On the Use of Artificial Aids – The Method Behind the Madness

Should you use artificial aids? The quick answer: yes AND no!

Long two-inch spurs.

Super-extended flexible dressage whip.

Double bridle. Gag bridles. Twisted wire snaffles.

Hackamore or bitless bridle.

Draw reins/martingales/tie-downs/neck stretchers.

Drop or flash or figure-eight nosebands.

The list of artificial aids can be endless. Just when you think you know it all, you discover that there are new and improved "must-buy" pieces of equipment that will change the way you ride. Or will they really?

You are left wondering - which should I be using? And when do I know what I need?

The trick to using any equipment is to know why and how you should use them.

Buyer beware...

... no equipment can change your riding skills. The first two or three rides might be different as your horse adjusts to the new equipment, but in the end, your skills (or lack thereof) will shine through no matter what you do.

Don't be surprised if your horse goes back to the same ol' habits a few rides in - because if your own equitation has not changed, you will produce exactly the same results with or without the help of artificial aids.

Your horse will change for the better only after you change for the better. (Click here to tweet that if you agree.)

On the other hand, do not be afraid of artificial aids.

Many people shun the whole concept of using certain types of equipment. You can find camps of people based on the equipment they feel is acceptable or not.

Know that everything has a purpose. Often, equipment that is perceived as being harsher can in fact act in a much kinder and gentler way than initially understood.

For example, most people agree that a thicker bit is essentially "softer" than a thinner bit. The thin bit has a smaller surface area and therefore puts more pressure on the bars or tongue than a thick bit.

This may be true for many horses, until you meet a horse with a tiny, delicate mouth and small muzzle. Then the thick bit is entirely too large for the small mouth, and in fact causes discomfort by its sheer size. Put in the thinner bit and watch as the horse almost sighs with relief to have the seemingly harsher bit, simply because it fits his conformation better.

Another example: a bitless bridle sounds like it is kinder on the horse than one with a bit until you consider the nose, jaw, cheek and poll pressure action activated by use of the reins. Some horses might respond willingly to that type of squeezing while others would find it intolerable when compared to a bit in the mouth.

There are similar examples for any equipment you can think of. What seems harsh for one horse is what another horse really needs and does well in.

Why should equipment be used?

If your answer is to make the riding process easier on the horse, then you are on the right track.

If the equipment makes the ride safer for you, it can be used. Safety is always number one.

If the horse is young or being retrained by an experienced rider, the use of equipment can be very handy in teaching the horse what is expected quickly and efficiently. In the right hands, equipment can bring clarity to a situation. It can reduce fuss and confusion and point the horse in the right direction.

If you can be lighter and clearer with your aids, then that is the true purpose of equipment.

When not to use equipment

Simply put, equipment should not be intended to hurt/punish/intimidate/force a horse into obedience.

It should not be used to cover up rider inadequacies. Sometimes, it is much more beneficial to struggle through the learning process without specialized equipment in order to achieve better riding skills.

In the end, how the equipment is used is more important that what is used.

As always, the hands and other aids at the end of the equipment are what really differentiate it from being kind and purposeful or harsh and intimidating. Experienced riders can make a delicate instrument out of the seemingly harshest equipment.

Where do you begin?

In general, if you have complete control over your own natural aids (leg aids, seat, hands, weight), you are adequately prepared to introduce new equipment into your program. In contrast, if you still have trouble with your aids, any equipment will multiply the severity of your messages.

The horse's needs will be another factor in determining the use of equipment. Depending on your point of development as a rider, some equipment may help the horse develop muscling quicker and easier than you can with your natural aids. Specialized equipment may make your messages softer and clearer so there is less guess work required by the horse. In all cases, if your horse goes better in the equipment and seems happier, you know you are on the right track.

When you begin using unfamiliar equipment, be sure to have educated, watchful eyes mentoring you through the process so you can learn correctly from the beginning. Your instructor will be able to help you decide if it is time for you to learn how to use new equipment.

Be prepared to have to learn to use the new equipment in the same way that you have learned to use your own natural aids. There may be discomfort and confusion at the beginning while you learn to manipulate the equipment and use it to communicate to the horse. It may take the horse some time to adjust. Through it all, work patiently and with clear regard for the horse. Listen closely to the feedback you receive and make your decisions accordingly.

The bottom line(s)...

... watch and learn from more experienced riders - how and why do they use their equipment and what does it do for the horse?

... how does the horse react?

... get help when trying new equipment.

... listen to your horse!

Have you used "artificial aids" in your riding and what has been your experience with them?

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Buy the book for many more riding tips! Horse Listening – The Book: Stepping Forward to Effective Riding

Available as an eBook or paperback.

For more articles, see below:

When Do You Start Riding Your Horse? This question was being posed to me by a very respected and horse-wise mentor one day long ago, early in my riding development.

How To Be An Active Horseback Rider (a.k.a. Riding With Intention): What do you do when your ride isn’t going as planned? How do you respond when your horse scoots out from under you, spooks at the horse-killing object, or flat out ignores you?

When “Good Enough” Just Isn’t Good Enough In Horseback Riding: We come up with all sorts of excuses to explain why we don’t want to or can’t get past the problem.

Too Good to be True? Finding Your Horse’s “Happy Place”: Did you know that through riding, you can help your horse achieve a happy, content outlook on life? Sounds ridiculously far-fetched? Too good to be true?

Five Secrets to Winning at the Horse Show

It is a given fact that people go to the horse show wanting to win the ribbons. The idea of competing (in anything) is to outperform our peers in a particular activity, and competitions at their core are about success and achievement . The problem arises when the goal turns into winning that ribbon.

Many riders get caught up in their placings at the horse shows. They want to win first place, acquire points, be better than the other people and prove how great their horses are.

Then they are disappointed when their goals are not achieved. Their horse spooks, or something small goes wrong, and their vision of achievement fades to nothingness.

It's no wonder that they leave disgruntled and disappointed. In getting "competitive", they forget the real purpose behind showing: seeing if you can perform at your best under pressure and find out how you fare in comparison to the standards of the discipline.

Here are five sure-fire ways that will prepare you to do your best at the show:

1. There is only one way to be competitive.

And that way is to NOT be there to compete against everyone else. The only person you are trying to beat is yourself. The idea is to perform personal bests, achieving a higher level of success than you did last time.

What were some problems you ran into last show? What were some things you worked on at home? Are you able to break through those problems this time at the show?

If you can do better than last time, rest assured, success will follow your hoofprints!

2. Set Goals

Before heading out to the show, set three realistic goals you want to achieve. Your aim is to do all the prerequisites up to and including those goals.

For example, if you had trouble keeping your horse round at the last show, this time, your aim could be to keep up a steady rhythm, keep the horse moving strong through his back and develop a balancing but soft contact that helps the horse stay round.

Whatever your goals, make them reasonable and achievable, knowing that thanks to the distractions of the unfamiliar surroundings (for both you and your horse), your performance at the show will likely be 50% weaker than what you produce at home.

3. Focus on the Goals

No matter what distracts you at the show, focus on the goals you set for yourself. Even if the sky falls around you, your mission is to meet those goals.

Do not focus on trying to make a placing. The minute you start thinking about beating others is the same minute you lose sight of why you went to the show in the first place. You are not in control of how the judge places you and how the other competitors perform. But you are in control of what you do and how you work with your horse in the show environment.

4. Win Your Ribbons at Home First

This one is the easiest but also the toughest part. If you can be patient enough to "win" your ribbons at home first, before you ever enter the show, you are well on your way to being successful when you do step foot into the show ring.

How do you win ribbons at home? You decide how well your performance should be, then work on it until you think you would have done well in a competitive environment. After a little practice, you will be able to pinpoint a "ribbon-winning ride" every time, whether it was at home, at someone else's barn, or at a clinic. You don't really need a competitive environment to win ribbons - give yourself a mental ribbon each time you can meet your own expectations!

5. Prepare for the unexpected.

Things don't go as planned on show day. Be ready for that, and be able to forgive yourself and your horse if everything doesn't fall into place at the same time. There is such thing as luck and it does play a factor in everything we do, and luck at the show is no exception. There are so many variables involved in producing your best performance at any given time that it is quite something when it all does come together nicely!

Going to the show should not be about the ribbons - it's about winning ribbons "at home", setting achievable goals and reaching your own personal bests. Get out there and have fun!

Horseback Riding the Yoga Way-Practice

When you are riding, do you "practice" your ride?

Do you give your horse and yourself a break when things go wrong?

Do you approach "mistakes" with a forgiving attitude, thinking that this is just one practice in a million, and there will be chances to improve over time?

I have to admit to myself - not all the time.

Sometimes, I get wrapped up in making it happen "right now". Sometimes, when things don't fall together at the right time, I feel discouraged.

I feel like I've failed my horse. Other times, I feel like the horse has let me down.

Practice Your Ride

As I walked into the yoga studio the other day, I was greeted by my yoga teacher with:

"What a wonderful day to practice."

The word "practice" resonated in my mind for a moment. Naturally, I made a horse-riding connection.

*****

"Practice" refers to repetitiveness, habitual performance and regular training. There is a sense of repeating to seek improvement. But the key underlying sense of the term is that if things don't go right, you can try, try again.

When you practice something, you know it doesn't count.

The concept brings a positive sense to a situation. When you practice, it means you are trying to improve yourself. The world is on your side, you know you have a second and third chance.

Mistakes are forgiven. There is room for improvement. You have more time. You have more tries.

You can breathe a sigh of relief knowing that you'll be given another chance. You know that if things don't go as well as planned this time, you will eventually get to the point where you want to be, because you have all the time in the world to improve yourself.

Find the balance between achieving and letting go.

Of course we don't want to do badly when we ride. It is obvious that we want to seek harmony, stay in balance and be there for our horses. It is through practicing that we can discover the areas we need to improve upon and how to use our aids clearly.

But things do not always go as planned!

When this happens to you, it is time to sit back and reflect - it's OK for things to not go perfectly. There is always the next try, the next day, the next week.

Give yourself some slack. Be kind and appreciative to your horse even if you DIDN'T get what you wanted right away.

Be prepared to try, try again. Maybe there is something you can change. Is there a different sequence of aids you can use? Were your aids too tight/loose/quick/slow? Is your horse in the right frame of mind? Maybe achieving only 50% of your goal is just fine for today.

Discover the things not to do and as a byproduct, the things to do. Keep trouble-shooting but avoid building tension and getting stressed.

And if all else fails, quit while you're ahead.

Feel the freedom that practice can give you. It is not essential to be perfect, because so long as you keep practicing, the achievement will come on its own. Let it go and enjoy your ride!

There's always tomorrow.

****

I looked into my yoga instructor's eyes, enjoying the deeper understanding (and riding connections) I had just made with just that simple word "practice". I felt a sense of relief in knowing that I wasn't going to be expected to be perfect in my yoga practice that day. I also gave myself the permission to enjoy that same feeling in my future horseback rides!

Do you regularly "practice" during your rides? Is there a time in your riding where the concept of practicing could fit in? Do you or can you let go of the tension that comes along with perfectionism and relax more into the rhythm of trying differently the next time? Comment below.

Riding is Simple, But Not Easy!

"Riding is simple, but not easy!"

My long-time dressage instructor would say this when I would get stuck in a plateau or feel like I would never be able to coordinate my left and right and top and bottom!

It's Simple!

As riders, we become inspired and motivated while watching the equestrian disciplines during the Olympics.

Hold your breath as the cross-country eventers fly high over the step-up jumps that conceal what lays beyond. Marvel at the tight turns that the jumper horses make on their approach to higher-than-your-head-height poles and proceed to launch their great bodies over. Be amazed at the almost imperceptible communication displayed by the dressage horses and their riders as they literally dance across the ring with grace and gravity-defying strength.

Yet, back at the ranch, you find yourself frustrated that you are having difficulty communicating one thing or another, or feeling hopeless that something will never come together.

It's Complicated!

It is precisely during these moments that we have to keep in mind the true depth of what we are trying to achieve with the horse.

Let's face it - *all* we want is for the horse to do what we want, when we want, where we want, with suppleness and strength!

(Tweet this if you like the sarasm!)

When it comes down to it, if you truly understand how those Olympic riders perform (at such high levels of achievement in tandem with their incredible four-legged partners), you know what you are watching is akin to a small miracle.

Everything has to come together at the right time.

To the onlooker, it all looks so easy.

Yes, the good riders make it seem effortless.

But take a closer look, and you will notice the sweat dripping from their brows, their lungs heaving as they regulate their breath post-performance, and their own wonderment as they realize that their goals have become reality.

Now try it yourself!

It is definitely not as easy as it looks.

After some riding experience with our own horses, we begin to realize that riding can be complicated. We discover that the horse has his own motivations, abilities, desires and work ethic. No matter how you slice it, as riders, we have to work with our horses, developing their weaknesses, playing with their strengths, keeping them happy and enthusiastic.

You know you are on the right track when things become difficult. The more you develop your ability to communicate effectively to the horse through your body, the more complicated the technical aspects become.

This is where you develop a deeper understanding of the chasm of difference between "simple" and "easy". Yes, it is simple to get a horse to move in an uphill manner, but maybe not as easy as you may have originally thought!

Where do you stand on the "easy" vs. "simple" concept?

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If you haven't already seen this video, be sure to check this (now legendary) ride out. She does it all without saddle or bridle! It's picture proof that riding is simple! 😉

Which Pasture Plants are Dangerous for Horses?

At Horse Listening, we are emphatic life-long learners of all things horsey. You will be reminded time and again about how there is so much to be learned from horses and other horse people, if only we listened.

This guest post is by Hayley and Rebecca from Anything Equine, an equestrian clothing store that provides helpful advice and tips to beginner riders. Their years of experience have helped them gain lots of knowledge about equestrian health conditions and pasture management.

Which Pasture Plants are Dangerous for Horses?

Good pasture management means staying on top of things so your animals stay healthy. Check for anything that might be hazardous to your animals: holes, stray bits of metal and broken fences. Rotate pasture land to keep areas from being over-grazed.

If possible use self-filling troughs to maintain a fresh water supply. Provide some form of shelter for your animals to get out of hot sun or foul weather. Alternating mineral lick placement and feed areas will lessen the risk of muddy areas.

There are as many as 120 plants that are poisonous to livestock and domestic animals. Some can cause liver or neurological damage and many are life threatening so be on the look-out for them. These plants need to be dug out of the ground, not cut or sprayed.

* Click on images for a better view.

Autumn Crocus or Meadow Saffron

The leaves appear in spring and the flowers in late summer or early fall. The flower looks like its name, a crocus. Usually shades of purple or pink, it may be found in others colours. All of the plant is poisonous. Look for this plant in damp areas.

Bracken

An invasive fern that grows on moorlands and all parts of the plant are toxic but the roots are many times more poisonous than the fronds.

Bittersweet Woody Nightshade

The purple flowers of this plant will give way to green berries that will turn red in early autumn. This plant has a woody stalk but may twine around other plants. Found in hedgerows and woodlands, the berries of this plant are toxic.

Black Bryony

Found in hedges and woodlands, this vine will twist itself around anything. Look for heart shaped leaves and red berries in autumn. The entire plant is toxic but the berries and roots contain the most poisons. Check any hedges for this plant.

Buttercups

This invasive flowering plant will bloom in spring and early summer and can thrive in dry conditions. The plant is an irritant and animals will generally stop eating it because of the irritation but check with your vet if you think livestock may have eaten it. Once the plant is dry it becomes harmless so it causes no problems if it’s in hay.

Cowbane or Water Hemlock

You will find this plant thriving along stream-banks and other wet areas. It resembles the caraway plant but gives off a noxious odour and is highly toxic to all living things.

Horsetail

Animals rarely eat this plant unless it’s in contaminated hay or silage. This plant, found in fields and along roadsides resembles a horse's tail and is hard to kill because of its long taproot.

Milkweed

Five pink flowers with petals and fuzzy stems are identifying features of this plant. It will grow in dry conditions and in any soil.

Ragwort

The daisy-like flowers make this plant easy to identify. There are four species of ragwort, all equally poisonous. All parts of the plant are toxic even when dried.

St Johns Wort

Star shaped yellow flowers help to identify this plant that grows in open woods and grasslands. It loses some toxicity when dried but is still harmful so watch for it in hay.

Yew tree

All parts of the tree are poisonous and a mouthful can be fatal. Fence off any yew trees or cut them down.

Poisonous plants can be assumed to be toxic to all animals and humans. Wear gloves when removing plants from fields and get the entire root. Dispose of the offending plant by burning or tying tightly in a plastic bag to prevent seeds from escaping. Well-meaning neighbors may throw clippings over the pasture fence so check these before your animals get to them.

This is only a small sampling of plants that are dangerous to animals. An illustrated guidebook will help to identify toxic plants in your pasture.

*All images are from flikr, under a Creative Commons license.

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Don’t miss a single issue of Horse Listening! If you like what you are reading, become a subscriber and receive updates when new Horse Listening articles are published! Your email address will not be used on any other distribution list. Subscribe to Horse Listening by Email

Check out our other guest bloggers:

Ten Truths of Equestrianism – Reblog from @SnarkyRider, by Quill: Are you really fit for horse ownership?

Little Known Qualities of Great Farriers, by K. Arbuckle, professional farrier: The farrier, though required to scientifically balance and shoe a horse, is an artist working with a living canvas.

Scoring the Hunter Round, by L. Kelland-May, senior judge: Have you always wondered how the hunter class is judged? Read it here straight from the judge’s perspective!

Enjoys Being Brushed! by SnarkyRider: Read this hilarious take on a sales ad from craig’slist.

Dark Room Doors and Dressage

Picture a Dark Room

Lights out - and you are standing in the center. You cannot see a thing. Your outstretched arms indicate that there is space in front of you. Although you can walk around and grope into the space ahead of you, the darkness prevents you from knowing which way you turn.

During my most intense schooling period, learning to ride was just like being in the Dark Room. There I was, in a bubble of "darkness", which represented the new riding skill I was trying to find. All I could do was grope around, trying to discover the elusive "feel" that I somehow knew was there.

Luckily, as horseback riders, we have instructors guiding us, showing us, describing feel, and giving feedback. So in that Dark Room of Learning to Ride, I did have my instructor pointing me (sometimes literally!) in the right direction.

I remember the first time I found my first "feel".

It was like reaching ahead in the darkness, and discovering a door in front of me. The initial incident was like I'd opened the door and taken a peek inside. The lights were on! I could see!

And then I stepped back abruptly into the darkness. Finding that feel the second time was once again an elusive undertaking. Admittedly, this time, it was easier to find the door. Instead of turning around myself in unknowing circles, I had a better idea of which way to step, and soon enough, there was the door and then the room with the lights on.

And so this was my progress through the learning process of riding. As I learned which way to move, I was able to achieve a feel sooner and easier and one day, with efficiency.

There were more doors to discover!

Then came the second door/skill, the third, the fourth. I realized that there were so many doors - unlimited actually - that I could source out. Interestingly, listening to different instructors opened other doors. As the years progressed, opening the old doors became a simple task, while finding new doors was just as challenging as finding that first so long ago.

Then came the day that I discovered doors behind the doors! Yup, that's right. I'd discovered the layers of learning that resided beyond the initial stages of each skill.

Every movement you learn as a horseback rider has infinite levels of understanding and ability.

(Click here to tweet that.)

As you become proficient at one skill, you realize that there is ever more to develop. The skills interweave and intermingle. Becoming better in one area suddenly translates into improvement in other areas. Unbeknownst to you, your sitting trot improved while you were working on hind end engagement!

And so it goes. You learn, you realize what you don't know, and you learn some more. The path is long and wide and ever developing.

And THIS is what makes horseback riding such a strong parallel to living itself!

Do you have a similar story about the learning process in riding?

Moment of Beauty

I could see their shimmering coats far away in the distance. The green field and the blazing sun gave them an ethereal appearance, glossy sheen blending in with the vivid colours of nature. The two horses lazily munched left and right in tandem, dancing to an unheard life rhythm, the sun glistening over their backs as they moved.

My eyes took in their powerful, muscled bodies which revealed their health and vitality. I wanted to reach out and feel the silky smooth coats of the horses, running my hands over the rises and falls over their backs. The smell of the foliage and trees overwhelmed my senses, sending my mind reeling with nature's own aromatherapy.

This moment of beauty burned deep into my psyche, contrasting sharply with the tension and anxiety I was harboring deep within. It washed out all negativity and beckoned me to release my life's woes even just briefly. Unknowing, the horses kept munching away, oblivious to my must-dos and must-haves, responsibilities and resentments. The simplicity of this life was a welcome alternate to the other reality. If only I could take lessons learned from here and transpose them there.

A deep sigh escaped my lips. Knowing I had barn chores left to complete, I tore my eyes away from the scene and grabbed for the wheelbarrow handles.

If you’d like a structured, but personal tool to set goals, take a look at the new Goal Setting for the Equestrian: A Personal Workbook. The pages are designed for you to set and keep track of your progress over the course of a year.

Included in the book:

design your overarching goals
long- and short-term planning,
debrief your special events such as clinics or shows
reflect on, plan and evaluate your goals
sample goals and pages

The Workbook is available for instant digital download so you can print the pages right off your computer. There is also the option of a paperback version if you’d rather have a professionally bound book to hold in your hands.

Click here for more information.

Listening Corner – The Rider

Theme: "The Rider"

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From Training Strategies For Dressage Riders by Charles deKunffy (1994), p. 95-96

"Because it is based on communication between two living organisms, riding must include not only the rider's 'talking' but even more his 'listening'. A rider's awareness of his horse's mental and physical state, indeed, should determine what and how much he asks of his mount. Therefore, the truly talented riders are recognized as having 'feel,' which depends on the talent for being a living antenna that picks up all communications the horse sends....

A rider should always be fully aware of the horse's well-being and his horse's communications. He must also react to them with knowledge and insight. Knowledge comes by practicing riding, coaching, reading, watching, and discussing. More important, however, is the insight and wisdom gained by empathy toward the horse.... The rider ought to train himself to think the way his horse does."

In case you're wondering, Horse Listening did not model its name or idea from Charles' quote - nothing could be farther from the truth (see our original first post to discover the inspiration for "listening" to horses)! Finding this section from a book of over 200 pages was just another one of those "coincidences" that occur from time to time when everything seems to fall together. In any case, as important as the topic of the post (being an empathic rider) is the fact the the concept of "listening" to horses had already been elaborated upon in 1984, almost 30 years prior to the conception of the Horse Listening blog. So... here we are, reinventing the wheel, although I daresay that it is an important concept to revisit.

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From: Balance in Movement: How to Achieve the Perfect Seat by Suzanne Von Dietze (2003), p. 174

"There is really no such thing as the perfect rider or, for that matter, the perfect horse. If we want to make progress, it is of great importance to recognize where some difficulties arise and why. Some problems are not immediately recognizable, but they are a serious nuisance whenever more subtle influence is required. Thus, riders can learn to master the three basic gaits even in the chair seat, but they will never be able to develop quick and sensitive reactions for further influencing the horse because they are always behind the movement....

Riding is a game of balance between the horse and rider. Two living beings should, ideally, find such a degree of common balance that it appears to an observer that they have grown together as one unit. The majestic rider sitting quietly on a horse represents the ideal aesthetic picture of riding. Any layman would be able to recognize a good rider by his calmness. As soon as the rider's influence becomes too obvious, a sense of agitation is created which is visually distracting. The sensitive balance of a horse and rider is endangered."

It is well known that good riding can be easily distinguished by its effortless appearance - in fact, the good ride can be identified by its lack of "excitement" - in the sense that the horse appears to be calm, at ease and confident in what it is being asked to do. A good rider is the one who maintains poise and has the tendency to give the horse the benefit of the doubt. Developing a strong and balanced seat is a prerequisite to being able to influence the horse in a way that enables the horse to perform at its highest potential.

______________________________________________

From: The Complete Training of Horse and Rider In the Principles of Classical Horsemanship, by Alois Podhajsky (1967), p. 211

"The best way to obtain the correct seat, especially for a dressage rider, is longeing without stirrups. During this work, the rider need not pay attention to guiding his horse but can concentrate on controlling his own movements in the various paces. This is the quickest way to achieve the necessary independent seat, if the legs and reins are to be employed as aids and not as a means to regain lost balance. Absolute self-control is the basic requirement for every rider. He must not only be able to control his body but also his temperament. Only then will he be able to make the other creature submit to his will and develop his natural abilities. "

A discussion about riding simply cannot be complete without the mention of lunging to develop the seat and balance. Although it is true that in our time and place - with horses becoming more of a recreational pursuit than a form of expression and art - there is an emphasis on "instant gratification" and achieving (perceived) results sooner than later. Riders new to horses want to get on and "ride", get to a show and win ribbons, and resolve riding problems quickly and with little preparation or background.

However, in this short quote, Podhajsky tackled the two most critical components to becoming an effective rider - first, balance and body control, and second, the social/emotional awareness necessary to bring out the best from the horse.

Although the world around the horse has changed over the years, the horse itself remains essentially the same, and therefore the requirements of riding are essentially unchanged. A rider must be prepared to work hard to acquire the necessary skill, and most importantly, be willing to wait for results.

Should you use artificial aids? The quick answer: yes AND no!

Buyer beware...

On the other hand, do not be afraid of artificial aids.

Why should equipment be used?

When not to use equipment

Where do you begin?

The bottom line(s)...

Want to advertise your business on Horse Listening? Click here for more info.

Buy the book for many more riding tips! Horse Listening – The Book: Stepping Forward to Effective Riding

1. There is only one way to be competitive.

2. Set Goals

3. Focus on the Goals

4. Win Your Ribbons at Home First

5. Prepare for the unexpected.

Finally! The Ultimate Rider-Centered Program!

Practice Your Ride

Find the balance between achieving and letting go.

Finally! The Ultimate Rider-Centered Program!

Buy the book for many more riding tips! Horse Listening – The Book: Stepping Forward to Effective Riding

It's Complicated!

To the onlooker, it all looks so easy.

Now try it yourself!

Finally! The Ultimate Rider-Centered Program!

Buy the book for many more riding tips! Horse Listening – The Book: Stepping Forward to Effective Riding

Which Pasture Plants are Dangerous for Horses?

Autumn Crocus or Meadow Saffron

Bracken

Bittersweet Woody Nightshade

Black Bryony

Buttercups

Cowbane or Water Hemlock

Horsetail

Milkweed

Ragwort

St Johns Wort

Yew tree

Every movement you learn as a horseback rider has infinite levels of understanding and ability.

Finally! The Ultimate Rider-Centered Program!

Don’t miss a single issue of Horse Listening!

Buy the books for many more riding tips! Horse Listening Book Collection.

Finally! The Ultimate Rider-Centered Program!