“Request often, be content with little, reward lavishly.” François Baucher (1796 – 1873) The day before yesterday I had one of those days as a trainer that I am not proud of. I had a very good in-hand session with Rafonna, the 12-year-old Arabian mare, during which she and I communicated very clearly and calmly and…
The ‘Counted Walk’
The counted walk also referred to in the writings of classical masters as the school walk, is used to sharpen communication between horse and rider and improve collecting, balance, and impulsion. I am only just beginning to scratch the surface of the benefits of the counted walk as a training tool. I am greatly impressed with its effectiveness…
Making Weakness A Strength
“The disability from which I suffer is a great handicap, but there is a bright side to everything and my inability to apply the aids strongly has been a great lesson to me. I can use but very little force, and the results obtained by my weak efforts have convinced me that horses are generally…
The Automaton Horse
“However, the art of riding must not raise a slave. The means of dressage must not become a chain that the horse tries to break, wasting all of his energy. On the other hand, dressage should not put the horse to sleep and make it into a machine. What can the rider expect from such…
Getting Out Of The Brambles
I found myself hung up in the tall weeds yesterday. The path, so clear when I started, turned into a tangle of twisted, thorny, vines. Struggle as I might, I could not make any headway. I would just shake off the ones holding my legs and others would grab my arms; free my arms and…
The Importance Of Connection On The Ground
It is regularly noted by clients, students, and others just observing my work with horses, that the animals I handle seem to ‘obey’, ‘listen to’, or ‘respect’ me within a few short moments of our introduction. Another common statement is something to the effect of “horses seem to love Troy more than they love their…
The Right Horse
In my previous article, I wrote about choosing the right training ‘path’ for your interests. That subject had many inherent potential pitfalls as far as upsetting folks by coming out as against someone’s heartfelt or long-held belief, but it was nothing compared to the one I am tackling here. Let me begin by saying that…
Is Classical Horsemanship Path Right For You?
What style of riding is the right ‘path’ for you? Before we attempt to answer this odd question, it is good to remember that the style of riding you choose to employ is mostly dictated by what you wish to do with your horse; tack, clothing, and training methods all follow. Most experienced riders tend…
The ‘Magic’ of Horse Training
I was having a discussion about horse training with a buddy of mine the other day about how people should pick the trainer that is right for them. At one point I started drawing parallels between how some people almost religiously follow the dogma of one style of training or riding without really putting much…
The Myth of the Quiet Horse
The Myth of the Quiet Horse or why ‘relaxed and calm’ is not always preferable Yes, here I go again, with the cryptic titles. “What on earth is he on about this time? He is now going to find fault with my calm, relaxed horse?” I sometimes wish I had been brought up speaking some…
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