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In 2021 I competed at Road to the Horse, which was actually held in Texas instead of its typical location in Lexington, Kentucky due to the Covid outbreak. For the competition, I chose a 6666 Ranch red roan colt, which I later named Dandy. After the 2021 competition, I then got the opportunity to purchase Dandy and have continued his training at home. This month I wanted to share an exercise for consideration in your colt starting program at home.

Teaching a young horse to tie from the start of halter breaking is easiest, but an older horse may also benefit from starting at the basics of learning to tie. Learning to tie successfully will play a huge roll in a horse’s life and impact how they handle a wide variety of situations.

Are horses dangerous? Haley Wright of Wright Direction Horsemanship examines horse behavior, and offers several tips to help keep riders and handlers safe around horses.

Do you find loping to be a difficult and daunting part of your ride? Oftentimes loping, or cantering, your horse can be found intimidating. But it shouldn’t be!

If your horse understands its job and you continue to communicate effectively with your four-legged partner, then you can look forward to some of the most fun and satisfying rides of your life.

When you are first teaching a young horse to carry a rider at the lope, you want him to learn to be relaxed and confident. Starting the process with these things in mind will help you avoid lots of the common problems that you might see at the lope, like rushing, running away, and anxiety on the part of the horse and the rider.

English, eventing, and dressage disciplines are several examples where a back cinch is not needed (and for these specifically, not even an option). Other events where riders may choose to opt out of having a back cinch can include barrel racing, reining, trail riding, and western pleasure.

When it comes to working with our horses and building up their confidence, ponying can be a great way to work toward those goals. From leading a pack horse with a job to do, to simply getting a young horse more experience and handle, ponying is a great way to help in our horsemanship journey.

We often come across obstacles in our pathways when we are riding our horses. Whether out on the trail or working with something in the arena, it is very important that you can “take the reins” and lead your horse where you need them to go. Read along as professional horseman Richard Winters describes how to be the leader your horse needs.

Whether you are starting your horse under saddle for the first time, or re-training an older horse with bad habits, teaching your horse to soften to the bit is a foundation exercise that you will use to build up to all other aspects of your training.

Growing up on a Montana ranch, Brad Barkemeyer started his first colt when he was 12. By the age of 14, Brad was training horses in different disciplines for the public. This early experience served him well throughout his career as a professional horseman and trainer.

A few weeks ago, I attended an extreme trail clinic with my Thoroughbred/Appaloosa, Indy. What may surprise you, however, is that neither Indy nor I have ever done anything like that before! If you follow our blog posts, you may remember my background and training is mainly in the English discipline.