"Back" in Horse & Rider

I just discovered that The Rider's Pain-Free Back is featured in March's Horse & Rider magazine.

They feature a nice overview of the book, with specific references to sections that can help alleviate back pain. There is also an excerpt of the "Spider Crawl," one of the easier, more useful stretching exercises.

I'm thrilled. Doing the exercises has been very helpful to me. They take very little time, and I'm not sore after I ride or do groundwork. I'm hoping that they can be as beneficial to others, too.

I've been working Theo regularly lately. We've been doing some riding and a lot of fun groundwork. I really like working him at liberty. He's learning to free lunge in a large arena, to bow, and to come when he's called.

Yesterday, we worked with another horse in the arena and though he wasn't perfect, he wasn't horrible. I have grand plans of doing liberty groundwork and tack-free riding with him to show people that Percherons aren't just big clunky work horses. Theo is light, nimble, sure-footed, and sooo willing. He's such a joy to work with.

I grew up showing hunters. But I have to admit that "show ring riding" holds very little appeal to me anymore.

Walk... trot... walk... canter... walk... reverse... walk... trot... walk... canter... walk... Come into the center and line up... Back...Stand.

I figure if I'm bored to tears with the drill, my horse is probably wishing he were in a coma.



I found Stacey Westfall's amazing 2006 tack-free reining demonstration truly inspiring. Lately, I've been studying the things that Frederic and J.F. Pignon, Klaus von Hempfling, and others are doing with their horses. I am having a ball working on developing the connection and communication required to work together with my horse. And I am convinced that my horse is enjoying our time together far more than he would if I were simply "working" him.

I'm grateful to the exercises in Dr. Warson's book that are keeping my 40-something back strong enough for me to play around with my 2,000 pound, 19 hand boy. Here's hoping that the Horse & Rider exposure will help other backs as well.

No More Biting Horses!

Not long ago, I had the privilege of interviewing Wendy Hilton Smith of Cornerstone Training Center and getting her to talk about how she trains a horse to stop biting.

I was impressed with how down-to-earth and low-key her approach to the biting issue was. Don't get me wrong -- a biting horse is a serious liability. I had a good friend whose daughter once nearly lost a key part of the female anatomy when their normally good-natured stallion reached over his stall door and bit her.



Wendy agrees that biting is a serious matter. But she also believes that it's well within the average horse handler's abilities to deal with most biting problems. The key is knowing why the horse bites, and knowing what to do before the bite in order to minimize the problem and control it before it gets out of hand.

In our interview , Wendy explains 5 different ways to defuse a biter. She also tells how to recognize the signs of a horse that wants to bite, and discusses what to do if the horse crosses the line and actually bites you.

Cornerstone Training has released the audio of the "No More Biting Horses!" interview, only available as an MP3 download online. Those who take advantage of the offer will also receive a complementary "No More Biting Horses!" e-book as a .pdf download (a $19.95 value). (I'm a big fan of free books!)

I am pleased to be able to work with such wonderful trainers as Wendy and her husband Steve. I am honored to be a small part of making this information available to the people (and their horses) who need it. I can't help but think what a great world this would be if there truly were "No More Biting Horses!"

In Other News

Work on the Major Project continues. The last few content holes are nearly all plugged, and work has begun (albeit s-l-o-w-l-y) on kneading, massaging, and otherwise walloping things into a shape that is as meaningful to the end user as it is to the Committee of Creators.

The rest of this month and all of September is earmarked for the First Edit and all the accompanying joys.

The highlight of the month has been watching the steady improvements in our Barn Reorganization. All the stalls were dismantled and the barn was emptied. Then tons of sand was brought in and -- today -- concrete poured over the non-stall portions.

The studio has also been leveled and electrified. A small deck is currently being installed. How wonderful it will be to actually have a place to work! It can't happen soon enough. I've discovered that the dining room table makes a mighty poor workspace.