Sensible 

       Horsemanship

What a great season thus far! I do pray you have had a good summer also. As I sit down to write, I am looking for a subject that is key to almost every horse person I know. One of the sessions I did at Ride the West, was a lecture on Lost Confidence; how it happens and how to regain it. The lecture area was packed. It was clear to me that this is a topic of interest to many horse people. I, myself, have felt the grip of fear following a fall or accident. This loss of confidence is c...

Last article I spoke of why it is good to teach your horse to deal calmly and confidently with obstacles he might encounter on the trail. This time I will share with you my way of teaching him this lesson. By setting up objects that represent obstacles in a safe place, I can give my horse the time he needs to learn the correct way to address and negotiate whatever may block our path.

When I teach obstacles, I like to think of them as tests to see if I have the connection wi...

Our snow is nearly gone and I am back in the saddle, working horses several hours per day. As the trails open up and the warmer weather arrives, I will begin riding my training loops with mini saw in hand to remove any 'obstacles' that have encroached during the winter. My horses have encountered water, dead-fall, mud and brush so often that I hardly even think about them refusing to let me guide them safely through whatever we come across on the trail. But it is not so with many hors...

The new year is here. There is snow on the ground and cold in the air so it's hard to think about summer riding but the days will fly by and spring will arrive before you know it. So I want to share some tips for selecting a trainer or instructor to work with you and your horse when the time comes.

Because there are no mandatory classes to take or licenses to earn, nearly anyone can put an ad in the paper, hang up a shingle and call themselves a horse trainer. With so muc...

It is September already and the Fall colors are just around the corner. Some of the best riding weather of the year is ahead as it usually is not very rainy and the temperatures are cooling down to comfortable. That also makes it more enjoyable to concentrate on training during rides. It can be fun to problem solve and using the Replacement Concept gives it the feel of a game instead of a chore.

For those of you who missed the last article, let me briefly explain the use of...