Riding
Helmets: 20 (More) Reasons to Put a Lid on It
June 2018
Horse riding is dangerous. I’m not going to go into the statistics on horse-related injury and fatality because they are far from straightforward. Do you calculate injury rates per ride, per hour spent in the saddle or per jump attempt? Suffice to say that all accidents range from annoying to tragic, and the statistics for any sport as a whole are not going to matter when an accident happens to you or someone you know.
In the Company of Trailblazers
April 2018
It is a chilly Summer evening in an Adelaide Hills community hall, but the subject of horses is running red-hot. Gatherings such as this might have once taken place informally at the local agricultural show or blacksmith’s shop. Modern times, however, call for a modern approach. Tonight’s meeting is an interactive ‘horse industry briefing’, a first-of-its-kind held by South Australia’s proactive horse council, Horse SA.
Controlling Your Horse
March 2018
Many riders are struggling trying to determine what the correct rein contact is or should be. As riders, we don’t want to develop ‘hard hands’ and, therefore, many riders are often too scared to take up a contact at all. Here are some handy hints about contact and how to develop a sensitive connection to the bit... I see so many riders who ride with an open hand in the attempt to not hurt their horse.
Back to Basics
April 2017
Angela Brown’s business is training: both horses and people. She didn’t begin her equestrian journey until she got her first horse at the age of 28 and perhaps entering the horse world as an adult gave her a fresh perspective. In Angela’s line of work, working with horses is as simple as two concepts: mastering the basics and staying safe.
Recognising Concussion
March 2016
Concussion in any sport is common and presents a significant public health issue, yet it remains poorly understood and is frequently undiagnosed or misdiagnosed. So what do riders need to know? Recognizing concussion is the first step.
It's All About Confidence
July 2015
Are you a nervous rider, a beginner or returning to riding after a break? Would you like to feel more confident in challenging situations, and find ways to manage nervousness and fear?
Tips for a better STOP
April 2014
The sliding stop has to be the most famous move of the reining horse. If you Google ‘reining horse’, the majority of the images are of the stop. Many reining horses are natural stoppers. They have both the physical and mental aptitude to want to stop on their hindquarters. Despite this, they all still need to be trained, and that’s what this article will address: How to teach the beginnings of the sliding stop to the young horse.
Back To The Future
January 2013
A two part series that will help you find the balanced position necessary to achieve that elusive ‘following contact’. Correct position is about being balanced and secure on an extremely mobile, bouncy and often unbalanced partner. ‘Balanced’ means ‘over the base of your feet’ Communicating with your horse. It’s one of the most challenging aspects of riding – yet it’s a topic most commonly treated as a matter of rules and mechanics.
How Much Is Enough
January 2013
The second of a two part series to help you find the balanced position necessary to achieve that elusive 'following contact' As the dictionary says, contact means connection. Correct connection should not require force as the idea is that the horse should be more and more in self-carriage. Once we are on the way to sitting squarely balanced on our horse and are starting to feel his movement (see part 1 ‘Back to the Future’ in the June issue), we can begin to think about our hands.
Track to Hack Part 3: Conditioning and preparing the first show
November 2012
Part 3 of a three part series that takes you from choosing the right horse to re-training, conditioning and getting to your first show. The last article in this three part series on taking a thoroughbred off the track and producing it as a show horse focuses on conditioning, presentation and getting your horse into the ring with your ultimate sights set on getting your thoroughbred to Royal Show level.
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