Mark Bolender

Help Your Horse (Safely) Confront His Fear of Water   by Mark Bolender Nearly every equestrian has experienced a horse with water issues. Often I’m told by owners that no matter what they try their horse will refuse to enter water, or else it will leap the smallest stream or …

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Why Your Trail Horse Needs this Skill   by Mark Bolender The exciting sports of Mountain Trail and Trail Challenges have their basis in real-life situations found on the trail or working on the ranch. Certain obstacles simulate these situations and can be used to train for these sports. One …

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Tips for Teaching this Mountain Trail Horse Skill   by Mark Bolender Whether out on a trail or in a show, watching an accomplished Mountain Trail horse moving through a difficult log obstacle makes it look easy. The horse navigates the logs while going forward boldly and confidently, and always …

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Finding—and Training—Your Best Trail Horse   by Mark Bolender Selecting a horse for trail riding is not an easy process because several factors must be carefully considered. Ultimately, it’s a decision about which horse is right for a particular rider and that’s just the beginning in creating the “perfect” trail …

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The Joy of Demonstrating at the AQHA Show   by Mark Bolender I love the AQHA shows. In July of 2011 I had the privilege of attending the Region 5 event in Langley, British Columbia. I was a demonstrator, clinician, and judge for the sport of Mountain Trail and Trail …

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The keys To Building Trust in Your Trail Horse   by Mark Bolender I frequently hear riders say, “I want my horse to trust me more,” yet the horse is pushy when being handled on the ground and will not navigate the difficult obstacles in a show or on a …

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Mastering Extreme Rock and Log Step Obstacles   by Mark Bolender As with most technical challenges, proper training makes the impossible possible.  My latest book, Extreme Mountain Trail Course by Mark Bolender is built on the Rush Spring Ranch in Missouri. It is visually beautiful and challenges the best of …

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How To Keep Riding Challenging and Still Have Fun   by Mark Bolender “Am I doing this right?” is a phrase I hear often from students. It’s very natural (and important) to learn proper riding technique, but many people get bogged down by details and they forget the reason they …

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Communication Is A Key To Unlock Success   by Mark Bolender Learning to listen is anything but easy. It is a science and a gift from God. With effort, we can all learn to be good listeners. If one learns to listen to his horse, the response given by the …

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Unity and Leadership Are The Keys   by Mark Bolender Watching a great trail horse pick its way through difficult obstacles is wondrous and beautiful. It looks so natural and graceful that it seems anyone can do it. This, anyway, is the image a great rider and horse try to …

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