Safety with horses is a prime consideration for all riding instructors, especially those who work with beginners. I’m excited to share this good safety with horses website with you. Promoting Safety with Horses Saddle Up Safely is an organization that promotes safety with horses both during riding and on the ground. It’s a community effort spearheaded by […]
Fixing With Feed -An important lesson Nancy, one of The Riding Instructor’s readers, offered to share this great Fixing With Feed info graphic with readers. Choosing the correct feed for your horse takes knowledge of the feeds that are available and knowledge of your horse, his type, and work load. I teach students the basics […]
Plotter? Panster? When referring to their writing method, fiction writers say they are plotters and pansters. A plotter uses structure to lay out the story and then fills in the details accordingly. Plotters know when the hero will make a life and death choice, or when to introduce relationships, new situations, struggles, and raise the stakes. Structure is like having […]
Say foundation and most people readily think of a house. Check out what the website This Old House says about foundations. “A proper foundation does more than just hold a house above ground. It also keeps out moisture, insulates against the cold, and resists movement of the earth around it. Oh, and one more thing: It […]
A good two point is dependent on these four things: A Strong Base of Support (BOS) My definition of base of support agrees with the Manual of Horsemanship and Horsemastership, vol. 1. “The base of support is formed by those parts of the rider’s body in contact with the saddle and horse, from the points of the […]
I’m happy to introduce Dana Merritt to The Riding Instructor readers. Dana teaches beginning riders of all ages ( 5 years old through adult) at Young Riders,LLC in Post Falls Idaho. RI: Why do you teach riding? Dana: I have always enjoyed teaching children. I started teaching pre-school and kindergarten when my own children were […]
Olympian and coach, Jim Wofford, gives an excellent description of the rider hand position in his book, Training The Three Day Event Horse and Rider , James C. Wofford, 1995 Doubleday, Pg 44-45 “The position of your arms should form a straight line to the horse’s mouth. Your thumbs should be on top of the […]
An over-mounted beginning rider can have so many problems that I wonder why any instructor would allow it with their students. Recently I visited a schooling show where I didn’t know any of the players. The show had a laid back, peaceful feeling at a great location. The classes ranged from walk trot poles on the ground […]
“Doping in performance horses is defined as the “illegal application of any substance, except normal diet, that might modify the natural and present capacities of the horse at the time of the race.” The prohibition of doping is mainly based on the protection of animals.” Read the The National Center for Biotechnology Information definition of […]
Riding Instructor, Karla Deacon is the busy owner of Spruce Meadow Farm, Inc. in Clarence, New York, USA. Spruce Meadow Farm teaches English horseback riding to beginners through advanced riders. Karla Deacon also oversees Phoenix Rising Equine Rescue and Rehabilitation, Inc. – a 501(c)3 rescue program for at risk horses. R.I.- What motivates you to teach riding? Karla […]
