In the beginning of my classical training, I had a lot of bad habits to fix.  One in  particular was using too much leg.    My father, who also rode and started most of our horses, had read some of the classical masters like Museler and Podhajsky and in his limited understanding picked up on the importance of leg aids.   And so, in typical over-achiever fashion he applied leg. A LOT of leg!   Being his daughter—and riding the horses he started—I followed the same pattern.  Be

The Misunderstanding of "On the Bit" Few phrases in riding are as misunderstood as “on the bit.”Riders chase it. Judges reward it. Trainers demand it.Yet very few can describe what it truly is — or what it feels like. Most riders do not understand what “on the bit” actually means.  It is treated as a visual posture.  It becomes reduced to “head on the vertical.”  Riders obsess over neck shape. Trainers force the frame through rein pressure. The result? Compression. Strain. Di

Even as our world proceeds to greater technological breakthroughs, our basic needs and desires as humans remain consistent.  Likewise,...

This article is dedicated to all of us facing fear.     (My greatest experience in dealing with fear is in relation to riding and...

This article is dedicated to all of us facing fear.     My greatest experience in dealing with fear is in relation to riding and training...

How do you ride with invisible aids? When we cue the horse and have them obey our directions whether on the ground or in the saddle, we...

1.        Horse is unruly and rude on the ground. 2.        Horse is often on edge, unpredictable and/or “hot”. 3.        Horse is...