Understanding and respecting the physical demands we place on our horses is fundamental to good horsemanship. After all, a healthy back is not only vital for performance, it is essential for a horse’s comfort and quality of life. Prioritizing back health not only enhances performance but also fosters a deeper, more respectful partnership between horse and rider.

I’ve created this term to help highlight a situation I sometimes see in my work with clients. The two words seem to conflict with each...

Stopping horses with a bitless bridle.

For novice equestrians, the journey into the world of horseback riding can be both exhilarating and daunting. One aspect that often...

Like many horse people, I always felt I understood horses better than humans, especially as I studied horses so extensively doing my...

Horse behaviour is a means of communication, and all behaviour has a functional element. 'Challenging' behaviour can be described as...

If we do something with a horse without their consent, what are we doing? What does that mean? Is that then a master/slave relationship?...

When we handle horses and especially when training, we are often using some form of reinforcement. There are two main types of...

Over the past few years, I’ve met a few horses who have undergone what can only be described as a transformation. While I am always happy...

I’ve heard critics of bitless bridles say they apply too much pressure to the horse. I find this an interesting statement. When riding in...

Every time we touch a horse we are communicating. One of the best things an instructor ever said to me was ‘put love in your hands.’ I...

When I switched from riding with a bit, to riding bit-free, a lot of things changed and shifted. I found myself connecting and...

Bit-Blindness is a huge problem for animal welfare on a global scale. The included photo is a great example of it. The photographer has...

I was going to write an article about rider balance, but as I explored the topic I thought of other situations where balance plays an...

1. So you can ride safely and kindly – Bitless bridles have now been used extensively throughout the world for over 20 years. They...

A steady, forward, working trot is the jewel in any horse’s crown. Whether you are riding for pleasure or competition, this is an...

There are so many bitless riders now, reach out and feel the support of a likeminded community, be bitless and proud. Together we can help make the world a better place for horses and grow strong in ourselves as we do it.

Some horses seem unable to walk calmly along and are constantly doing a jigjog. It is not a walk or a trot, but a bouncy jogging that is...

I have always said to my riding students to look ahead and focus on where they are going. But recently in a lesson I found this going to...

We are fortunate living in Australia to have laws preventing animal abuse. I have a vision for the future of horses. One of the biggest animal cruelty issues our society faces is the overt abuse of horses with bits, whips, and spurs.