Sad news to start this newsletter with: I made the difficult decision to let my beloved big Silver horse go over the rainbow. He was 25, I had owned him for 13 years, plus my student Rhonda had owned him for 8 years prior to me, so he had been part of my life for most of his life. His age, color, and size issues had begun to show and it was just a matter of time before he was in serious distress. He was such a stoic horse, but I recognized he wasn't feeling well and had gone downhill in the last few months. He taught me so much and helped to get several of my scores towards my USDF Bronze Medal. His big playful character is greatly missed. |
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Taylor and Leah Working on Shoulder-in This is the "before" example. When I am judging, this is common to see. We term it "Neck In". You can see the over bend at the base of the neck along with the lack of angle to the track. Taylor's left leg and left side isn't doing it's job of guarding the hind end and controlling the shoulders. She's doing what most riders do when attempting shoulder-in, pulling on the inside rein! Also, she is driving solely with her inside leg. Lateral work is an "all hands (aids) on deck" game. Some aids more active than others but they have to all be "there". The lack of angle means the horse gets to basically move straight down the track. It is possible to have too much angle as well, which makes it more of a tail to the wall leg yield. Shoulder-in gets the inside hind more engaged when done with correct angle and bend. |
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Taylor and Leah After just a few minutes Look how much more expression there is in the movement! You can see the energy being generated and collected. BTW, Shoulder-In is a Collected movement. It should add energy and elasticity to the horse. Too much of the time, riders allow the horse to lose energy and slow the tempo. The more correctly done the movement is, the more the horse benefits from it. Taylor could still have her left leg a bit further back but she has good control of the shoulders and nice bend throughout Leah's body. She's definitely NOT just pulling the mare's head to the inside! I would like to see shorter reins and her hands keeping straight line to the mouth, slightly further apart. But overall, so much better, literally, in just a few minutes! Taylor is working on stuffing her leading edge and steering the withers. Those are Mary terms and are extremely effective at helping the rider to find the way to dance with the horse. |
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FACEBOOK I've been working on The Empowered Rider FaceBook page. I haven't taken the time over the past years to keep it current and active. That's changing! I'll keep event pages there, pictures from clinics, etc. It will be strictly a horsey page. There is a place on the page for Reviews. I see a few of my students have already given me wonderful reviews. Can I please ask any of you who are on FB to go give me a review? It would be greatly appreciated! Then, if it's ok, I would like to also place those reviews on my website testimonials page. Head's up that I don't really use FB messenger. It is too full of viruses and malware. If you want to get in touch with me, text or email is best! Please go "LIKE" The Empowered Rider FB page today! | | |
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Dates are added or occasionally changed, but it should be correct on the website calendar. You can always go there to check! Upcoming Calendar July 19-21 Wausau, WI August 8-10 Lafayette, GA August 16-18 Auburn, AL August 23-25 Huntersville, NC September 13-15 Fayetteville, GA September 27-29 Wausau, WI Most venues allow trailer-ins. I am always looking for more clinic venues. Farms get sold, focus and interests change. If you or someone you know is interested in hosting, please contact me! | | |
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