Most riders who “earn” their spurs can recount at least a few stories about their potential harm or have known horses with ribcage scars and damage from overuse. Whether spurs are inherently good or bad, however, depends on numerous factors including an understanding of their respective role in different disciplines.

Q: I ride a Thoroughbred with a moderately roached (convex or round) back. How should I determine if my saddle fits correctly? A: The nine main points of saddle fit are absolutely common to all saddles and all horses – if you want to determine whether and how well your saddle fits, these points should be considered, and each of these points has video instruction on our website at www.saddlesforwomen.com.

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.

Braiding a horse’s mane and tail is a tradition with deep historical roots. Originally, it served a very practical purpose—keeping the mane from getting caught in tack, tools, or the weapons used by mounted hunters and soldiers. According to old legends, fairies were believed to sneak into barns at night and weave “elf knots” into horse manes to ride them. A more sinister version of the tale suggests that thieves would tie knots in a mane to mark horses they planned to steal. Over time, braiding also came to symbolize class, with neatly plaited manes and tails identifying horses of high breeding or importance.