Half way through a complex lesson the rider stops for a quick break and sip of water. While they stand there horse lowers their head, licks, and chews. “Look.. there it is. He got it! He’s processing.” For years, I believed that too. If you’ve spent any time around horses, you’ve probably heard or even…
It happened to me yesterday. We were halfway through a lesson when a trot transition accidentally turned into a canter for a rider who wasn’t ready for a canter. She retreated into the classic panic position — folded forward, elbows back, heels creeping toward the horse’s flank, gripping with her knees and thighs for dear…
Why Retention Matters in EAS (and How to Celebrate Volunteer Appreciation Month Meaningfully) If you’ve ever had to cancel a lesson because you were short on volunteers, you already understand this: Volunteers aren’t extra in EAS programs.They are essential. They are the steady hand on a lead rope with clear compassionate direction.The encouragement at…
If you’ve taught riding long enough, you’ve seen it. A rider who wants to learn… but struggles to put in the “work,” so to speak.They may be slow to get started, easily distracted, or move through the routine with lackluster effort. This is especially common when riders are working on the same foundational skills for…
Which Approach is Right for You and Your Riders? As riding instructors, setting goals with our riders is a crucial part of helping them grow. In the equestrian world, there’s been a strong push toward using the SMART goal framework, but have you ever considered the PIE method as an alternative—or even a complement? Both approaches serve distinct…
Every rider experiences the world through a unique sensory lens. In adaptive and therapeutic riding, understanding a rider’s sensory processing profile is essential for building trust, promoting regulation, and creating meaningful, successful lessons. Riders MAY show patterns across multiple sensory systems: But, sensitivity can vary from sense to sense. Some riders may be hypersensitive…
Riding is all about communication—and most of that communication happens through pressure and release. Riders give signals to their horse using their hands, legs, seat, and (from the ground) with space. The challenge is that riders have different sensory sensitivities, meaning what feels “light” to one person may feel completely different to another! Horses also…
You want to connect with riders, but some feel unsure how to start a conversation with someone who communicates or moves differently I want to help you! The truth is — connection starts the same way for everyone: with respect, curiosity, and warmth. Here are a few tips to make those first moments count! Tips for…
Every rider has a favorite horse — or a few. We all have preferences. Sometimes it’s announced and known by everyone in the barn, and sometimes it’s just the one they light up around or ride with quiet confidence. As instructors, we might hear about these preferences in ways that make us a little defensive…
Every Instructors Nightmare… When A Lesson Horse Spooks Since Halloween if full of spooky things, it can be a great time to educate your riders (and families) on horses spooking. While it’s not something we want to talk about, understanding why and how horses spook and how to prevent it is an important part of…
