What a great time for the blog to head into 30k territory! The beginning of the new year is a great time of reflection, evaluation, goal setting....
Goals? Did someone say, "goals"?
Who DOESN'T want to improve themselves for the sake of their horse? Isn't the whole point of being a good horse human to get better at whatever we're doing with our horses?
Let's Celebrate!
I'd love to celebrate the 30k (that's actually 30,000 PEOPLE!!) by doing a random giveaway of 5 digital copies of Goal Setting For The Equestrian: A Personal Workbook. Since we're coming on to the new year, I thought you might find this workbook timely and appropriate!
All you have to do is answer the following question in the comments below:
What is one skill you would like to work on this year?
Here are the "deets":
The deadline is 12 am (midnight) on the day that the Facebook page reaches 30,000 likes! We are only just over 200 likes away at the time of writing this, so enter quickly, as it may happen within the next few days!
Only one entry per person. Only serious answers accepted (no facetious remarks!).
The draw is completely random.
Be sure to enter using the comment section for this post. Facebook comments will not be eligible for the draw! Winners will be announced the next day right here on the blog. I will write a new blog post with the winner's comments and names. Make sure you come back to check for winners on the blog or the Facebook page if you aren't already subscribed to the email list.
Winners will be required to contact me directly by email in order to receive their eBook.
Good luck, and thanks for reading, liking, commenting, encouraging me, and of course, Horse Listening!
Kathy
P.S. Shameless plug to let you know that I'm currently working on a 2nd Edition of the Goal Setting Book, which should be ready for publishing in the early Spring. All the great content of the 1st Edition will be kept in, but there will be two new sections that will make the book even more complete and useful! Keep an eye out...!
Finally! The Ultimate Rider-Centered Program!
Ready for something completely different? If you liked what you read here, you might be interested in the new Horse Listening Practice Sessions.
This is NOT a program where you watch other people's riding lessons. Start working with your horse from Day 1.
Don’t miss a single issue of Horse Listening! If you like what you are reading, become a subscriber and receive updates when new Horse Listening articles are published! Your email address will not be used on any other distribution list. Subscribe to Horse Listening by Email
If you’d like a structured, but personal tool to set goals, take a look at the new Goal Setting for the Equestrian: A Personal Workbook. The pages are designed for you to set and keep track of your progress over the course of a year.
Included in the book:
design your overarching goals
long- and short-term planning,
debrief your special events such as clinics or shows
reflect on, plan and evaluate your goals
sample goals and pages
The Workbook is available for instant digital download so you can print the pages right off your computer. There is also the option of a paperback version if you’d rather have a professionally bound book to hold in your hands.
I'm so happy to receive this recognition among the thousands of equestrian blogs on the Internet, never mind that we're listed at the top, among what I think of as the most influential websites out there! We were included in this list back in 2017 and here we still are!
The websites are ranked according to search and social metrics, which means to me that it's really all about you, the reader, that allows us to have this recognition. More importantly, I'm thrilled that so many people find the information here useful enough to visit regularly.
Horselistening.com has been around now since 2011, when blogs were just becoming a new website sensation, and when equestrians all over the globe were beginning to add their voice - whether through stories, sharing their personal journeys, or like me, creating a resource for others that they could access time and again. To date, we have over 450+ published articles on our site, plus many more shared on various other sites all over the Internet, and in equestrian association newsletters and journals around the world. We just passed the 25,000 "like" mark on our Facebook Page, with many others following on Twitter and Instagram.
Please go check out the other Top 100 sites. There are some amazing horsey blogs and websites that you might not know about, but would find entertaining or useful for your own horse listening journey!
With thanks for your readership. It's why I do what I do!
See you in our next article, coming soon! 🙂
Kathy
Finally! The Ultimate Rider-Centered Program!
Ready for something completely different? If you liked what you read here, you might be interested in the new Horse Listening Practice Sessions.
This is NOT a program where you watch other people's riding lessons. Start working with your horse from Day 1.
Don’t miss a single issue of Horse Listening! If you like what you are reading, become a subscriber and receive updates when new Horse Listening articles are published! Your email address will not be used on any other distribution list. Subscribe to Horse Listening by Email
Buy the book for many more riding tips! Horse Listening – Book 4: 20-Minute Exercises To Add Variety To Your Riding Routine
Here are the five New Year Giveaway winners. The names were randomly drawn - all the comments (entries) you left on the blog were included. Please send me a quick email if you have won at fwdnrnd@gmail.com
My goal is for me and my mare to learn flying changes this year. We have been working 3rd level for over a year and have competed at 2nd getting mid-60’s, but she is inconsistent at getting the changes in her hind end with my trainer and I’ve never gotten a clean change from her. Ideally, I would love to compete at 3rd level and get my bronze medal too, but the training is more important to me than competing. Most important to me is continuing to build our positive relationship together and learning to be a better rider and horsewoman! I’ve had her since she was a yearling and it’s been a long journey but so very rewarding!
Love reading your posts Horse Listening. Looking forward to more enjoyable reads in the new year and translating what I’ve picked up from reading into workouts with the girl. Best wishes for a healthful, happy and prosperous new year to Horse Listening and all your readers. 😊
Don’t miss a single issue of Horse Listening! If you like what you are reading, become a subscriber and receive updates when new Horse Listening articles are published! Your email address will not be used on any other distribution list.Subscribe to Horse Listening by Email
Now is the time to re-evaluate your goals and path to riding success!
Click on image to learn more.
If you’d like a structured, but personal tool to set goals, take a look ourGoal Setting for the Equestrian: A Personal Workbook. The pages are designed for you to set and keep track of your progress over the course of a year.
Included in the book:
design your overarching goals
long- and short-term planning,
debrief your special events such as clinics or shows
reflect on, plan and evaluate your goals
sample goals and pages
The Workbook is available for instant digital download so you can print the pages right off your computer. There is also the option of a paperback version if you’d rather have a professionally bound book to hold in your hands.Click here for more information.
The beginning of a new year is the best time to take stock of what we did last year, and make plans for what we'd like to see in the year ahead.
After all the parties are done, and the celebrations are finished, the calm after the storm is a great time to sit back, reflect, visualize and plan, and schedule your goals - especially your riding goals. As I've already discussed many times, goal setting is a little different when it comes to horses, because they have quite a lot of input into what can happen.
So it is great to have a structured, organized way to start off the year, then come back on a weekly and/or monthly basis to evaluate, adjust, and think ahead to next steps. Which is where the giveaway comes in!
And in celebration of the brand-spanking new 2019, I'd like to give away FIVE digital copies of the book! Print off the pages as many times as you like. This is the Giveaway that keeps on giving! 🙂
All you have to do is write a riding or ground work goal in the comments below. Make the goal something specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time-bound (get it? S.M.A.R.T. - which is how the goals in the book are set up!). Silly, irrelevant goals will eliminate your entry, so think of something that you really want to do this year in your riding, that will benefit your horse (or the horse that you ride).
FIVE lucky winners will be announced the first week of January. Enter only once. Winners will be randomly chosen after the close of the Giveaway. Look for the "Winners" blog post in the first week of January to see exactly who won.
Please use a name in the comments below that matches the email address you will use if you win. Email addresses are NOT necessary for entry.
The giveaway is open to current readers as well as new readers (so tell your friends!). Entries will be accepted starting now and ending at midnight (12:00 am) on Jan.2.
OK! What are you waiting for?! Looking forward to reading all about your goals! Comment below.
Don’t miss a single issue of Horse Listening! If you like what you are reading, become a subscriber and receive updates when new Horse Listening articles are published! Your email address will not be used on any other distribution list. Subscribe to Horse Listening by Email
Well, it's that time of year to take stock of where we've been and where we're going. We had another action-packed year here at Horse Listening, launching and then building on the newPractice Sessionsprogram. It has been met with great reviews and Premium members are seeing success with their horses, trying out the exercises and joining in on the conversation in our private Facebook community. We're now into our sixth month and the program has blossomed from just exercise videos to audio Q & As, audio downloads of all the videos, mini e-books, demo videos and much more!
Click to learn more
Then, we were thrilled to introduce our Horse Listening Book 4: 20-Minute Exercises To Add Variety To Your Rides just before the end of the year. The pre-order period is now over, but keep an eye out for the official book launch, scheduled on or about December 29th. The digital version will be sent out to everyone who pre-ordered on December 29th.
OK, let's get to the top 10 articles of 2018. These are the most widely read articles, my dear horse listeners, and they really do represent some of the best I've written over the years. I was surprised to note that this year, the top 10 articles range from one written in 2018 all the way back to the first year of the blog, 2011. This is interesting, because most years, the newest articles get read the most. This year, the articles seemed to be more diversely read. And some of the oldies are still very goodies!
Without further ado... <drumroll, please...> Just click on the image to read.
I started this blog "back in the day," when blogs were blogs and people wrote them for passion and for the love of the horse. In the good ol' days, the bloggers I read were intent on sharing for the purpose of information exchange, opening conversation, "listening" to comments from readers, and basically, doing it for fun and for free.
That was my mission from the get-go, in any case.
While I've now published books and started the membership site (which all help me to afford the new and the old on the website), my mission for the blog has not changed, even as the whole blogging environment has morphed around me. I will continue to share what I know right here on the blog, week in and week out. I love hearing from you, love the encouragement you send my way through likes, shares, and comments, and I especially love getting to know some of you and your horses personally, across unlimited miles.
Here's to much more of the same as we head into 2019. The sky is the limit!
Happy New Year!
Kathy & Cyrus
Photo Credit: K. Arbuckle
Don’t miss a single issue of Horse Listening! If you like what you are reading, become a subscriber and receive updates when new Horse Listening articles are published! Your email address will not be used on any other distribution list. Subscribe to Horse Listening by Email
Well, we just had our first snowfall out here in our neck o' the woods, and it got me thinking about the winter season that's looming ahead of us in the north end of the Americas.
While it's true that your clothes will be bulky, and the temperatures will drop, the winter can be a great time of rest, renewal and growth for you and your horse. I'm here to tell you to get your thick breeches on, put on the two extra jackets, grab your hat and head to the barn anyway! Here's why.
1. You don't get nearly as hot.
After the hot, hot summers we've been getting, it's such a relief to get to ride in cooler temperatures. The extra layers you put on when you first get to the barn will likely get dropped onto a jump standard (hopefully not onto the sand) and you'll end up riding in a couple of the lighter layers you've worn underneath.
Your horse will benefit too, as long as it isn't too cold (in which case, the lungs could be irritated, so better not to ride on those days). There is nothing better than a little exercise to warm up the muscles, get the heart and lungs working, pound the feet on the ground for some circulation in the legs, and do the walk/trot/canter that they can't do most of the time in turn-out because of poor footing.
2. Bouncy bouncy energetic horses.
What great fun it is when the horses are happy to move! These are the days when you can really work on your - and your horse's - conditioning, do longer trots and canters without the accompanying foam and soaking wet saddle pads of the summer.
Listen to your horse'sheartfelt snorts, feel the spring in his steps, and ride along with all that positive energy!
3. Cozy indoors and good footing.
Inclement winter weather is nothing to worry about if you have access to a comfy cozy indoor arena. It's a special kind of contentment when you can walk into the barn and leave the snow-covered winter wonderland behind long enough to prance, dance and frolic (and ride!) on delightfully clear sand footing on those days when there's no chance for real movement otherwise.
Plus there's the added bonus of being able to stay on a fairly regular riding schedule despite weather changes - something that helps keep both you and your horse physically and mentally fit over the long winter months.
4.Gorgeous outdoors, clear white snow, brisk get-yer-circulation-going wintry air.
Or better yet, keep those many layers on and head out into the the bright sunshine-y winter day and revel in deep snow, and white, open fields. Watch your horse's breath as it lingers visibly in the fresh air. Thrill in the crunchy snow underfoot and the eye-watering wind that stings your cheeks but makes you feel so alive.
Did anyone say, "homework?" Not the kind that you hate to do. This kind of homework is the stuff that great riding is built on. The winter season is by far the best time to hunker down, stay at home, andwork toward achieving those goalsthat you kind of glossed over during the summer. Get nit-picky and improve step by step.
Add some laterals, some tempo changes, changes in circle sizes - and you'll find that you might end up doing more over the winter months than you did in the summer.
6. Even when it's cold, you know you'll warm up anyway!
And this is the best part of riding in the winter. The cold becomes less of an obstacle because you get to move - even if you do ground work with your horse, even while grooming and tacking up, and especially if you ride. It's all exercise and you will warm up as you go along.
On the other hand, sometimes there's nothing better than taking time away from riding, or away from the barn altogether (that is, if you aren't the one feeding-and-cleaning-and-turning-in-and-out).
It could be the intensely cold weather, and other times it might be the holidays or special winter events that keep you away from the barn. But the winter gives you space to breathe and time to slow down and take it easy without feeling like you HAD to make it for that next ride.
And you will be energized and enthusiastic the next time you go out.
Here's to a wonderful winter, full of horsin' around, to come!
Finally! The Ultimate Rider-Centered Program!
Ready for something completely different? If you liked what you read here, you might be interested in the new Horse Listening Practice Sessions.
This is NOT a program where you watch other people's riding lessons. Start working with your horse from Day 1.
No cameras were allowed, so you get a nice fall trail riding picture instead!
Last year, we had the excitement of auditingCarl Hester's Masterclass, and this year, it was Charlotte Dujardin. Or just "Charlotte", as we call her, because her incredible accomplishments have made her a household name in our neck o' the woods.
I attended only the Sunday sessions, but the riders were new and there were horse representatives ranging from 4, 5, 6 year-olds, to Prix St. George and Grand Prix levels. So we got a great overview of the progression through the levels, and the exercises that she would use to improve each horse.
These tips are purely my own interpretation of what she said. But I thought I'd share my notes with you.
1. Horse's Daily Lifestyle
She started off by talking about their horse keeping strategies in their "yard". She said the excitable horses go out overnight, the horses with normal energy go out for the day, and the quiet horses go out for half-days or so. All of their horses get turnout every day, and they believe in letting horses be horses.
It all sounds great, until you realize that she's talking about literally the tip top of the "top horses" in the world!
The horses get worked 4 times a week, go out on the trail the other two days, and get Sundays off completely. She says that both she and Carl are interested in maintaining the horses' longevity. They want every young horse to make it to Grand Prix (if it can) and then be rideable long enough to develop at the Grand Prix level going into their teen years.
She mentioned that Valegro is still going strong, teaching young riders all about Grand Prix, and heading out to riding demonstrations at big venues. He also still enjoys his regular trail rides!
2. Young Horses and Their Riders
She had high praise for riders who bring along young horses, mostly because of the learning curves they have to ride through until the horse matures. She said that young horses need brave, balanced riders, as many horses typically start quiet and sweet, and then get cheekier as they get stronger and more opinionated!
She showed great patience with the young horses, and worked with the riders to help the horses overcome their tension in front of the large crowd. One horse kicked out repeatedly, and the only thing she said was to keep asking for trot (forward), stay away from the crowd (!!), and maintain contact. In time, the horse settled and finished with awe-inspiring movement, indicating a huge potential to come.
3. Stretching
She uses the stretch in walk, trot and canter for warm-ups and cool-downs. Don't just ride with a long rein and the horse's head anywhere; he has to be forward and taking the bit from the rider forward and down. As she worked the 4-year-old, it was evident that "forward" was more forward than you might think. It was as forward as the horse needed to be free moving in his gait and back.
However, she qualified by saying that you might not be able to stretch every horse like that right from day 1. She said it took her 2 years to get a stretch from Valegro at the beginning of a ride! So if the horse is excitable, better to start the ride with shorter reins and in an uphill outline and work toward the stretch over time. Safety first always!
4. Walk/Trot/Walk
She did a great demonstration of relaxing the 5-year-old horse (that was overwhelmed by the closed-in crowd) using a simple walk to trot to walk transition exercise. She coached the rider to send the horse forward with two legs, maintain even contact on both reins, and keep the head and neck directly in front of his chest.
After a short trot, she'd bring the horse back to walk, just before the horse got stronger or more excited. We could almost feel the horse calm through the walk transitions, and the movement through the back was more visible with each successive trot. It was a soothing, peaceful exercise that settled the horse's mind and invited him to relax and release.
5. Awesome Canter Work
I took away two great tips for canter work from the more advanced horse sessions. At this point, she was helping the riders develop collection and a more uphill balance.
One exercise was to stay in canter and send the horse forward, then ease him back, then send him forward again. Use the half-halt to rebalance the horse - not for more than a stride so the rider doesn't end up blocking or holding the horse. The rider shouldn't feel like she has to carry the horse.
In the collection phase, she encouraged the rider to make the horse more active. If the horse doesn't respond to a light leg, "go for a yeehaw"! She wanted the riders to move out in the canter, energize and then come back to a more active collection.
Then the exercise progressed naturally to the canter-walk transition. She told us that we shouldn't "fall into a heap" after walking! So she had the rider move out in canter, collect-collect-collect, and by then, the horse could easily walk right out of the canter, as long as the rider was actively riding the walk.
She urged us to ride at home as we would want to ride at the show - with precision and good movement, so excellence can become a habit.
The sessions were practical and gave us many ideas for our own riding, but my biggest take-away from the day was less about the skill building and had more to do with the way she treated both the horses and riders.
I imagine her teaching style is much like how she rides her own horses. She was at once kind, gentle, encouraging and supportive, and also firm, clear and absolutely specific. She let the horse guide the lesson, coached the rider as much as needed, and addressed each horse at its level. She didn't shy away from the difficult moments but never seemed to get too worked up about any problems.
It was a wonderfully inspiring day!
Finally! The Ultimate Rider-Centered Program!
Ready for something completely different? If you liked what you read here, you might be interested in the new Horse Listening Practice Sessions.
This is NOT a program where you watch other people's riding lessons. Start working with your horse from Day 1.
I don't believe in putting my work behind a paywall. But there are expenses in every venture. If you really liked this article, consider tipping us! Your tip will help me keep producing more riding TIPS (pun!) with free access to everyone. With thanks for reading!
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Included in the book:
In fact, 
My goal is for me and my mare to learn flying changes this year. We have been working 3rd level for over a year and have competed at 2nd getting mid-60’s, but she is inconsistent at getting the changes in her hind end with my trainer and I’ve never gotten a clean change from her. Ideally, I would love to compete at 3rd level and get my bronze medal too, but the training is more important to me than competing. Most important to me is continuing to build our positive relationship together and learning to be a better rider and horsewoman! I’ve had her since she was a yearling and it’s been a long journey but so very rewarding!
Love reading your posts Horse Listening. Looking forward to more enjoyable reads in the new year and translating what I’ve picked up from reading into workouts with the girl. Best wishes for a healthful, happy and prosperous new year to Horse Listening and all your readers. 😊