The Things We Do Wrong …but horses are forgiving!

We make mistakes when we work with our horses. I’ve had my fair share. Fortunately the horse is a forgiving creature and hopefully we learn from our mistakes. Discover my initial mistake with Tessla, a beautiful 3 y.o. Friesian filly and our first four rides together.

Raising Your Own Horse

Raising your own horse is like baking a cake from scratch.  If you start with quality ingredients, follow the recipe, take your time, don’t open the oven door before the timer goes off, test for doneness, and don’t over-bake or set the heat too high, you end up with something delicious! In horse speak – [...]

Round Pen Purpose Part II

In a previous post I went through techniques of working a horse in the round pen and the philosophy behind such work. There was nothing new and original in this ‘how to’, just my adaptations and interpretations of the many great horse trainers out there and a reference to my own horse training experience. However, [...]

Basic Equipment for Training

When I start  a horse I use only a bare minimum of equipment. First and foremost is an enclosed area to work the horse. A round pen is ideal for this. Sixty feet in diameter is best, smaller and you run the risk of straining a young horses legs when cantering and larger means a