Finding Alternatives for the Conditioning Goal - Many riders worry that their lack of access to hills means their horses will miss important conditioning benefits. But before charging up hills, or fretting about their absence, riders should first consider the specific gains they were hoping to make. A horse recovering from injury, for instance, will use and benefit from hills differently than a moderately fit horse aiming to improve stamina or performance. After specific goals are identified, relevant substitutions can be explored. Whether you need hills depends on what you hope to achieve.

I tend to think of self-carriage like cruise control. A horse in self-carriage remains on the path, in the gait, in the tempo, and the frame his rider requested, for several strides without being held there.

Simplicity, understanding, and connection - After witnessing acclaimed US dressage rider Steffen Peters perform award-winning tests at competitions around the world, I had no hesitation when asked to cover his clinic in June 2026 at High Wyck Farms in Meaford, Ontario. The quality and precision of his teaching matched the excellence of his competition performances.

Every Time, Everywhere - Wrong lead! It’s one of the earliest alerts a young rider hears from her coach. One’s heart sinks to hear that same alert from the coach calling over the show ring rail. The novice rider learns the outside leg back and kiss cue to canter but I’ve found that riders are often unsure why they should use this cue. Let’s break it down. We’ll review the phonics of teaching your horse to pick up the correct lead and some hints to help the rider recognize it.