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Last week, we held the Balanced Riding Course Live Event at my farm in Honey Brook, Pa. It was an awesome two days and bittersweet to say goodbye to everyone at the end of the last day.

During the event, we had demos and speakers on everything from saddle fit to equine massage, anatomy, and of course – better riding and horsemanship!

We live-streamed the event for course members who couldn’t attend in person, and I’ve got a few clips to share with you too!

The best one shows how a small shift in position can improve your turns and keep you effective and stable even when your horse is pulling in another direction, such as the arena gate, or in this case, a bucket of treats!

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Comments

8 Responses

  1. I am 62 now and riding again. I found this video a great reminder ad help. In my younger years when my instructor explained rein use when turning. She said, think of it as “thumbing to hitchhick” point your thumb the direction you want to go with a slight twist of the wrist. Yhank you!

  2. I am 62 now and riding again. I found this video a great reminder aid help. In my younger years when my instructor explained rein use when turning. She said, think of it as “thumbing to hitchhick” point your thumb the direction you want to go with a slight twist of the wrist. Yhank you!

  3. Hi. This question isn’t really about this post but I’ve been watching your older YouTube videos and I was wondering how do you start bareback riding. I just got a horse about 2 weeks ago and I don’t think he’s ever done bareback before. How would you start that out?

  4. Thank you, Callie, for showing this to me at the Balanced Riding Course Live! This was such a concise explanation of something I’ve been struggling with for quite some time. Your instruction has really helped my riding.

  5. Thank you Callie. This was exactly what I needed to hear. I was pulling my draft mare around and she was pulling back so hard and drifting out of turns it was pulling me up onto my toes and my hip bone wasn’t touching the saddle. This little change put the connection back, lightened our turns and no pulling. Three weeks of consistent turns now and we are much more organized, precise and coordinated. A huge improvement. Many thanks.

  6. Callie,
    This video about turning was very helpful. Like Bb I have a draft mare who continually reminds me of the importance of body mechanics and leverage. That subtle weight shift really seems to get her attention. Although a draft is big and muscular it is still sensitive to the rider’s balance. Along those same lines I’d like see a video about riding the backup. My mare backs easily from the ground but not so nice from the saddle. It may be saddle fit issue but it may also may be me. I feel her resistance is because she can’t pick up her hind feet and I suspect that’s because somehow I’m sitting on them.

    Thank you.

  7. Hi Callie!

    I have a question – is it normal to “forget” almost everything you already know when learning a new thing? I started at a new barn where the trainers actually talk about using body aids, not just the usual “heels down” and “pull in the direction you want to travel”, so I am learning so much and each lesson is just that – a lesson, not just sitting on a horse for 60 minutes.
    But as I am trying to do the exercises we do every lesson, I have noticed I have become even tenser than I was before and my balance, which was somewhat decent, has suffered greatly. Is this just a normal part of the learning process (I have only had 4 lessons with the new trainers) or should I worry about this and try to find something to fix it?
    It also seems like I can only concentrate on one thing – inside leg, say, and then I’ll suddenly remember, oh, I was supposed to support the horse with the outside rein as well and then my focus shifts to that detail “dropping” everything else. And then there’s tempo and forward movement and everything else to worry about, and I just can’t grasp it all. Is this normal in the beginning? I am not new to horseback riding, but I have never had proper training before and so the finer details are all novel for me.
    I know that in dog training, when you introduce a new criteria, the old ones should temporarily be slightly relaxed to help the animal to learn better. Does this apply to humans as well? Should I forgive myself for being a lot more “messy” in the saddle as I’m trying to for the first time figure out how to use my hands and legs properly, and more importantly, how to use them in unison?

    Sorry for the long question and although I would be immensely grateful if you could reply, I totally understand if you don’t have the time. I just wanted to add a thank you for all the wonderful videos and resources you have made available for people!

  8. I’m 33 old
    From Cairo, Egypt
    I’m back to horse riding, after about 20 years of holding, i’d like to know the benefits of using “tight” pants while horse riding, i know it’s not a relevant question, but that was the only way a found to contact you

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