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.
The young woman—a co-worker from another department—asked if she could give me a hug. We were meeting for the first time since I’d announced I was leaving Practical Horseman and Dressage Today, ending a nearly 30-year-career at the brands. As we embraced, the woman—a longtime reader of Practical Horseman—thanked me for my commitment to sharing training knowledge through the magazine’s pages for so many years. She said that through training exercises, photographs, diagrams and more, I’d helped her improve her riding when she hadn’t been able to afford regular lessons. After we said goodbye, I walked away with tears in my eyes. My first thought was, she got it. Someone understood my passion and mission: To produce comprehensive, understandable training articles for those who didn’t have access to training, helping…
1 Overall: This rider has a lovely leg position and a good upper-body position with a flat back. My main criticism is the release. While it is a respectable automatic release, I would like to see more freedom for the horse to use his head and neck. But all in all, it’s a very pleasing picture. Leg: This rider’s leg position is beautiful. The stirrup is in the correct position right on the ball of his foot, and the outside bar is slightly ahead of the inside bar. His heel is down. His heel, knee and hip angles are all excellent. I also like that he has contact in his leg distributed across his calf, knee and thigh as well as nice, even contact in the saddle. Release: The only thing…
The photo is of Maureen Kline and her horse Doctini. Here is what Maureen had to say: “As horse and rider, we’ve been together 7 months. I am 57 years young and have been riding again for two years after a 24-year hiatus. Doctini is an 8-year-old Trakehner mare trained up to Fourth Level. She’s recently back to work after three month’s rest recovering from founder.” Looking at this picture my first impression was: What a well-matched pair! Maureen looks highly concentrated and motivated to ride as well as she possibly can, and her horse appears to be a well-trained, gentle schoolmaster. The horse and rider seem focused on their task and are very harmonious together. Doctini is walking forward with a nice, long stride, stepping well under the rider’s…
Whether you’re competing in Beginner Novice or at the top of the sport in a five-star event, the cross-country phase consists of similar elements and questions. You will always see water jumps, ditches and accuracy fences like corners and skinnies with gallop fences (straightforward fences such as benches, tables and hedges) in between. Every cross-country course also tends to progress in a similar way. I would consider Fences 1, 2 and 3 to be gallop fences, but they’re also lead-up fences. You want to use these fences to solidify your rhythm and ensure you and your horse are confident before tackling your first real question—a challenging obstacle or combination of obstacles. Typically, you can expect Fence 4 to be your first question on course, followed by more gallop fences that…
You notice your horse is a little stiff under saddle. Maybe he feels uneven in the trot or has trouble cantering. It could be a lot of things, but upon closer examination your veterinarian determines osteoarthritis (OA) in the hind limb is the cause. Identifying Hind-Limb Lameness Signs to watch for: ■ Hiking or dropping one side of the pelvis■ Unwillingness to bring a hind leg forward■ Toe dragging Diagnostic Techniques Your Veterinarian Will Use ■ Diagnostic analgesia (joint blocking) ■ Flexion tests ■ Imaging methods: Radiography (X rays): Ideal for bone/joint evaluation Ultrasound: Best for soft tissue analysis Advanced Imaging: Nuclear scintigraphy, MRI, CT, PET scan to further investigate Osteoarthritis in the hind limb is a common cause of lameness. It is marked by articular cartilage deterioration and is…
There’s no avoiding corners. They’re part of every single ride, from Introductory Level to Grand Prix. But because they aren’t an official movement in any test, they’re often overlooked. In reality, corners are the most valuable real estate in your ring because you can use them to: • Test if your horse is listening to your aids. • Balance your horse. • Prepare or set up for the next movement. • Make corrections without directly affecting a movement. • Take a breath. Think about how you ride corners. Do you ride into them and your horse waits and listens for your aids, or does he turn or fall through the corner before you ask? It’s natural for your horse to anticipate corners because he knows he has to turn to…
