Treating fear through target training

Dr. Emily Weiss, ASPCA Senior Director of Shelter Behavior Programs, offers advice to a horse owner experiencing a behavior change in a horse she is training to jump. She describes two behavior tools: teaching your horse to touch his nose to a target item and training your horse to associate an audible queue with a desired behavior.

Parelli on problems and progress

Linda Parelli blogs about solving problems and making progress in her personal blog. She writes: "You get into trouble when you try to accomplish a task but your horse is having emotional trouble. And when the horse is ready and willing you can miss the opportunity to make progress." Linda emphasizes that you must take the time to address a problem the moment it occurs, or you lose trust and respect.

Rider fitness improves riding

A fit, well-conditioned rider is more likely to be a better rider. This article on rider fitness describes how weight training can "transform you into a strong, flexible, more effective rider in just minutes a week."