How-To

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Rotational grazing can help you take better care of your pastures and provide more feed for your horses.

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Define your goals to develop a training plan - While hill training is widely accepted as important for building strength, its actual benefits rely on answering the question: What is the goal for this individual horse?

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Q: My horse always rushes the jumps. How can I slow him down and keep a more consistent rhythm in the approach to the jump?

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Last summer I was watching a warm-up ring at Thunderbird Show Park in Vancouver, BC and noticed a rider who seemed to be having a hard time. Her horse was quite tense and wasn’t paying attention, despite her best efforts to create a contact. The horse seemed very distracted and when they trotted up to a practice jump he refused. The rider was fighting to retain composure, but her tension and frustration were evident. She managed to get over a few jumps at the trot but when they began cantering, the horse rushed the jumps and nearly bolted away on landing. After a couple of jumps she pulled up in the corner of the arena and I could see from her face that she was working hard to hold back tears.

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Spending all day with your horse, visiting with friends, and riding a variety of trails pretty much describes horse camping, so it’s no surprise that many riders consider horse camping to be the ultimate adventure. Although performance riders often haul to a different facility for a clinic or competition, put their horse in a stall, and camp out in their rig, trail rider-style horse camping is a bit different.

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Create a Paddock Paradise - About 15 years ago, I was boarding my mare, Diva, at a private barn in Victoria, BC. The paddocks were very small and flat, with electric fence covering all the boards to prevent chewing, and Diva was on the end of the paddock row beside a forest. It was close to home, which worked for me, but Diva was deeply stressed, making it almost impossible to safely work with her or ride her.

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When it comes to training related injuries, again, look for obvious reasons first. Most training related injuries are common and very preventable provided there is an understanding of the biomechanical demands of the particular discipline; meticulous attention to the horse’s feet, teeth, tack, and food, which are the pillars upon elite equine athletes are built; and a collaborative, integrated team approach to building and developing individualized training and maintenance programs.

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There’s Far More To It Than You Might Think - My wife and I recently spent four devastating days in Sumas Prairie, Abbotsford, British Columbia assisting with the rescue and evacuation of animals following the disastrous flooding caused by the “atmospheric river” of torrential rain in mid-November 2021. It’s one thing to watch it on the news — it’s surreal to be on the ground in the middle of it.

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Ah, sitting trot – the nemesis of so many riders of all ages, levels, and disciplines! In order to develop a balanced, independent seat that does not hinder the horse, but rather allows him to move with maximum ease and efficiency, the rider needs to have flexibility and suppleness through the legs, hips, and lumbar spine (lower back), stability in the pelvis, and strength in the core. These qualities allow the rider to maintain an upright posture that is firm and supple, not rigid, as riding is dynamic and requires a constant repetitive series of muscle contractions.

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Foal Speed Ahead - The checklist for evaluating and caring for a newborn foal is extensive, with many things to look out for both during and after the birth. An understanding of what is normal and what is abnormal is crucial to being able to help our horses begin what will hopefully be a healthy and happy life.

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