Patrick King Horsemanship & Dressage

06/30/2025

Yesterday evening, we had a meeting for the Premium Members in my Academy for Classical Horsemanship, and we discussed where everyone is at currently with their horse for the year. Many of them have done so much they are now setting all new goals!

✨️ It's halfway through 2025, how are YOU and YOUR HORSES doing with your goals for the year?

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Want to learn more about the Academy? Visit

Promoting and sharing classical principles for modern riders

06/29/2025

Isn't this interesting?

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/19FN5zyRM4/

In horse sports in the last half-century, the noseband has been considered to be important in controlling horses under-saddle. In that time, the use of nosebands has become increasingly coercive.

Beginning with cavessons and then drop-nosebands, this piece of tack nowadays includes and even prioritises the use of lever-action ‘crank’ nosebands in Olympic horse sports.

Most significantly, nosebands mask conflict behaviours to a large extent which has been seen as a welcome advantage in horse sports.

Studies have shown that tight nosebands can increase the sensitivity of the bit which has facilitated neck hyperflexion (shortening and arching of the horse’s neck).

Surprisingly, studies have also revealed that a frequent reason for using a noseband during competition is that it is mandatory under FEI (International Federation for Equestrian Sports) rules and regulations.

An excerpt from Modern Horse Training: Equitation Science Principles & Practice, Volume 2.

06/27/2025

GREAT words of wisdom from Jec Aristotle Ballou.

https://www.facebook.com/share/16pTS9RKCU/

"Take away the inertia." This is something I often find myself saying to students when they are riding various exercises with their horse. What do I mean by this? Usually, it means to slow down and help the horse move in a very step-wise and deliberate manner. This prevents the horse from throwing his body around while over-exerting his/her large mover muscles which can override and de-activate the deeper muscles that play such a vital role in organizing the horse's body. When a horse trots over cavalletti poles, for example, by surging forward and tightening his neck to pull the body along, he/she has activated unhelpful muscles (in this case, the ones that pull weight forward onto the forehand). Inertia has taken over. When we are building strength, we want instead to minimize the horse charging or flinging himself through exercises. Take away the inertia so the horse then synchronizes his different muscle systems to simultaneously organize AND propel the body.

06/26/2025

https://www.facebook.com/share/16ugL5HTRg/

"Lessons are called riding lessons, not horsing lessons. Their primary purpose is to develop a rider. Once there is a good rider, he can become a trainer of horses, yet often riders are asked to train before they have the skills to do it."
- Charles de Kunffy,
Dressage Principles Illuminated p. 128
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http://www.charlesdekunffy.com/

06/25/2025

𝗧𝗼𝗽 𝟱 𝗜𝗻-𝗛𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗠𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀 that most people make when working with their horses in hand.

⭐ 𝗝𝗼𝗶𝗻 𝗺𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗙𝗥𝗘𝗘 𝗪𝗲𝗯𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗿, 𝗧𝗵𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝗝𝘂𝗻𝗲 𝟮𝟲, 𝗮𝘁 𝟳:𝟯𝟬𝗽𝗺 (𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻).

These mistakes are incredibly common. In fact MOST PEOPLE are making them when they get started, and some CONTINUE to struggle to make the progress they want because they never fix these mistakes.

➡️ 𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗶𝗻-𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸?

Then you'll want to know these 5 mistakes and how to avoid them!

➡️ 𝗛𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗽𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻-𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗲?

Then you'll probably recognize these mistakes and want to learn how to fix or avoid them!

Let me help you recognize and, most importantly, FIX these mistakes so that you can move forward and gain all the value that proper in-hand work brings to your training and relationship with your horse!

𝗝𝗼𝗶𝗻 𝗺𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗙𝗥𝗘𝗘 𝗪𝗲𝗯𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗿, 𝗧𝗵𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝗝𝘂𝗻𝗲 𝟮𝟲, 𝗮𝘁 𝟳:𝟯𝟬𝗽𝗺 (𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻).

Follow this link to register!

... that most people make when working with their horses in hand. These mistakes are incredibly common. In fact MOST PEOPLE are making them when they get started, and some CONTINUE to struggle to make the progress they want because they never fix these mistakes.

06/25/2025

Ok gang - so I'm curious about 𝗬𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗢𝗣𝗜𝗡𝗜𝗢𝗡.

💥 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘭𝘦𝘵 𝘮𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘺 𝘴𝘢𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘓𝘖𝘜𝘋𝘓𝘠 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘦𝘱𝘵 𝘯𝘰 𝘳𝘶𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘰𝘳 𝘧𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘶𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘤. 𝘕𝘰 𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨. 𝘕𝘰 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘢𝘤𝘬𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘥. 𝘕𝘰 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘈𝘕𝘠𝘖𝘕𝘌 𝘪𝘯𝘷𝘰𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘶𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘳 𝘪𝘯𝘷𝘰𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘤 𝘰𝘧 𝘧𝘰𝘤𝘶𝘴. 𝘗𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘥. 𝘗𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘮𝘦 𝘣𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘣𝘢𝘴𝘪𝘤 𝘴𝘰𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘳𝘶𝘭𝘦. 𝘐 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘢 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘢𝘥𝘶𝘭𝘵.

Ok - I bet I have your attention now (𝘯𝘰, 𝘥𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘴𝘤𝘳𝘰𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘺𝘦𝘵! 𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘺 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘮𝘦 𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘭 𝘺𝘰𝘶'𝘷𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯).

We have recently seen yet another horse abuse video posted online (this one with a successful competitive rider whipping a horse 40+ times in a short span, to no obvious positive outcome, and then claiming it was the only way to "save it from going to the knackers").

We are in the age of free information, available at our fingertips, through videos, podcasts, articles, and more, and have more real knowledge than ever before about a horse's psychology, physiology, and needs.... and yet behaviors like that still happen - and sometimes even come from riders that are supposedly knowledgeable, skilled, and talented.

➡️ So my question is this.... 𝗪𝗛𝗬? 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗶𝘁'𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗮 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝘁𝗼 "𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗼𝗿 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗹𝘂𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲" 𝗮 𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗲?

It's not ALL riders, it's not ALL trainers, it's not ALL competitions, and it's not ALL judges, so we can't say that it's ALL anything - 𝘢𝘳𝘨𝘶𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘣𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘦𝘵 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘯'𝘵 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘵-𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘦𝘥𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘰𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵.

𝗜𝘀 𝗶𝘁 𝗮 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺? 𝗔 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺? 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺 𝗶𝘀 𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗟𝗟𝗬 𝗿𝗼𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗱, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗯𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗲/𝘀𝗼𝗹𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀?

Again, follow the rules I first mentioned, and let this be a discussion of ideas and solutions - not an argument, a blame game, or a "light the torches" mob meeting.

06/23/2025

Are you new to in-hand work with your horse?

Have you been practicing your in-hand work, but finding some "hiccups" that you'd like to fix?

This free webinar can truly save you years of frustration and struggle with your horse AND set you up for much more future success.

Don't miss this chance to learn about the 5 biggest in-hand work mistakes and how to fix or avoid making them.

Register at inhandworkmistakes.com and join me on Thursday, June 26 at 7:30pm (eastern US).

And don't worry - if you can't make it live, you'll get a link to the replay page afterwards.

Inhandworkmistakes.com

06/21/2025

🐎 What are you and your horses up to this weekend?

06/19/2025

Jump in before doors close tonight!

https://www.facebook.com/share/1FwVdGk3oL/

The reality for so many horse professionals is that they put so much ahead of themselves. Maybe you do this too.

The horses get the best of your energy. The students and clients get your patience, your time, your creativity. Your business needs come before your personal ones, and as a horse professional, you continuously sacrifice so much to serve those you care about the very best you can.

You’ll research for hours to help a client find the right horse.
You’ll stay late at the barn to reassure a rider after a rough lesson.

You’ll pour your whole heart into helping people… and then lie awake wondering if you did enough.
We see it every day.

And here’s the thing: If you don’t invest in yourself, you can’t do your best for them.

For your students, who count on you to guide them when fear shows up.

For the horses, who deserve calm, clear riders in the saddle.
For every lesson that could stay safe and productive because you had the tools and the plan to handle the tough moments.

That’s exactly what Emotions in the Arena was built for.

This isn’t theory you’ll file away and never use. It’s a live coaching experience to equip you with practical tools, real scenarios, direct Q&A, and our proven process for handling the emotional moments no one talks about but every instructor faces.

We begin tomorrow. And once we do, enrollment closes so we can focus fully on the group inside.

And because we know how hard it is for horse professionals to invest in themselves, we’ve added a simple payment plan too, so you can pick what works best for you and still get in before we close the doors.

If you’ve ever wondered if you handled a meltdown the right way…If you’ve ever wanted to feel more confident when fear, frustration, or shut-down shows up in the arena…This is your moment.

Do it for your students. Do it for their horses. And yes, do it for yourself, too.

The link to join us is in the comments below to save your seat!

PC Mosaic Photography for Erin Gilmore Photography

06/17/2025

🎙 🐎 TALKING ABOUT HORSES, Episode #65

In this broadcast, I am joined by Dr Paul Haefner and Justin Haefner of Far LLC to discuss their new program EMOTIONS IN THE ARENA.

This program is so important for instructors, coaches, clinicians, and trainers.

Check it out at www.course.ridingfar.com

06/16/2025

"Be so steady in your own energy that you invite people into your peace, instead of falling into their tension." - Yung Pueblo

This certainly applies to our horses, as much as to other humans.

06/15/2025

🎙️ 𝗧𝗔𝗟𝗞𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗔𝗕𝗢𝗨𝗧 𝗛𝗢𝗥𝗦𝗘𝗦: SPECIAL EPISODE - with guests Dr Paul Haefner and Justin Haefner of Riding Far, LLC - this Tuesday, 𝗝𝘂𝗻𝗲 𝟭𝟳 𝗮𝘁 𝟳:𝟯𝟬𝗽𝗺 (𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯 𝘜𝘚 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦).

In this special live podcast episode, I'm going to be talking with Dr Paul and Justin about 𝗘𝗠𝗢𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗦 𝗜𝗡 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗔𝗥𝗘𝗡𝗔.

We're going to talk about...

▪️How to recognize what’s happening in a rider’s nervous system (and why that matters more than what they say they're feeling).

▪️How to create an emotionally safe learning environment without coddling or avoiding challenges.

▪️How to help students ride with more focus, trust, and resilience.

If you are a teacher, coach, clinician, or trainer this is going to be an important discussion to listen to.

𝗛𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗲𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽? 𝗢𝗿 𝗺𝗮𝘆𝗯𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗲𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀? Tune in LIVE and you can ask those in the chat during our conversation (or you can enter them in the comments below and I’ll try to include them in the call for you).

I'm excited to share this with you LIVE, right here on this page! (Patrick King Horsemanship & Dressage)

Be sure to LIKE and FOLLOW the page to get notified for all the times when we broadcast live!

⭐ 𝙋𝙇𝙀𝘼𝙎𝙀 𝙨𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙗𝙚 𝙨𝙪𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙞𝙣𝙫𝙞𝙩𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙛𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙟𝙤𝙞𝙣 𝙪𝙨!

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💥 If you miss the live broadcast, you can always catch the replay on Facebook or YouTube, and you can catch up with ALL the past episodes at TalkingAboutHorsesPodcast.com