Relaxed & Forward Blog

Judging Dressage

Dressage isn't perfect, but what part is baby and what part is bath water? Watching the Dressage competition at the...
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How to Ride Creatively.

Riding a horse is the simplest thing in the world. Just point 'em and kick. What's so hard about that?...
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Defending Horses with Words and Money

Fair warning: I'm going to ask you to do a favor for horses. It will involve some of your time...
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Admitting You’re Wrong.

Do you remember the first time you wanted to be right? It might predate memory or even language. Being good...
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Women as Predators.

Do you identify as a predator? I was at a horse show a few years back, helping a client. It...
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Do You Inspire Your Horse?

Do you inspire your horse? Does he volunteer more than you ask? Are you proud of who you are in...
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Is That Horse Hot or Fearful? The Importance of Relaxation

It's a question I've asked groups lately, "How can you tell the difference between a hot horse and a fearful...
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What's the True Value of Riding?

There's a meme that travels around Facebook that states, "Most people don't need a $35,000 horse. They need a $1,000...
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Energy Without Emotion.

Some of us originally learned to ride by watching Westerns. Cowboys held both reins in one hand and jerked the...
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A Reminder about Horse Memory.

The temps were mild. No one was shedding but the geldings were sunbathing flat and I was able to chip...
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How to Stop Feeling the Rub of Judgment.

On a good day, a judgment is simply a carefully considered decision or opinion, but on a bad day, it's...
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Starting Back After a Winter's Rest.

It happened last Tuesday afternoon. I was finishing up midday chores and I braced as I came around the side...
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Enough with the Bliss-Ninny Platitudes!

Your horse is escalating. His prance is coming apart into a full-blown Flamenco dance with a furious stomp to his...
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New Eyes on the Same Ordinary Stuff

I'll tell you about how the first follow happened. She was a young barn-rat of a girl. You know the...
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Looking for a Better Ride?

Let's say you're a middle sort of rider. You aren't a rank beginner; you're comfortable in the saddle but it...
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What Are You Saving for Good?

My parents grew up in the Great Depression and were frugal; we kept things "for good." It was the first...
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Anthropomorphism. It's a Not Bad Thing.

This week I saw a comment on a great story about a mustang that credited the horse and rider's success,...
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When Your Horse Falls In a Hole.

Horses fall into holes all the time. Metaphoric holes; the really tricky kind that jump up and surprise you when...
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