SITE SELECTION FOR BUILDING AN EQUESTRIAN ARENA
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WHEN DRESSAGE BREAKS HORSES: HOW GOOD INTENTIONS GO WRONG & HOW TO DO BETTER
Dressage is supposed to make horses better. Stronger. More balanced. More rideable. Sounder for longer. That’s the whole point. Classical dressage, at its best, was designed to help horses carry themselves—and their riders—with less wear and tear over time. And yet, more and more, I see horses that are sore, mentally dull, resistant, or quietly […]
WHAT TO LOOK FOR WHEN LUNGING YOUR HORSE—TIPS FROM AN EQUINE BODYWORKER
Controlled exercise is the foundation of any good training and rehabilitation programme (Gillis, 2014). When done correctly, lunging can be a great tool to gymnasticise your horse. What is the best equipment to use for lunging? 1. Cavesson Avoid lunging in a bridle or headcollar as these tend to twist the poll instead of correctly […]
SADDLES: WHEN IT’S TIME TO REFLOCK
Horses can carry about one and a half pounds per square inch of their back, so the greater the space available, the easier it is for the horse to carry your weight. Flocked saddles generally have a larger footprint on the horse and are a benefit to the overall health of your horse. Flocked saddles […]
HOW WESTERN DRESSAGE SADDLES DIFFER FROM TRADITIONAL WESTERN SADDLES
Saddles are inherently impactful on horses’ moving bodies. Understanding basic horse biomechanics and restriction-eliminating saddle fit principles is especially important for Western Dressage riders. Western Dressage is a discipline designed for balance, precision, and harmony between horse and rider…while asking for softness in performance of extremely athletic maneuvers. As the discipline has evolved, so has […]
COULD YOUR GIRTH BE CAUSING YOUR HORSE DISCOMFORT/PAIN?
Regardless of discipline, we all want happy, healthy horses. We educate ourselves on correct saddle fit to ensure that our partner will be comfortable and perform well, but have you ever considered girth fit, comfort and the elements that make a girth fit properly for the conformation of your horse? A well-fitting girth is the […]
