Practical Horseman

When you come across a problem—for example, your horse anticipates the change before you apply the aids for it, breaks to the trot, hollows his back, throws his head up, grabs the bit, etc.—that’s a win! It shows what you need to work on.” That quote

Have you met your soulmate? I have. Twice. I can't take credit for the first time. When I was 6, my dad heard about a 3-year-old Morgan/Arabian cross that everyone thought was something special. North Star’s Pride and I grew up together, developing a

Top trainer Holly Hugo-Vidal shares her six-step program to help keep your horse relaxed and trust you when asking for a flying change. practicalhorsemanmag.com Jumper rider and trainer Andrew Welles offers exercises to maintain a canter with good ba

1 Overall: This rider has nice angles, but he needs to work on a crest release and a two-point position. Leg/Hip angle: His toe is turned out a little too far, but the stirrup is well-placed on his foot. He has nice angles in his leg, starting with h

This photograph shows Anice Nascimento from Brazil riding her horse Juta das Cataratas. Anice has been with Juta for more than 11 years. In the photo, the mare was 18 years old. Now she is 21 and still working but not competing anymore. I always have

The most important part of the aid is the release of the aid.” I’ve seen that quote attributed to Germany’s Olympic gold medalist Klaus Balkenhol, but I know he isn’t the only dressage great to speak those words. In fact, most of the top riders and t

Five-time Olympian Anne Kursinski told riders at her Market Street stable in Frenchtown, New Jersey, that she believed in them. But, she said, they needed to believe in themselves, too. “I push you in these clinics because I believe you can do more.

The longer you’ve managed horses, the more likely you are to have encountered cases of insulin resistance, now frequently classified as “insulin dysregulation”—not to mention every horseman’s perennial worry, laminitis. Either condition is challengin

A fantastic flying change in dressage is a lot like a fabulous jumping effort in the hunter ring. All of the following characteristics stay the same before, during and after the change, just like they do in a hunter jump: • the quality and rhythm of

Along with earning a spot on the 2020 Olympic eventing team, Liz Halliday-Sharp has a resume that includes high-level car racing. During an informal mid-summer clinic in California, that part of her life emerged with her emphasis on developing, maint

Philesha Chandler has worked hard to get where she is today. From an 8-year-old girl in Kansas to a respected trainer and clinician based in Wellington, Florida, Chandler has broken barriers and become successful in the competitive dressage world. PR

If there is one thing horses will teach us, it is humility. Those of us who care deeply for horses are careful in our interactions with them—but we are human, and we make mistakes. Anyone who rides or trains horses has made mistakes—for example, aski

Para-rider Katie Jackson is missing her right leg below the knee. Her right thigh is strapped to the saddle, and she carries a whip in her right hand. “She is a beautiful rider,” says trainer Chrissa Hoffmann, “but she’s had to work very hard in her

Forecasts from The Old Farmer’s Almanac indicate that the months ahead could be some of the coldest and snowiest in years as most of the United States experiences bone-chilling, below-average temperatures and a wintry mix of precipitation. Are you pr

Imagine your circle as an octagonal stop sign. Do many little “half stops” and turns to move your horse’s shoulders around the circle. ■

When I’m at a horse show where I see a few hundred riders, whether I’m judging or training, I often think that out of all of them, only a few make it look easy. Only a few! What is the problem that so many of the remaining riders have? What is the di