Not long ago, I toured a Western art museum and found myself absorbed in the works of Russell and Remington. Their paintings, alive with movement, depicted the unforgiving life of the cowboy — scenes filled with dust, tension, and the raw energy of untamed horses. These animals, used for transport and survival, stood in stark contrast to the roles horses now occupy in our world — companions in leisure, competitors in sport, and trusted partners in training. But one detail in every piece caught my attention and left me uneasy: riders with rigid hands pulling back, and horses resisting, mouths wide in distress.

Once upon a time animal acts were the big draw beneath the big top. Bears danced, elephants balanced on balls, and tigers leapt through flaming hoops — all in the name of human entertainment. Nowadays though, animal acts are no longer synonymous with “circus.” In Canada, according to the international wildlife protection charity Zoocheck, “wild animal circus acts are largely gone.”

Your horse's three primary gaits-walk, trot, and canter-each provide distinct advantages for conditioning aimed at enhancing performance. When utilized effectively, these gaits can achieve outcomes that might otherwise be overlooked. Ideally, training sessions should incorporate equal time spent in each of the three primary gaits to promote both flexibility and strength. However, specific conditioning phases may require an emphasis on one gait over the others. This article will explore how each gait benefits the equine athlete, particularly in relation to back usage, and will highlight the role of cavalletti routines in training.

There’s a reason some call it “stressage.” Like ballet, dressage is an art form that balances grace with strength and athleticism, a feat demanding extraordinary mastery of the body. Unlike ballet, in dressage that feat is dependent on cooperation between members of two different species — cue the stress! And when riders are stressed, so are the horses. As a result, riders sometimes turn to dubious methods in an attempt to gain control of their equine partner.