Classical Dressage Art in Motion

Over the course of my professional equestrian and writing careers I've had my fair share of exposure to the ubiquitous equine feed supplement market. I've learned much along the way and I figured it might be information worth sharing with you, my dear reader. Willowview Hill Farm's Home Bred Gambol's Georgy Girl   There are so many myths that surround the 'magic' of adding one or another or a cocktail of supplement to the horses' feed rations so let's bust a few of them out and make sure money spent is not being poured down the drain and that our beloved equine partners are truly getting what they need to optimize their mental and physical health. Something we all care much about. Myth 1 Horses need grain.  DO they though? Check out this conversation on point. Learn what might be causing EGUS (ulcers) and hind 'leaky gut' syndrome. Think about how horses lived when they could freely access what they needed grazing thousands of acres. Sure we ne...

The importance of symmetry in the mounted rider is not one to be overlooked as it can do much damage to the horse. I cannot count on one hand the number of times that this question has come up in our clinics and how often we have had to address it. Often my husband will work diligently to explain and to help the rider address the issue of their asymmetry but also fairly often the rider and/or their significant others, whether that be family members, support team or trainer, will be annoyed at the time we spend on the topic. Renowned author Susan Harris does a grand job of explaining the issue.  As the great masters such as Alois Podasky advised all those eons ago, the matter of how the rider sits upon the horse should be as though the rider is draped across the horse's back with balance being critical. The rider should not hold themselves in a crooked position, or indeed any position with gripping thighs and legs as the results of such activities show in the illustration above. Ma...