It presents step by-step training programs and showing advice from recognized experts in hunters, jumpers, equitation, dressage, and eventing, along with money- and time-saving ideas on health care and stable management.
Looking back, I think most of my best rides came when my horses and I were confident, and that confidence often came when we had training breakthroughs. I recalled this after reading many of the articles in this issue. Confidence is not their main focus but a common thread throughout. For instance, in dressage trainer Col. Christian Carde’s article about improving contact (page 48), he explains that respect and confidence are essential elements of good contact, a critical piece of the language between horse and rider. You achieve it only when the horse feels comfortable and relaxed. Confidence comes up again in five-star eventer Doug Payne’s story about teaching a horse to tackle a jump on a mound (page 38). In one of my favorite tips of the issue, Doug…
Dogs and horses may be the typical stars of most animal-assisted therapy programs, but at the Latham Centers residential program for adults with disabilities, it’s donkeys who are changing lives. The Massachusetts-based organization provides care and support for those with complex special needs and specializes in serving adults with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS)—a genetic disorder that can cause developmental disabilities, obsessive-compulsive behaviors and an insatiable appetite that can lead to obesity. These challenges require individuals with PWS to constantly exercise remarkable self-control in order to lead healthy, positive lives. In 2008, Latham Centers discovered an unlikely ally for those with PWS: miniature donkeys. Dr. Janice Forster, a renowned neuropsychiatrist and expert in PWS treatment, suggested the idea to Latham Centers based on the success of donkey-assisted therapy programs in Germany. Within…
1 First impression: This rider needs to strengthen her position by working without stirrups and pressing her hands into the horse’s neck in the air and grab mane. Leg/Seat: Her foot is hard to see because the standard is blocking it, but her lower leg has slid forward in the air. This has caused her seat to be too far behind the pommel of the saddle, which affects her balance. She’s behind the horse’s motion and trying to catch up with it so she also has closed her hip angle too much. The downside of being behind the motion is that as your horse follows through with his jump with his hind end, you’ll get thrown forward. Release: Even though this rider is using a short crest release, I’d like…
This picture shows Alyssa Giulianelli riding her 15-year-old Oldenburg mare, Ramere. They are competing at Second Level. As I look at the picture, I notice a very high level of concentration between Alyssa and her mare. It appears that they are both fully focused and they trust each other in this situation. In the moment that this photo was taken, it looks as though Alyssa is starting to lengthen her horse’s stride across the diagonal. Ramere’s hind end looks active, and I particularly like the expression on her face. Her eyes are relaxed, and her mouth is closed, showing some white foam. The way her ears are positioned to the side suggest that she is listening to her rider. The angle of this picture does not allow me to analyze…
I know my regular column has been missing recently, but as Mark Twain once said, “the report of my death was an exaggeration.” I figured that while we were going through this little thing called quarantine, I would successfully deal with some health issues and go into hibernation. Am I the only one around who can find a silver lining here? I woke up from hibernation in time to attend the MARS Great Meadow International here in Virginia. It provided me with an overview of all three disciplines our sport entails. Much to my surprise, people are riding better. On second thought, however, I shouldn’t be surprised. For years I’ve been writing about how people are learning to compete rather than ride … so when riders no longer compete, they…
There aren’t many “Cinderella Stories” in the modern horse world. Years ago, a young rider could find her unicorn horse, and next thing you know, they were rich and famous—well, famous anyway. Not many people get rich in the horse business. Nowadays, if you want to successfully ride at the middle and upper levels, you will spend a majority of your life like the student in this photo—riding in circles while someone who knows more about it than you do tells you what you are doing wrong and, hopefully, how to fix it. You can be an occasional rider and enjoy the lower levels, but if you get ambitious, cross your stirrups. The expertise needed to ride well at the middle and upper levels of any of our Olympic disciplines…
