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In the last post, we talked about how to use your hands and aids when riding. In this post, we discuss multiple exercises to fine-tune your hands and practice making them effective communicators. Whether you’re learning yourself or an instructor, these exercises help riders become more aware of their hands and the role they play…
When we ride, equestrians have aids that we use to communicate with the horse. Our hands can be effective communication devices or confusing and frustrating tools. When it comes to communicating with our horses, we have four communication devices, or aids: the voice, our hands, our legs and our seat/weight. How to Use Aids to…
No matter what style of horseback riding you do, having balance is the key to your connection, communication and harmony with your horse. The image of half-horse, half-human, of a centaur is one that most riders and equestrian authors explain as the goal of riding. Moving as one with your horse, being in perfect harmony,…
Natural Horsemanship, sometimes referred to as “gentle” horsemanship, is a psychology-based training philosophy that considers the animal’s natural instincts in order to gain the horse’s trust, submission, and cooperation. Horses are prey animals, whereas humans are technically predators. It’s easy to see, then, that the way they respond to external stimuli would differ from the…
Whether you call it “backing”, “backing up”, “going backwards”, “rear back” or “rein back”, training your horse to back is one of those fundamental stepping stones (or Cornerstones, if you will), to having a well trained horse. While “backing” your horse, or getting him to go backwards seems like a no-brainer, it’s actually a very…
