Posts Tagged ‘horse training’

Real Winners at the Draft Horse Pull

March 29, 2025
Jan Swan Wood

Many years ago we went to a draft horse pull. It was held in the winter in a warm facility, and promised to be a fun day off the place. It didn’t disappoint.The horse pull was a big one, as nearly 30 years ago it was a pretty big thing in the region. There wereprofessional […]

Teamwork Between a Kid and a Colt

March 13, 2025
Jan Swan Wood

I recently told you about some of the daring ideas that a kid will come up with when teamed up with agreen colt. Son Colin’s filly was two and he was 10. He had officially “started” Callie in August, but he’dbeen sneaking off to ride her bareback in the pasture for months before that, so […]

A Kid, a Colt and Interesting Ideas

March 6, 2025
Jan Swan Wood

Calving was starting and my son was gathering the cows at night while I fed them some good hay in agrass lot. Colin was 12, and he was riding his filly Callie who was a three year old. He had officially“started” her the summer before, but unofficially, he’d been sneaking off and riding her bareback […]

Hunter/Jumper/Barrel Horse

February 15, 2025
Jan Swan Wood

Back in the olden days when I was young and single, I had a very high powered gelding that I was trying to make a barrel horse out of. Back then you had to just go get some runs on a horse, somewhere, as it was before there were anything like 4D barrel races and […]

Lead Departures

February 8, 2025
Anna Foulger

In any reining pattern, a beautiful lead departure can make or break your score. Though it seems really simple, some horses really struggle with making a lead departure look effortless. A perfect lead departure is going to feel and look smooth, with minimal effort. Your horse should really gather himself up into the bit and […]

The Snaffle Bit

January 29, 2025
Anna Foulger

Riding young horses can be really challenging sometimes, but thankfully there are some great tools you can use to help. My personal favorite tool when starting and riding young horses is the snaffle bit. When used correctly, a snaffle bit is a great aid for horses as it uses direct pressure to guide your horse […]

Working on the Turn Around

January 25, 2025
Anna Foulger

Working on the turn around is such a fun point in training a horse. The softness and correctness you have come to, to be capable of asking a horse to turn around correctly is really a great place to be with any colt or horse you have been working on. A turn around is a […]

Ranch Horse Agility Training

January 23, 2025
Jan Swan Wood

My Dad had a really good, home raised gelding named Reno. He was my Dad’s horse of a lifetime. Agolden buckskin, he was a smooth made combination of a Thoroughbred mare and a Jack McCue bredstud. Foaled in 1960, by the time he was five years old, there just wasn’t anything he wasn’t capable of […]

Riding the Unkind Horse

January 21, 2025
Anna Foulger

There is something to be said for the unkind horses. The horses that you want to be good, but everytime you go to swing a leg up, you can’t help, but wish you were anywhere else in the world. Now I’m not talking about the broncs of this world, because believe me when I say, […]

The Bum Calf Down the Fence

January 17, 2025
Anna Foulger

How bad do you want it? How hard are you willing to work? Train? Rain or shine, early mornings, late nights, kids in tow, that’s how bad it has to be. The all consuming drive that keeps you up at night, thinking of ways to work on the maneuver, fix the problem horse, ride the […]