Trail riding is one of the best ways to enjoy time with your horse. You don’t have to compete, show, or chase ribbons to be a good horse person. But have you ever heard someone say, “I’m just a trail rider,” as if that means there’s no need to keep … Read More
Find and Fix the Pieces that Make Up the Whole Situation Last month in Part 1, I discussed the tendency some riders have to excuse their lack of motivation for education by stating that they are “just a trail rider”. This mindset suggests that these folks aren’t serious about learning … Read More
Don’t Use a Love of Trail Riding as an Excuse to Avoid Learning and Improving There’s a phrase I often hear when talking to horse people. Usually, I hear it at the start of my clinics, when we all introduce ourselves and tell a little about what we do with … Read More
Understand and Use Body Language to Speak “Horse” Working with horses gains better results with better understanding. True horsemanship involves building trust, understanding, and studying the way horses think and behave. Horsemanship’s foundation requires comprehending many principles from the perspective of the horse. It’s not just another thing we do … Read More
Response in Spite of Trouble This month we wrap up our discussion on the principle of Response in Spite of Trouble, having covered the foundational understanding and some examples of situations starting on the ground. If you’ve not been reading along, I encourage you to check out the articles in … Read More
Response in Spite of Trouble Last month we discussed one of the most common questions I hear, which concerns what to do when a horse spooks or how to build confidence in a nervous horse. These are broad questions and can involve situations with a wide range of possible factors, … Read More
Response in Spite of Trouble Welcome to this three-part series which will cover one of the most universally applicable principles of horsemanship, what I call “Response in Spite of Trouble”. Some of the most common questions I’m asked concern what to do when a horse spooks or how to build … Read More
Good Training Focuses on the Mental and Emotional State of Horses Many times, as we work with our horses we have a physical goal in mind—we want them to accomplish something specific such as getting in the trailer, standing still or moving when told, or performing a flying lead change. … Read More
Helping Riders Build Trust and Feel with Their Horses What is your name and location? Ben Longwell of True West Horsemanship, LLC from Pendleton, Oregon. What disciplines do you train/teach? We teach horsemanship for all disciplines, helping riders build strong partnerships through clearer communication. We do ranch roping and emphasize … Read More
