Improving Communication Between Horse and Rider

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Downward Tranisitions - Rein Aids
2008-05-06 19:34:00
Recently I had a reader question from Christine on "Downward Transitions for Rein Aids ". I really like answering reader questions. Many times I just do things, I know what I am doing but they are actions not put to words. Hi Deanna,Question. When performing a downward transition what are the specific rein aids? 1. Both reins together: squeezing reins simultaneously with slight resistance or2. Gentle pull - pull back with both reins or3. Pull back left rein then right rein or squeeze right rein then squeeze left rein. Please clarify. Seat and legs are used; it's the rein aids I need assistance on.Hi Christine,Thanks for the great questions. I will break them down over the next few posts to give each one the attention they deserve. With the reader questions I can really think about what I do step-by-step and put it into writing so keep those questions coming!Transition- to go up or down in gate. From a halt to a walk, a walk to a jog, a canter to a halt, etc.When performing a ...

Blocker Tie Ring
2008-05-02 19:38:00
It's not often that I find a "new" piece of horse equipment that I find so extraordinary but I was recently alerted to The Blocker Tie Ring . It's fantastic for training a horse that pulls back when tied.Usually when I sack out a horse, I only ground tie him but with the Blocker Tie Ring you can safely tie the horse while you sack him out and teach him to stand comfortably tied at the same time. You don't have to worry about any more broken ties, halters, lead ropes, or worst of all a broken neck.You can use the tie rings with a single tie, cross ties, or trailer ties. I think I need at least ten of them.Check it out HERE.Deanna

Stacy Westfall On The Ellen DeGeneres Show
2008-04-30 22:26:00
Here is a wonderful clip of Stacy Westfall and her horse Roxy on the Ellen DeGeneres Show from back in March. I have to admit, I have been a bit obsessed with riding bareback lately. I guess it comes from Fredi, whom has been doing all the riding and training since I have been unable ride. I live vicariously through him. I call him my "show pony". I am always showing him off, because I can't do anything myself these days. "Fredi, show my Dad how you stand up and walk on the horse's back..." They shake their heads and laugh with me. Or is it at me? I love this video, it will bring a smile to your face and a tear to your eye. Well, it did mine and I'd like to think it's not just the pregnancy hormones ;)Enjoy!Deanna
More About: Ellen Degeneres , The Ellen Degeneres Show

Western Pleasure Critique – The Walk
2008-04-28 19:55:00
This is Tori and her cute gelding Iza Hot Shot. This picture was taken at the NY State Fair in 2007, where she was showing him in Western Pleasure . You may remember this pair from the Showmanship Pivot Critique .In a Western Pleasure Class, the horse is judged as opposed to the rider. Tori’s gelding is perfectly turned out, and I do like her choice in color for her clothing, it complements her horse well.Even though this is not an equitation class where the rider is being judged, good equitation is always necessary to help the horse stay happy. A good Western Pleasure horse is a happy horse.Notice the horse’s expression, he is slightly irritated. It appears Tori is asking him to move closer to the rail, and he would have preferred to stay where he was. What would help him to be more willing would be if Tori would turn out her stirrups. I’m sure she holds the proper position with her legs normally, but her show saddle appears to be a bit stiff, and it does not allow for...
More About: Walk

Riding Instructor - SCAM
2008-04-23 20:08:00
I would just like to pass this around. I assure you it is 100% true. This is not one of those stupid forwards, I Deanna Castro am writing this warning myself. There is a scam going on to con riding instructors out of money. I am sure this can be used in other areas of the horse industry as well, so please read carefully.The riding school or instructor is contacted by a foreign "wealthy business man" who's son or daughter is staying in the country, while the parents are out of the country. The father would like the son to become a horse trainer, and wants to train three (or whatever number he chooses) days per week. The father sets up lessons for six months, a year, whatever of lessons and wants to "pay in advance".A check is then sent to the instructor for thousands of dollars more than the agreed upon amount. Guess what happens next? The father asks for the refund of the over paid money. The check is a cashier check so it's as good as cash right? Wrong. It's a fake, an...
More About: Scam , Riding

Jigging & Rearing - Part Three, Riding The Horse Forward
2008-04-21 18:34:00
In conclusion to our Three Part Series - Jigging & Rearing that was inspired by a reader question, I would like to add the last installment, Jigging & Rearing - Part Three Riding The Horse Forward .Once you have completed the Physical Evaluation and done your Ground Training, you will be ready to get back on the horse and ride.Riding The Horse Forward:If you have not seen progress with the groundwork, don’t take the matter into your own hands, enlist the help of a professional trainer.Assuming your horse’s behavior is now modified, you now have the horse willing to work and not threatening to rear, you will be ready to stay on her back and work through the problem. Refusing to move forward.By longeing, the horse should be in better shape and more willing to trot and canter while you are riding.I would first begin this training in the arena before taking her back out on the trail again. When I am training any horse, I like to walk a lap or two in the arena, and then trot ...

Jigging & Rearing - Part Two, Ground Training
2008-04-19 14:34:00
Continuing on from the last post Jigging & Rearing - Part One, Physical Evaluation I would like to continue on answering the reader question. When I ride her she is calm and nice. BUT if I go faster than a walk to begin with she will go all funny and do (what I would explain it as) a humpy canter sideways and I cant make her stop! She will do it all the way out and home again...I’ve been very calm to her and tried calming her down but if she stops all she does is rear up. If I click her to move forward, I end up giving up getting off and walking her home.I really love my horse and riding, but for some reason she has changed and I just don't no what to do about it :(After the Physical Evaluation has been completed and we have assessed that there are no problems in this area we realize it is a gap in the horse's training. The next step I would take is to do some ground training to try and fix the problem.Ground Training Take the time to put some really good training on the gro...

Jigging & Rearing - Part One, Physical Evaluation
2008-04-17 18:18:00
I had a reader question about a horse jigging and rearing wile out on the trail. The weather is beautiful and this question could not have had better timing.My answer to the question is not going to be short, so I will be breaking it down into three parts over the next few posts. I think this is a problem that many riders face at different levels in the arena and especially out on the trail. I am going to give this question the attention that it deserves by dividing it into three parts Physical Evaluation , Ground Training, and Riding the Horse Forward.Hi, my name is Sarah and I have a problem with my horse.When I ride her she is calm and nice. BUT if I go faster than a walk to begin with she will go all funny and do (what I would explain it as) a humpy canter sideways and I cant make her stop! She will do it all the way out and home again...I’ve been very calm to her and tried calming her down but if she stops all she does is rear up. If I click her to move forward, I end up ...
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Jumping Critique - By Bex
2008-04-14 15:59:00
Hello readers,I am thrilled to announce that one of my favorite bloggers Bex who is a Show Jumper From New Zeland, and Blog Author of I Will Jump Sweet Jumps has agreed to a guest post and will be doing the following critique of Gabrielle and her gelding Jesse in a Hunter Hack class at BRVHA (brvha.com). Enjoy!Hey all, I would like to start out by thanking Deanna for asking me to do this guest blog and to say I hope I can offer some good advice.GabrielleThere are several things that I see in this picture that I really like, but there are also several faults that tend to be inter-related. The first thing that jumps out at me is that for jumping her stirrups are very long. As the horse jumps you want to be able to clear your butt out of the saddle, and the easiest way to do this is by having your stirrups relatively short. I ride one hole shorter for showjumping and another hole shorter again for cross country. However, it needs to be noted that I ride my flatwork in a very short stir...
More About: Critique , Jumping

Riding Is A Partnership
2008-04-09 18:24:00
I would like to add some of my thoughts as they relate to my last post, Bareback & Bridleless - Stacy Westfall.I am really big on achieving complete control over every part of a horse’s body. A broke horse will give me control over his body from his ears to his tail. I want to be able to control every step my horse takes.But, riding is a partnership. So while I am able to control every step that does not mean I have to control every step.I think that is very clearly demonstrated in the video of Stacy during her freestyle reining run. She worked the pattern with her horse, and he obviously wanted to do what she asked without any resistance.Just because we are able to control every part of the horse’s body, does not mean we do not give up some of that control to the horse. Once the horse learns his job, get out of his way and let him do it. This is not to say when he makes a mistake we are not there to immediately correct it, but we should be able to sit back and give sub...
More About: Riding

Bareback & Bridleless - Stacy Westfall
2008-04-08 18:36:00
Fredi Castro, my husband and fellow horse trainer specializes in Native American Horsemanship. Therefore he does most of his training bareback. So whenever we see another trainer riding bareback especially a major horse show, we find it pretty exciting.Stacy Westfall has been everywhere lately, including this month’s cover of Horse & Rider Magazine. Check out Stacy Westfall’s Freestyle Reining AQHA Congress 2006 Championship Run, bareback and bridleless. It’s truly amazing. After watching the video I have a new goal for Fredi, and fortunately he has agreed. After watching this video, I bet you ditch your saddle for a few rides and get excited about bareback again.Enjoy!Deanna

Showmanship Pivot Critique
2008-04-05 18:32:00
I couldn’t resist taking a break from the English Equitation Series, to post a Showmanship Critique . Showmanship is my specialty, once I received this picture; I had to write a post. Please feel free to ask questions if something is not clear.This is Tori and her gelding Iza Hot Shot performing a 180 degree turn, in Western Showmanship at a Black River Valley Horse Association Show.The pivot is the most difficult maneuver in a Grooming and Showmanship Class. The exhibitor who performs the best pivot, often times wins the class.Grooming:Tori has her horse beautifully groomed, he is spotless actually. Those of us with Paints know how difficult that can be! What I would suggest is that she outfits her horse in some Sleezy Sleepwear the night before to allow the mane to lie more flat the next day. A Sleezy Hood works better than a regular hood, or even a mane tamer. From what I see, she probably had the bands perfect the night before, and by the next morning, they were not ly...

English Equitation - The Trot
2008-04-03 20:39:00
Here is Gabrielle posting and trotting her gelding Jesse. The following information can be applied training at home as well as an equitation class. I always teach my Western horses and riders to post and trot. Learning to extend the horse makes for a well-rounded horse and rider.Rider: Equitation Gabrielle is a very pretty rider. Her ear, hip, and heel are in perfect alignment. She has a nice soft bend in her elbow. Those qualities are excellent.The same as the back up, I would ask that she elevate her chin slightly, and look ahead instead of down at the horse. I am not sure if she is glancing down to watch the horse, or probably to check her diagonal. At home, it’s fine to glance down with your eyes, but while showing I like to see riders are able to feel the position on the horse rather than have to look and check the position. To be on the correct diagonal at this point in Jesse’s stride, I would like to see Gabrielle completely sitting in the saddle. I also believe he...
More About: English

English Equitation - The Back Up
2008-03-31 23:10:00
Here is Gabrielle backing her gelding Jesse at the end of their class. The following information can be applied to any class that you may be asked to back the horse, not just an equitation class.Rider: Equitation First I’d like to say Gabrielle’s position looks great. Her ear, hip, and heel are in perfect alignment. She has a nice soft bend in her elbow. I would also like to note how calm and relaxed she looks.I would ask that she elevate her chin slightly, and look ahead instead of down at the horse. At home, it’s fine to glance down with your eyes, but while showing I like to see riders are able to feel the position on the horse rather than have to look and check the position. I would also say to shift her shoulders slightly back. By bringing her shoulders back (approximately one inch) that will help her lift Jesse up off of his forehand. When she brings her shoulders back slightly her hands will be a bit farther apart and be more effective. I like to see a riders ha...
More About: English , Back , Back-up

English Equitation
2008-03-28 20:15:00
Reader Question:I've seen so many different people's equitation, and I've been told to sit in so many different positions that I don't know what the correct way to ride English looks like. What do I have to feel and look for when I'm riding English?GabrielleMy Answer:Hi Gabrielle,Thanks for the question. Here are some suggestions on English Equitation I hope I can help clear a few things up for you.Equitation – Refers to the position of the rider. In an equitation class, the rider is judged as opposed to the horse. One caveat, if the horse is collected it will always make the rider look better.PostureThe proper way to sit is with your ear, hip, and heel in a straight line. I take a longe whip and hold it up next to my students vertically to allow them to see their own line and make adjustments accordingly. I make a straight line with the whip, and the student should adjust that the ear, hip, and heel is in alignment.Your chin should be straight ahead, not up in the air o...

Careers With Horses
2008-03-27 03:09:00
In an effort to make “Improving Communication Between Horse and Rider” more interactive I have added a job board to the blog.There are so many careers out there with horses. Who would like to work inside without horses when they don’t have to? Even cleaning stalls somehow feels therapeutic.There are jobs such as Horse Trainers, Wranglers, Grooms, and everything in between. Check out the job board if you are in the market for a job in the horse industry or would like to advertise a job you have available.Some of the jobs do sometimes include lodging, if needed you could pick up and completely change your life. That is especially exciting for someone who isn't rooted someplace with responsibility!Even if you are not interested in changing careers, it’s still fun to look. I will be adding new jobs weekly.There is a permanent link on the sidebar of the blog, or you can check out The Job Board by clicking HERE.
More About: Careers , Horses

Quarter Horse Tube
2008-03-24 19:40:00
So we have all heard of YouTube , but have you heard of Quarter Horse Tube? While it is still in the soft launch phase I'm pretty excited about it. The Internet has really changed how the horse industry can do business.Quarter Horse Tube is a Global Quarter Horse Broadcast.Quarter Horse Tube is all Quarter Horse Videos of horses for sale, all different events, and fun stuff including pictures. This is a free service and I think it's spectacular. I hope the other breeds follow suit because it is so convenient for everyone involved in the horse industry.There are also educational clips posted by members, so this in no way is limited to owners of only Quarter Horses.Check it out at quarterhorsetube.comDeanna

Riding Patterns & Maneuvering Obstacles
2008-03-21 19:11:00
When riding a horse, you will have either “Power Steering” or “Manual Steering”. What is the difference?Power Steering – The horse is collected and extremely easy to steer, when I ask the horse to turn he will turn when and where I have asked him.Manual Steering – The horse is difficult to steer, and he will not respond quickly when I ask him to turn.A broke horse will have power steering and an unbroke horse will only have manual steering.Some riders may appear to be in control when riding a horse…But, it’s not until there is a pattern to ride or there are obstacles to maneuver that you realize just how much control they do not have.Many times I see riders who want to turn right, but the horse decides to turn left, and the rider decides at the last minute that they would like to turn left anyway. There is no commitment by the rider. This is quite normal for beginning and intermediate riders so we need to step things up a level and teach the rider to commit while r...
More About: Patterns , Riding

First Aid Kit For Horses
2008-03-19 18:21:00
You know what they say about horses:"They can find a needle in a haystack and then get injured by it."It’s a great idea to have a First Aid Kit ready. By having a First Aid Kit ready, if your horse gets into trouble, you don’t have to go rummaging around for some basic supplies. I am not a vet, but I always liked speaking with my vet and figuring out some basic treatments I can do myself at home. My vet had always been aware that I would often rescue horses and to try and keep the costs down. He would help me figure out what I could do on my own without the extra cost of him making a trip to the farm.It would be a good idea to check with your vet about a First Aid Kit for your needs at your horse’s next vet appointment. Have him or her look over your inventory and make suggestions as necessary.I keep my first aid kit stocked with:VetWrap – used to wrap any injuries, but it has many uses!A cotton roll – for cleaning and protectingGauzeBoric Acid – To be used as eyewas...
More About: Horses

Parts of The Western Saddle - Interactive
2008-03-17 16:52:00
I always notice there are many great examples of the Parts of The English Saddle , but not as many examples of Parts of the Western Saddle. This weekend my Dear Husband took me to the barn to take... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
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"The Power Of The one Rein Stop"
2008-03-15 01:38:00
Right now I am unable to ride being seven months pregnant, so I am living vicariously through other riders. I found a video on YouTube by an Aussie guy named John who demonstrates the one rein... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
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Omolene University
2008-03-12 19:26:00
There is now a nifty University all horse lovers can attend and earn "Omolene Hours" which may be cashed in for merchandise. Omolene University courses teach horse owners about nutrition in horses.... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Fix The Problem, Fix The Symptom
2008-03-10 21:51:00
Question: Do riders want to ride to the best of their ability? Answer: Of course they do! Here are some problems I see in novice and even in some more experienced riders that I would like to... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
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Help Me Build A Better Blog - Poll Results
2008-03-06 01:53:00
The poll results are in, thank you to everyone who participated! Horse Training Tips 15 (83%) Riding Lesson Topics 11 (61%) Barn Organization and Management 6 (33%) Product Reviews 7... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
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Free De-Worming Chart from Safe-Guard
2008-03-03 21:27:00
Spring is almost upon us, in this part of the world anyway. I associate spring with new beginnings, organization and cleaning. At this time of year, I like to really make sure that my horse is... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
More About: Free , Guard , Safe , Chart

Longe Line Training Tips
2008-02-29 18:37:00
There are so many nuances that that can be used to enhance your experience when training your horse. Training without a horse is one of them. When learning to longe a horse, it is a good idea to... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
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A Halter Broke Horse
2008-02-27 17:42:00
Halter Broke - A horse that willingly accepts a halter, walks forward, stops, turns, and backs at the handler’s command. A halter broke horse will: • Stand patiently while tied, without pulling... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
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Help Me Build A Better Horse Blog
2008-02-25 19:52:00
Hello Precious Readers! I want to create relevant content for YOU. So if you could take the above poll to let me know what you would like to see more of on the blog, I will be happy to provide it... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
More About: Blog , Build , Horse

Tying A Horse - Troubleshooting Tips
2008-02-23 00:37:00
A big part of my training program is teaching horses patience. One of the best ways to teach the horse patience is to require him to stand tied after a workout. Tying a horse is a great tool. You... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
More About: Tips , Troubleshooting , Horse

5 Top Ways to Get Corporate Sponsorships
2008-02-20 22:17:00
I have often wondered how to obtain corporate sponsorship. Is it some exclusive unattainable goal? It looks like now I am going to find out the way into the club. Linda Hollander is conducting a... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
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