave seconds off your time and leave the barrels standing when you cross the timer,...
If you’ve been to a horse expo, you’ve probably seen a bridleless riding demonstration. The lack of tack looks like an inspiring next plane of communication and connection with your horse. But is bridleless riding an attainable goal for...
The horse spins to the right, then left, at a reining show. With his full body engaged and his hindquarters carrying his weight, it appears that the spin is a fast turn on the haunches. However, to master this...
Ranch riding tops the list as one of the most popular western show classes. The appeal? A class that riders can succeed in without expensive silver-adorned saddles or fancy clothes. Most any horse-and-rider team that prepares for the pattern...
Success in the arena with your horseback riding starts with the right mindset. Riders can learn from athletes how to prepare for competition.Professional boxer Muhammad Ali was once quoted as saying, “In the big leagues everyone has the ability....
