Video
7 steps to check saddle fit
Seven steps to check your saddle fit. Step 1- how level does it sit? Step 2- feel under the bars (front, middle, rear) is there excessive pressure? Is there a gap in the middle? If there is a gap, this is called ‘bridging’. Step 3- with left hand under the front bar (shoulder area) put…
Read MoreChoosing a halter for your horse
In this quick video, I want to show you four halters you would find if you walked into my barn. You would find: * leather halters (adjustable and non adjustable) * quick catch halter (fits many sizes, good for quickly leading) * nylon halter (adjustable and non adjustable) * rope halter (more narrow, more…
Read MoreWestern Dressage, Level 2 movements demonstrated
This video demonstrates the majority of the movements required in Western Dressage, Level 2, tests 1 through 4. I made this video in the hope that it might help others who are reading the tests and wondering how the movement would look when ridden. I don’t claim that these movements are examples of the perfect…
Read MoreWestern dressage quarter and half pirouettes-Episode 18: The Trail to the World Show
This week I take you behind the scenes to one of my riding lessons. My goal at the lesson is to decide what classes to enter at the Western Dressage World Show. You get to see me practicing quarter pirouettes and half pirouettes. I printed all of the tests from level 1-4 and took them…
Read MoreBuddy sour horses, western dressage & why I show: Episode 8- The Trail to the World Show
What do you do if the horses are pawing when tied up? What do you do if they whinny and call for each other? This is the first time I’ve hauled Willow and Gabby together. Willow is always a bit insecure at horse shows and Gabby hasn’t been hauled very much (less than five times).…
Read MoreWhen horses get sore or lame: Episode 7-The Trail to the World Show
Unfortunately, training horses comes with setbacks. Sometimes horses get sore or go lame. While I was at a show with Willow, I decided to turn Gabby out. Three things happened to converge; her feet had been recently trimmed, the ground was frozen in the morning, and she decided to run hard and play. During turnout,…
Read MoreMuscle memory from reining not working in dressage-Episode 6: The trail to the world show
Six dressage classes and a wedding! I signed up to show in six USDF recognized classes with the hope of collecting the first and second level scores we need for our bronze medal in dressage. It made for a busy weekend…especially when we added in attending a wedding! I think the discussion of the levels…
Read MoreFeeling nervous or having doubts at horse shows. Episode 5-The Trail to the World Show
The rider’s mind has a huge impact on training and showing a horse. I teach what I have learned from over twenty years of training and showing horses…and one of those things is the constant need to evaluate what you are thinking. In this episode, I take you behind the scenes at a dressage show.…
Read MoreHorse choosing which ball to play with: Presto’s hard choice…
Presto, the foal I adopted from Last Chance Corral, loves to play with the Weaver Activity balls. He is pretty low in the herd pecking order and the balls do exactly what he says, lol! In the end…I’m not sure which he likes best. I thought it was funny how he kept switching back and…
Read MoreTeaching a horse to handle stress. Episode 4: The Trail to the World Show
The world can be a stressful place if you don’t know how to recover from challenges. This is true with humans and it is true with horses. There are two primary ways we can address stressful situations with horses. We can try to avoid stress We can teach the horse how to handle stress Those…
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