Q: My new OTTB is incredibly strong and runs at every opportunity. How do I find the brakes?! A: Racehorses are trained to run into a contact. Therefore, a major part of retraining them is teaching them how to soften over their backs, necks, and poll and come into a softer outline, where they engage their…
Text: Christie Wolhuter Many people are confused by the need for resistance training for equestrians. To me, it is the most important work you can do to keep up with your horse. First of all, we need to remember that horse riding is a sport, and riders should consider themselves athletes. Few top-level equestrians are not…
Q: My horse is generally very forward-going and happy to jump. However, the second you introduce any type of filler she is a nervous wreck. How can I help her with this? A: With these kinds of issues, the best advice is to go back to basics. The first thing to do is revisit simple poles on…
Q: Can I use therapy or cooling ice boots on my horse while travelling to and from a show? Will it help to keep their legs safer? A: The use of any therapy boot during travel will depend on the length of the journey. For any trips longer than 20 minutes, we would not recommend using…
Q: My gelding is constantly injuring himself. He is always covered in cuts, has stepped on his coronary band a couple of times, and cracked two teeth. Is he just accident-prone, or is there something wrong with him? A: The first thing to suggest would be a good physical examination by your vet. This would include…
The suppling abilities of lateral work are essential for horses in any discipline and therefore should play a major role in your horse’s training programme. Introducing lateral work early gives you time to establish it in the horse’s repertoire and allows you to move onto more advanced work with more confidence. A really useful exercise for…
Q: How long do you actually have to wait to ride after feeding your horse? Asked by May Clarke A: This depends on the type of feed, the amount and how hard you’ll be working your horse. On the one hand, if your horse has just eaten a 0.5kg meal that is mainly fibre-based and you are…
And finally, to round of this mini series, here are a few extra exercises you can add to your schooling routine to get you and your precious pony back in action. Extra exercises Transitions – get your upward transitions to be light and forward and be careful of falling onto the forehand…
Friends! How are we all?! Felt I'd best check in, and make sure you're all keeping your spirits up!? It's been fairly quiet here. My mother appears to have lost some of her manic momentum of the early days of the ordeal, and is finally settling into a more casual/sensible approach. She still visits me at least…
Q: Why does everyone recommend Pilates for horse riders? Answered by Bonita de Klerk, Pilates instructor A: Riding requires you to have strong core muscles. The core is made up of a series of abdominal and spine-stabilising muscles. These muscles help keep you upright, strong and stable. These muscles also influence your posture. Pilates is focused on…
