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The Trouble with Circles - August 2010 Nancncy Wesolek-Sterrett Circles play a major role in training for a reason. No movement tells a rider more about his or her ability to coordinate a corridor of aids. Keeping the horse straight (which means that the right hind foot follows along the same track as the right front foot and the left follows the left) on a truly round circle that does not change size at any point requires more than just choosing the right aids to apply. .. continued..

Working with Horses is a Mental Game - August 2010 Charles Wilhelm After spending a good deal of time in the last few years working with beginning and returning riders, I find that working horses on the ground and riding horses is really a mental game. What I mean is that we may know how to ride correctly or we have been taught to use the rein and leg aids properly. Nevertheless, we are not really doing what we think we are doing. We think we are executing the aids correctly because our brains tell us we have properly executed the cue. In reality, we have not executed the movement properly. In other words, sometimes our brain lies to us. What that means is that the brain executed the cue but the body didn’t quite listen to the brain or there is a lag in time. .. continued..

On Our Cover - July 2010 - Lynette Smith says she is always on a quest to find unique places to photograph horses. Last spring, through the Equine Photographers Network she attended the 7th Annual spring Equine Photography Workshop in Craig, Colo- rado. The cover image this month was taken at the Sombrero Ranch in Craig, Colorado during the 50th Annual Sombrero Ranch Horse Drive and ranch visit. Lynette says It was a magnifi cent 10 day working vacation. .. continued..

Riding Responsibly - July 2010 NANCY WESOLEK STERRETT The ‘riding tree’ we use to teach students progressive horsemanship skills begins with relaxation, then adds balance, following the horse’s motion with the seat, and proper application of the aids. When they master this combination of skills, riders can coordinate their aids to influence their horse correctly. They have achieved the rider’s holy grail of an independent seat. .. continued..

When to Retire the Older Horse - July 2010 Charles Wilhelm At this time, like the medical care for humans that extends our lives and allows us to remain active as we get older, the same is true for horses. If you keep a horse in good physical shape by riding two or three times a week, provide good nutrition, and be consistent with worming to keep the digestive system in good shape, an older horse should continue to have a comfortable and active life. .. continued..

On Our Cover - June 2010 Beezie Madden with her horse, Danny Boy, on April 25, 2010. Madden ultimately won the $60K GP Kentucky Cup after first competing in a jumpoff round of 4 other riders. .. continued..

Achieving Steady Hands - June 2010 by Nancy Wesolek-Sterrett, Dressage Department Head Aggravation is just one word that comes to mind when a horse roots and yanks at the reins, tosses his head up and down, or opens his mouth to evade the bit. Raising the head to get above the bit, cranking it to the chest to get behind the bit, locking the jaw muscles or locking the neck muscles are other bit evasions that exasperate many riders. They just want to scream, “Horse, you are not listening to me!” From the other end of the reins, the aggravated horse is screaming back, “Get out of my face!” .. continued..

Club News: Pinto Horse Association of Western WA - May 2010 The Pinto Horse Association of Western Washington offers family-oriented shows throughout the Northwest, for Pintos and solids from many different breeds. Northwest Rider Magazine is now the offi cial publication of the Pinto Horse Association of Western Washington. Find current information on our organization here every month! .. continued..

Coordinating Aids - May 2010 NANCY WESOLEK STERRETT We use corridors of aid pressures to create a feel in the horse of a shape we want his body to take. Refi nements in the positioning, intensity, timing and release of our basic seat, leg, and rein aids convey information about gait, speed, direction and the degree of collection we want. We aspire to the clear, precise coordination of aids that allows us to fl ow from one movement into the next then the next as we ride. In our daily riding sessions, however, “aspire” is more often the operative word than our actual experience. .. continued..

BITLESS RIDING - Part II - May 2010 Charles Wilhelm As I said last month, for me, riding bitless is neither right nor wrong. It depends on the horse and the type of riding you do. Each type of equipment has advantages. A bit has more communication value as commands can be more specifi c. It is important to remember that it is not what you put on the horse’s face, it is what you do with that piece of equipment. .. continued..

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