Test The Connection
This has been a year of uncertain weather so it is fitting that we are going to be looking at ways to train our horse to control it’s uncertain emotions and natural responses to the winds and the wilds. You are going to be riding an animal that is in…
Preparing For Disasters: What You Need To Know
by Heather Kitchen Disasters can happen anytime, anywhere, and it is in your best interest to be prepared in advance. There are three primary focus areas that can assist you in preparing. These areas are Build a Kit, Make a Plan, and Stay Informed. These can be used to prepare…
Connecting The Steering – Shoulder Control 2
By Ann Kirk How did you do with last lesson? Teaching the shoulder connection is a little hard to explain on paper but when you get the feel of it, it is great! It produces a lightness as it elevates the withers. The focus needs to be on softening the…
Connecting The Steering – Shoulder Control
By Ann Kirk January, 2023! Happy New Year from my heart to yours. I am looking forward to all the promise this year has to offer and the many adventures my Lord has in store for me. I am excited about reconnecting with past friends and making new ones as…
CONNECT THE STEERING – GO & STOP
By: Ann Kirk Last article, we began the process of connecting the steering of the bridle. Our starting place was to connect the reins to the hind feet to gain control over the hips. The right rein should step the right hip to the left and the left rein should…
Connect the Steering – Hip Control
By: Ann Kirk Spring is here. The season is showing signs of new life and fresh promises are becoming more obvious all the time. Getting those mounts ready for riding is right around the corner. There is still plenty of time to improve areas of training before closing opening the…
Who’s Leading Who?
By: Ann Kirk Have you ever just stood and watched foals romp and play? Did you notice how much it looks like adult horses when they are truly fighting? Why do you think that is? It is because they are practicing the behaviors needed to establish themselves in the pecking…
My Journey into Animal O&P
By: Angela Boncz, CTPO Ever since I was a young girl, I loved animals. I tried to save all of the ants at the school bus stop while my brother was stepping on them. Summers at my aunt and uncle’s house meant fishing with my cousins. In preparation, we would…
Prey Animal Dynamic Revisited
By: Ann Kirk Greetings to all you horse lovers! By the time you read this, nine whole months of the year 2021 will be gone. It is amazing how fast time goes by! As I sit to write another article, I think back to the many questions asked of me…
Connect the Steering – Bridle Up
Could this be the month of July? We are already halfway through the year. I’ve been privileged to teach a couple of amazing One Day Clinics at Susan Rae’s place, the Lazy Susan Ranch, home of Storybrook Farms Pony Rides. Luckily, we still have the summer ahead of us and…
What is a Conditioned Response?
By: Ann Kirk Spring is here and with it the certainty that winter is behind us. If you are like me, you have caught the horse riding bug and every sunny day calls you out to connect with your furry friend. This month I would like to talk with you…
What’s Next?
By Ann Kirk January 2021 is here!!! Last year was an interesting year here in eastern Washington. Hopefully most of you were still able to enjoy your horses and maybe even more so with the shutdowns and working from home. But 2020 is behind us and there is a whole…
Gaining Confidence
By Ann KirkIt is September of 2020. As I sit down to write, I am looking for a subject that is key to almost every horse person I know. When I participated in Ride the West, one of the sessions I did was a lecture on Lost Confidence, how it…
Sacking out Part 4 — Adding Objects
By Ann KirkIt’s hard to believe it is the middle of 2020 already! Many unexpected things have happened this year that have made it both exciting and challenging. I’m not sure how this will end or the changes this virus will have in the long run, but God knows. By…
Sacking Out Part 3 – The Laying on of Hands
by Ann Kirk2020 is here and with it comes a year like no other. This virus that has attacked our nation and the world has changed our lives in ways we could not have imagined at the beginning of the year. It can be an anxious time for many and…
Sacking Out Part 2—The Laying on of Hands
By Ann Kirk September is here and with it comes some cooler weather. But, there are still plenty of nice days to continue these lessons with your horse. We will continue where we left off last time with the sacking out process. The term “sack out” refers to a process…
Sacking Out Part 1 – The First Touch
By Ann Kirk Hello again! It is Summer and we are in the middle of the best riding of the year. Whether you have a good seasoned horse, a young one you are starting to train or one that is less than ideal, these next lessons can help teach your…
Ann Kirk – Selecting a Trainer
The new year is here. There is snow on the ground and cold in the air so it’s hard to think about summer riding but the days will fly by and spring will arrive before you know it. So I want to share some tips for selecting a trainer or…
Sensible Round Penning – “Eyes on Me”
By Ann Kirk I would like to continue where we left off with the round-pen lesson. It should be noted that this lesson as taught is for the mature horse, 2 years and up. The younger horse needs a modified lesson to prevent physical injury. We had taught the inside…
Sensible Round Penning – Directional Control
By Ann Kirk Happy New Year! I pray you had a good holiday season. 2019 is now upon us. Lord, help us to seek what you have for us and to rejoice in each day. Did you practice with your motivating tool during the past few months? Are you getting…
Ann Kirk – Regaining Your Confidence
What a great season thus far! I do pray you have had a good summer also. As I sit down to write, I am looking for a subject that is key to almost every horse person I know. One of the sessions I did at Ride the West, was a…
Ann Kirk – Horses and Obstacles, Part Two
Last article I spoke of why it is good to teach your horse to deal calmly and confidently with obstacles he might encounter on the trail. This time I will share with you my way of teaching him this lesson. By setting up objects that represent obstacles in a safe…
Western Dressage News
Western Dressage is rolling here in Washington State. Year end awards at the state level will be awarded for NAWD Level 1 Foundation, Level 2 Partnership, Level 3 Communication, Level 4 Influence, Level 5 Finesse and Level 6 Harmony. Western Dressage classes using North American Western Dressage tests are being…
Ann Kirk – Horses & Obstacles
Our snow is nearly gone and I am back in the saddle, working horses several hours per day. As the trails open up and the warmer weather arrives, I will begin riding my training loops with mini saw in hand to remove any ‘obstacles’ that have encroached during the winter….
Western Dressage – The Clothing Conundrum
By Michelle K. Binder-Zolezzi, Relational Riding Academy Every day I head out to the barn to work. Like other trainers, I work outside in temperatures from 0 to 100 degrees 7 days a week, almost 365 days a year, from dawn till dark and sometimes longer. As a professional trainer…