Jennifer Paulson

Your mental sharpness comes into play every time you ride. Keep these four keys in mind the next time you saddle up.

1. Begin working at a standstill, with the slack removed from your reins.

End head-shaking on the trail—and at home—with advice from clinician Steve Stevens.

This exercise is ideal for fencework beginners and experienced riders and horses. Slowing things down helps you build confidence and keeps your horse focused on you.

Whether you’re a beginner at fencework or need to school a chargey cow horse, this exercise from NRCHA professional Brad Barkemeyer is safe and efficient.

Western Horse Training Tips

Rate or speed control is essential for all horses, but especially reiners in their rundowns. Here’s why rate matters and how to maintain it.

OnStaff at Horse&Rider

The prospect of upgrading your horse is exciting. It shows that you’re ready for more, you can set new goals, and you can expand your expertise. Riders who like to achieve thrive on that sort of thing. Onward and upward!

Minnie, Joe (riding, age 7), and Leo (age 10) are excited to share their horse life with you.

OnStaff at Horse&Rider

After hunting for a new horse for several months, Jennifer Paulson finally finds Minnie.

Western Horse How-To

Not reaching your riding goals? The key might lie in letting your horse do his job.

Charging or bucking into a lope is a bad habit that must be broken for your safety and riding enjoyment.

Horsemanship

Trainer Brad Barkemeyer offers advice for retraining a horse that bucks or lurches into lope transitions.

MY HORSE’S TACK: Quality working gear with minimal silver presents a picture that says, “I’m ready to work” when competing in ranch riding.

Ranch Events

Trainer and clinician Laurel Walker Denton offers the finer points of presentation for ranch riding classes, from tack to rider turnout.

A far-reaching walk can earn credit in ranch riding. However, if your horse breaks into a jog or doesn’t maintain a cadenced, four-beat gait, your score will take a hit. If your horse breaks to a jog, it’s a one-point penalty. If it’s not a cadenced, four-beat gait, it’ll take away from your maneuver score.

Horsemanship

Step up your horse’s walking stride without breaking gait.

WHOA! This horse’s head carriage is way too low, both according to most rulebooks and for the horse to effectively carry his body at any gait.

Western Pleasure

A rider’s gelding carries his head below his withers, even with constant correction by the rider. All-around trainer Patty Vatterott offers advice for retraining.