Ride Every Stride | Horsemanship And Personal Growth With Van Hargis

I’m often asked how I know when the time is right to address certain horse behaviors. It makes me think back to one of my favorite quotes: “Mom will tell you but the horse will teach you.” This episode is all about the horse and the lessons they have to teach. To know when to address a certain behavior it’s always smart to have a plan for your training session. When the horse’s behavior deviates from that plan, that’s when you know it’s time to switch gears. Say you want to head out and do some trail riding, but the horse gets spooked by a wheelbarrow before making it out of the barn. This is the horse telling you what it needs to work on. Once you resolve whatever issue arises you can get back on track with your original plan. Evaluating your horse is critical to understanding what limitations and hardships will arise in training. Look at the end goal you have in mind for the horse, and then start from the very beginning and work your way forward. ​Key Takeaways: Circumstances can teach you better than bein

In 43 years of riding I’ve won plenty of awards, trophies, and belt buckles. But my proudest accomplishment is the safety record I maintained in 42 of those years. This episode covers the two injuries I’ve sustained during that period and the lessons they taught me. When I was nine I was kicked in the face by a horse. As an only child, my closest companions were the dogs and horses I was raised with. Crawling between their legs and climbing up bare horse backs was how I played with them. I learned a hard lesson in startling the horse that kicked me. The time it took to rebuild my cheek and jaw bones let me reflect on my relationship with these animals. It led to an awareness and understanding of my responsibility to keep both myself and the horses I ride safe. Actively evaluating every stride and behavior let me ride safely and confidently for the next 42 years. However, sometimes there is little or nothing that can be done to prevent an accident—which is a lesson I learned recently when a young horse rolled

It’s Good to Be Back! I’d like to send a big thank you out to all of you who encouraged Laura and me to cut our microphones back on during the break. Your support and encouragement has helped us shake off the dust on Ride Every Stride, and we’re ready to dive back in. Ride Every Stride If there was a single message I wanted to get across in Ride Every Stride, it would be this: be present. It is so important to be in the moment and take things one step at a time. While you need to have a destination in mind, something aim for, you also have to accept the fact that your journey never ends—even after you meet your goals. Everyone’s journey with horsemanship ends up different than they imagined. Obstacles arise. Injuries happen. And maybe most important, you keep learning, which can change the route on your journey. It’s important to be honest with yourself and to stay away from self-destructive thoughts when your journey hits bumps in the road. While you may have not had a perfect ride in relation to your goal,

As part of my ongoing focus on safety, I want my horses to stand absolutely still to be mounted. Let's talk about how I accomplish that, and how you can too

One of my favorite quotes is this: every good horse anticipates, but every great horse waits. In this episode we talk about some of the techniques I use to achieve that goal of a great horse. I also share some tips for success in the show ring.

No matter how well trained our horses are, they're still horses, and they're going to act like horses, doing things horses do. Having a safe, productive, and fun life with our horses demands that we be always aware of that reality.

If you sometimes have trouble getting your horse loaded onto a trailer, you're going to like our conversation about how to do it safely and without undue stress on you or your horse.

If fear interferes with your achievement of your horse-related goals, you're not alone. In this episode we begin a conversation about overcoming fear through developing relationships of trust, which leads to confidence. These are concepts that apply both in horsemanship and in life.

After a brief update on my condition following an incident on a young horse, this episode is our response to a common question about which leg cues to use to get the desired response from a horse.

Following up on our conversation in episode 14 about bits, we're going to talk about which bit to choose, how to adjust it (should you have one wrinkle in the corner of the horse's mouth? two wrinkles? . . . ), the types of headstalls and reins, and more.

I get a lot of questions about bits, which is understandable because of the wide variety of styles and types of bits sold in the horsemanship market. In this episode we talk about the different types of bits, why and when they're used, and what the "right" bit can (and more important, what it can't) do.

Collection is a common buzzword in the horse industry, but how many people truly understand it? In this episode we'll discuss what collection is, why it matters, and how to achieve it.

Listen to our discussion about the things you need to understand and do to get your horse into the proper lead.

While it may be fun to ride a loping horse, there's nothing fun about being on the back of a horse that's startled and bolted and is running out of control. A listener asked for some tips on how to deal with a horse that bolts.

Over the years I've heard a lot of questions, but high on the list of the most frequent questions are things like, "Why does my horse buck?" and "How do I get my horse to quit rearing up?" These are two of the horse's behaviors that scare us the most, and with good reason. But understanding why horses do these things will help us understand how to prevent these behaviors in the first place.

What are the reasons why a horse becomes herd bound, and how do we address and overcome those tendencies? In this episode we address a listener’s question about the herd-bound horse. Dealing with the Herd Bound Horse When you’re dealing with a horse that resists being taken away from its barn- or pasture-mates, it’s important to understand the source of the resistance. A horse’s desire to be with other horses is part of its instinct for self-preservation. As a prey animal, a horse instinctively knows there is safety in numbers and, conversely, there’s danger in isolation. In developing a plan for resolving this issue, start from the understanding that the horse’s lack of cooperation with you is a sign of its lack of respect for you as a leader. If you can establish yourself as the leader in your horse’s eyes, over time it will trust you to take it away from the herd. The process The tools and techniques you’ll use will vary depending on the horse and the situat

What are the 4 questions we should ask ourselves each time we work with our horses, and how can they help us become better horsemen and horsewomen? (And these questions are incredibly useful in everyday life as well.) The 4 Questions 1.  What do you want? 2.  Is what you want fair? 3.  Can you communicate what you want in a way your horse can understand? 4.  How will you measure the results? Listen to the episode to hear how these questions apply both to horsemanship and humanship. What do you think? We want to hear your questions, comments, and suggestions. Share them in the comments section below, reach out to us on the Van Hargis Horsemanship Facebook page, or email me! We want your suggestions for topics we can address in future episodes, so if there’s a particular area where you’re struggling, or just curious, let us know! We’d Love to Have Your Help Spreading the Word If you enjoy this podcast and think others would like it too, please consider rating and reviewing Ride Ever

Could a retired Thoroughbred racehorse be the right horse for you? In this episode we consider some things you should consider in deciding whether to buy or adopt an off the track Thoroughbred. We’ve summarized a few of the main points below, but be sure to listen for more specifics! The Thoroughbred Athlete According to the Thoroughbred Adoption Network, a thoroughbred’s racing career typically begins at age 2 and may continue until age 10, depending on its success and soundness. But the breed’s average lifespan is 25 to 28 years, leaving the potential for many productive years after retirement from the racetrack. Rehabilitating the Off the Track Thoroughbred A horse that’s spent its life on and around the track may present some particular challenges to the horseman or horsewoman who wants to bring it home. We look at some of the issue that you might need to consider, including bad manners and the consequences of a high-octane diet and daily confinement to a stall, and talk about ho

Though we may own horses for the pleasures of riding them, most of our time with them is spent with our feet on the ground. Every minute you spend with your horse you're training him. Remembering that, and being intentional about it, can help you make the best use of your time to help your horse be a pleasure for both you and others to be around

A clinic participant asked a great question: “What do you do about a horse that ‘sets back’ when tied?” In this episode we talk about this from the perspective of safety and understanding the horse’s instincts, and offer specific suggestions about how to avoid the problem, and how to address it in a horse that’s already developed the habit. Preventing–or Curing–the Horse that “Sets Back” When Tied Some horses react badly to being tied up, using all their strength to pull against the restraint. Can this be prevented? Can it be “cured”? Why does a horse pull back when tied? It’s because the horse doesn’t respect the halter, so it all starts with proper halter training. Flight or fight response The key to understanding this problem is understanding the horse’s instincts. By evolutionary development, a horse is a prey animal whose first, preferred response to any threat is to flee–get away first, check it out later. W