How to control the pace of your horse’s gaits- speed up or slow down the walk, trot, or canter with these five tips Most horses have four main gaits: the walk, the trot, the canter (called a lope in Western riding), and the gallop. Within these gaits, horses have a huge variance- horses can be…
The transition from trot to canter is a bumpy one for most riders to learn, and for horses, it requires more muscle and balance than other gate transitions. Because of this, and the relationship between the two (inexperienced writers tend to be a little bouncy in this transition and may inadvertently cause their horse to…
Sitting trot is the most difficult gait for most horseback riders. Sitting trot takes time, practice, a forgiving horse, and, perhaps most importantly, an ability to relax. Here are a few tips to help you perform the sitting trot: Don’t force your heels down in sitting trot, but make your ankles as loose and…
When people use the word saddle sores they might mean two different things: either sores that develop on riders due to sensitive skin being irritated during riding or sores that develop on a horses body underneath the saddle. This article will deal with this issue when it comes to riders, for information on dealing with…
The diagram below provides an important tip for equitation classes that many beginners learn the hard way – by performing the pattern incorrectly in the show ring. As this diagram shows, to correctly execute a figure 8 in an equitation class at a horse show, it is important to not ride the pattern in…
The canter can be a hard gait to learn, and the speed that accompanies the gait can bring anxiety for many beginning riders. In this article, we’ll talk about: cuing your horse to canter relaxing as you transition into the canter sitting correctly in the saddle so you feel secure and connected and how to know…
When horses throw their head it can be a sign of several things. You should observe your horse to see if he only throws is head when wearing a bit and bridle, or if he throws his head also when he is alone in a pasture or a stall. The latter type of head throwing (even…
