Okay, this isn't about Aretha but it is about respect...respect that we owe  the horse once we begin to understand what he is giving to us.

I think it's a pretty big leap especially when you think about it from the horse's point of view.

Let me know what you think..

Cheers.

I know some riding disciplines support shaving off the horse's whiskers but I have never felt comfortable with the idea. It would seem to me that if the horse still has whiskers after millions of years of evolution, they probably serve a purpose.

Interestingly, back in the late 90's, Switzerland and Germany made it illegal to shave off them off. I guess if our priority is the horse rather than fashion, it is in our interest, and the horse's, to put the clippers away.

Let me know what you think in the comments.

I remember once speaking to someone who had trained in Europe and they spoke about 'being on the wrong hind leg' rather than being on the wrong trotting diagonal. I really liked that because I think it's a far better way to explain what is going on.  Of course, it's probably too late to change our ways.

But I think it's a helpful way to think about trotting diagonals and hopefully, this video will help explain why.

I know we talk about this a lot but I think it's really important to remember that just by paying attention, you can be of great service to a horse.

And the more you pay attention to them, the more  what is normal for them becomes apparent and the quicker you can be to notice when something is going wrong.

Kind of  a win/win...good for the horse and who can really mind spending time looking at horses!

Years ago, when I managed the Riding School at the University of Toronto, I cross tied this nice new horse we had just gotten. One side of the cross tie was attached to the wall and the other side was attached to what I had assumed was a supporting beam.

Well, Teddy, the new horse, was startled by something. He pulled backwards and before I could get to the panic snap to release him, the supposed 'supporting beam' dislodged.

Apparently it was just a four by four that had been wedged between the floor and the ceiling but was unattached in any other way!

Now I am sure many people over the years had pushed, pulled and leaned on that four by four and it had stood firm. But it was no match for a thousand pound horse pulling away from it.

Somewhat miraculously, Teddy and I survived his seemingly eternal panicked battle to disconnect himself from this monstrous piece of wood. Except for a few cuts, scrapes, and bruises, neither of us were worse for wear.

An unnecessary and regrettable ex...

Sometimes, it can seem like riding horses is pretty complicated.

One way to make it simpler is to look after some really basic safety issues, before you even get on the horse.

This video is just about a few simple things you can do to make your ride safer...