Juniper Farms

04/26/2025

Horsemanship often comes down to the details. The image is a detail of a larger picture of a rider just riding along, not appearing to cue their horse for any purpose. The detail is of their foot position that is at an angle, not parallel to the horse's spine, which would be correct.

When I saw this rider's picture, the foot position stuck out because I constantly deal with the shoeless, bitless, bridleless folks who want to ban equipment as a solution to today's common quine abuse. As anyone who reads my page knows, I believe the solution is better horsemanship education. I have heard all the excuses, "There isn't time", "Competitors don't care about their horses, only about winning" and so on. But I blame the instructors or trainers who let the details slide. Correct foot position starts in a new rider's first lesson.

Even without spurs, a turned out toe puts the edge of the boot heel into a horse's side. This can create unwanted behaviors and if done constantly, you get a dead sided horse. Either way the horse suffers. Banning equipment will not overcome the problems of poor riding instruction. The decline of horsemanship will continue until riding instructors start doing a better job of teaching. It is really that simple.

03/22/2025

When girthing up a horse, it’s important not to over-tighten the girth. An over-tightened girth may pinch or bruise the muscles, especially those in the chest (pectorals), the neck (trapezius), the side of the ribcage (serratus ventralis), and the lower back (latissimus dorsi), which are shown in red on the diagram bel. Similar to how a tight belt can cause discomfort or bruising in a human, an overly tight girth can cause soreness in these areas. It may also lead to bruising of the ribs and the intercostal muscles (the muscles between the ribs), restricting movement and causing pain. Additionally, the tightness will cause the saddle to put more pressure on the horse’s back muscles, leading to further discomfort.

Think of it like wearing a belt that’s too tight around your waist: it presses into your skin and muscles, causing discomfort, restricting movement, and potentially causing bruising. Just as you wouldn’t wear a belt so tight that it hurts, it’s crucial not to over-tighten the girth to avoid these issues for the horse. Always ensure the girth is snug, but not excessively tight, to keep the horse comfortable and prevent injury.

08/17/2024

The art of riding is being an easy weight to carry!

When the rider is in complete harmony with the movement of the horse, the inconvenience of the weight of the rider will be minimal for the horse. However if the rider is against the movement of the horse, ie. if he loses his balance often or if he falls backwards or forwards, then he asks a great deal of adjustment from the horse.

11/22/2023

THIS RIGHT HERE!!!!!!!

I don’t want to buck you off. There’s a sharp pain every time I go into canter when you’re riding me, and I can’t help but react to it. I don’t understand it, it doesn’t happen if I canter in the field. Please listen to me. I know you love…

11/12/2023

This Olympian urges riders to refine their aids and have high expectations to increase the horse’s mental understanding.

11/12/2023

11/09/2023

Find out more about how to use Franklin balls, how they work, and how they can benefit training both on and off the horse

09/15/2023

09/10/2023

Rebecca Langwost-Barlow answers a reader question and explains how to attain lower-leg stability.

09/03/2023

Learn grand prix jumper Daniel Bluman's cure for the most common rider fault.

08/15/2023