Q. I have trouble when it comes to staying calm and breathing during classes, I get so nervous. Is there any way that works for you to stay calm enough to focus, or is it just one of those things to work through by concentrating on breathing? A. The best fix for show ring nervousness…
Q. What do you think would be the best size horse for me? I am 5’9″, 135 lbs. Also, what breed or color of horse would look best in Western pleasure? A. The first thing I will do to answer your question is to refer you to an earlier response I made to a somewhat…
Q. I’m interested in Western pleasure. I want to know everything about it! I have a horse I ride western, and I want to compete with him! I have a lot of questions because this is my first horse to ride and I want to do everything right. How do you show in a Western…
Q. Do you know why there are so many bad-moving, western pleasure horses in a hunter ring? A. I suspect the reason you’re seeing so many western-type horses in your shows is because the hunt seat events have become more and more popular with quarter-horse riders in the last couple of decades. I can understand…
Q. I recently went to a CHSA show here in Virginia. I saw the “Big 5” trainers showing Hunter, and I was very disappointed. They almost all had rounded shoulders and were hunched over so all the weight was in their hands. True, they could make their horses do almost anything, but … what are…
Q. I’m fifteen years old and will be showing for the first time. Can you describe what goes on in and out of the ring at the show? I ride English (jumping/hunter). A. Without knowing what sorts of shows and exactly which classes you intend to enter, it’s impossible to tell you what to expect…
Q. I ride and show my trainer’s horse. I’m comfortable on the horse, but cantering among others bothers me a little. Some of the things I wanted to know are, how are all of those riders able to not run into each other when there are ten of them in the ring and riding at…
Q. I went to a show, and the pony I rode went crazy. The barn we were at wasn’t that great, and she didn’t like it much. At home, she’s almost bombproof, but there she was all excited and whacky! It’s not like her, and at the show today she was PERFECT! We placed high…
Q. I have an Irish Draught cross Welsh Cob 15.2 gelding. He is obviously very chunky because of his breeding, and he has a tendency to bolt away with me. He was owned by a man for two years before I bought him six months ago. I know that he used to be ridden in…
Q. We have a retrained 8-year-old thoroughbred. He’s been off the track for four years and is usually very quiet. However, every now and then when we are at an easy canter, he’ll break into a dead run. He isn’t frightened or angry when he does it. He has a very sensitive mouth, and pulling…