The shorter, cooler days of autumn herald the approach of the cold winter months. Starting with the spring season, we all race around to participate in shows, rodeos, or backcountry camping trips. When those exciting events wind down, we can focus on all the tasks we’ve put off — those “before winter rolls around” jobs.

Growing up as a three-day eventer, I spent many minutes waiting to enter the ring or the start box. At times, the nerves felt almost unbearable while waiting to compete. I would find myself thinking about all the money and time I’d invested to get there and how much I wanted to succeed. The thought of making a significant mistake, or failing, made me feel panicked. With hindsight I can now see how the experience of pressure was distracting me and pulling my attention away from the task at hand. Ironically, this loss of focus sometimes contributed to the very mistakes I feared making.

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.

Tuning In To Your Internal State - All riders are familiar with the joy and challenge associated with mastering the dance of connection and communication between horse and rider. However, fewer riders are familiar with the role which regulating our nervous system plays in this intricate ballet.